Wednesday morning links

There are people who do not wantr to end the shutdown. Partly because of the new power this gives them, the feeling of power over others. And partly because of their hatred of Trump and the belief that keeping the economy shut down until November assures Biden a win. But the vast majority who individually support the shutdown garner some pleasure in insisting that everyone wear a mask or that the police can be called if your neighbor is barbecuing with friends. Perhaps it's human nature to try to elevate yourself by pushing down others around you. The most obvious and most individual of these new found powers is in requiring everyone to wear a mask and not get within 6' of you. Busybodies everywhere have discovered a new way to be a pain in our ass.

#1 Lee on 2020-05-20 10:43 (Reply)

They're making you wear a mask?

Holy shi'ite, man the barricades! This means Revolution! Power To Da People! Over My Dead Nose. When masks are mandatory, only mandatories will have masks.

ProTip: Never, ever serve in the military. "They" will make you do all kinds of things you don't want to.

#1.1 Hugh Evan-Thomas on 2020-05-21 00:52 (Reply)

My! Aren't you the little obnoxious snot.

#1.1.1 Anon on 2020-05-21 18:04 (Reply)

re Government Announces Lockdown Of All Fast-Food Restaurants To Prevent Heart Disease

The Bee.

Instapundit refers to it as, "The paper of record."

Perhaps it should be known as, "The Oracle"?

#2 feeblemind on 2020-05-20 11:00 (Reply)

Heart disease is mostly genetic and the rest is simply the bodies natural aging process. If you are not at either of these risks what you eat is not a factor.

#2.1 Anon on 2020-05-20 13:34 (Reply)

Satire. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

#2.1.1 A More Intelligent Anon on 2020-05-20 18:20 (Reply)

re Why is the CDC a failure, with their ballooning budget?

A ballooning budget?

By bureaucratic standards that makes them wildly successful, not a failure. It's never about results, it's about money and the growth of the bureaucracy.

#3 feeblemind on 2020-05-20 11:03 (Reply)

re California: Give Us Money Or We'll Fire Cops and Firefighters

Yep. That's the standard ploy when attempting to extort money from the public for a budget shortfall, threaten to throw the most essential and visible public employees over the side first. It's going to be interesting to see how McConnell, Trump and the Republicans react to this. I am not optimistic.

#4 feeblemind on 2020-05-20 11:08 (Reply)

I think California would have a lot more money to work with if they first got rid of their sanctuary policies and fired (ie. deported) all the illegals.

#4.1 dcjuggler on 2020-05-20 12:31 (Reply)

"Give Us Money Or We'll Fire Cops and Firefighters"

I began telling my children and a 'younger generation' some years back to watch out for this behavior and to 'treat it as a con-job.' At 60+, I've seen it used so often that the Boy Crying Wolf sounds more credible. For the first ten or so years, the kids all shook their heads at me. Now, after 20 years, I wonder if they're starting to catch on. "Hey. Maybe this is just a sleazy con like Dad said?"

Well, duh. And really, have you considered the possibility that it's a threat?

#4.2 Frankns on 2020-05-20 12:32 (Reply)

California's leaders are right to fire them. The jails are being emptied and the cops don't make arrests anymore. What's the point of keeping them around?

An excellent opportunity to let it happen.

#4.3 Aggie on 2020-05-20 12:36 (Reply)

Oh the lovely owl story instead of the dastardly politics of the US trying to take Trump and the people down.

#5 JC on 2020-05-20 11:27 (Reply)

Fascinating interview Dr. Zelenko. Well worth your time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zojOCyUlqg

#6 Jake on 2020-05-20 11:57 (Reply)

When the dust settles there has to be a reckoning about the NY nursing home massacre. As massacres go this one was biblical. Someone needs to be held accountable. Also it would seem clear that with the incredible stupidity of our elected officials that some measures should be instituted so that this can never happen again. Who made those fatal decisions? Where they qualified to be in a position to make a decision like this or were they just political hacks? Someone needs to go to jail for this terrible crime.

#7 John Galt on 2020-05-20 14:28 (Reply)

It would be nice but , like Russiagate, I'm not holding my breath.

#7.1 Andrew Stanton on 2020-05-20 15:16 (Reply)

I'm curious. What you have done differently? After all, those old people in the nursing homes were already suffering from a variety of health problems, before the coronavirus. And there doesn't seem to be any way to stop the virus from spreading. And then there's another issue: The elderly always die eventually, so does it matter if they die from the virus, or from something else? Nursing homes are expensive, and we've got millions of old people. That number is set to greatly increase as the boomer generation get old. So what do you propose we do? We can't keep spending at the current level.

#7.2 Ron Lieberman on 2020-05-20 15:20 (Reply)

Lebensunwertes Leben, Mr Lieberman, you will die eventually, so does it matter how? Heavy handed irony, but I want you to get it.

And who is this "we"?

