White House downplays COVID-19 messaging to open business faster

Administration's efforts to minimize talk of COVID-19 don't minimize its effects.

Read the whole story

 

[SixDegrees]

They're afraid that messaging from the CDC will scare people into staying home and hurt the economy, so instead they take a course of inaction that will see many more dead which will also scare people into staying home and hurt the economy.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Trump's desperate. Trump's desperate and stupid. And now he's fired all his bullets.

For his entire life, Trump got his way be behaving like a complete ass. That, combined with his money, allowed him to do whatever he pleased. Up until now if the news had headlines he didn't like, he just threw a brand new temper tantrum or raped the Constitution a little harder and the topic changed to the new outrage. Rinse, lather, repeat. And the press mostly went along with the outrage of the day because it was a money maker. It kept the clicks coming.

Not now.

Now, no matter what Trump does, the topic stays the same. He can throw all the tantrums he wants. He can ratchet the dictator behavior up to 11 and it doesn't work. The press now have a story that's bigger and scarier than Trump, and he can't do a damn thing about it.

Trump silencing experts? Stupid and inevitable because the story is no longer about Trump. Just ignore the sideshow and wait for November. If we live that long.

I have programmed my animatronic replacement skeleton to haul my dead ass to the polls and vote anyway. Corpse-me will vote for Biden.

 

[pcr1044]

This is the mayor of Amity Island keeping the beaches open to save the Fourth of July tourist dollars... and everyone will sit in shock as they watch poor Alex Kintner become fish food.

As I said in my prior post - I worry Trump will try to downplay or hide the daily case reports. But then again, there’s going to be a lot of people on the beach to witness the shit show firsthand...

 

[DarthSlack]

They're afraid that messaging from the CDC will scare people into staying home and hurt the economy, so instead they take a course of inaction that will see many more dead which will also scare people into staying home and hurt the economy.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Trump's desperate. Trump's desperate and stupid. And now he's fired all his bullets.

For his entire life, Trump got his way be behaving like a complete ass. That, combined with his money, allowed him to do whatever he pleased. Up until now if the news had headlines he didn't like, he just threw a brand new temper tantrum or raped the Constitution a little harder and the topic changed to the new outrage. Rinse, lather, repeat. And the press mostly went along with the outrage of the day because it was a money maker. It kept the clicks coming.

Not now.

Now, no matter what Trump does, the topic stays the same. He can throw all the tantrums he wants. He can ratchet the dictator behavior up to 11 and it doesn't work. The press now have a story that's bigger and scarier than Trump, and he can't do a damn thing about it.

Trump silencing experts? Stupid and inevitable because the story is no longer about Trump. Just ignore the sideshow and wait for November. If we live that long.

I have programmed my animatronic replacement skeleton to haul my dead ass to the polls and vote anyway. Corpse-me will vote for Biden.

Seems fair. I mean, you have to either be a zombie or have had your brains eaten by zombies to vote for Trump.

 

[DarthSlack]

I don't look forward to hearing from people like you about how it's my fault other people chose a bad general election candidate when we're facing four more years of Trump, but I have a sinking feeling it's coming.

So carrying Putin's water it is I guess.

 

[PandemicResponse]

Trump has an "idea."
"Experts" contradict that "idea."
"Experts" are sidelined.

Isn't this getting old by now?

As someone who grew up under a true communist dictatorship, all this s**t sounds really, really familiar.

Feels like some Chernobyl-level denial.

"3k deaths per day, not great, but not terrible"

"One death is tragic; one million deaths is a statistic."

"One 7/11 per day, but that doesn't matter because Democrats are mean to real Americans."

I think you mean 9/11.

 

[Imbrium]

They're afraid that messaging from the CDC will scare people into staying home and hurt the economy, so instead they take a course of inaction that will see many more dead which will also scare people into staying home and hurt the economy.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Trump's desperate. Trump's desperate and stupid. And now he's fired all his bullets.

For his entire life, Trump got his way be behaving like a complete ass. That, combined with his money, allowed him to do whatever he pleased. Up until now if the news had headlines he didn't like, he just threw a brand new temper tantrum or raped the Constitution a little harder and the topic changed to the new outrage. Rinse, lather, repeat. And the press mostly went along with the outrage of the day because it was a money maker. It kept the clicks coming.

Not now.

Now, no matter what Trump does, the topic stays the same. He can throw all the tantrums he wants. He can ratchet the dictator behavior up to 11 and it doesn't work. The press now have a story that's bigger and scarier than Trump, and he can't do a damn thing about it.

Trump silencing experts? Stupid and inevitable because the story is no longer about Trump. Just ignore the sideshow and wait for November. If we live that long.

I have programmed my animatronic replacement skeleton to haul my dead ass to the polls and vote anyway. Corpse-me will vote for Biden.

