Implanting Bill Gates's Micro-chips In Brains For Over 20 Years!

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

In Sebby's defense the R's in the purple states responses might be of more interest?

I live in a state with a perfectly reasonable if conservative Republican governor who would win a general election in a landslide if he ran again and had the Republican party line.

But he's stepping aside in a situation where he was polling behind a Trumpster in the Republican primary and probably would have had his best shot at reelection if he ran as an independent (but would likely lose that once it was a three way race).

I think I know how that survey would turn out.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

I understand why that sh*t is appealing to hard-core conservatives. What I don't understand is why Democrats have not been able to make Republicans pay more of a political price for pandering to those people.

Part of the answer is that people like Sebby, and people who pay less attention to politics than he does, have such a strong Both Sides instinct. Sure, the Republican Party is organizing around the principle that when a Democrat wins an election, it's illegitimate, but look, AOC is progressive and she bothers a lot of people too.

Put a pin in this and see what the reaction of the Progressives will be if the GOP takes Congress in November. ETA: It’ll lash out at moderate Ds and Rs viciously.

The Democrats are already, in Trumpian fashion, setting up an argument that elections will be illegitimate because Trump, evil genius, is taking control of state election officials and instrumentalities.

You could take this same argument and switch some words and it’d match up perfectly with the silly argument that Trump stole the election in 2016 and equally silly argument that Biden stole it in 2020.

No white hats. Blue pigs, red pigs, same mud. Sure, the blue are more reasonable. But in a game where winning is the only thing that matters, that’s a liability. And so they all go just as deep, just as ugly. And differentiating between their tactics is, intellectually, a dry handjob. It embarrasses those who do it. Telecasts naïveté. (ETA2: Not that a dry handjob is naive. If there’s no lube, one must make due with what he has…)

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

I live in a state with a perfectly reasonable if conservative Republican governor who would win a general election in a landslide if he ran again and had the Republican party line.

But he's stepping aside in a situation where he was polling behind a Trumpster in the Republican primary and probably would have had his best shot at reelection if he ran as an independent (but would likely lose that once it was a three way race).

I think I know how that survey would turn out.

Yeah, the GOP has a Trump primary problem. It had a Tea Party problem a few years back as well.

It’s a basis to scrap primaries. They’re awful. Counterproductive. And let’s face it — only nuts vote in them. In many states, independents can’t even vote in a primary.

If you care enough to vote in a primary you need a fucking hobby. People who get excited about them should probably be encouraged not to vote. …Maybe give them free vouchers to the casino on primary voting days.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Put a pin in this and see what the reaction of the Progressives will be if the GOP takes Congress in November.

The Democrats are already, in Trumpian fashion, setting up an argument that elections will be illegitimate because Trump, evil genius, is taking control of state election officials and instrumentalities.

You could take this same argument and switch some words and it’d match up perfectly with the silly argument that Trump stole the election in 2016 and equally silly argument that Biden stole it in 2020.

No white hats. Blue pigs, red pigs, same mud. Sure, the blue are more reasonable. But in a game where winning is the only thing that matters, that’s a liability. And so they all go just as deep, just as ugly. And differentiating between their tactics is, intellectually, a dry handjob. It embarrasses those who do it. Telecasts naïveté.

Wait, so the fact that sometimes (only sometimes) Dems challenge very close elections in court is the same as revving up your mob to storm the capitol and kill some people because they got soundly beaten in an election?

Oh, man, we're rescinding that King of False Equivalences Award. Congratulations! You have now won the Emperor of False Equivalences Award. No need to send your information to www.glenngreenwald.com to get your certificate, just bend over and grab it from out of your ass.

[Paisley]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

If an adult doesn't want to get vaccinated, at this point, the overwhelming majority (like 90:10) of the harm is going to come solely to the unvaccinated moron.

I know I'm really late reading this, but this statement is ridiculous. What about all of the people who need hospital care that can't get in because there's no room? I was diagnosed with breast cancer this past year. I along with many others (heart attack, stroke and car accident victims, to give a few examples) needed access to medical care that might not be available because it was being consumed by people who didn't want to get a readily available vaccine.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Wait, so the fact that sometimes (only sometimes) Dems challenge very close elections in court is the same as revving up your mob to storm the capitol and kill some people because they got soundly beaten in an election?

