Instead of just asking questions, you should also answer them if you're just going to reject the answers you get.

So, why wouldn't we?

Next time we may not be so lucky.

In any event, why would we not do all that we can to prevent as many deaths as we can, especially when what we should do is really not all that hard to do?

The question you raise with that seriously bad co0mparison is, would you still feel the same way (about the danger of falling off a tall building), if you had heard of tens of thousands of people who HAD fallen off a tall building ,with absolutely no adverse effects?

You really know how to make an old-timer (85th b'day last week)feel bad. Up till I read that "positively alarming" part, I thought I was good for another 85yrs!

Yeah, the economy was going to be impacted one way or another. By not taking the virus seriously, the economy was impacted very negatively. Or should I say, peoples' livelihoods were impacted very negatively.

However, countries that took the virus very seriously and implemented a comprehensive public health strategy (which, by the way, the US was and remains ill-equipped to do) did not have the kind of negative impact on citizens' lives or livelihoods. And, some countries, as you know, did not have to lockdown their societies.

So, yes, it didnt' have to play out the way it did in the US. Nor does it have to continue on this deadly trend. It is never too late to work to get this virus under control.

It's not enough to just say 'physical distance'. Individuals can and should do more than that. We need to do it all. I won't run through the well known list again.

Vaccines, despite the rapid deployment and incredible efficacy, won't be enough over the course of the next six months to prevent more needless death. But, we know what will!

Of course, we don't have to like the projection. But, that projection is NOT inevitable. My simple point is that it is within our hands. We have the tools to bring this virus under control, even if it takes more of the blunt lockdowns to do it. We don't have to accept the projections!

COVID is currently the leading cause of death in the USA. That said, there are many ways to die. One way of looking at the COVID outbreak is that it advances everybody about five years on the Social Security death tables. Your chances of dying each year don't change much at all and if you are under forty, but are quite noticeable as you hit middle 60s. Postively alarming at 80 and above.

Just because you "recover" from COVID doesn't mean all turns out well. You miss work for a week or ten days. You are likely to be tired for weeks or even months, lose your sense of smell and taste, have impaird pulmonary and cardiac functions. In some cases these impairments are permanent. All these things impact the economy.

If you are going to split hairs, try and split more of them.

I would say "it didn't have to be." Vaccines won't help the 7 million people who are already actively infected. Most of them will recover without hospitalization, but unless there is a breakthrough in therapy within 30 days, than 3% can be expected to die, give or take a bit. We don't have to like the projection, but the virus doesn't care what we like.

The correct strategy to control the disease was to rigorously minimize infection by means of social distancing. Where practiced it worked...but it had an impact the economy. People listened to charlatans, or just accepted the casualty rate as the price of doing business. It's history. Was it wise?

"I do not personally know of a single person that has contracted the disease, much less died from it."

Mmmmm... total lack of self awareness???

I do not personally know of a single person who has fallen off a building, much less died from it. What can we conclude from this? A) High rise building safety is not a problem. AND B) Gravity does not exist. Since I personally have not experienced either, nor has my isolated little safe corner... it then logically follows that it must not bother all the other people in the world much either.

Extrapolating from recent years (near as I can tell, total annual mortality figures appear to be 2 - 3 yrs behind, I suppose it takes a while to compile the numbers) I'm guessing we'd be looking at about an even 3 million for the current year, without any pandemic. So, if the total spikes way up beyond 3 million, we'll know I was wrong.

I do not personally know of a single person that has contracted the disease, much less died from it.

Look at Stucki. He's not even a member of the orange one's death cult and he still sees it as some sort of partisan panic as if the rest of the world doesn't exist. All those dead non-Americans? They were destined to die anyway. Socialists.

The question is what are we all prepared to do to prevent more COVID-19 deaths ...

We're all "destined to die anyway" and the only question is when. The when for an awful lot of people this year was when they contracted COVID19. Most of them would still be alive otherwise.

People often forget that 8000 people die every single day in the US, pandemic or no dempanic. A high percentage of those who were destined to die anyway, now die of COVID, but it remains to be seen whether or not that fact seriously distorts the 'normal' totals for the year.

Staggering to contemplate, but a solid expectation. You don't need any complicated models to convince yourself. As of 12/16 there are roughly 7 million unresolved cases of COVID19 in the US pipeline. The case related death rate has remained at 3% for quite some time. That projects to 210,00 additional deaths. That gives an expectation of at least 500,000 deaths....even if no additional people get sick....which doesn't seem likely as the number of new cases continues to climb.

As I recall my WWII history (mainly gleaned from Wm Shirer's famous "Rise And Fall . . .), on the very day the Japs attacked Pearl Harbor, The Russians loosed an army Hitler never knew existed in a counterattack on the Germans, who were "in sight of the spires of the Kremlin", dealing the Germans a blow from which they never recovered. Our entry into the war hastened the end, but probably wasn't decisive.