Seems fair. I mean, you have to either be a zombie or have had your brains eaten by zombies to vote for Trump.

Animatronic replacement skeletons are so Disney Hall of Presidents. Those in the know have their own Rick and Morty clone vat!

 

[SixDegrees]

This is the mayor of Amity Island keeping the beaches open to save the Fourth of July tourist dollars... and everyone will sit in shock as they watch poor Alex Kintner become fish food.

As I said in my prior post - I worry Trump will try to downplay or hide the daily case reports. But then again, there’s going to be a lot of people on the beach to witness the shit show firsthand...

Trump wanted this to be the Grand Week of Reopening, with himself as parade master.

Instead, covid-19 swam straight into his and Pence's staff.

He's gonna need a bigger boat.

 

[wagnerrp]

"The House is a setup. The House is a bunch of Trump haters."

I am really tired of the petulant child gas-lighting everyone he doesn't like.

Well he’s not wrong. They clearly don’t like him. They did vote to impeach him.

 

[SixDegrees]

They're afraid that messaging from the CDC will scare people into staying home and hurt the economy, so instead they take a course of inaction that will see many more dead which will also scare people into staying home and hurt the economy.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Trump's desperate. Trump's desperate and stupid. And now he's fired all his bullets.

For his entire life, Trump got his way be behaving like a complete ass. That, combined with his money, allowed him to do whatever he pleased. Up until now if the news had headlines he didn't like, he just threw a brand new temper tantrum or raped the Constitution a little harder and the topic changed to the new outrage. Rinse, lather, repeat. And the press mostly went along with the outrage of the day because it was a money maker. It kept the clicks coming.

Not now.

Now, no matter what Trump does, the topic stays the same. He can throw all the tantrums he wants. He can ratchet the dictator behavior up to 11 and it doesn't work. The press now have a story that's bigger and scarier than Trump, and he can't do a damn thing about it.

Trump silencing experts? Stupid and inevitable because the story is no longer about Trump. Just ignore the sideshow and wait for November. If we live that long.

I have programmed my animatronic replacement skeleton to haul my dead ass to the polls and vote anyway. Corpse-me will vote for Biden.

Seems fair. I mean, you have to either be a zombie or have had your brains eaten by zombies to vote for Trump.

Animatronic replacement skeletons are so Disney Hall of Presidents. Those in the know have their own Rick and Morty clone vat!

Heh. The Citadel of Six.

 

[Deputy Cartman]

I don't look forward to hearing from people like you about how it's my fault other people chose a bad general election candidate when we're facing four more years of Trump, but I have a sinking feeling it's coming.

Look, I am a due-paying member of the DSA, and I am rather miffed at Biden having gotten the nomination, to put it mildly, so I'm not a centrist.

If Trump wins, the country gets to deal with the menu choice of "bowl of medical waste covered with broken glass." You didn't want the burnt steak so you opted not to participate? Tough shit, pal, you live in this country, odds are you aren't leaving, so you will now get to deal with four more years of Trump and all the gaslighting, slurred words, and brazen contempt for everyone who doesn't kiss the ground he walks on. Now open up, here comes the airplane, and it's got yummy miscellaneous tumors! Who wants num nuuums!?

Politics determines where money and resources are allocated, who gets to appoint those lifetime federal judges, who heads the numerous departments under the purview of the Executive branch, and so forth. Yes, our two party system fucking sucks and needs to be torn down, but if you think staying home and not voting will help bring that about, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

 

[Viki Ai]

If Trump gets infected, is he likely to die because of his age and obesity?

Probably not, because the US has the best health care in the world.*

*Available for the top 5% of the population only. See your mortician otherwise.

 

[wagnerrp]

If Trump gets infected, is he likely to die because of his age and obesity?

Probably not, because the US has the best health care in the world.*

*Available for the top 5% of the population only. See your mortician otherwise.

The bleach and black lights will save him.

 

[KGFish]

I don't look forward to hearing from people like you about how it's my fault other people chose a bad general election candidate when we're facing four more years of Trump, but I have a sinking feeling it's coming.

Another one who thinks elections are like Proms: you get to pick your favorite candidate to ask for the dance, and if they say no, then you just go to sleep early and nothing changes the next day.

It doesn't fucking matter anymore that a lot of people preferred Biden to your preferred candidate. You don't get to control how others vote, and I can guarantee you that you didn't do enough grassroots work to even attempt to claim that you did your best. All that's left now is the choice of 4 more years of Trump, or 4 years of Biden.

If you can't figure out why and just how bad 4 more years of Trump is going to be (small Hint: RGB is probably not going to make it another 4 years)... well, that's strictly on you. You get to vote however you want. Just understand that there's a coming choice, with you being in absolute control of which way you're gonna go: absolute shithole, or not quite what you're looking for.

