Coronavirus thread

[DavidW]

The fact is that the FDA agreed to remove its social media content relating to the product.  That is an unusual action on the part of the FDA.  The tweet was posted to demonstrate the unprofessional behavior of a government agency in the midst of a crisis.

No it is not.  Facetious.  You know that settling matter out of court has nothing to do with anything but a cold calculus of cost.

[Todd]

You know that settling matter out of court has nothing to do with anything but a cold calculus of cost.

Cost is not an issue for the federal government.  Nor is time.  The federal government has unlimited resources.

[DavidW]

The fact is that the FDA agreed to remove its social media content relating to the product.  That is an unusual action on the part of the FDA.  The tweet was posted to demonstrate the unprofessional behavior of a government agency in the midst of a crisis.

I would also like to ask you a question.  You provide intelligent reviews on music recordings.  You also become angry when people buy into audiophile snake oil.

However, you also support complete nonsense just because it aligns with your political views.  You're smart right?  What IN THE HELL does ivermectin have to do with conservative politics??  Why EVER would you support taking snake oil to treat an illness that has nothing to do with it??  I have a feeling that if it was Biden instead promoting this de-wormer you would be strongly opposed to it.

Not only that, but I bet you have NEVER taken ivermectin.  And even if you got covid you wouldn't take it.  Is grandstanding for your party more important than saving people from illness?

I'm frequently apolitical, and I have to say some of these issues MAKE ZERO SENSE.  Why does ivermectin have to do with conservative politics??  It has nothing to do with it AT ALL!  And yet this is one of many issues that people just without thinking at all jump behind.  I mean it is not all conservative nonsense, there are plenty of liberal talking points have nothing to do with the ideals of the democratic party... but still seriously please tell me how this has anything to do with your world view?  I honestly would like to know.  Because I really don't understand.  But obviously you feel strong enough to try to use this forum as a platform for misinformation, so please tell us all.

[DavidW]

Cost is not an issue for the federal government.  Nor is time.  The federal government has unlimited resources.

I mean that is literally the anti-thesis of the Republican party who is always concerned about the deficit, but okay.  Just print more money.

[Todd]

But obviously you feel strong enough to try to use this forum as a platform for misinformation, so please tell us all.

Please direct me to misinformation I have posted. 

In this case, you appear to believe that I agree with what was posted in the linked source. 

I mean that is literally the anti-thesis of the Republican party who is always concerned about the deficit, but okay.  Just print more money.

No politicians actually care about the deficit or the debt.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

My university allowed you to do 2 degrees at once. I don't know how common that is elsewhere but I was doing Science and Law at the same time. Eventually Law won when I tried to do honours in biochemistry and realised I hated lab work.

The science does come in handy sometimes both in a previous job and the current one drafting legislation.

Oh, interesting!  I didn't know/was thinking that maybe there might be some sort of interconnection. 
 
In any event, it's quite impressive...well done you! 

PD

[Madiel]

I would also like to ask you a question.  You provide intelligent reviews on music recordings.  You also become angry when people buy into audiophile snake oil.

However, you also support complete nonsense just because it aligns with your political views.  You're smart right?  What IN THE HELL does ivermectin have to do with conservative politics??  Why EVER would you support taking snake oil to treat an illness that has nothing to do with it??  I have a feeling that if it was Biden instead promoting this de-wormer you would be strongly opposed to it.

Not only that, but I bet you have NEVER taken ivermectin.  And even if you got covid you wouldn't take it.  Is grandstanding for your party more important than saving people from illness?

I'm frequently apolitical, and I have to say some of these issues MAKE ZERO SENSE.  Why does ivermectin have to do with conservative politics??  It has nothing to do with it AT ALL!  And yet this is one of many issues that people just without thinking at all jump behind.  I mean it is not all conservative nonsense, there are plenty of liberal talking points have nothing to do with the ideals of the democratic party... but still seriously please tell me how this has anything to do with your world view?  I honestly would like to know.  Because I really don't understand.  But obviously you feel strong enough to try to use this forum as a platform for misinformation, so please tell us all.

The right wing determination (in certain countries) to be anti-science is indeed quite mystifying. But then, universities ARE hotbeds of left wing politics. Apparently. All those intellectuals.

I've never quite pinned it down but I assume that at some point science was responsible for telling something that advocated a policy change that someone on the right didn't want. Maybe it was climate change and saying that things couldn't carry on. I don't know for sure.

But like you I'm bewildered by the response. Climate change is a clear example where instead of a left/right debate about HOW to deal with it (government or market mechanisms), in certain countries we got one side of politics denying it was happening and thus refusing to engage in the policy debate.

It would often be quite funny if it wasn't also potentially deadly.

[Que]

I would also like to ask you a question.  You provide intelligent reviews on music recordings.  You also become angry when people buy into audiophile snake oil.

However, you also support complete nonsense just because it aligns with your political views.

For an outsider it seems that in the US literally everything is about politics these days... Which isn't normal politics anymore.... but a straight up culture war.

