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Pessimist thought of the day
#1

Pessimist thought of the day
As many right wing lunatics have pointed out, the Corona virus is not going to kill everyone. (No one has claimed it would, but right wingers can’t stop talking to strawmen)
It’s true. As far as pandemics go, this is very small one. A small one, which has managed to deliver a bone bruising body-blow to the system. (Makes you wonder what happens when the next REAL plague hits)
The talking heads on tv, the experts, keep telling us this will end and things will go back to normal. Which is a reasonable claim to make.
But...
In the meantime, we are vulnerable; at a time when capitalism has turned up the temperature on EVERYTHING. We are probably ways away from cataclysmic change, but... While our leaders are flailing:
We are coming up on hurricane season.
If this summer is even hotter than the last, it will likely push waves of refugees north.
Higher temperature could disrupt food production (on top the problems caused by the virus)
America will probably have massive wildfires. Australia already had on this year.  
Saudi Arabia and Russia are having a bit of a spat over oil, which is likely to impact the economy in some way.
 
Add all that with the economic downturn, the slow response to tackle problems for working people; the prediction (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard) that we could be looking at 30% unemployment.
Oh, and there is the minor matter of the election. Shotgun
All of these are somewhat manageable by themselves. Am I the only pessimist worried about what a series of usually manageable hits can do in a year when our ability to respond is weakened?
If you are not; please tell me why so I can stop worrying. hobo
"The advantage of faith over reason, is that reason requires understanding. Which usually requires education; resources of time and money. 
Religion needs none of that. - It empowers the lowliest idiot to pretend that he is wiser than the wise, ignoring all the indications otherwise "
 - A. Ra
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#2

Pessimist thought of the day
No, you are not the only pessimist worrying about such things but I'll deal with this one, for starters.

Quote:It’s true. As far as pandemics go, this is very small one. A small one, which has managed to deliver a bone bruising body-blow to the system. (Makes you wonder what happens when the next REAL plague hits)

The 'bone-bruising, body blow'  (nice alliteration, M/L!)  is self-inflicted.  We did it to ourselves in the thought that we could stop this thing from spreading and the jury is not only still out but seems hopelessly deadlocked on that one.

But it is your second point that concerns me.  Next year, or the year after that, there will be a Covid-20 or some other newly mutated virus.  Have we now established a new precedent that every time a new strain appears of anything we have to collectively lose our fucking minds over it?  Because if 100 people die from Covid-20 you just know some asshole is going to start screaming WHY DIDN'T YOU PUT EVERYONE ON LOCKDOWN?!!!!!"  And given our corrupt political system there will be no push back.
Robert G. Ingersoll : “No man with a sense of humor ever founded a religion.”
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#3

Pessimist thought of the day
It will not end soon. Things will never return to "normal", pre-covid-19 America. Trump went out of his way to destroy what pandemic programs we had that were instituted because of Ebola and swine flu scares. The US will now rebuild those and more thanks to covid-19. And now, how to pay for all this emergency funding. Slash SS, Medicare, Medicaid, CHPS, ACA? If we go back to this attack on our health care system, which was the approach Mitch McConnell want after the tax cuts created massive deficits, America will not accept that. "Starve The Beast" is dead. Destroying our ability to prepare and react to a pandemic, which has been Trump's policy, not opposed by the GOP leadership of Senate and House is not going to be able to continue as official GOP policy.

The "Small government good!" mantra has just died. It will thrash around a bit in it's death throes, but it will soon be seen as something only kooks champion. We will soon be seeing the beginnings of a new political reality that will take a decade to be articulated and acted on. Depending on how big a disaster this whole covid-19 pandemic gets. If we end up with half a million dead and an economic depression as a result of all of this, politics in the US will change drastically.

Reagan's "Government is not the solution. Government is the problem." is dead. Lack of good government as demonstrated by Trumps dismantling our ability to deal with pandemics and utter unpreparedness to deal with a pandemic will be seen as a problem.
The semi-Libertarianism of the GOP is about to implode, not unlike Russia's 70 year experiment of Communism cratered.

We are now in one whole juju-flop situation. Belgium, man! Belgium!
I am a sovereign citizen of the Multiverse, and I vote!


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#4

Pessimist thought of the day
(03-25-2020, 08:39 PM)Cheerful Charlie Wrote:  Slash SS, Medicare, Medicaid, CHPS, ACA?

The Pentagon's budget needs reducing too, and in some areas can afford it, I think.
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#5

Pessimist thought of the day
GOP politicians "Cutting defense! Democrats weak on defense! Weak on defense! Bray! Brayyyyy!"
I am a sovereign citizen of the Multiverse, and I vote!


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#6

Pessimist thought of the day
[Image: ignorance-is-bliss-3-of-4.jpg]
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
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#7

Pessimist thought of the day
(03-25-2020, 09:22 PM)Cheerful Charlie Wrote: GOP politicians "Cutting defense!  Democrats weak on defense!  Weak on defense!  Bray!  Brayyyyy!"

Trump: "I'm pulling out of Afghanistan, saving lives and money."

Where's that saved money going?

Remember, all appropriations bills must start in the House, which is controlled by Democrats.
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#8

Pessimist thought of the day
I don't know that the Dems are any great bargain on that score.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/us-milit...y-generals


Quote:Does The US Military Have Too Many Generals?

Quote:As of Feb. 29, there were 411 one stars, 299 two stars, 139 three stars, and 37 four-star active generals and admirals, with several more appointed recently. The ratio of officers in the military to the total force size has grown from 15.69% in 2000 to 17.54% in 2015.


That did not happen only under republicunts.

Pretty soon, one-star generals will be leading platoons and one-star admirals will be manning the bilge pumps.
Robert G. Ingersoll : “No man with a sense of humor ever founded a religion.”
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