Covid, the "lockdowns" etc.

[Pat]

But God bless him, JKhim will try anyway. The man is a fucking saint.

You misspelled pond scum.

Not sure why you dislike him? I find him pretty respectful to people. I find you pretty respectful to people as well, if you're looking for a gauge of my assessments

See any number of threads where we've interacted. I gave him every possible benefit of the doubt, and he kept acting like pond scum. It's a shame. He wasn't like this before.

[Ratman_tf]

Even if true, and I'm super skeptical, it still doesn't change that I haven't seen it, and I mean to say that it's all words with not even a photo or news reporter in a hallway showing this stuff. Considering how eager the establishment media are swinging for vaccinations, I'd think a few live reports of overwhelmed hospitals with piles of corpses would be a powerful motivator.
Hell, I'd consider getting one of the vaccinations if the "overwhelemed" situation were in any way demonstrable.

Here's at least news reporters in hospital hallways. It doesn't show piles of corpses, but if they did, then you'd rightly say it was staged because doctors wouldn't pile the corpses up. Instead, it shows hospital rooms with people on ventilators.

Some people in a hospital with Covid. 9 patients out of how much capacity? Up 103% compared to what? More (intentionally?) vague numbers, they kind I complained about earlier.
This doesn't look like an overwhelmed hospital at all.

For further viewing, here are some of the reports on the situation currently in Alabama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFSU-upzlTA

Good God, between the guy doing the "ONE TWO PUNCH!" and the lady comparing vaccinations to skydiving, I think I became more vaccine hesitant, if that's even possible at this point.

And this is the problem even trying to respond to requests like this. Someone asks for a photo or video of overcrowded hospitals, with no standard set for what they would consider overcrowded to look like and no expertise in what overcrowding looks like. So someone answers, and it doesn't matter what the answer would be, the response is incredibly predictably "that doesn't look like overcrowded to me," and "that's too vague an answer to the vague question with no established standards or expertise I asked."

There is no winning in that scenario. It's an impossible goal because no answer can be specific enough given the questions parameters are vague, the person asking has no standards or expertise to assess an answer, and there is a bias going in to support the assumption that there isn't overcrowding.

And if I asked you for specifics you wouldn't give them or would give such absurd standards like "It has to look like a battlefield with hundreds of beds and people visibly coding with nobody able to respond." Because you're not looking for an honest answer. You're looking for validation of your preconceived notions.

And this is the problem with questioning a narrative. You Just throw accusations about my motivation and deflect from answering questions. I could say there's no evidence or line of argumentation that hospitals are not overcrowded that you will accept.

Well I saw it with my own eyes at my closest hospital (which I had plenty of comparison for, pre-pandemic, and which I'm pretty familiar with during the pandemic as I donated face masks to them a couple of times and spoke with their staff). They also ran out of nurses (who were sick too). Paramedics were warned that critically ill or seriously injured patients would not be admitted to that overcrowded emergency room, even if they were the closest facilities to the patients. Which let me tell you, isn't a nice thing to hear when it's YOUR closest emergency room.

My region of hospitals also hit "Medical gridlock" where rashes of emergency rooms closed at the same time, leaving paramedics spinning their ambulance wheels waiting for empty beds to deliver patients. Much of that was due to a sudden nursing shortage. You need a fixed number of nurses for each bed at your hospital/ICU/ER room, and they didn't have the nurses even when they turned to the emergency temporary nurse registry. So some hospitals which had beds couldn't take patients for those beds, which put pressure on the nearby hospitals to take that overload, which cause a cascade effect.

If you have some evidence that what I saw, and what I heard from the nurses and doctors in person, wasn't what it looked like and what they claimed directly to me then I am open to hearing it. The news also backed up what I saw, specifically about that hospital near me. It was listed as overloaded, and was.

You've already accused me of not wanting an honest answer. I don't know why you're even replying to me at this point, except maybe out of conversational momentum.

[Shasarak]

You've already accused me of not wanting an honest answer. I don't know why you're even replying to me at this point, except maybe out of conversational momentum.

Doesnt Mistwells hospital always get over whelmed?

[Mistwell]

You've already accused me of not wanting an honest answer. I don't know why you're even replying to me at this point, except maybe out of conversational momentum.

