Scrutable

will "magically" vanish after election

Eric Trump claimed Saturday that the coronavirus will “magically” vanish after the November election and allow the country to fully reopen — an assertion that has no basis in science and is contradicted by health experts worldwide.

In an interview with Fox News’s Jeanine Pirro, Trump suggested the president’s critics were using the pandemic to undermine his father’s rallies, calling it a “cognizant strategy” that would cease once it was no longer politically expedient.

He could always prove he believes that by working as a volunteer in an Covid ICA with no PPE.

It's fun to laugh at how stupid any Trump sounds, and here it looks like he's sticking his fingers in his ears and going "laa laa laa there's no pandemic laa laa laa" but I assume what he meant was that it will disappear as a political issue when the election is over.

That's a more realistic level of stupid: That it's all about Trump. The insidious notion that the biggest global crisis of the modern era is not really a big deal but is being overhyped by Trump's opponents merely to make him look bad and scare people away from his vital campaign rallies. And as soon as the US election is over, the world will decide it wasn't actually a serious problem after all.

Martin Y wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 8:41 am

It's fun to laugh at how stupid any Trump sounds, and here it looks like he's sticking his fingers in his ears and going "laa laa laa there's no pandemic laa laa laa" but I assume what he meant was that it will disappear as a political issue when the election is over.

That's a more realistic level of stupid: That it's all about Trump. The insidious notion that the biggest global crisis of the modern era is not really a big deal but is being overhyped by Trump's opponents merely to make him look bad and scare people away from his vital campaign rallies. And as soon as the US election is over, the world will decide it wasn't actually a serious problem after all.

It's unlikely to scare people away from rallies given that the lockdown protestors are mostly Trump supporters, already happy to mix in crowds without masks. It may even become a badge of honour to turn up at rallies unprotected (except by guns, of course).

Its not hard to find articles in mainstream publications like the Spectator or the Telegraph which suggest that Covid-19 is no worse than flu. Eric Trump is bonkers but the 'liberal hoax' meme is pretty widespread.

Woodchopper wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 12:17 pm

Its not hard to find articles in mainstream publications like the Spectator or the Telegraph which suggest that Covid-19 is no worse than flu. Eric Trump is bonkers but the 'liberal hoax' meme is pretty widespread.

The last time I had flu I could hardly get out of bed for three weeks and about another three to full recovery. People who think Covid is no worse than flu probably haven't had either.

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 12:20 pm

Woodchopper wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 12:17 pm

Its not hard to find articles in mainstream publications like the Spectator or the Telegraph which suggest that Covid-19 is no worse than flu. Eric Trump is bonkers but the 'liberal hoax' meme is pretty widespread.

The last time I had flu I could hardly get out of bed for three weeks and about another three to full recovery. People who think Covid is no worse than flu probably haven't had either.

Most people* think a bad cold is flu.

*In particular those middle managers who "never take sick leave for a cold" and so think you should struggle in when you're feeling rotten but have a week off with "flu" every year.

JQH wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 2:11 pm

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 12:20 pm

Woodchopper wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 12:17 pm

Its not hard to find articles in mainstream publications like the Spectator or the Telegraph which suggest that Covid-19 is no worse than flu. Eric Trump is bonkers but the 'liberal hoax' meme is pretty widespread.

The last time I had flu I could hardly get out of bed for three weeks and about another three to full recovery. People who think Covid is no worse than flu probably haven't had either.

Most people* think a bad cold is flu.

*In particular those middle managers who "never take sick leave for a cold" and so think you should struggle in when you're feeling rotten but have a week off with "flu" every year.

Is manflu short for managerflu?

Could be.

Though it is notable that every manager I have heard say that and then have "flu" has been male.

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 11:31 am

Martin Y wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 8:41 am

It's fun to laugh at how stupid any Trump sounds, and here it looks like he's sticking his fingers in his ears and going "laa laa laa there's no pandemic laa laa laa" but I assume what he meant was that it will disappear as a political issue when the election is over.

That's a more realistic level of stupid: That it's all about Trump. The insidious notion that the biggest global crisis of the modern era is not really a big deal but is being overhyped by Trump's opponents merely to make him look bad and scare people away from his vital campaign rallies. And as soon as the US election is over, the world will decide it wasn't actually a serious problem after all.

It's unlikely to scare people away from rallies given that the lockdown protestors are mostly Trump supporters, already happy to mix in crowds without masks. It may even become a badge of honour to turn up at rallies unprotected (except by guns, of course).

