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Media driven panic to make government respond (VANITY)
self | March 22, 2020 | self

Posted on 03/22/2020 4:25:33 PM PDT by wlindhorst

My first post here and vanity, I hope it's in the right place. Be gentile. I can't contain my frustration any longer.

Rant on: The late, great George Carlin had a part in his skit where he said: "think about how dumb the average person is, half of those are dumber than that!" The quote is close enough for my illustration.

Anyone remember the great American lock down of the 2009 Pig Flu pandemic? No? Me either. There wasn't one. Obama eventually called a state of emergency after he got off the golf course. There was not wide breathless-media panting about how we're all going to die. I looked. The best I could find were the typical "estimates" that 100 million people could be infected and 4 million could die. Where did they get those numbers? Out of their ass, just like now. In reality, from April 2009 to April 2010, a very low number of 12,469 deaths. (per the CDC). H1N1 Pig flu is now just a regular flu just like all the other flues (flus?) floating around. SCARY!

We are currently in a crisis brought on our own collective doing. A media obsessed public willing to believe everything we are told. We sit in front of TV and listen to our media masters to tell us what to think for the day. Well at least most people do. So scary things will be scary to you if you're told to be scared! Quelle horreur!

So lets adapt this to the current public panic. A new unknown virus coming from China is running unabated around the planet due to our very well connected and prosperous nations. It spreads rather quickly to Europe and inevitably to the States. UNKNOWNS! DEADLY! COULD KILL MILLIONS! Read any of the sensational headlines and, if you are a pessimistic guy who watches the media with a critical eye, you might ask yourself: Really? Are you sure?

Those who may not be so critical of the media will indeed quickly panic. Who better to fix this than GOVERNMENT! So everyone who is in a mild state of panic because of the media's headlines start calling their local/state/federal officials and ask: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE! Rational government might start looking at facts. A dysfunctional government who wants to be elected this coming November starts coming up with "solutions." Solutions induce more panic, the media finds more cases of infections, ie: "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!", and thus the populace who are now turned in to the media 24/7 (yay ratings!) are even more worked up over WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!.

Ok, so let me write about Italy. Again, I'm a logical thinker and a huge skeptic of government. ANY government. How well is that socialized health care going? How many new patients could they take in where they are likely at capacity to begin with? Yay socialized health care! But you say "LOOK HOW MANY DIED! OMG!" Yay, socialized health care. On this note also, if health care is "free" why not go to the hospital when you feel like it? Claim you're victim to the latest PANDEMIC and surely you'll get a room with another sufferer of the PANDEMIC. Hospital beds go pretty quick in this model. Lets put that on TV! mOaR FeAr!

So. Lets talk about facts as well as the media can bring themselves to report.

a) Yes, people have died

b) 99% of those who did die had pre-existing conditions, infirmed, or well-aged. Zero children under 9.

c) It does appear to be more contagious than other forms of flu

US as of my last googling it has claimed ~155 lives. Again, all who died had pre-existing conditions, at least those which the media reported on as having pre-existing conditions.

Our population is 305 million or so now? Someone better at maths can figure out the percentage.

Yes, shutting down our economy and subjecting the populace to spending more time watching more rotting media TV is a hysterical reaction. It is madness. And it won't work unless we become prisoners in our own homes. For how long? I'll come back to that.

But you may say: You heartless prick! Your child could go to school and then go home and hug grandma. Shut down all the schools and shut down all the restaurants and shut down everything where people may congregate!

To that I say, ok, take the inverse. If grandma is so afraid of getting a hug from little johnny because she may end up with pneumonia and die, grandma might want to stay away for a little while. Or if you're an asthmatic or if you have emphysema. Any of the other ALREADY potentially life threating ailments you might have, then quarantine yourself. Let the rest of us live our lives as we have been doing, and if you very small percentage of the population who may/potentially be at risk, then stay home. DONE.

Then you would say: YOU HEARTLESS PRICK, FLATTEN THE CURVE. Ok, I understand what you mean by this: don’t inundate emergency services. Have we had this yet in the US? Were all the critical cases in Italy so critical that they had to remain in the hospital? Can the vast majority of Americans return home and recover there? Will everyone who ends up infected go to a hospital need a respirator and overwhelm the system? Somehow I doubt it.

Back to shutting down the economy, which is essentially what the world is doing. They've gone mad.

Media loves big government, right? We can all agree on that. Solutions to this is more government. More hand-outs. People can't work because (government made) business shut down. Government hands out checks; yay government! Free money! Last look I was seeing $1 Trillion US dollars is about to be printed. This is insanity! Estimates of 10% of the GDP will be created out of thin air and given away. Well, maybe in some form of loans but either way it will be created and in the market. Anyone who took high school economics or is even paying attention will surely know that inflation with skyrocket. Not at first, perhaps, but if they ever let us out of our homes we're going to want to buy stuff again. It will be a **** load more expensive I'll tell you that. Lets hope oil doesn't spike, which would make recovery much worse.

What is the endgame? When will the madness stop? At the November election? Will people stay at home until November and keep following daily government reports on how they will take care of us? After Trump gets elected what will the media jump to next? Attempt to tank the economy for the next 4 years? I don't know how even the liberal elite would put up for it. They have multiple houses to maintain!

