New York Times, with all the news that’s fit to admit.
As the pandemic took hold, most epidemiologists have had clear proscriptions in fighting it: No students in classrooms, no in-person religious services, no visits to sick relatives in hospitals, no large public gatherings.
So when conservative anti-lockdown protesters gathered on state capitol steps in places like Columbus, Ohio and Lansing, Mich., in April and May, epidemiologists scolded them and forecast surging infections. When Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia relaxed restrictions on businesses in late April as testing lagged and infections rose, the talk in public health circles was of that state’s embrace of human sacrifice.
And then the brutal killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis on May 25 changed everything.
Soon the streets nationwide were full of tens of thousands of people in a mass protest movement that continues to this day, with demonstrations and the toppling of statues. And rather than decrying mass gatherings, more than 1,300 public health officials signed a May 30 letter of support, and many joined the protests.
That reaction, and the contrast with the epidemiologists’ earlier fervent support for the lockdown, gave rise to an uncomfortable question: Was public health advice in a pandemic dependent on whether people approved of the mass gathering in question? To many, the answer seemed to be “yes.”
“The way the public health narrative around coronavirus has reversed itself overnight seems an awful lot like … politicizing science,” the essayist and journalist Thomas Chatterton Williams wrote in The Guardian last month. “What are we to make of such whiplash-inducing messaging?”
What indeed?
brutal?…..my definition of brutal would be they beat the crap out of him….which they did not do
According to their religion these protests provide some kind of immunity.
I made a remark that if you now want to return to the real normal all you need is about 20 and some left wing cause to protest for.
I can get a group of friends and gather at our favourite watering hole and when the authorities show up, tell them it’s not actually a party but an occupation.
The message is that all rules are as arbitrary as the prevailing winds.
Follow along like a balloon animal or stand your ground and give the ruling elite the Double FOAD.
The whole pandemic thing has been political from Day One. I am actually starting to believe the whole thing may be fake. Is the death toll from respiratory illness different from any other year? Could this virus simply be causing common cold symptoms and they are blaming every case of pneumonia on it? Every generalization they make about the disease appears to be wrong and they repeatedly lie and change their story. I suspect they may have made up a disease, real or imagined, with the sole purpose of crashing the US economy to get rid of Trump.
The virus is real. There are deaths due to it. What is fake is the media response and the politicization of it. Any epidemiologist who justified or excused those protests is criminally negligent. If you look at the comments in the NYT on the article the cognitive dissonance is obvious. The “anti racism protesters all wore masks and maintained social distance while the anti lockdown protesters did not” which even the most superficial examination of the videos show this is blatant nonsense. “Fighting racism is more important that fighting the virus.” Also blatant nonsense. One threat does not cancel another. The problem is leftists must live with constant high levels of cognitive dissonance to live with their contradictory and hypocritical thought processes. The only thing that surprises me about this article is that anyone would even bother to write it. I can only conclude the author may be on the way to a Brandon Straka style walkaway.
The virus is real and still no more deadly than the seasonal flu. Political, you bet.
“Are protests unsafe”?
Hell no.
Experts , government minions, imposing their opinions as fact, are really dangerous.
Expert help that is incoherent,reverses itself on a weekly often daily basis and that somehow has the bare faced gall to fine and threaten to imprison all who doubt their wisdom.
What has not gone unnoticed through out this prolonged theatre of the absurd,where faceless minions have exercised raw power,is the fact that no one from the parasitic class has suffered a loss,yet their host has been damn near destroyed.
All our experts,who are daily demonstrated to be fools and bandits,have continued to collect their government paycheck,while dispensing “advice” that has impoverished the actual taxpayer.
With no demonstrated slowdown of the viral spread,of a disease that is basically influenza.
With proper treatment,the death rates have fallen.
Fallen so much ,we are now told that the virus has mutated to a milder form.
Now this might be true,but proof is wanting,because so far truth and public health pronouncements have been strangers.
Is it still an emergency?
If so on what grounds?
If not why does the lockdown farce continue?
On the past six months we now know?
The Wuhan Flu is not the black plague,it is barely a epic flu .
Not the Spanish Flu,so far.
That most who contract this virus,show no symptoms,suffer no ill.
Meaning?
We already have herd immunity.
That ventilators kill.
That financial incentives can really skew reporting.
That most of our institutions are useless.
And as is obvious and about to be “announced in the fiscal update” the COST OF PANIC has massively exceeded that of the illness.
This is what passes for good governance?
As we will now have to pay the bill,for all the economic nobbling and petty tyranny of our effete elites,I suggest we reward the “new middle class” for their help.
Fire them all.
Brazil will weather this pandemic better than Canada,when all the costs are in.
Disgraced New York Times.
