All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[CSTowle]

There is an air flight adage I refer back to at times like this. It goes, before you place an oxygen mask on the person next to you, first you need to place the mask on yourself.

The US is in the process of placing the mask on, then it will take care of others.

This is also known as "Looking out for #1" or "I got mine!" It's a very popular philosophy among those on the right and centrist/neoliberal Clinton types. We're also not in a crashing plane, we're in a worldwide pandemic that won't die down until everyone's vaccinated. It's what I'd expect of the Trump Administration, I'm just sad I'm not more surprised it's what we're continuing to do under Biden/Harris.

That, and all those swing voters would vote Republican in 2022 if Biden sent vaccines abroad before everyone who wants one here has access. It's sad, but the long term health of the country requires not letting Trumpism get the reins on power again. Heck, Trump might stockpile vaccines in order to never send them anywhere out of sheer spite. Biden I at least see keeping production up in order to supply doses to the rest of the planet after the US turns the corner.

Real leaders, and real allies, don't look to the opinions of the worst among their population or allow themselves to be hamstrung by fear of losing political capital for making the right decision in the middle of a crisis. They stand up and do it. Again, sadly, I don't expect that here. But it'd be nice.

I still haven't been vaccinated, my husband still hasn't been vaccinated, people I know haven't been vaccinated. From my perspective, the process is going too slow and the supply isn't getting out fast enough. if this country really were hoarding all of the vaccines, 90% of the population would be vaccinated by now.

edit: As I posted in the Vaccine thread after I posted this I received an email and was able to register to get a vaccine appointment. I still say that the Biden Administration is aware of the need to get vaccines to every country and is working on it.

The world doesn't need thoughts and prayers or platitudes. They need action. Trust is built on action, not the good will you get from not being Trump. That's what got him elected. What he does with it now determines how he should be viewed as a President. Including what he doesn't do. Especially in the middle of a crisis.

[Mister Mets]

“Not as bad as they say”
You admit it is bad legislation, but support it anyway? You’re certainly willing to put a lot of energy into downplaying it’s probable effect on the next election. Why is that?
In my opinion any legislation limiting citizens access to their constitutional right to vote is inherently bad. The degree of bad really has no bearing.

I was discussing it because there seemed to be misinformation. Bad things can happen when people are misinformed about election procedures.

In order to have a deeper discussion about preferred policies, first principles and whether political actors are doing the right thing, which seems to be the main point about a political discussion thread, there needs to be some shared understanding of facts to the extent possible.

A common misunderstanding in political discussion is the idea that there are two sides to one issue. It seems there are typically a lot more. What motivates your opposition to the legislation (the sense that any limits are inherently bad) may be different from what motivates someone else's (a freakout due to believing one party's spin, a sense that Georgia is still a uniquely racist place, a concern that these laws are pushed by partisans who fail to acknowledge that their party's candidate lost an election, etc.)

The IRS did not target these groups because they're conservative. They targeted them because they publicly advocated shady ways to avoid paying taxes. That's kind of a red flag for the IRS.

The Inspector General's report suggested that it wasn't always so clear-cut.

Except Germany funded the Pfizer vaccine, not the US.
https://fortune.com/2020/11/09/pfize...speed-germany/

Do you really still oppose Universal Healthcare?

I don't necessarily oppose universal healthcare. I think it may have tradeoffs, especially if we're talking about implementing in the US, although that's a different story.

While Germany's €375 million was useful, that was for the vaccine development program, several months after clinical trials started. It also came after the United States pledged $2billion.

Operation: Warp Speed funding was not the only American contribution to the Covid vaccines.

[Mister Mets]

They were talking about "beating policemen senseless" aggressive here, not "aggressively moving on a buffet breakfast."


Why does context never matter to Regressives?

Name-calling diminishes you.

A real-estate lawyer offered the opinion that people's "view got more aggressive." That doesn't seem to be limited to tactics.

