Things That Would Be Different If We Had A Competent President

You tiresome trolls wouldn't bore the living fuck out of the rest of the world with your whinging and demonizing.

No, that would NOT have happened. Stop using this crisis to promote your agenda.

I can find literally over twenty threads on this site, with you all criticising Trump for any sort of suggesting that we quarantine or prepare.

"Oh Trump wants to cancel the election so he's using this as an excuse."

You can't win with you asshats.

Instead use this time to DO SOMETHING to help someone who can't get out.

This is as disgusting as people who would picket AIDS victims' funerals

Of course it would have. Real leaders PREPARE, you idiot MAGAt.

Let’s talk about how many more people died of Chinese pig flu under Obama!!

MANDITORY TESTING

Let's talk about how many gays were murdered under Obama. And his response. Which considered of hiding the murderer's wife away.

[quote]MANDITORY TESTING

MandAtory banning of illiterate morons.

He can use the shortage at his Nazi rallies. He'll throw out TP and disinfectant wipes to his adoring fans and fucktards.

The main issue is the ability to instill a sense of order and trust that allows people to heed scientific, pragmatic directives to contain the virus.

The most successful country in handling this - Taiwan - said that while thorough testing, contact tracing and quarantine were critical, the MOST important component of their response was thorough, complete, honest and realistic communication of the facts and realities of what was happening. A virus czar - an ID doctor - was given the equivalent authority of their President and he is in charge of all directives, actions and communication of the Taiwanese response.

I think the US would have had many of the same issues with shortages, delayed lockdown directives and piecemeal responses under most Presidents - but the communication issue and absence of trust, honesty, consistency and serious scientific advice from the President is the major failing of the US response.

R9 hit it on all 8 cylinders.

We could trust what a competent president is saying

Please go read "A Real Stable Genius" by Rucker and Leonis. They're Washington Post reporters but the information in this book explains a lot of the sound bytes we've heard. For example, when Rex Tillerson called Trump a fucking moron - you get the WHY. It's a fascinating story.

And it reminds me if we'd had someone competent in there well - things would be far different.

Hillary said it best - Is Donald Trump who you want leading in a real crisis? - the answer is no.

Man Bernie Bros are exhausting. Agree with the above poster, go do something positive like hoard more TP.

[quote]Companies that make toilet paper and all manner of disinfectants would have been ordered to ramp up production in January, if not December, and there would be no shortages of basic necessities.

There is absolutely no way this would have happened no matter who was president UNLESS the government had been willing to purchase them.

As numerous articles have described, paper products like toilet paper and paper towels have historically had relatively predictable demand. Companies do not make more supply than there is demand because their relatively bulk make them expensive to store for both manufacturers and retailers. They aren't going to take the business and financial risk without some guarantee - it's too expensive and could easily drive a company into financial distress. Same goes for cleaning products.

As for protective gear, again no one is going to step in and simply manufacture and store these materials. The government will have to establish a reserve just as it does with oil and other commodities. Ventilators cost between$25,000 and $50,000. What hospitals and other healthcare facilities had were sufficient to deal with day to day needs. Having hundreds of such expensive equipment sitting around unused (and likely becoming outdated) between events is not something most facilities can support. Would YOU be able to have dozens of microwave ovens sitting around in your garage just so that you could use them when you had a large party? What about a $800 gas bbq - would you be able to afford to have dozens sitting in your garage just in case you needed them for a 4th of July party every few years. Obviously, the answer is no.

Your statement reflects a fundamental lack of understanding about the basics of the role of government, economics, and so-called black swan events.

Supermarkets in my region are beginning to look like stores in Soviet Russia back in the day. Linear feet of empty shelving everywhere. People are hoarding food now. I think there should be a law passed, anyone hoarding food should be taken out and horsewhipped or barring that shot.

20/20 hindsight. That always makes whatever happened look like it could have been done better. Except for New York and New Jersey the balance of the country seems to be keeping the spread in check. As far as hospitals -very little report of them being overrun. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen. But so far hasn’t. MMQB always sound like they knew better but no way could they prove they would have done better at the outset.

R16 Or force-fed your Brussels sprouts.

It's disturbing watching state begging their citizens for safety materials because there's nothing offered at the federal level. Trump is running the U.S. like he runs his business and family: the $afe is locked.

R19, not to mention the Feds outbidding the states. His friends are making a fortune in price gouging. Remember, everyone bids for these items. As one of the Governors said, it is like eBay.

[quote] MMQB always sound like they knew better

Who?

The average IQ of an American would have had a slight increase. Mouth-breathers would not say what they felt out of shame.

Maybe universal vote is the problem? I mean what can be done about stupid in our anything-goes culture and "educaqtors" stealing their paychecks, universities and colleges concerning themselves primarily with money grabbing?

Hillary would not have cut the CDC budget. Hillary would not have disbanded the Pandemic Response Team.

Hillary would have paid attention to the warnings that were everywhere by January. Maybe even December. I saw it coming, and I’m not in that field. Her team would have. Actually, Trump ‘s team saw it coming, too. He just ignored them. Hillary would not have.

