dbd33

The result of a team effort by the President and the Governor. I can see the argument that they are rationally deciding that infection and death is a price worth paying for the benefit of the economy but not an argument that they're uninvolved.

Shard

​​​​​Perhaps Trump's BS is going to be his undoing in November, many of his supporters will have perished.

Almost Canadian

Eh?

I thought that Trump was criticized for closing the borders to China and Europe too early. What more could he have done that was within his power to actually do? Do you blame Cuomo equally for what happened in New York, or it is only Republics that are worthy of criticism?

Danny B

Shit is getting real in Beijing..wartime measures to prevent a 2nd wave.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...-wave-12009330

Shard

One thing he could have done is not shut down the US pandemic research team in 2019. Another, in February, is not to constantly downplay the severity of virus and the transmission risk. He could coordinated a national response, instead of pitting the US Gov against states on ventilators or stoking division between red and blue states. His response to a crystal clear threat has been beyond a shambles.

dbd33

That's news to me. As regards China the most common criticism is that he said he closed the border but didn't. He only banned Chinese people, not people who were in China.

Stockpile supplies and distribute them to States as required rather than monetizing the supplies by seizing them and selling them to third parties. Kept the, China based, virus anticipation team in place. Followed the Obama era virus playbook. Followed the direction of the CDC from the start. Refrained from firing experts who disagreed with him. Kept the coronavirus task force in place. Avoided encouraging States to open early. Not scheduled the Covid dissemination rally for tomorrow. Closed the border with China when he said he did. Avoided peddling quack nostrums; the fish tank dead are directly his fault.

Not equally no. He made mistakes, he dealt poorly with De Blasio, he's no friend of medicine for the poor but he did treat the virus as a public health problem and tried to act in that context rather than as a reputational problem to be managed by, for example, not letting cruise ships dock in case they increase the case count on shore.

Of course Democrats are reasonable targets for criticism but, in a crisis, you want someone who can manage things, an organizer. Republicans are terrible at management, they always leave a mess and a deficit and a fiscally prudent Democrat has to come in and clean up. Ford seems the exception among conservatives worldwide in making no glaring errors; Trump's done almost as poorly as Johnson (Alexander not Lyndon).

Atlantic Xpat

One can't blame Trump for the US not having a single unified healthcare system as that seems to be something that its useful to have in a pandemic but the rest of your post is absolutely spot on. His main failing of course, is common to all things his government does, not understanding/caring about the detail and how to do pretty much any form of governance, and looking at everything through the lens of his clinical narcissism. "It'll just go away, you'll see". $120k dead. More to come.

Almost Canadian

I'll accept that he fired people but, most of the other stuff you appear to wish to blame him for, was with the power of Congress to do, or the individual States themselves. I posted a video above that show that he was happy to help those governors that requested help and, yes, even those from the other side of the aisle If you can point to any votes that would have achieved the above, which the Republicans actually prevented, or he vetoed, I will agree with you.

I appreciate that he said some things, that the media blew completely out of proportion (drinking stuff, for example, which he never actually said) but the media ridiculed him to such an extent that only those people too stupid not to research things themselves would have done so.

Oakvillian

I'd really, really like to think that you're doing your usual Devil's Advocate thing here. But I fear you may actually believe what you wrote.

Trump has, personally and through assorted proxies in the media, made the whole coronavirus response into a toxic, partisan, vile mess. His promotion of hydroxychoroquine, his commentary about such nonsense as bleach and UV light, his constant sniping at - or firing of - people who dare to disagree with him even when his pronouncements are patently absurd. If you really think that "the media blew completely out of proportion" is an adequate get-out for his failure to act even slightly responsibly in the face of a national public health emergency, then there's really nothing to discuss.

He's the president - it is his job to take responsibility for a national policy, to coordinate between Federal agencies, State governments, and Congress. Instead he has been trying to make political capital out of every difference of opinion, failing to answer questions (and throwing insults back at journalists who ask them), shirking responsibility, and stirring up discord. I really fail to understand how any rational individual could provide an argument in support of the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic.

dbd33

Congress is, of course, powerless in the face of McConnell's unwillingness to consider bringing legislation to a vote.

Almost Canadian

I'd suggest that Trump's comments about bleach and UV light were massively overblown by the media. I have seem a meme that summed the issue up perfectly: "Trump advises people to drink water" is spun into "Trump.advocates drowning"

Someone has to inject a little debate into these types of posts. This forum has become a sad version of what it used to be when I first joined, when people used to duck and dive.

MillieF

I do agree with that AC, it does seem to have become, not necessarily more PC, but more something or other...I worry that it’s because we are all becoming more Canadian.

Teaandtoday5

Has BE begun to drift towards cancel culture? Anyone who disagrees with you is not only wrong but evil? I don’t think it’s gone that far... if anything on occasion people on here are so good at making their point that I kind of agree with both sides.

dbd33

I came to Canada to escape the personification of evil, Margaret Thatcher. Apart from Trump I haven't since encountered such malevolence in a person. I do, however, disagree with most people while feeling they should be heard.

scrubbedexpat091

I do wonder what the plan is if it turns out antibodies for this virus is not long lasting. Suppose it could be like the flu shot and require a new shot every X amount of time. This virus seems tricky especially the part where many seem to have it and not know it....maybe its mutating where it can spread but not make people as ill, that would be a good think I would think.