Oh, man, we're rescinding that King of False Equivalences Award. Congratulations! You have now won the Emperor of False Equivalences Award. No need to send your information to www.glenngreenwald.com to get your certificate, just bend over and grab it from out of your ass.

No. You put words in my mouth. I see nothing wrong with either party challenging an election in court.

I’m talking about the media blitz of articles pushed by D operatives to suggest that Trump and his ragtag organization (hated by establishment R machines everywhere) are going to help steal 2022 and 2024 through manipulation of local election officials (who also hate Trump).

If you want to respond to me, respond to what I said, not what you’d like me to have said. This will better set up your second paragraph. One must have an actual mic drop before declaring it.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Paisley

I know I'm really late reading this, but this statement is ridiculous. What about all of the people who need hospital care that can't get in because there's no room? I was diagnosed with breast cancer this past year. I along with many others (heart attack, stroke and car accident victims, to give a few examples) needed access to medical care that might not be available because it was being consumed by people who didn't want to get a readily available vaccine.

There are indirect harms caused to people who need care. But the majority of the harm accruing from omicron (which was the variant at issue in that comment) was not causing hospitalizations and was hitting the person who didn’t get the vaccine. Delta and Covid Classic? Different stories. Omicron is not as lethal or as likely to cause hospitalization.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Paisley

I know I'm really late reading this, but this statement is ridiculous. What about all of the people who need hospital care that can't get in because there's no room? I was diagnosed with breast cancer this past year. I along with many others (heart attack, stroke and car accident victims, to give a few examples) needed access to medical care that might not be available because it was being consumed by people who didn't want to get a readily available vaccine.

I am so sorry. I am wishing you great strength in this. I will add you to my prayers, and if there is anything at all I can do to help, please let me know. Cancer sucks.

Also, if I haven't adequately beaten up on Sebby for this idiocy so far, I pledge to redouble my efforts.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

There are indirect harms caused to people who need care. But the majority of the harm accruing from omicron (which was the variant at issue in that comment) was not causing hospitalizations and was hitting the person who didn’t get the vaccine. Delta and Covid Classic? Different stories. Omicron is not as lethal or as likely to cause hospitalization.

Oh god make it stop.

Please acknowledge the woman's pain and harm and apologize for your error.

[Paisley]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

There are indirect harms caused to people who need care. But the majority of the harm accruing from omicron (which was the variant at issue in that comment) was not causing hospitalizations and was hitting the person who didn’t get the vaccine. Delta and Covid Classic? Different stories. Omicron is not as lethal or as likely to cause hospitalization.

Less likely to require hospitalization, yes, but still consuming much needed resources. Non-COVID patients are absolutely being impacted.

I was diagnosed about 10 months ago. I've had 3 related surgeries since then. All 3 had scheduling issues because of COVID. The cancer center I go to (which houses oncologists, surgeons, and provides chemo) has reduced its patient capacity. Cancer patients need these appointments, and timing matters.

It's not just hurting the people who decline to get vaccinated.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

There are indirect harms caused to people who need care. But the majority of the harm accruing from omicron (which was the variant at issue in that comment) was not causing hospitalizations and was hitting the person who didn’t get the vaccine. Delta and Covid Classic? Different stories. Omicron is not as lethal or as likely to cause hospitalization.

Dude, my local hospital said, at the height of Omicron, unless you have a life threatening problem do not come to our ER, go to urgent care. I’m not one to denigrate docs, but urgent care isn’t always good care. I’m sure this problem is not limited to Detroit. It is not a minor thing.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Oh god make it stop.

Please acknowledge the woman's pain and harm and apologize for your error.

I just went through a cancer screening last week. Don’t lecture to me.

I’ll respect her post by responding to it what she said.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Paisley

Less likely to require hospitalization, yes, but still consuming much needed resources. Non-COVID patients are absolutely being impacted.