#7.2.1 Hugh Evan-Thomas on 2020-05-20 15:32 (Reply)

I would not have intentionally put a contagious patient in nursing home that contained frail infirmed residents. Dumb. I brought my 84 year old grandmother to the doctor when she was sick. The doctor said what do you want she's old. I found another doctor and she enjoyed another 10 years.

#7.2.2 Donald Stanyon Jr on 2020-05-20 15:58 (Reply)

Are you sure Ron Lieberman is not a pseudonym for Karl Brandt?

#7.2.3 Andrew Stanton on 2020-05-20 16:14 (Reply)

"The elderly always die eventually, so does it matter if they die from the virus, or from something else? Nursing homes are expensive, and we've got millions of old people. That number is set to greatly increase as the boomer generation get old. We can't keep spending at the current level"

OK, boomer. Please, can you share your plans to walk the talk?

#7.2.4 Aggie on 2020-05-20 16:41 (Reply)

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Those old people whose deaths you are so cavalier about? They built this society. They worked at every job imaginable, raised families, were good neighbours. Some fought for the world's freedom in WWII and subsequent wars. I know one who helped liberate Dachau when still a scared young soldier ripped away from his new bride.

They sacrificed for kids they loved, and cared for other relatives. They paid year after year of much higher taxes than we now pay. They scrimped and saved for their old age. And then had to pauperise themselves before they would get nursing home care. They and their families are still extorted for extra charges for aides when they get frail and need extra help (because in our barbarous system we don't provide enough nursing helpers to take proper care of our elders).

Those old people are the ones who smiled at you and loved you when you were a screaming toddler in church or temple. Who encouraged your parents. Who paid school taxes long after their own kids were grown, so that local schools could educate other people's kids. Those old people loved and gave advice to rebellious teenaged grandchildren who were hating their parents. They volunteered in the community, in their religious institutions, and doted upon grandkids and great grandkids as well as the spouse they were likelier to stay married to than any people now will with their spouse.

Ecclesiastes wrote that to everything there is a season. Well, tho death may be inevitable, and it is in God's hands, I think we should draw from Ecclesiastes the idea that all phases of a person's life have value, and no-one is to be thrown away because they are no longer vigorous and working 18 hours a day. Our duty in the younger generations is simple: to help each of them live as long and happily as is possible, to show a little gratitude to all those elders.

#7.2.5 rescue dog on 2020-05-20 19:28 (Reply)

That was a very nice essay. But your missing a couple of points: first of all, do you think that we’re doing old people a favor by keeping them alive for so long? A walk through any nursing home will show you that becoming a senile bedridden patient is not so wonderful. Also, that “greatest generation” of which you speak is looting the treasury. Medicare and Social Security are not means tested. Millionaires get free services. The elderly have created a political system which benefits primarily them. But that won’t last forever, because we are burning money like there’s no tomorrow. And finally, we can’t force these old people onto their children. It’s an impossible burden for them, both emotionally and financially. So some other solution will have to be found. I recommend assisted suicide for those who are willing, and euthanasia for those who are not. We can’t take care of millions upon millions of cripples.

#7.2.5.1 Ron Liebermann on 2020-05-21 01:38 (Reply)

I don't think anyone's doing you or the rest of the world a favor by keeping you alive.

#7.2.5.1.1 Hugh Evan-Thomas on 2020-05-21 17:35 (Reply)

Even if Cuomo made some horrible decisions, it would be very difficult to successfully sue for those mistakes because of how sovereign immunity/ civil tort claims work.

here's an explanation, the NY law is summarized on p. 25

https://www.mwl-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/STATE-SOVEREIGN-IMMUNITY-AND-TORT-LIABILITY-CHART.pdf

#7.3 Hugh Evan-Thomas on 2020-05-20 18:14 (Reply)

All or Nothing - How a selectively pedantic media is trying to rewrite history about the sloganeering of #MeToo

A lot of words to say that "believe women" means exactly the same as "believe all women." "All" is superfluous to meaning but is a common rhetorical device.

#8 Hugh Evan-Thomas on 2020-05-20 15:43 (Reply)

More selective pedantry, albeit with fewer words.

#8.1 Bill Carson on 2020-05-20 16:20 (Reply)

One might just as easily say "believe all men". But in our upside down world that would obviously be sexist while "believe all women" is 'equality'. Both ideas have no place in court.

#8.2 Saul on 2020-05-20 18:25 (Reply)

It boils down to "Believe folks like Christine Blasey Ford unconditionally and disbelieve those like Tara Reade just as unconditionally". Because reasons.

#8.2.1 Bill Carson on 2020-05-20 18:42 (Reply)

Because reasons.

The narrative must be kept up.

#8.2.1.1 Hugh Evan-Thomas on 2020-05-20 23:06 (Reply)

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Wednesday, May 20. 2020

Wednesday morning links