Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[iam416]

DSL continually brushes it ALL off. That's fine.

None of us here are predicting a win by PDJT. I think everyone knows he's going to get smashed. I think everyone knows that the economy and Covid are way more important to voters than what's being taught in history class.

However, nothing I've said re history and the teaching thereof is untrue. It's not a particularly vital short-term issue. In fact, I think I've specifically said it's a long-term issue. And hey, if you don't think history or STEM or the way we view our country is important then that's fine. I do. As I said -- I really like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and the United States. A lot of people really don't and, unfortunately, they're driving the bus for a significant portion of Academia.

[iam416]

do you get the sense that Biden is a strong economical savant?

Heh. He's a rubber stamp. Once they do away with the filibuster it's full steam ahead. So, the better question is do you think Pelosi, The "Squad" and the rest of the Progressives in Congress are economic savants. That question ought to terrify you ALMOST as much as the non-Biden option.

[AlabamAlum]

Well, the pandemic has cost the US trillions in direct payouts and more trillions in lost GDP. It’s hard for me to fault Trump on this (even if he did have some Pollyanna “It’s gonna go away quickly!” proclamations.

The pity is that, economically, we were doing well before this.

[iam416]

The pity is that, economically, we were doing well before this.

Correct.

[lineygoblue]

So people can bang the drum on saving statues and how transgender rights have gone too far all they want, but people won't prioritize that stuff ahead of their jobs and their families.

I'm not a big "statue" guy, so for me, its much ado about nothing to put so much political and emotional capital into whose statue is in the town square. Personally, I believe that's a local issue left best decided to the people of that community, rather than a screaming mob in Washington DC or Seattle.

When it comes to transgender rights, I have no problem with leaving people alone for with their foolish choices in life. Mankind's history is rife with foolish decisions by man. However, when we make laws that say its totally acceptable for a man to one day state that he identifies as a woman, and should be allowed to follow little girls into the women's bathroom and expose himself there, I think we've left the realm of reasonable reality in the law. God gave us more common sense than that. I DO consider it important how people in office vote on these issues. It shows me where their heart is, and where their morals are. I do happen to think that boys should not be able to compete on girls volleyball, basketball, softball or track teams. I believe that totally flies in the face of what girls sports were created for. I don't think girls should be on boys wrestling teams, for obvious "grappling" reasons, but I've seen parents of female wrestlers who would jump up in my face for believing that. So, you want my son, to be able to wrestle your daughter, and grab her breasts and vaginal areas while in "competition"? ... okay .... but if he did so at the mall, he'd be arrested and (rightly) thrown in jail.

Common sense seems to have taken a permanent vacation in 2020.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well, the pandemic has cost the US trillions in direct payouts and more trillions in lost GDP. It’s hard for me to fault Trump on this (even if he did have some Pollyanna “It’s gonna go away quickly!” proclamations.

The pity is that, economically, we were doing well before this.

We were doing pretty well economically 2012-2016 too but to hear conservative tales of that period, it was worse than the great Depression. Fair or not, the president takes the blame when the economy's struggling and fewer and fewer people believe he's personally responsible for the good aspects of the last 4 years. He makes it blatantly obvious on a daily basis how much television he watches and he's never been someone who understood or cares about details.

Can you even explain what economic policies the Republican Party stands for right now beyond "well that's up to Donald to decide"? Because he totally upended decades of Republican orthodoxy on trade, on entitlements, on the national debt, and nearly every other Republican went along with it. Those who didn't got purged.

[AlabamAlum]

DSL,

Yeah, we did pretty well from 2012-16. Maybe not as well, but good. I cannot speak to what republicans thought of that era as I am not a republican.

And I am aware that the president takes the blame with the masses for the economy even in the face of a staggering pandemic. But I’m not talking about what the masses ascribe to the president as blameworthy. I am simply explaining my viewpoint.