 

[IntellectualThug]

This is like a poorly written science fiction movie. The fallout from the likely wave of infections to come from opening up prematurely (and from people not taking it seriously) is going to make what's happened already look tame.

The only positive I can think of is that the worse things go, the less likely Trump will get reelected.

The silver lining of this is that the worse things get, the more the Republican party will be exposed for the fascist thugs they are.

It doesn't change anything. Their voters are fine with that.

I don't care about their voters.

I care about the 60% of America that has a connection to reality but is too fucking apathetic about it to spend 15 minutes early voting.

 

[IntellectualThug]

I don't look forward to hearing from people like you about how it's my fault other people chose a bad general election candidate when we're facing four more years of Trump, but I have a sinking feeling it's coming.

So carrying Putin's water it is I guess.

"This guy can clearly see Biden is a bad candidate and isn't afraid to say it... he must be a Russian bot."

Dude, drop it. Bernie isn't going to stage some amazing comeback story and Tara Reade is almost certainly a liar.

Buckle under and vote for the guy who will actually appoint scientists to the CDC and listen to them. The alternative is too horrifying to contemplate.

 

[Oz7]

These people must be awful at Chess, they can't see more than a move ahead. I mean they can re-open businesses, but will anyone show up? Probably some, but can most restaurants operate at 25% or 50% or capacity? Not for long.

And then there is the whole purpose of this which is really to throw people off of unemployment. I agree it is important that the economy restart and people work, but that's not what this is about. It's about letting people die when we could help them, just like we help the corporations.

Who is going to vote for a party that basically wants you to either work or die, and to not complain about it, while bailing out the big companies? Oh I know, millions and millions of stupid, stupid people.

I'm trying to be hopeful that that this pandemic is the one thing that will pierce the fog of stupidity, but I just don't know.

It's not stupidity- it's a calculus for preserving power and a gamble that the cost will not be high enough to cost them that power in November. The entire election hinges on a handful of states- the blue urban centers are hit harder, and will vote blue no matter what, while red states will vote red no matter what. For the purple states, you've Fox, Breitbart and the rest of the ecosystem spinning so hard that people won't be able to tell night from day, and if that doesn't cut it, the Russian disinformation campaign on FB will take care of the rest. Does anyone think FB are useful idiots and not actively complicit at some level after the Project Lincoln censorship?

Oh and a supine rest of the media that won't call a spade a spade. Speaking of which:

The White House has done everything possible to minimize messaging that might scare Americans into staying home and instead "relies on tightly controlling information" about the novel coronavirus disease, the Washington Post reports.

They're afraid of 'scaring America' into staying home? Really- the guy knows nothing except scare tactics, from the Mexicans are rapists, muslims and refugees are poisonous skittles, and the immigrant cravan for which we need 'Wall' and the national guard.

Poor framing wapo (somewhat disappointed- these euphemisms are typically the sine qua non of NYT) and slightly disappointed that ars didn't call it out.

 

[decklus]

From a non Americans perspective... The mismanagement by Trump and the government is astounding.

I'm Australian we have 27 million people, so essentially 1/12th the population of the US, but yet due to intelligent management we have less than 100 deaths and seems to be petering out but the US is over 77k and still rising... Sure the lockdown measures here have seemed draconian and not popular, but they've been effective and even though we've flattened the curve, we still have very strict rules that will be gradually phased out in stages until the end of July.

If Trump has put in place similar measures the US would have less than 1.5k deaths! The blood is on his hands and hope it means he does not get reelected. The failed experiment of electing a non politician to the highest seat of power needs to end!

 

[Fancy Internet Person]

i made poopy

 

[Fancy Internet Person]

snip

Return the unread portion of my comment to apply for a refund.

 

[Rrr7]

Trump has an "idea."
"Experts" contradict that "idea."
"Experts" are sidelined.

Isn't this getting old by now?

As someone who grew up under a true communist dictatorship, all this s**t sounds really, really familiar.

As someone who has also been raised under a communist dictatorship, this is quite a bit worse than I've experienced growing up, as far as public health is concerned (as far as propaganda, constant lies and disinformation this is pretty much on par with what I remember, but it's much more effective here in the US because its subjects are a lot more naive and unprepared).

 

[The0retical]

Pence's press secretary, who also happens to be Stephen Adolf Miller's wife, has now got the coronavirus. She has been in contact with the VP, and though I cannot imagine why probably her husband too, who by extension has surely been in contact with Agent Orange.

But none of this is anything to worry about, the virus is just like the flu, and we should re-open everything immediately! I'm sure the White House will do likewise.

Dude, it's not even the flu - it's a democratic hoax! Try to keep up!

Missed today's updates.

Has the tiny handed tangerine finally come full circle back to February 28th 2020 during a rally in South Carolina?

 

[VelvetGlove]

"One 7/11 per day, but that doesn't matter because Democrats are mean to real Americans."