Doesnt Mistwells hospital always get over whelmed?

No, definitely not.

[Ratman_tf]

You've already accused me of not wanting an honest answer. I don't know why you're even replying to me at this point, except maybe out of conversational momentum.

Doesnt Mistwells hospital always get over whelmed?

If I thought I'd get a straight answer, I'd ask him some questions.

[Pat]

Prior to the pandemic, the US federal government spent $4.0 to $4.4 trillion a year. Their tax revenues were $3.3 to $3.5 trillion. So the deficit each year was about $0.7 to $0.9 trillion. Even in those flush years, the government was hemorrhaging cash.

In 2020, the US federal government spent $6.6 trillion dollars, but revenue was only $3.4 trillion. That means the deficit was $3.2 trillion, roughly the same as the entire federal budget.

Another way to look at it: That works out to 14.9% of the entire nation's GDP. The last time the federal deficit was that high, as a percentage of the GDP, was in 1945. Covid-19 scared people so badly it resulted in a World War II level of spending. And that percentage is just the deficit. Total government spending in 2020 as a percentage of the nation's GDP was 31.2%.

In 2021, the deficit is expected to drop to 10.3% of the entire nation's GDP. That will still be the second highest since 1945, trailing only 2020.

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/53624
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/55342
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56324
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57170
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56977

[Kiero]

And unlike war spending, it produced nothing of value in the process. People were paid to stay at home and not create economic activity. Money literally pissed down the drain.

[Pat]

War spending produces nothing of value.

In unrelated news, China admitted there are covid-19 outbreaks in at least 15 cities. Which of course means the real outbreak is much, much bigger.

One of the cities is Wuhan, where they want to test 12 million people for sars2. How are they doing it?

Automated testing stations! Where you put your mouth on the plastic dildo and a robot shoves a cotton swab down your throat! And it's completely contact free, except for the part you and the next person and the next person all put your mouths on!

Who would've thought China would come up with something even more fun than anal probing diplomats!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eX4oy_5E8s

[FelixGamingX1]

And unlike war spending, it produced nothing of value in the process. People were paid to stay at home and not create economic activity. Money literally pissed down the drain.

Depends how you look at it. If you go to the mall you'll see people who weren't likely to be there spending money. In a way, they're jumpstarting the economy. Then you have the people who saved, and think they're a step ahead when in reality hyper inflation kept them in the same financial level. Restaurant owners in particular, are the ones crying the most about lack of staff. Did you know waiters get paid as low as $5/hr? Without costumers there's no tips. I don't think it's fair we allow the less fortunate to suffer in the middle of a global crisis. It's the whole point of paying taxes!

[oggsmash]

And unlike war spending, it produced nothing of value in the process. People were paid to stay at home and not create economic activity. Money literally pissed down the drain.

Depends how you look at it. If you go to the mall you'll see people who weren't likely to be there spending money. In a way, they're jumpstarting the economy. Then you have the people who saved, and think they're a step ahead when in reality hyper inflation kept them in the same financial level. Restaurant owners in particular, are the ones crying the most about lack of staff. Did you know waiters get paid as low as $5/hr? Without costumers there's no tips. I don't think it's fair we allow the less fortunate to suffer in the middle of a global crisis. It's the whole point of paying taxes!

  If you pay people solely to consume, there will be a price to pay.  I am guessing you do not get out much, do many projects around the house, etc.  to not notice there are supply chain issues all over the place in the USA.  From individual 50 packs of doritos to vinyl.  Chips in cars.  And so on and so on.    Paying taxes IS NOT to prevent the less fortunate from suffering.  It is to provide a safety net, not a cushy effort free existence.

[FelixGamingX1]

And unlike war spending, it produced nothing of value in the process. People were paid to stay at home and not create economic activity. Money literally pissed down the drain.

Depends how you look at it. If you go to the mall you'll see people who weren't likely to be there spending money. In a way, they're jumpstarting the economy. Then you have the people who saved, and think they're a step ahead when in reality hyper inflation kept them in the same financial level. Restaurant owners in particular, are the ones crying the most about lack of staff. Did you know waiters get paid as low as $5/hr? Without costumers there's no tips. I don't think it's fair we allow the less fortunate to suffer in the middle of a global crisis. It's the whole point of paying taxes!