It'll be interesting to see how that plays out - someone has done some app-tracing in the States following the protests, particularly the
Michigan one, and found that a) some people who attended have since tested positive for COVID19 and b) people travelled a long way - at least one of them >180 miles, and some were from the neighbouring state. So there's a good chance it's continued to be spread far and wide.

FlammableFlower wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 3:02 pm

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 11:31 am

Martin Y wrote: ↑

Mon May 18, 2020 8:41 am

It's fun to laugh at how stupid any Trump sounds, and here it looks like he's sticking his fingers in his ears and going "laa laa laa there's no pandemic laa laa laa" but I assume what he meant was that it will disappear as a political issue when the election is over.

That's a more realistic level of stupid: That it's all about Trump. The insidious notion that the biggest global crisis of the modern era is not really a big deal but is being overhyped by Trump's opponents merely to make him look bad and scare people away from his vital campaign rallies. And as soon as the US election is over, the world will decide it wasn't actually a serious problem after all.

It's unlikely to scare people away from rallies given that the lockdown protestors are mostly Trump supporters, already happy to mix in crowds without masks. It may even become a badge of honour to turn up at rallies unprotected (except by guns, of course).

It'll be interesting to see how that plays out - someone has done some app-tracing in the States following the protests, particularly the
Michigan one, and found that a) some people who attended have since tested positive for COVID19 and b) people travelled a long way - at least one of them >180 miles, and some were from the neighbouring state. So there's a good chance it's continued to be spread far and wide.

Though hopefully within their social circles, so the worst people will die

Eric may think it's a hoax but the Donald doesn't or why else would he be taking malaria medication that he believes will protect him against the virus? (unproven and potentially dangerous). Unless he has massive shares in the company and wants to promote the product maybe?

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 8:13 am

Eric may think it's a hoax but the Donald doesn't or why else would he be taking malaria medication that he believes will protect him against the virus? (unproven and potentially dangerous). Unless he has massive shares in the company and wants to promote the product maybe?

Fortunately it has been precedent since LBJ for POTUS to put all his wealth into a blind trust for the duration of their presidency to avoid any suggestion of a COI and, more pointedly, to insulate the President from any potential breach of the Constitution's Emolument Clause.

I imagine any President who point-blank refused to would face an untenable shitstorm of bipartisan opposition as even his own side put their patriotic love of country and their sacred Constitution above any cynical, petty political loyalty ... oh.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/1 ... ump-257884

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 8:13 am

Eric may think it's a hoax but the Donald doesn't or why else would he be taking malaria medication that he believes will protect him against the virus? (unproven and potentially dangerous). Unless he has massive shares in the company and wants to promote the product maybe?

It's always hard to know how much is native stupidity, or and how much is throwing a dead cat on the table to distract attention from elsewhere, but some people are asking whether it's a coincidence that this comes at the same time as the sacking of Steve Linick, the State Department investigator general who was looking at Mike Pompeo's sidestepping of Congress over arms sales to Saudi Arabia (and misuse of State Department staff for doing work like dog walking and picking up dry cleaning).

It must be a coincidence because Trump was smart enough to have been taking hydroxychloroquine since even before doctors realised it was the miracle cure for what Trump knew was going to be a pandemic before anyone else did. So it clearly can't just be headline bait to distract from what is obviously fake news anyway.

Asked what was his evidence of hydroxychloroquine's positive benefits, Mr Trump said: "Here's my evidence: I get a lot of positive calls about it." He added: "I've heard a lot of good stories and if it's not good, I'll tell you right I'm not going to get hurt by it."

Though some people in the White House have tested positive for coronavirus, the president said again on Monday he had "zero symptoms" and was being tested frequently.

He added that he has been taking a daily zinc supplement and received a single dose of azithromycin, an antibiotic meant to prevent infection.

So much for 'evidence'.

Someone should explain to him the difference between a virus and bacteria.

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 11:18 am

Someone should explain to him the difference between a virus and bacteria.

Such attempts to confuse us with fake biology shall fail ...

Little waster wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 8:47 am

Fortunately it has been precedent since LBJ for POTUS to put all his wealth into a blind trust for the duration of their presidency to avoid any suggestion of a COI and, more pointedly, to insulate the President from any potential breach of the Constitution's Emolument Clause.