[Jeff Buchanan]

This is an interesting article about a Goldman Sachs study. It's hypothesis is that a national mask mandate could prevent an additional 5% hit to US GDP. At first glance, It's well researched but I'd have to see the whole thing and this is just a commentary of it to judge how good it's hypothesis actually is.

The chart below is from the study. It demonstrates that increasing levels of locking an economy down (the ELI or Effective lock Down Index) increases the negative impact on GDP. Although the chart doesn't readily show this the way the X/Y axis is labeled, the article's author says the GS study concluded that the US would have to increase the ELS by 16 points to achieve a 1% drop in infections (don't know if it is infection rate or absolute numbers they're talking about - that stuff is important!). The point is that masks are better than lock downs ..... obviously!

Goldman.JPG
Unrelated to the GS conclusion but having meaning is this chart that shows that countries slower to adapt national masking mandates had more cases and deaths.

Goldman2.JPG
For your information - I'd be careful in drawing conclusions from this date although it informs the debate to a degree. What I don't see is data that relates mask usage to GDP. They have data that relates ELI to GDP and mask usuage to cases/deaths but not the former - at least in this article. Maybe the actual study report does. But, i's tenuous to use these two charts and conclude, yep, wearing masks will help GDP.

https://markets.businessinsider.com/...-6-1029355543#

[Dr. Strangelove]

interesting statistic I saw this morning. On Trump's Inauguration Day there were 241 Republicans in the House. As of today, 115 of them (48%) have been voted out of office, resigned, or have announced they're retiring at the end of the year.

EDIT: Though to be fair, at the end of Obama's first term, 44% of the House Dems that had started with him were gone.

[lineygoblue]

Control your giddiness, Strangelove. Your liberal utopia is still a few months away.

Happy days for you when Kamala sits in the Rose Garden signing anything and everything Chuck and Nancy bring her way.

Shoot, they may even go after Trump again, just for kicks.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I love the smell of chaos and anarchy in the morning!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Arizona set another record high for daily cases. And today's reported positivity rate was 28.3%

[iam416]

Or about half of California's record setting day yesterday.

But, California isn't in the narrative.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Or about half of California's record setting day yesterday.

But, California isn't in the narrative.

Oh I know the raw numbers are high there. But the positivity rate isn't anywhere close to Arizona. Because it's not as out-of-control there yet. It might get there.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Coronavirus-test-positivity-rates-are-rising-15378078.php

[Jeff Buchanan]

Arizona set another record high for daily cases. And today's reported positivity rate was 28.3%

I'll reiterate .....we're going to see these. They offer great shock value.......out of context as if nothing is being done about it,

Let's step back off the cliff or in your case a desire for horrible things to be occurring now or in the future

TBC, none of these high GRs and steep splines we're seeing are good news. First, don't compare these with other countries - they either collect and report differently or they lie out their asses. Obviously that doesn't make what's going on in the US OK. It's not OK and steps need to be taken to reduce GRs.

I've made it clear what I think those steps need to be. I don't agree with various talking head, PH officials (some guy from , oh, yes, he must be good because Harvard School of Public Health, is getting a lot of ABC press time) saying we need to "roll back" reopenings. That is stupid and it is not going to happen. Selective or targeted closings? Backing away from moving forward with reopening riskier veneues? I'm ok with that. Other measures? Sure. But fuck him for talking like the US needs to shutter businesses and go back home and stay there until, well, I don't know. The mask debate, which I tried to flesh out what is important and what isn't in an earlier post today, is contributing to what appears to be chaos at all levels of government. That kind of talk is unnecessary and damaging to public confidence.

I'm also disappointed in Fauci. Right...... I get that he's frustrated about being hamstrung by PDJT but don't appear to throw up your hands. I'm seeing state and local action and none of that is getting much attention nationally and fortunately it is locally and I read about it there. These local actions are not signs of panic, chaos or impending calamity. They are signs of a measured response ..... never ever give credit for that.