I think you mean 9/11.

Maybe one really crowded 7/11?

 

[DerpGentley]

I wish more people found willful ignorance as offensive as I do.

Agreed, but mostly I wanted to mention that that's a spectacular handle. If that is your real username.

 

[dorkbert]

Remember, they want you and your family to die.

No. "Want" implies they care enough to want.
They frankly don't give a flying fuck if you and your family live or die.

 

[VelvetGlove]

Remember, they want you and your family to die.

What propaganda minister did you hear say that?

It wasn't a minister, it was the president who said "there'll be more death."

 

[Justin Credible]

This is the mayor of Amity Island keeping the beaches open to save the Fourth of July tourist dollars... and everyone will sit in shock as they watch poor Alex Kintner become fish food.

As I said in my prior post - I worry Trump will try to downplay or hide the daily case reports. But then again, there’s going to be a lot of people on the beach to witness the shit show firsthand...

Trump wanted this to be the Grand Week of Reopening, with himself as parade master.

Instead, covid-19 swam straight into his and Pence's staff.

He's gonna need a bigger boat.

Bigger boat? As in Titanic-ish size?

 

[SixDegrees]

Pence's press secretary, who also happens to be Stephen Adolf Miller's wife, has now got the coronavirus. She has been in contact with the VP, and though I cannot imagine why probably her husband too, who by extension has surely been in contact with Agent Orange.

But none of this is anything to worry about, the virus is just like the flu, and we should re-open everything immediately! I'm sure the White House will do likewise.

Dude, it's not even the flu - it's a democratic hoax! Try to keep up!

Missed today's updates.

Has the tiny handed tangerine finally come full circle back to February 28th 2020 during a rally in South Carolina?

Oh, that happened a week ago.

 

[pnellesen]

...- Michael Pence becoming our interim president

I will admit, this does frighten me. Maybe we can get a two-fer on the COVID infection? (That does seem to be a good possibility)

 

[Fancy Internet Person]

Remember, they want you and your family to die.

What propaganda minister did you hear say that?

It wasn't a minister, it was the president who said "there'll be more death."

And his supporters who wave signs saying "sacrifice the weak" and "arbeit macht frei".

To repeat, they -actively- want people to die.

 

[Ozy]

I must come across as a real idiot, everyone here seems to think I'm talking about my own vote instead of talking about the difference at the margins of who chooses to vote and what motivates them to even vote at all.

No, you come off as a real idiot because you don't seem to realize that if the dumpster fire that is Trump doesn't motivate people to vote for Biden, then it doesn't really matter what sort of person you put up to run against him. They can't be counted, period. So trying to use a crystal ball or diving rod to figure out what is going to get their lazy as fuck asses off their couch to vote is an exercise in futility.

 

[AngryChris]

I think I’m veering dangerously close to paranoia here... but I can’t help but worry that they’ll start downplaying or even covering up new daily cases and death numbers and try to make America forget that COVID even exists. Am I crazy?

Downplaying cases and numbers? Sure. Lying? Oh yeah, absolutely, what else is new?

Make the country forget about the virus? Impossible.

Look, if they can actually make it go away to the point where everyone can ignore it then they'll have somehow managed to do a good job. Until then you're gonna see people in masks whever you go. Maybe not everyone in some places, but plenty.

Everyone is gonna know someone who got sick, and sadly probably someone who died.

Pretending people aren't getting sick doesn't work when people are still getting sick around you. Whatever media spin BS these guys are good at they don't actually have authoritarian control of the media either. Are there going to be media bubbles that ignore reality? Sure. But I think we all know there are some people who will support Trump no matter what happens anyways.

i now know what it feels like to live in north korea....

No, you really don't.

This hyperbole isn't helpful.

it is when a group in the usa acts like people over in N.K..
are dear leader. 1 bad remark or proving he said something wrong. you get attack... i deleted a twitter account due to calling out bs that the far right says. seeing i was getting threats from them!
so how is that hyperbole?

You were called names on Twitter. You weren't sentenced to 20 years hard labor smashing rocks, or shredded by an anti-aircraft gun.

 

[Jupitor13]

The irony is, if he did his job in January we would be very close to opening safely now.

But he's incompetently running a criminal enterprise instead.

 

[dorkbert]

I have been telling my friends for weeks now that we are in the opening credits of a dystopian sci-fi move... Be safe my fellow Ars friends

That journey started in 2016...

That's episode III of the prequel.
Episode I set in 1980s, during the Reagan era.

 

[dorkbert]

I hope Trump's valet as well as Ms. Miller will be forced to continue working, just as other of the country's working class have been forced to do. Germaphobe Trump will undoubtedly have them banned, tho.....

Actually I hope Miller ends up on a ventilator for a week, then goes to visit his blessed Führer.

"So mein little Reinhard, what have you done this time around?"