Does that also apply to the financial interests of his wife and children?

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 8:13 am

Eric may think it's a hoax but the Donald doesn't or why else would he be taking malaria medication that he believes will protect him against the virus? (unproven and potentially dangerous). Unless he has massive shares in the company and wants to promote the product maybe?

Chloroquine is off-patent. There's not a lot of money to be made from tricking the gullible/fascists into pestering their doctors into prescribing some.

I suspect Trump's chloroquine obsession is probably more to do with pretending to be clever and informed. By his twisted logic, it's win-win; if it works, he's the genius who knew all along it would work, if it fails, the deep state and media were so obsessed with undermining Trump they sabotaged a cure.

Of course, this could easily be giving him too much credit. It could well be that rather than evil and cynical, he's just too thick* to realise there's not much money to be made from an old, off-patent drug.

*This doesn't mean he isn't also evil and cynical, of course.

tom p wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 12:27 pm

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 8:13 am

Eric may think it's a hoax but the Donald doesn't or why else would he be taking malaria medication that he believes will protect him against the virus? (unproven and potentially dangerous). Unless he has massive shares in the company and wants to promote the product maybe?

Chloroquine is off-patent. There's not a lot of money to be made from tricking the gullible/fascists into pestering their doctors into prescribing some.

HA
That's what they said about Daraprim

eta pyrimethamine
I remember sampling 50kg kegs of it and testing it

EACLucifer wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 12:43 pm

I suspect Trump's chloroquine obsession is probably more to do with pretending to be clever and informed. By his twisted logic, it's win-win; if it works, he's the genius who knew all along it would work, if it fails, the deep state and media were so obsessed with undermining Trump they sabotaged a cure.

Of course, this could easily be giving him too much credit. It could well be that rather than evil and cynical, he's just too thick* to realise there's not much money to be made from an old, off-patent drug.

*This doesn't mean he isn't also evil and cynical, of course.

I don’t think he’s pretending from his POV, he genuinely thinks he knows more than anyone else and he twists what actually happens around in his head to fit with his confirmation bias.

tom p wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 12:27 pm

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 8:13 am

Eric may think it's a hoax but the Donald doesn't or why else would he be taking malaria medication that he believes will protect him against the virus? (unproven and potentially dangerous). Unless he has massive shares in the company and wants to promote the product maybe?

Chloroquine is off-patent. There's not a lot of money to be made from tricking the gullible/fascists into pestering their doctors into prescribing some.

In the US, could they apply for a patent on a slightly different formulation for treating CoVID-19 rather than malaria?

Grumble wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 1:18 pm

EACLucifer wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 12:43 pm

I suspect Trump's chloroquine obsession is probably more to do with pretending to be clever and informed. By his twisted logic, it's win-win; if it works, he's the genius who knew all along it would work, if it fails, the deep state and media were so obsessed with undermining Trump they sabotaged a cure.

Of course, this could easily be giving him too much credit. It could well be that rather than evil and cynical, he's just too thick* to realise there's not much money to be made from an old, off-patent drug.

*This doesn't mean he isn't also evil and cynical, of course.

I don’t think he’s pretending from his POV, he genuinely thinks he knows more than anyone else and he twists what actually happens around in his head to fit with his confirmation bias.

I suspect you are right

Tessa K wrote: ↑

Tue May 19, 2020 8:13 am

Eric may think it's a hoax but the Donald doesn't or why else would he be taking malaria medication that he believes will protect him against the virus? (unproven and potentially dangerous). Unless he has massive shares in the company and wants to promote the product maybe?

Apparently he does have shares in the maker (it's off-patent but clearly at least one company has to make it), presumably via his family trust. But it's something like $250 worth of shares as part of an entirely normal mixed portfolio. It seems that for once there actually is nothing to see here.

A bigger problem with HCQ is that half of France is apparently now taking is prophylactically. This has not been helped by Raoult's new status as a maverick superstar. ISTM that Macron has actually played this pretty cannily, seeming to take Raoult seriously while not endorsing anything.

There is also a bit of a reflection of the general schism between Paris and Marseille (the archetype for football rivalry in France is a game between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille, with half the country having an innate preference between those two teams regardless of which other team they support every weekend). Raoult is a hero of the anti-Parisian-elite people. To nobody's surprise he has some borderline views on climate change as well, and there are plenty of stories of sexual harassment and bullying as part of the "publication machine" culture of his lab.