Well, I have a habit of not promoting or defending the views of those who espouse white nationalist rhetoric.

You should try it. So should your party.

I don't think you're going to be able to meet your own standard.

People who are prolific in politics and commentary are going to make mistakes at some point, especially when individuals have long enough careers that they'll take positions on issues that are shaped by subsequent discoveries. In this case, a journalist for a progressive outlet quoted a peer-reviewed paper, and apologized after learning that one of the co-authors was a terrible human being. This should not mean that a commentary over a decade later about the effects of a law should be dismissed with an ad hominem. If his understanding of the law is mistaken, it's better to respond to what he said, and not the Wikipedia article of the man.

By your standard, it doesn't matter if Biden ever apologized. He is tainted, and so is anyone whose support for him went further than suggesting that he was the lesser of two evils.

[worstblogever]

I don't think you're going to be able to meet your own standard.

I have yet to see a time where I've quoted someone who's noted for having shared white nationalist propaganda.

Also, were I to accidentally do that, I can at least live up to the standard of not being obstinate and backing off of it rather than dig in to defend it.

Again, things you could try. Because we can be better than that.

[JackDaw]

The fact that vaccines depend on a tightly integrated global supply chain just means that there needs to be more good faith cooperation to ensure that the vaccines are distributed equitably. It does NOT mean that the UK is entitled to lay claim to a disproportionate share of the vaccines because once other countries catch onto this behavior and reciprocate, as seen by the recent export bans by the EU and India, that's just going to screw everyone over.

I agree.

But the point I was really making was that the original graphic showing the EU exporting some vaccines and the UK none can be interpreted in at least 2 ways.

The first way is “aren’t the EU wonderful altruists and the UK selfish pigs”

The second way is: Big pharmaceutical companies are trying to service orders in a way that reflects the order they were placed, the price paid, and the amount of investments made to help early development. That order doesn’t suit the EU, so they are seeking to use political muscle to change the order....not with main aim of making things globally fairer, but to get larger share for EU.

I believe the second explanation is closer to what is happening...look at the contributions of Ursula von der Leyden ( EU President), they are very revealing.

[PwrdOn]

Real leaders, and real allies, don't look to the opinions of the worst among their population or allow themselves to be hamstrung by fear of losing political capital for making the right decision in the middle of a crisis. They stand up and do it. Again, sadly, I don't expect that here. But it'd be nice.

This picture pretty much tells you all you need to know:

[Tendrin]

This picture pretty much tells you all you need to know:

Yeah, this is pretty vile.

[Tendrin]

In other, much better news:

https://www.zmescience.com/science/v...rial-23637533/

Hope against HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, is closer than any time before. A new vaccine against this virus has shown promise in Phase 1 trials, leading to the production of efficient antibodies in 97% of participants.

It's development is apparently related to the Moderna vaccine.

[JackDaw]

This picture pretty much tells you all you need to know:

But waiving those rights isn’t really up to countries governments.

The intellectual property is fundamentally owned by pharmaceutical companies...they are the ones that must decide whether they are willing to waive the rights.

They aren’t...so countries must decide whether to change legislation to take the rights away (which may well make future medical breakthroughs less like likely) or to throw a lot of money at the pharmaceutical companies to buy out the rights.

So I think the real question is: all those countries that want to see the rights waived: are they willing to stump up money to make it happen??

[inisideguy]

After seeing how this is all happening if you are a country, you better be investing in vaccine research and you better be investing in vaccine manufacturing capability. This is a learning curve big time. I know not all countries can do this. But they should be making partnerships now. Germany invented this vaccine, but they are just now able to produce it in numbers. Canada doesnt have the ability to produce a vaccine at all. This is a national security issue for these countries. In so many ways it reminds me of WW2. The USA had its head up its ass for the first 8 months but once it got moving it couldn't be stopped.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

This picture pretty much tells you all you need to know:

Are you presuming this situation WON'T change, that the US will NEVER waive that monopoly? Call me naive, but I don't see that happening. How about we wait and see what happens before passing any sort of definitive judgment.