  If you pay people solely to consume, there will be a price to pay.  I am guessing you do not get out much, do many projects around the house, etc.  to not notice there are supply chain issues all over the place in the USA.  From individual 50 packs of doritos to vinyl.  Chips in cars.  And so on and so on.    Paying taxes IS NOT to prevent the less fortunate from suffering.  It is to provide a safety net, not a cushy effort free existence.

You skipped the global crisis part, and jumped to assumptions. I don't pay taxes to keep the less fortunate comfy, I pay taxes so in a moment of crisis everyone gets the assistance they need. I come out daily and still to experience a shortage of anything. With the exception of next gen consoles and graphics cards due to yes, a chip shortage.

Maybe some regions are affected more than others, but if you're in either coast you're unlikely to experience shortages. What I'm experiencing is Biden inflation, and here's a interesting point... Did you know only 8% of the past 'covid relief' bills were actually stimulus and payment assistance? A lot of money was used for a lot of unrelated crap.

[oggsmash]

And unlike war spending, it produced nothing of value in the process. People were paid to stay at home and not create economic activity. Money literally pissed down the drain.

Depends how you look at it. If you go to the mall you'll see people who weren't likely to be there spending money. In a way, they're jumpstarting the economy. Then you have the people who saved, and think they're a step ahead when in reality hyper inflation kept them in the same financial level. Restaurant owners in particular, are the ones crying the most about lack of staff. Did you know waiters get paid as low as $5/hr? Without costumers there's no tips. I don't think it's fair we allow the less fortunate to suffer in the middle of a global crisis. It's the whole point of paying taxes!

  If you pay people solely to consume, there will be a price to pay.  I am guessing you do not get out much, do many projects around the house, etc.  to not notice there are supply chain issues all over the place in the USA.  From individual 50 packs of doritos to vinyl.  Chips in cars.  And so on and so on.    Paying taxes IS NOT to prevent the less fortunate from suffering.  It is to provide a safety net, not a cushy effort free existence.

You skipped the global crisis part, and jumped to assumptions. I don't pay taxes to keep the less fortunate comfy, I pay taxes so in a moment of crisis everyone gets the assistance they need. I come out daily and still to experience a shortage of anything. With the exception of next gen consoles and graphics cards due to yes, a chip shortage.

Maybe some regions are affected more than others, but if you're in either coast you're unlikely to experience shortages. What I'm experiencing is Biden inflation, and here's a interesting point... Did you know only 8% of the past 'covid relief' bills were actually stimulus and payment assistance? A lot of money was used for a lot of unrelated crap.

  Of course.  A quite large chunk went for gender studies in afghanistan.  If we want to talk wasteful spending we can do that all day I think.  I suspect you are buying in a limited scope, which is why you are not going to notice a shortage of things till you want them specifically.

   Given the mortality rate of the virus, a good deal of the "crisis" has been somewhat self inflicted.   Yet some have profited massively from it...dumb luck I guess

[Pat]

And unlike war spending, it produced nothing of value in the process. People were paid to stay at home and not create economic activity. Money literally pissed down the drain.

Depends how you look at it. If you go to the mall you'll see people who weren't likely to be there spending money. In a way, they're jumpstarting the economy. Then you have the people who saved, and think they're a step ahead when in reality hyper inflation kept them in the same financial level. Restaurant owners in particular, are the ones crying the most about lack of staff. Did you know waiters get paid as low as $5/hr? Without costumers there's no tips. I don't think it's fair we allow the less fortunate to suffer in the middle of a global crisis. It's the whole point of paying taxes!

  If you pay people solely to consume, there will be a price to pay.  I am guessing you do not get out much, do many projects around the house, etc.  to not notice there are supply chain issues all over the place in the USA.  From individual 50 packs of doritos to vinyl.  Chips in cars.  And so on and so on.    Paying taxes IS NOT to prevent the less fortunate from suffering.  It is to provide a safety net, not a cushy effort free existence.

You skipped the global crisis part, and jumped to assumptions. I don't pay taxes to keep the less fortunate comfy, I pay taxes so in a moment of crisis everyone gets the assistance they need. I come out daily and still to experience a shortage of anything. With the exception of next gen consoles and graphics cards due to yes, a chip shortage.