If Brooks objects in the House and a Dem objects in the Senate to force a humiliating roll call vote, then the theater plays out as well, just more amusingly.

That would be fun. If only the Dems would play hardball.

Rather than endlessly trolling Chris and accusing him of being a tool of Big Money, it's high time that you do something. Prove to the deluded fools here at CW.com that you know what you're talking about. Give Chris one of those corrosive Big Money $201 donations and watch him write that advertisement for your grift.

Step up. Pony up. Ante up.

Get real.

It's a dim-witted (re-visit its brief reappearance on election night), lying (easily documented), malignant (easily documented) troll. Any alleged sense of humor is irrelevant. Dennis Miller and Victoria Jackson were on SNL and now they're just Fox bobbleheads.

It'll be back. Be careful what you wish for.

not to burst anyone's bubble, but you really don't understand what michale is about. he's got an actual sense of humor and (except for having a sensitive spot where his family is concerned - and really who doesn't), he can take it just as well as he can dish it out. if he's not here now there's a good reason and CW knows it, not because of the election or some bet you guys had.

JL

John M wrote:

Hey Michale....

so... BWAAAAAHAHAHAHA

No way Trumpanzie former troll known as Michale will honor his bet. Not in a million effing years.

All I care about is if he pays CW the $150 he owes, per the terms of my bet with him about his "Trump will win 40% of the black vote" wager with me.

Nevermind the loss of face, this butthurt Rube ain't going to show his face in these pages again. He'll die in his fever swamp double wide convinced that the election was rigged.

I say, "Fuck him." He was way the hell too toxic for the grownups table here in Weigantia.

The Constitution/Rule of Law: 59

The wannabe Dictator Trump: 1

Not to quibble, says the former History major MtnCaddy, but the war against the Nazis in Europe was already a done deal when we landed in Normandy. You see, the Rookies won this famous "Stalingrad" battle back in late 1942 and by D-Day had almost completely cleared the Germans out of Soviet territory. Had we not invaded France when we did the Germans were still toast, only maybe they'd be speaking Russian in Paris to this day. The facts do not support the 'Murican belief that we/our invasion defeated Hitler.

The rules don't require the members to be GOP people. If Brooks objects in the House and a Dem objects in the Senate to force a humiliating roll call vote, then the theater plays out as well, just more amusingly. The objecting Senator can still vote in favor of Biden-Harris and it doesn't matter b/c the House will not go against Biden-Harris.

Just saying.

Oh, and I agree with those who disagreed with you on the hypocrisy charge. They couldn't care less because their supporters actually cheer them on for such hypocrisy.

Still waiting for you to honor our bet...

Since Democrats officially now won both the House and the White House....

Or are you going to wait till Jan. 5 when Democrats win control of the Senate too....

Where's your post of you holding the sign saying you are always wrong and I am always right?

Oh, and by the way, Texas might not have turned blue. but both Arizona and Georgia did!!

so... BWAAAAAHAHAHAHA

This video would focus on the comprehensive and critically important answers to questions and other interventions by Drs Tedros (WHO Director General), Ryan (Executive Director of WHO Health Emergenices Programme, and Van Kerkhove (WHO Technical Lead for COVID-19).

I have come to love these three WHO officials and appreciate all of their wonderful colleagues and global partners because they have taught me so much about this pandemic and what needs to be done to end it, what we as global citizens can do individually and what our governments need to do.

The information they give and the work they do everyday saves lives, plain and simple. More lives (and livelihoods) will be saved if more of us would listen to them and take more seriously the sage advice they give us.

Not because he finally has developed a backbone, but because if one senator and one rep object, the two houses must eventually vote on that objection--publically.

It will, of course, come to nothing, but that will put all of those Republican senators on the record as acknowledging Donald Trump was legitimately and totally defeated in an honest election.

"The final stab in the back," the Trumpies will scream, "they were never with us!" and their wrath will shift to their own kind. And the mob would turn and begin to feast on its own enablers.

I almost wish it would happen. It would be fitting. The GOP hypocrisy would be amply rewarded.

Mind-numbing.

I think we now do have the weapon that can help win this medical war.

But, if we want to save hundreds of thousands of lives NOW, then we cannot just rely on vaccines. If we don't do our part to fight this medical war, then there will be hundreds of thousands of people who will needlessly lose their lives.

That last bit sent shivers up my spine. Literally!

Nothing is inevitable about how many more Americans will die before the end. Everything about how many Americans will die before the end is in the hands of all Americans.

I agree we are now at the beginning of the end. But, that is all the more reason for individual Americans to double down on doing all that they can do - and for governments to support that effort and to do all that they can do - to help slow and prevent transmission of this virus in order to get it under control an be ready for the day when the vaccines will be broadly available to the public.

This is how to get through the tunnel and keep as many Americans alive as is humanly possible.