Hillary would have been truthful and inspired confidence that the government was doing its best. Trump has been lying and doesn’t inspire confidence at all.

We need a call for [italic] shared [/italic] sacrifice. Patriotic effort. Something like that. Like FDR once did. Or Churchill did.

Instead, Trump doesn't know how to lead. He downplays the seriousness of the whole thing. He lies. “Just 15 people...it will go away...it’s like the flu....” and so forth.

Hillary would be honest about this.

R23, universal voting would be better. The people who often stay home on election night - young people, minorities, the disenfranchised - usually aren't Republicans. That's why the GOP loves voter suppression so much.

I hope all the hoarders who stockpiled toilet paper and paper towels in their homes get termites.

R26, But, it would make it even easier for foreign agents to hack our voting system.

The borders would have been slammed shut in January or mid February at the latest. Anyone entering the country would need to go into a two week quarantine at a government facility. And it wasnt just Trump that fucked up on this

[quote]I think the US would have had many of the same issues with shortages, delayed lockdown directives and piecemeal responses under most Presidents

Yeah, I remember those toilet paper shortages when Obama dealt with Ebola, SARs, MERs, Swine Flu... and even under Bush, when Mad Cow was running rampant, you couldn't find paper goods anywhere! Wait, what? There weren't any shortages? You must live in some special US state not impacted by communicable disease.

[quote]I can find literally over twenty threads on this site, with you all criticising Trump for any sort of suggesting that we quarantine or prepare.

Me too! If only I could figure out how to link them to prove my point.

[quote]There is absolutely no way this would have happened no matter who was president UNLESS the government had been willing to purchase them.

I know, it's terrible living in a country where the government doesn't have any money, storage facilities, or strategic reserve plans. And you want to know what's worse? Living in a country where some of the richest people, like the Koch brothers, can't be compelled to do something right for the nation.

[quote]it's too expensive and could easily drive a company into financial distress.

Y'all know Koch Industries is a major producer of paper goods, right? How can we ask these people who drop $Billions like you and I drop nickles to invest in the smooth functioning of our country, particularly when faced with a major disaster? It's un-American.

[quote]Except for New York and New Jersey the balance of the country seems to be keeping the spread in check.

Stupid New Yorkers/Jerseyans! You'd think after Hurricane Sandy, when the Federal Government didn't do anything, they should have been prepared on their own... wait, what? Obama dumped $Billions, authorized the military to help, and sent a competent FEMA ? Pussy. He should have let them twist in the wind, because that's what a real leader does. And good thing that this slow-moving catastrophe of Biblical proportions won't impact any other states, particularly those that are under Republican rule and refusing to order sheltering-in-place!

[quote]As far as hospitals -very little report of them being overrun.

Well that settles it then! There is no crisis, nothing to worry about, certainly not a healthcare system so fragile that a bad flu season, let alone the worst health crisis to ever occur, will cause a collapse.

[quote]Having hundreds of such expensive equipment sitting around unused (and likely becoming outdated) between events is not something most facilities can support.

Yeah! Who needs a stinkin' gubmint to do with medical equipment what it does with oil? That's how we know our priorities are in the right place.

One of the more unfortunate aspects of Trump being president is that you're not allowed to criticize any Democrat.

[quote] MANDITORY TESTING

On everyone in the country? Let's see how long that lasts.

That competent President probably would have seen Trump getting arrested for his affiliations with Jeffery Epstein. Just saying.

I do think his closing the borders was an important step. The problem is he didn't go far enough. However, I'm not convinced a Democratic president would have done the same. In fact, some of the comments I read in reaction to Trump's travel restrictions were borderline retarded.

We would have an administration working there asses off to keep the American people safe.

I believe he is sending our much needed medical equipment over to Russia , Israel or other countries who are willing to pay Trump the 30 pieces of silver.

The My Pillow guy wouldn't be speaking at the White House.....

R16, what a coincidence...

[quote] We would have an administration working there asses off

Oh, dear!

Historical perspective, eloquence, decency, grace, composure -- those things are asking for too much? Even one of them?

Let's face it, he needs to be taken out. By any means possible. It should have been done long ago and now his selfish stupidity, greed and absolute evil will kill not just 100,00 but millions. He lies every day and every day the world is more and more infected. Take him out NOW. The one who does it will be a patriot.

Trump is penny wise and pound foolish. He increases military spending, and gives a tax cut, huge expenses; but brags about the peanuts he’s saved by shelving the joint South Korean military exercises. Same with eliminating the Pandemic task force, and cutting the CDC budget. Peanuts as a part of the budget.

He's a "double-down" artist, R42. A gambler.

He's also a professional loser, too, R43.

R41, they’ll have to take out Pence, too. Nancy is going to have a total shit show to clean up.

It's going to get worse and worse over the next few months. A total breakdown of the health system. The hospitals are ALREADY overloaded. We are woefully unprepared. There will be corpses piling up and outright panic. All thanks to Trump. He has NEVER given a shit and we are all going to pay for it. Even if you magically don't get it or get it and don't die, multiple people you know and love will die.