If the NYT thinks that this article addressed the shameful hypocrisy of the BLM and Antifa demos, in the middle of the pandemic, they are sadly mistaken. But at least the NYT addressed the subject, albeit in a dishonest, pseudo-intellectual way. In our country Justin Trudeau joins a congested BLM demo, amid all his social isolation drivel, and our bought-for media says nothing.
As my County Health Dept. started to open activities they published the curious rule that limited indoor church gatherings to 10 people … however … indoor “protest” gatherings were limited to 100 people. WTF?
Now are you all convinced that Global Warming is JUNK, political science … not true science? When your government issues completely arbitrary and capricious nonsense such as my County Health Dept. … you know science has been weaponized to push a leftist agenda.
That is because the god of the protestors is more powerful than the God worshiped in the churches.
That is nothing, compared to protests involving thousands are allowed with no “social distancing” whatsoever.
I subscribed to National Geographic and Scientific American faithfully for years. I had faith in the Theory of Evolution just as I had faith in the Periodic Chart. What first started me to think were actually the political articles in SA. I distinctly remember one where they showed a busy city street in Seoul side by side with a photo of an empty boulevard in Pyongyang. They had the audacity to try to tell me that the urban congestion in Seoul was the result of unbridled and unplanned urban development, leading to infrastructure stressed to the breaking point. While of course Pyongyang was a beautiful example of a well planned city. When we had the Iraqi war, SA tried to tell me, with analysis by ex-Generals, how the war hardened Iraqi Republican Guard was going to tear “our boys” to pieces. All we had to do was use earth movers to bury their vaunted pillboxes. And then SA went whole hog on global warming. What was really funny was they warned how torrential storms were going to inundate the Himalayas and the flood waters will drown New Delhi. They showed a picture of the riverbed of the Ganges in the Himalayas, which was bone dry.
Well, perhaps I should thank SA. Instead of acceding to the authority of “fellow scientists,” I really started to question everything, even physics. And close examination of global warming revealed that the “scientists” engaged in the freshman trick of cooking the experiments, what we TAs used to call dry labbing. Every prediction they made has turned out to be wrong. They hide facts, such as melting of ice shelves in West Antarctica was caused by an undersea volcanic explosion. When they supposedly detected the pH of the ocean changing from 8.2 to 8.1, they called it “acidification”, which is completely unscientific, as every freshman Chemistry student knows a pH higher than 7 is alkaline. And they claim that slight local change in alkalinity, if really there, will cause the Great Barrier Reef to die out. As though something that has lasted a recorded hundreds of years, and probably existed at least tens of thousands of years, could be that fragile.
Not only do I not believe in AGW, I no longer take it on blind faith that all, or even most, scientists pursue science for its own sake. Upon closer examination and further reflection, I do not believe in the Theory of Evolution. I do not believe that hydrocarbons are fossil in origin. I think string theory is sillier than phlogiston, even if horrendously difficult mathematics is involved. If the state of California only knew, I am sure they would want to rescind my Ph.D. But as long as I still have it, no one can say that I am “unscientific” in holding those beliefs.
Wow! Lots to unpack there, my friend … in summary … you are correct on ALL points. I was a fan of both those journals, as my “layman” father had a keen interest in all of man’s scientific and technological advances … he always read Scientific American. So I did too … as a kid. Ha! I thought “dry-labbing” was a term unique to my Freshman physics TA who made me write up the flawed experimental data and then repeat the experiment … correctly.
Yes … the earth is a super-fragile ecosphere … which has remaining in perfect harmonious stability … every organism and biosphere … without change … throughout human history. Mankind is a viral infection upon the earth. When I hear people who purport to be “scientists” speak this kind of drivel… I begin to question all of science, as some sort of “opinion pursuit”.
But the worst of all our twisted science today … is the deification of “science”. Science is our god. Science holds all the physical and spiritual “truths” of mankind. And though all us “believers” in a supernatural God must have invented God to suit OUR image, they say … these current worshippers of science have surely “molded” science into their leftist orthodoxy. They claim the moral high ground … yet fail to see they’ve poisoned the ground they stand on.
Now that I got your attention, a swift change of subject.
I find it incredible City can sandwich an absolute demolition of Liverpool between two EPL defeats to lesser teams. I guess they were motivated against the newly crowned champions, but are otherwise sleepwalking through the schedule. As to Liverpool, I guess the players are human, you can say there is a record to be had, but it is hard for complacency not to set in, as all Liverpool have left are to finish up the EPL schedule. They stunk in the first half against Aston Villa, and were not that much better in the second half. They had one shot in the first half, and continually gave the ball away in their defensive half. It didn’t hurt against Aston Villa, but I can easily visualize the 0-4 result against City. But not being a masochist, I am not going to watch any replays.