[JackDaw]

Are you presuming this situation WON'T change, that the US will NEVER waive that monopoly? Call me naive, but I don't see that happening. How about we wait and see what happens before passing any sort of definitive judgment.

I don’t think either US or UK will hoard millions of unused vaccine doses. What would be the point?

My prediction is that once US/UK vaccination programs are complete then all excess orders will be made available to other countries.

Is it perfectly just? Of course it isn’t...but it’s probably the most pragmatic and effective solution possible in the world we actually live in as opposed to a Utopia we will never see.

One irony of the situation is that the Oxford Astra Zeneca initiative that has attracted so much bad publicity is actually more “enlightened” than most concerns...the company is making real efforts to supply all the vaccines at cost.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I don’t think either US or UK will hoard millions of unused vaccine doses. What would be the point?

My prediction is that once US/UK vaccination programs are complete then all excess orders will be made available to other countries.

Is it perfectly just? Of course it isn’t...but it’s probably the most pragmatic and effective solution possible in the world we actually live in as opposed to a Utopia we will never see.

One irony of the situation is that the Oxford Astra Zeneca initiative that has attracted so much bad publicity is actually more “enlightened” than most concerns...the company is making real efforts to supply all the vaccines at cost.

Everything you said makes sense. Bottom line: I have no control over what governments do, or don't do when it comes to distributing the vaccine, and I'm not going to waste time bitching about it either. I can only worry about getting myself and my loved ones protected which is priority one in my book, if that makes me sound selfish, so be it, I've been called far worse things in my 62 years on this rock.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" ran a profile of Mary Sue McClurkin, a now former member of the Alabama House of Representatives, who spent years serving as a member of ALEC while also in the state legislature. Among her last few votes of note included support for the failed conservative policy of drug testing welfare recipients, trying to work around the Voting Rights Act to pass stricter Voter ID laws to combat the statistically non-existent problem of “voter fraud”, an attempt to nullify the Affordable Care Act, and a vote against expanding hate crime legislation to protect people from violence motivated by their sexual orientation. She also supported Creationism being taught in science class and placing monuments of the Ten Commandments in government buildings. Perhaps her dumbest moment, though, came from the day where she tried defending an anti-choice bill she was pushing where she condemned abortion because it “removes the largest organ from the female body”, showing a general lack of understanding of the human anatomy, and fetal development, simultaneously.

On this date in 2016, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” posted a profile of John Picchiotti, who served two non-consecutive terms in the Maine state legislature, who one day ranted on Facebook about Muslims and posting arguments that were linked from a white supremacist website, asking “Have you ever been to a Muslim hospital, heard a Muslim orchestra, seen a Muslim band march in a parade, know of a Muslim charity, ever seen Muslims shaking hands with a Muslim Girl Scout, or ever seen a Muslim Candy Striper volunteering in a hospital? Have you ever seen a Muslim do much of anything that contributes positively to the American way of life?” At first, Picchiotti issued an apology and tried claiming that he just missed the part of his post that was so bigoted, because he hadn’t read the whole thing before he clicked the “Share” button, but the local media followed up and noticed a whole slew of anti-Muslim and racist posts. Among them were calls to cut all aid to Muslim countries so they could “hate us for free”, a supposed quote from Benjamin Netanyahu that just so happened to link to a website that pitched a conspiracy theory that President Obama and the Catholic church were plotting an American genocide together, and posts supporting the shooting deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. And those were the ones posted before Picchiotti could lock his page before any more screen captures could be taken. Pichotti is now mercifully out of office