Feb 23, 1942 Roosevelt speech. Listen between 28:40 - 29:22.

This is the kind of speech a real leader makes, to rally the country. Hillary could have made such a speech. Trump never will. He doesn’t understand the concepts of patriotism, altruism, and shared sacrifice. Or complete sentences, for that matter.

[quote] These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Thomas Payne, 12/23/1776.

[quote] I’ve been getting great reviews. My ratings are great. I give myself an A+ I accept no responsibility.

Donald Trump, 2020.

Calm down, MARY at r46!

Drumming up mass hysteria is never a viable plan.

R49, your post is the problem. Clear eyed realism is not drumming up mass hysteria. The current predictions are that the 100-200 thousand dead are only if we magically do everything right from now on. If we do not change course immediately, One million+ dead is more realistic.

R4, there we’re 12,469 deaths from H1N1 within a year under President Obama.

Not to worry, your competitive President Trump will have more deaths under his belt within the next 2 weeks.

Let’s make a list of the who watch these rambling, repetitive, dishonest daily briefings and suggest that expecting better from the leader of the richest country in the world is partisan. Title the list “America’s biggest fucking idiots.”

Here’s another speech by a leader at a crossroads;

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

—Abraham Lincoln

Ratings for my fireside chats were HUUUUUUGGGGEEEEE

What's amazing about Trump are the 2 1/2 hour daily "shows" he does to update people on the virus. A real leader would be having meetings and completely engaged in fighting the war. How the hell does he have all that extra time? Trump probably does very little all day but watch the news and make a few phone calls. It's very scary.

I wish Fox would offer Trump a nightly show. Then they'd have to hire a Corona Czar to take over. It's obvious Trump is incapable of really running things. He's an entertainer/salesman. That's it.

If there were a competent president, the pandemic response team would not have been eliminated, the warnings by the CDC and WHO would have been taken seriously and the response would have began in earnest in early January. Therefore the new best-case scenario predictions of 100,000 - 240,000 deaths would instead be 100,000 worst case scenario. I'm bracing for 1-2 million deaths.

R24 fake news. No budget cuts. Some were proposed but did not occur. Personnel were moved around. This fake story is old. This is the problem. People are so upset that they will believe anything if it allows them to blame someone. Anti Trump people know this. Sometimes things just happen. Finger pointing accomplishes nothing.

R57 The pandemic response team was eradicated by Trump. That is a fact that many health professionals know. I spoke to my cousin 2 months ago who is a senior surgeon at a NYC hospital and he told me will are so behind the curve on this virus because of just that they there will be millions of deaths in the US rather than tens of thousands which would have been the more likely response if the federal government had acted aggressively.

So go sell crazy someplace else.

[quote] and the response would have began in earnest in early January.

Oh, dear!

Calm down, r58, you’re not even making any sense in your typing.

Georgia Pacific (paper company) has ramped up production of toilet paper. They're working 24/7

People are hoarding

There’d be one fewer pre-teens required to wear a suit to live like a pre-teen.

Our hospitals would not have run out of gowns or mask or gloves. That is all Trumps doing.

Everything would be different. The Pandemic response department of the CDC wouldn't have been eradicated, the few sick wouldn't have been allowed to go about, we wouldn't be leading the world in terms of numbers of infected. We would be carrying on as we had during the possible pandemic responses that were frequent during the Obama administration.

Hell, things wouldn't be this bad of W were still president, and I hate that insane orange megalomaniac even more for making him look competent.

Sad thing is his base still loves him!

Trump's base is mentally ill.

R56. Your remarks ignore the facts. WHO and CDC both didn’t believe usa was at serious risk until late February. This after travel bans were imposed -with liberals screaming all the way. The states are the first source of hospital supplies and states were required to maintain their own stockpiles. New York especially ignored this. California did not. Check out the statistics -California is way less impacted due to early quarantine orders.

R66 Absolutely. Compare New York's response to Israel and there is no comparison.

(R66) Trump loving liar, grifter, pandemic denier. This asshole is fine with Trumps lazy lies and disease spreading. Fuck you Nazi Republican scum. Die you piece of shit.

(66) Put a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger. It's the ONE useful thing you can do for your country.

Russian Republican traitor (R66)

Well it would be like the last time when we had a competent President in Obama and roughly half the country would claim he was trying to destroy the country.

We wouldn't have a former pharmaceutical lobbyist and executive serving as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services like Trump's Alex Azar.

The Republicans destroy everything in their path. The environment, the deficit (already spiraling out of control BEFORE the pandemic) women's rights, gay rights, compassion, honesty, dignity, everything. And we have to clean up after them every time. Clinton and Obama had to do it. And now Trump, shitting daily all over everything. Intentionally spreading disease, letting it get worse day after day to get unchecked War Power over all the cash. And deflecting blame on everyone else. Thanks for all the body bags, asshole. Hope my Mom and Dad can get one before we burn their corpses in a pit by Christmas.