Rumor has it that City is going to sign that 6-5 center defender Koulibaly from Napoli, who garnered the most votes in the Ballon d’Or after Virgil for the position. Last season City was severely hurt by counters as they continually pushed forward. But they have turned a glaring weakness into great strength with Koulibaly and a healthy LaPorte, and they have had a year to integrate Rodrigo into the system as the defensive center midfielder. Last year they didn’t care, they attacked anyway as that is their style, but often they were hurt by the weak defense. I think next year they will get the same offensive result, or better, (they will have Sane back) but will pay much less of a penalty on the defensive end, with those three taking care of business. They will be as good a team as Liverpool, and it will be an exciting duel to the finish for the championship.
Oh, did you know all EPL matches start with a moment of kneeling in solidarity with BLM? I quit watching the NFL for less. What to do?!
You have to give the top shelf teams, who are in no danger of losing their top 4 finish a little slack. This game schedule is brutal. Teams with nothing to lose have to change up their starting teams to give rest and protect players from breaking down. Resting Debrunye didn’t help the City attack … nor did resting playmaker Firmino.
I am thrilled to hear City is strengthening their defense. I never like to see any EPL team play in a defensive shell like a Morino team … parking the bus. I expect City will still be on their forward foot with more talent in the back. Now about their “adventurous” goalkeeper … ?
*siggghhhh* … the knee, and BLM on EPL jerseys. The NFL is now 100% dead to me because of the “black national anthem” nonsense. It was 95% dead to me due to the Colon Kaepernick nonsense, but now I am 100% finished. However … I’ve got a slightly different take on the EPL’s knee. Mind you … I understand this goes into the category of “rationalization” … but here’s my distinction between the NFL and the EPL … The NFL has ZERO issues with racism. American football fans adore black players equally, if not MORE than white players. There are ZERO issues between fans and black players.
Not so with the EPL or European football. Bananas are still thrown at players, Raheem Sterling is called all manner of racist names by fans. This goes on all over Europe … especially in Spain and Eastern Europe. FIFA has had a Stop Racism program for quite a while. Referees are now allowed to stop and suspend matches if there are racist jeers. If we had an honest Press in America … who weren’t fully invested in feeding the narrative of America “becoming more racist” since PDJT took office … then they might educate the population about how systemically racist EUROPEANS are!!! Americans aren’t the global RACISTS … it’s the Democrats beloved “Europeans” who are racist!
Because racism is alive and well in EPL and Euro futball … I can see a legitimate cause to take a knee, and symbolize the need to end racism in the game.
Sadly, the vast majority of Americans and Canadians are repeatedly scolded that WE are the only racists on the planet … when this is an obvious and direct LIE
Many commentators to the NY Times article rationalize that the BLM protest marches were OK because the marchers were wearing face masks and hence protecting each other. In reality they were wearing the masks more to try to conceal their identities than to protect their health.
Your County Health Dept. will now come for your GUNS…..What parts of the 2nd Amendment can stand when the gashing of teeth Mob decry the words of hurt feelings….. They Study all the hateful evil Words such that they can use them to whip-up revenge….A sick puppy is so sad… Feed the Sharks, or put hungry Piranha in all U POOLS
It just means that the whole regime of lockdowns and excessive rules have been a fraud from the get-go.
We’re still seeing the hypocrisy in this country.
Our political and media elites have known this and know it to be true now, but will never admit it.
Is Theresa Scam going to say so?
Now do Masks.
Are masks good, bad, or neutral this week?
I get so confused. Please save me Dr. Fauci!
Why would the NYT even bother publishing this?
Anyone who still reads the NYT, is not going to stop because of this.
Anyone who has already given up on the NYT, this will not restore any credibility.
It seems entirely pointless. Unless, there actually is a group of The Faithful, who have made it known that they are disappointed by the NYT going past 99.9% on the full propaganda dial? It seems very unlikely to me, that they have anyone left that still cares anything for actual facts. There is no one remaining on the left willing, or even able to, change their opinion on anything. After walk away, BLEXIT, all the other recent trends, they have the zealots left; that is it.
Very next line in the article:
‘Of course, there are differences: A distinct majority of George Floyd protesters wore masks in many cities, even if they often crowded too close together. By contrast, many anti-lockdown protesters refused to wear masks’
The NYT needs to go bye bye. Even when the idiocy of their pretzel shaped logic is demonstrated to them they still stretch for that last shred of stupidity to cling to.
“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.”
“Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds” by Charles MacKay, published in 1841.
AGW was the first attempt to cow the populus with fear to further the Agenda 21 plan. It was losing steam. people we not sufficiently “afraid” to herd into their NWO trap.
COVID is the next step. As we have seen, people are afraid, really afraid and the perpetrators of Agenda 21 are now having some success. Total control, open talk and acceptance of UBI, and other socialist ideas. My brother and i have been watching this unfold for years ( 25 or so). It’s real and it’s happening.
I hope the protests continue to be encouraged. The kung flu should help reduce their numbers.