On this date in 2017, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" profiled Tara Mack, a former member of the Minneosta House of Representatives who served District 21A from 2009-2016., after originally winning office by about 1000 votes. Well, Tara Mack also had some stances we find a bit alarming on social issues, in particular regarding LGBTQ rights. When the Minnesota GOP tried sneaking a transphobic bathroom policy into the state budget in May 2015, it was certainly questionable. But where we’re particularly focusing on Tara Mack is her dedication to being a “defender of marriage”, as she repeatedly voted for same sex marriage bans, and against authorizing same sex marriage while in office. That’s why it was incredibly hypocritical for Mack to have been caught half naked in a car at a park by a Minnesota park ranger having an affair with a fellow Republican legislator, Tim Kelly, in September of 2015.Maybe that scandal would have only gone as far as the arrest report, and maybe some hypocrisy… but as can often be the case, a desperate and sad attempt at a coverup can only magnify the outrage over the offense. For whatever reason, the duo tried claiming they were not caught in flagrante, but were just “exchanging documents” in the car. While half naked. No one bought it, and she opted to not run for re-election in 2016.

On this date in 2019, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled Mark Lovell, the founder of the Delta Fair & Music Festival, and a former member of the Tennessee House of Representatives who was elected in 2016 by the merit of winning the GOP Primary against incumbent Curry Todd, who was damaged by a DUI scandal. Todd then made his chances at re-election worse by getting caught stealing Lovell’s campaign signs, and while in jail for that crime, Lovell mocked him by posting his $100 bond in a PR coup. However, Lovell did not even complete a single term in office before being forced to resign in disgrace after only about 100 days in office for sexually harassing and groping a woman while drunk. That is, one woman reported being accosted, witnesses report Lovell groped at least two women that evening while blitzed.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2018, as well as 2020, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" profiled Jeanne Ives, who was first elected to office in the Illinois House of Representatives back in 2012 after winning the GOP Primary for her seat by about 700 votes. In 2018 she challenged Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner in the GOP Primary, and provided far more of a threat than she should have. In March of 2013 that Ives referred to same sex marriage as a “disordered relationship” on a local Christian radio show, implying gay couples with adopted kids will try to molest them, and in April of 2014, she was part of a GOP effort to block passage of a ban on gay conversion therapy in Illinois. By August of 2017, the Illinois GOP hadn’t done anything to dissuade Jeanne Ives from openly hating gays and lesbians, so she just decided that it meant it would be fine to share articles from honest-to-not-goodness hate groups online that claimed Christians were somehow victims of gay people because LGBTQ protections exist.

Now, while people were expecting maybe a little bit of homophobia or transphobia from Ives during her gubernatorial campaign, they didn’t think they would see it in the GOP Primary, where Ives ran an ad spot featuring actors thanking Gov. Rauner for a lot of things he actually didn’t do, including having minority actors in it sarcastically claiming to be able to use whatever bathroom they want, a woman proud of getting an abortion, and a proud member of a teacher’s union. When Republicans and Democrats alike called the ad “repulsive”, Ives refused to take it down, doubling down and saying “Rauner’s policies are what were really repulsive”. She topped that but at a candidate forum on Martin Luther King Day where she was asked about a solution to high gun violence statistics in Chicago, she gave the solution as “more fathers in the home”, disgusting Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy enough at her racism and ignorance that he just walked off stage. In a moment that’s terrifying to consider as the status quo for the Republican Party, the hardline bigot, Ives, still managed to get 48.3% of the vote against Bruce Rauner in the GOP Primary in the Governor’s Race. That’s far closer to sniffing the governor’s mansion than she should have ever gotten.

And while we linked to all the above stories in our previous profile, we had thought that her loss in 2018 might be the last we would hear from her… terrible Republicans from Illinois just do not go away. Jeanne Ives has decided to run for Congress in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2020, winning the GOP Primary in an attempt to unseat Democrat Sean Casten. However, voters seemed to catch on that Jeanne Ives is bats*** and she ended up losing with only 45% of the vote.

We are hoping this will be the last time she causes us anxiety with any runs for office.