Maybe some regions are affected more than others, but if you're in either coast you're unlikely to experience shortages. What I'm experiencing is Biden inflation, and here's a interesting point... Did you know only 8% of the past 'covid relief' bills were actually stimulus and payment assistance? A lot of money was used for a lot of unrelated crap.

Public spending does a lot of damage, because it misallocates resources. For instance, the economy is generally pretty good at shutting down unproductive sectors and shifting the money and other resources to more productive areas. This is the creative destruction that drives economic growth. But when the government props up entire sectors, those resources are basically frozen in stasis, and can't be reallocated. This doesn't just hurt those individual sectors, there are also some theories that say misallocation is what drives the boom/bust cycle.

There's always been a wide consensus to support the less fortunate, but it's needs to be targeted and limited. The idea that if we can just throw money and vague feelings at a problem and solve it is fundamentally a broken one.

[FelixGamingX1]

And unlike war spending, it produced nothing of value in the process. People were paid to stay at home and not create economic activity. Money literally pissed down the drain.

Depends how you look at it. If you go to the mall you'll see people who weren't likely to be there spending money. In a way, they're jumpstarting the economy. Then you have the people who saved, and think they're a step ahead when in reality hyper inflation kept them in the same financial level. Restaurant owners in particular, are the ones crying the most about lack of staff. Did you know waiters get paid as low as $5/hr? Without costumers there's no tips. I don't think it's fair we allow the less fortunate to suffer in the middle of a global crisis. It's the whole point of paying taxes!

  If you pay people solely to consume, there will be a price to pay.  I am guessing you do not get out much, do many projects around the house, etc.  to not notice there are supply chain issues all over the place in the USA.  From individual 50 packs of doritos to vinyl.  Chips in cars.  And so on and so on.    Paying taxes IS NOT to prevent the less fortunate from suffering.  It is to provide a safety net, not a cushy effort free existence.

You skipped the global crisis part, and jumped to assumptions. I don't pay taxes to keep the less fortunate comfy, I pay taxes so in a moment of crisis everyone gets the assistance they need. I come out daily and still to experience a shortage of anything. With the exception of next gen consoles and graphics cards due to yes, a chip shortage.

Maybe some regions are affected more than others, but if you're in either coast you're unlikely to experience shortages. What I'm experiencing is Biden inflation, and here's a interesting point... Did you know only 8% of the past 'covid relief' bills were actually stimulus and payment assistance? A lot of money was used for a lot of unrelated crap.

Public spending does a lot of damage, because it misallocates resources. For instance, the economy is generally pretty good at shutting down unproductive sectors and shifting the money and other resources to more productive areas. This is the creative destruction that drives economic growth. But when the government props up entire sectors, those resources are basically frozen in stasis, and can't be reallocated. This doesn't just hurt those individual sectors, there are also some theories that say misallocation is what drives the boom/bust cycle.

There's always been a wide consensus to support the less fortunate, but it's needs to be targeted and limited. The idea that if we can just throw money and vague feelings at a problem and solve it is fundamentally a broken one.

The first stimulus was sent out too soon. People were buying TVs and making downpayments in automobiles. They should have waited till about now to release a decent lump sum. I'm almost certain a last check will come thru with likely a proof of vaccine requirement.

[Kiero]

Public spending does a lot of damage, because it misallocates resources. For instance, the economy is generally pretty good at shutting down unproductive sectors and shifting the money and other resources to more productive areas. This is the creative destruction that drives economic growth. But when the government props up entire sectors, those resources are basically frozen in stasis, and can't be reallocated. This doesn't just hurt those individual sectors, there are also some theories that say misallocation is what drives the boom/bust cycle.

There's always been a wide consensus to support the less fortunate, but it's needs to be targeted and limited. The idea that if we can just throw money and vague feelings at a problem and solve it is fundamentally a broken one.

Let us also remember that furlough schemes have also encouraged massive fraud. It's endemic in this country, our tax authorities have had to devote a lot of their already stretched resources (largely due to their own staff taking the piss and "working" from home) to investigating all sorts of elaborate schemes to grift money from the government.