But we're veering into US politics now, the most toxic topic on the internet! 

[Madiel]

With respect, Todd has been trying to make this a proxy US politics thread ever since the actual US politics thread was shut down. And you're only noticing NOW?

It's as tiresome as it's obvious, but he's been allowed to get away with it for a very long time. And this looks almost as if we're not allowed to call him on it.

But we should. The question of why the hell Covid is treated as a political issue rather than as a scientific and medical one is a legitimate question. And here on the forum, it's a question worth putting to the ONE poster who is consistently doing that. Other people post information about disease trends or about their own encounters with the disease. Todd posts stuff about how The Government Is Wrong.

[Todd]

But we're veering into US politics now, the most toxic topic on the internet! 

At the moment, the genocide in Gaza is probably more toxic. 

[AnotherSpin]

I would also like to ask you a question.  You provide intelligent reviews on music recordings.  You also become angry when people buy into audiophile snake oil.

However, you also support complete nonsense just because it aligns with your political views.  You're smart right?  What IN THE HELL does ivermectin have to do with conservative politics??  Why EVER would you support taking snake oil to treat an illness that has nothing to do with it??  I have a feeling that if it was Biden instead promoting this de-wormer you would be strongly opposed to it.

Not only that, but I bet you have NEVER taken ivermectin.  And even if you got covid you wouldn't take it.  Is grandstanding for your party more important than saving people from illness?

I'm frequently apolitical, and I have to say some of these issues MAKE ZERO SENSE.  Why does ivermectin have to do with conservative politics??  It has nothing to do with it AT ALL!  And yet this is one of many issues that people just without thinking at all jump behind.  I mean it is not all conservative nonsense, there are plenty of liberal talking points have nothing to do with the ideals of the democratic party... but still seriously please tell me how this has anything to do with your world view?  I honestly would like to know.  Because I really don't understand.  But obviously you feel strong enough to try to use this forum as a platform for misinformation, so please tell us all.

I was buying ivermectin in India for my European friends. They were very happy when they received a year's supply for the prevention and treatment of covid. Used it already with great success.

[pjme]

Good. They are worm free now! 

[DavidW]

I apologize for blowing up at Todd and also dragging this thread into US politics.  A poster should think twice, but a moderator should never... I've done the literal opposite.

[steve ridgway]

The question of why the hell Covid is treated as a political issue rather than as a scientific and medical one is a legitimate question. And here on the forum, it's a question worth putting to the ONE poster who is consistently doing that. Other people post information about disease trends or about their own encounters with the disease. Todd posts stuff about how The Government Is Wrong.

It may be the case that people suspicious of government attempts to coerce the population "for the public good" feel more comfortable with one political party than another. In any experiment it also makes good scientific sense to have a control group.

[Karl Henning]

I apologize for blowing up at Todd and also dragging this thread into US politics.  A poster should think twice, but a moderator should never... I've done the literal opposite.

But you've also demonstrated (a) a capacity for reflection and remorse and (b) the act of apology, two things which are anathema to the political right ("decency is for cucks!")

[AnotherSpin]

Good. They are worm free now!

Are you calling government worm? May be appropriate.

[Todd]

It may be the case that people suspicious of government attempts to coerce the population "for the public good" feel more comfortable with one political party than another.

Another possibility is that some people see both parties as materially the same in terms of actual policy implemented *, and also see the decisions made in 2020 as openly authoritarian in nature, sometimes not based on science at all (eg, social distancing), and sometimes obviously detrimental (eg, school closures).  Statists of various sorts often quite reflexively defend the state, defend some celebrity members of the bureaucracy, deny harm occurred, and resist any attempt to hold people and institutions to account.  Governments and corporations involved in the response should be investigated and held accountable.  Some people may even need to face criminal prosecution.  This is not limited to one country.


* As the joke about US foreign policy goes, no matter who you vote for, you end up with John McCain.

[steve ridgway]

Another possibility is that some people see both parties as materially the same in terms of actual policy implemented *, and also see the decisions made in 2020 as openly authoritarian in nature, sometimes not based on science at all (eg, social distancing), and sometimes obviously detrimental (eg, school closures).  Statists of various sorts often quite reflexively defend the state, defend some celebrity members of the bureaucracy, deny harm occurred, and resist any attempt to hold people and institutions to account.  Governments and corporations involved in the response should be investigated and held accountable.  Some people may even need to face criminal prosecution.  This is not limited to one country.


* As the joke about US foreign policy goes, no matter who you vote for, you end up with John McCain.

Yes, there was a lot of authoritarian behaviour. The police in England seemed to gain arbitrary powers when there wasn't actually any law about how far one could travel. The adjoining county of Derbyshire was really bad for harassing people while in the opposite direction Wales barred us from entry (and made it illegal to buy goods from certain aisles in supermarkets).

[Karl Henning]

Some people luxuriate in whataboutery, sure.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

To everyone here, please don't reopen old arguments (and threads which were closed).  Maybe remember what we have in common vs. the differences?  💔

Just my two cents.

PD