I was diagnosed about 10 months ago. I've had 3 related surgeries since then. All 3 had scheduling issues because of COVID. The cancer center I go to (which houses oncologists, surgeons, and provides chemo) has reduced its patient capacity. Cancer patients need these appointments, and timing matters.

It's not just hurting the people who decline to get vaccinated.

I'd shared some of this earlier, but to drive home the point:

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in December and had surgery just before Christmas. My chemo started last week. In many ways, straddling the worst of Omicron, this was great timing, because a little later and the surgery would have been more of a problem and a little earlier and they would have delayed the chemo.

The hospital was impacted in a whole lot of ways. All single rooms were reserved for Covid patients, and so there were covid patients on every floor; the rooms usually set aside for cancer patients, altogether in one building where there would be oncology specific staff 24/7 and where the resources were tailored to cancer care, were filled with Covid patients, cancer patients went back in the other buildings where they had non-specialist staffing and where things like doing our blood work (we get a lot of blood work) went through the regular lab instead of a lab that gave us accelerated service (so the blood work was ready when the doctor was available - this sounds small, but it can be the difference between having a critical issue dealt with in one hour and in twelve hours). This also meant immunocompromised people couldn't be segregated from a population that had all kinds of life threatening stuff (when you have cancer, a cold can sometimes be what kills you).

Every appointment I had got changed. Often last minute. Several appointments where I needed blood drawn and tests run were done over days (me visiting one place for a blood draw, then needing to do a virtual pre-visit, then having the visit itself) when normally they would have been all at once.

For me, looking back, the problems turned out to be modest and manageable. Unfortunately, I know at least one person, the spouse of one of my partners, for whom these kinds of things resulted in death. Because an issue that would have been managed most times in normal circumstances spiraled out of control in a short period of time (the problem was mucositis - mouth sores - she literally choked to death on a mass of swollen infected sores in her throat).

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Paisley

Less likely to require hospitalization, yes, but still consuming much needed resources. Non-COVID patients are absolutely being impacted.

I was diagnosed about 10 months ago. I've had 3 related surgeries since then. All 3 had scheduling issues because of COVID. The cancer center I go to (which houses oncologists, surgeons, and provides chemo) has reduced its patient capacity. Cancer patients need these appointments, and timing matters.

It's not just hurting the people who decline to get vaccinated.

First, I trust you realize I feel horrible for your situation. I chose to treat you comment on its merits alone because I think that is the respectful response. I was fortunate the lesions I have are not cancerous. I don’t know what the other side of that conversation is like. It’s horrifying simply to wait and try to read the doctor’s face.

Regarding my comment, in context, I asserted most of omicron harm was to dimwits who refused vaccine. Was 90% an overstatement? That’s a dispute of degree, and I stand to be critiqued for rhetorical hyperbole where it fits. I’ll cop to that. But in context, I don’t think it’s heresy to state that these jackasses are largely harming themselves. I’m speaking in aggregate, coldly, as to numbers. And yes — that sounds wildly insensitive, particularly having just been thru an experience with the HC system myself.

I meant no insensitivity. I think it’d have been disrespectful to answer any other way than as I did.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Dude, my local hospital said, at the height of Omicron, unless you have a life threatening problem do not come to our ER, go to urgent care. I’m not one to denigrate docs, but urgent care isn’t always good care. I’m sure this problem is not limited to Detroit. It is not a minor thing.

It’s not. But in aggregate, omicron:

1. Has much bigger footprint;
2. But far fewer hospitalizations; and,
3. Far shorter hospitalizations

Also, the backlog in hospitals is partly caused by zero tolerance policies (I know people denied a procedure because of the day of, they tested positive for omicron) and a stable of patients still to be seen for procedures either delayed by Delta shutdowns or required to be performed on an emergent basis because care was delayed because of Delta.

My comment at issue referred explicitly to the variant of the moment - omicron. Does it excuse nitwits from not getting vaccinated? No.

There’s a whole lotta reasons for the backlog. Omicron is one. Of many. When the data is parsed years from now, I think the worst of this thing will have been Delta. That had a large footprint and still pretty solid lethality.