DL Open Thread: Fri., April 3, 2020
‘Jared Kushner Is Going To Get Us All Killed’. Explain to me again how this guy is in charge of, and has failed at, everything. This, if anything, has been an overlooked story.
Price-Gouging Is Commonplace As Hospitals Desperately Seek Supplies. Good thing that Trump is there as ‘backup’. The failure of the Trump to mobilize the federal government to take the lead on this will literally cause the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. The very idea of desperate states battling against each other and the Feds for finite supplies would have been unthinkable even under Dubya. I believe it will be viewed as the single worst presidential dereliction of duty in the history of our country.
Everything Falls Apart, Ctd. The latest carnage: 245,573 cases and 6058 deaths in the United States. 1169 died of the virus in America yesterday, the single highest one-day death toll for any country during the pandemic. Fauci ‘doesn’t understand’ why entire country is not under ‘stay-at-home’ order. Trump and Kushner blame states for not ‘stocking up’. Kushner’s take:
“The notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile,” Kushner said. “It’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles that they then use.”
He’s the guy in charge, folks.
This Day In Coronavirus Denialism. Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel ignored warnings, now paying the price. Ditto in NYC. Here’s a fascinating story about a denialist street preacher. I think it’s today’s must-read. Texas pastors fight to keep doors open. The governor pulls a ‘Carny’ and seems to agree with them:
Later Wednesday, Abbott’s office released joint guidance with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that said houses of worship must be given special consideration for constitutional reasons and are indeed “essential services.” However, they must conduct activities online or at home “whenever possible” and some should avoid large gatherings, namely those located in areas with rapid community spread.
As for the 10-person gathering limit Abbott had previously imposed, it appears only to apply to churches located in areas with rapid community spread though Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for clarity.
Carney and Abbott agree: Nothing’s more essential than God and guns.
Navy Dismisses Captain Who Fought To Protect His Sailors. Good to know that the military values plugging leaks over protecting the lives of its own. Should do wonders for recruitment. An excerpt from the memo:
“With the exceptions of a handful of senior officer staterooms, none of the berthing onboard a warship is appropriate for quarantine or isolation,” Crozier wrote. “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset – our sailors.”
They acted. They fired the author of the memo, and had the ship dock in Guam–far away from the prying eyes of the media.
How Big Pharma Impedes Search For Vaccine. Data is ‘commercially confidential’, blahblahblah.
The View From Paris. Former News-Journal reporter Val Helmbreck provides an occasional open window on what’s happening in France.
What do you want to talk about?
I find it ironic that Judaism started as a purity religion and now its most “orthodox” branch spreads disease. Yahweh has a wicked sense of humor.
The Great Old White Guy Hope is taken to the woodshed:
https://newrepublic.com/article/157119/joe-biden-wasting-crisis
Every now and then I would see ultra Orthodox Jews in NYC, strange bunch even at a distance. Their behaving just like the Jebus people of the south, packing churches and living in pandemic denial. I could care less about them, but it will spread the disease. The Evangelicals are already ramping up to play the “Religious Freedom” game. Thanks again supreme court.
Did you read the piece about the DHSS dept saying one of the biggest issues they are having is 70-80 year olds hosting parties in spite of the social distancing? either they are orthodox jews or saving the economy for their grandkids – who are out in groups all over the place playing football and soccer or just hanging out.
NYTimes wimped out and changed the headline over Michelle Goldberg’s excellent piece in the Friday edition. The link still works, but a real missed opportunity. Its true, after all.
religious freedom gives us the right to entertain without persecution any spiritual fantasy our tiny brains can conjure. It does not grant us the right or the opportunity to harm anyone or break the law. Ergo, I can believe the grand Pooh bah in the clouds wants me to sacrifice a newborn on the 8 th day of every month, but religious freedom does not entitle me to do it. This isn’t brain surgery folks….
Very well said.
Story about a Merida Mexico Chef on CBS this morning;
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-dish-chef-jorge-vallejo-on-bringing-mayan-food-to-the-culinary-scene/