I don't know where this is going and I maybe the panic is justified. I just don't see it. Someone tell me, rationally, if my assumptions are wrong. If you're going to tell me I'm a racist/xenophobe/homophobe or whatever then stuff it. A lot of people are going to lose a lot of what they worked for all over a media induced panic.

If you read all this, congrats.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: coronavirus; media; pandemic
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Thanks
1 posted on 03/22/2020 4:25:33 PM PDT by wlindhorst
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To: wlindhorst
Be gentile.

You're off to a bad start, newbie.

2 posted on 03/22/2020 4:27:35 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standars at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: wlindhorst

b) 99% of those who did die had pre-existing conditions, infirmed, or well-aged.


Just one of those “pre-conditions” is a third of the US adult population...so it’s not like when the insurance company says it.


3 posted on 03/22/2020 4:29:02 PM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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To: wlindhorst

b) 99% of those who did die had pre-existing conditions, infirmed, or well-aged.


Just one of those “pre-existing conditions” is a third of the US adult population...so it’s not like when the insurance company says it.


4 posted on 03/22/2020 4:30:15 PM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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To: wlindhorst

100% agree. over the top reaction to take our freedoms and money away


5 posted on 03/22/2020 4:30:39 PM PDT by spacejunkie2001
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To: wlindhorst
Be gentile.

Oy vey

6 posted on 03/22/2020 4:31:12 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: wlindhorst

Back to shutting down the economy, which is essentially what the world is doing. They’ve gone mad.


Probably that too.

OTOH, they are not yet executing people who violate quarantine.


7 posted on 03/22/2020 4:32:30 PM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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To: spacejunkie2001

The Dems added ABORTION to the Senate Bill, that is their thinking, hey let’s kill some more babies cause God forbid some babies dont get aborted. What the communist media the Democrat party has done to this country is UNFORGIVABLE..this virus has been in this country for at least 2 months, did everyone stop living NO..no one actually believes this virus showed up 2 weeks ago right, I know at least 5 people who most likely had it in February, had pneumonia and are all fine they were all negative for the flu so what did they have? The panic is worse than the virus


8 posted on 03/22/2020 4:34:32 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: Texas Eagle

Meanwhile, I’m just sitting here, cyanide capsule in cheek, awaiting the media’s order to CHOMP.

/still can laugh so not quite ready to start screaming...yet


9 posted on 03/22/2020 4:38:09 PM PDT by Salamander (Living On The Ledge....)
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To: Still Thinking

lol


10 posted on 03/22/2020 4:38:37 PM PDT by Salamander (Living On The Ledge....)
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To: wlindhorst

Well, I am a gentile, but I hope the Jewish FReepers here won’t hold it against me.


11 posted on 03/22/2020 4:39:00 PM PDT by EvilCapitalist (Pets are no substitute for children.)
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To: wlindhorst
in re: Post #2

In time, you will learn to blame such things on auto-correct.

12 posted on 03/22/2020 4:39:07 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standars at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Sarah Barracuda

I’m worried that trump is ‘falling’ for the crap they’re all dishing out. Now Mnuchin is saying everything closes for 10+ weeks? They’ll put us ALL out of business. I’m already hearing from companies that they can’t make it


13 posted on 03/22/2020 4:40:05 PM PDT by spacejunkie2001
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To: wlindhorst

Welcome and I trust you take that rant into the public eye and never back down when you are eventually threatened or even attacked by a statist leftist.

JoMa


14 posted on 03/22/2020 4:40:12 PM PDT by joma89 (Buy weapons and ammo, folks.)
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To: Sarah Barracuda
Moloch needs blood.

If the Dems are deprived of their daily sacrifices, will they lose *all* power?


15 posted on 03/22/2020 4:40:58 PM PDT by Salamander (Living On The Ledge....)
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To: wlindhorst

I remember when the media hushed up public concerns about ebola in America as people were coming here with the disease


16 posted on 03/22/2020 4:41:56 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Everyone knows Hillary was corrupt, lied, destroyed documents, and influenced witnesses. Rat crime.)
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To: wlindhorst

I agree with the majority of your post.

Well done!

The Virus won’t kill us, but our reaction to it will.

All I can think of is that great Ozzy Song: Crazy Train! The world, especially the West has gone mad.


17 posted on 03/22/2020 4:43:06 PM PDT by HypatiaTaught (Time to lock up "Let them eat Yellow Cake" Hillary)
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To: wlindhorst
Respectable vanity.

And it also opens the door for a new FReeper handle for someone: Gentile Ben!

18 posted on 03/22/2020 4:43:24 PM PDT by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: wlindhorst
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Florida make largest jump, with now over 1,000 positive
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/324697-positive-cases-of-coronavirus-in-florida-exceed-1000-for-the-first-time

19 posted on 03/22/2020 4:58:34 PM PDT by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy")
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To: wlindhorst

On the other hand, you may have just achieved FR immortality by adding a new entry into the FR dictionary. See also: hugh; series; stuned; beeber; pwned; loose and Jim Robertson.


20 posted on 03/22/2020 5:00:18 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standars at all -- Texas Eagle)
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