Alex Berenson : Hero of the kids in the bunker

[Tenhigh]

1 hour ago, John Adams said:

He was quoted for months as the best source of Covid predictions. Maybe the people who lapped up his droppings will admit they were wrong to follow him and share their growth with others. 

Was he at all accurate? You didn't believe any predictions that proved inaccurate?

I don't know where you started, but i hope this isnt you showing growth. 

1 hour ago, GaryPinC said:

Berenson's pretty good at pandering to right wingers by going to legitimate information sources, picking a minor fact and blowing it out of proportion to spin a new reality while ignoring the more numerous facts that tell a different story.  People at both extremes do this, he happens to be the far-right's hero.

Thanks, I don't know anything about this guy.  There are a lot of lying a$$#oles on social media,  and an exponential number of idiots that believe them.  

[Gene Frenkle]

17 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Yeah, which cult?

 

It's pronounced Qult. I know you're just being coy, but I won't tell on you. Snitches get stitches.

10 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

Oh also, the "close the schools crowd" (teachers need funding to open properly for deep cleaning you know so they can have 4 day work wee....I mean be safe, that the CDC just said isn't necessary)....

 

Can those people start admitting how grossly wrong they've been?  About anything.

 

 

Oh that's right.  It will never happen because these policies will go down as the worst in human history and so let's triple down.   

 

 

But Alex Berensonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!

 

 

 

Remember when the Schools could be fully open when percent positive rates were less then 5?

 

Good times good times.  

 

 

Remember how contact tracing and Smart Apps to alert you to cases nearby was going to save us?

 

Good times all around.   

 

I'm convinced that Fox News and the like has made you functionality retredded. I'm sorry for your loss.

[Doc Brown]

11 hours ago, John Adams said:

He was quoted for months as the best source of Covid predictions. Maybe the people who lapped up his droppings will admit they were wrong to follow him and share their growth with others. 

I've said from the beginning of this that those who I respect the most are the experts who admit they don't know because this is such a black swan event.  Those serving up hot takes about Covid or making predictions over the last year are about as useful as draft experts handing out grades right after a draft.  All we can do is make policy decisions based off the most up to date scientific studies.  It's why I said going back to mid fall that kids should be back to school full time even though the studies showing children less likely to catch and transmit Covid is completely counter intuitive to how schools are usually a petri dish for most viruses.  This Berenson guy is likely a grifter but there's plenty on both sides using this event to promote their own self interests even if it means harming society as a whole.  In this case, making his followers more unlikely to take the vaccine which is our only freaking way out of this.

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

4 hours ago, Gene Frenkle said:

 

It's pronounced Qult. I know you're just being coy, but I won't tell on you. Snitches get stitches.

 

The Q is silent though. That’s how we know who’s in and who’s out.  And in fairness, “snitches get stitches” is a phrase from a patriarchal world, in the new post-COVID world snitches may be the hero’s of the revolution. 
 

3 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

I've said from the beginning of this that those who I respect the most are the experts who admit they don't know because this is such a black swan event.  Those serving up hot takes about Covid or making predictions over the last year are about as useful as draft experts handing out grades right after a draft.  All we can do is make policy decisions based off the most up to date scientific studies.  It's why I said going back to mid fall that kids should be back to school full time even though the studies showing children less likely to catch and transmit Covid is completely counter intuitive to how schools are usually a petri dish for most viruses.  This Berenson guy is likely a grifter but there's plenty on both sides using this event to promote their own self interests even if it means harming society as a whole.  In this case, making his followers more unlikely to take the vaccine which is our only freaking way out of this.

I’m not sure who’s left to respect?  Our policy decisions were all over the page, with the compliant being assured compliance (and in some cases, submission) were vital to our humanity and survival, but the non-compliant encouraged to do whatever suited their emotions in the moment. Our preeminent science guy was indeed on several sides of the coin at times, firm on what caused the spread (9 or more people from 2 or more addresses at Grandma’s), but sorta meh on speaking with any authority on 15,000+ shoulder to shoulder marching together for 15 weeks in a row.  I don’t recall any Fauci wisdom being dispensed on the NY nursing home issues back when it was all the rage in NY, in fact I recall he was quite complimentary on the plan.  
 

As for schools and public employees in general, it’s not complicated.  The reality is that when income is unaffected, people can afford to take a long and ultra-cautious approach to just about anything, and that was the approach taken in many cases.   Some of it was about safety of course, some about control, some about future negotiations.  The losers were the customers getting a substandard education. 
 

Finally, big picture, it’s hard (and ultimately dangerous) not to wonder how much of the COVID lockdown was strictly political.  Folks want to take a shot at the false god (I wouldn’t know Alex Berenson from Alex Rodriguez), but looking at the past year, and the as-if by magic loosening of restrictions as people start figuring this all out, it’s pretty clear to me many ‘experts’ belong in  that category.  Then again—maybe Florida and Georgia—states that opened early—are the zombie wastelands we were assured they would be. 
 

 

[Doc]

5 hours ago, Gene Frenkle said:

It's pronounced Qult. I know you're just being coy, but I won't tell on you. Snitches get stitches.

 

Is that any different than the Antifa cult?  Which do you fancy is a better "idea"?

[GaryPinC]

16 hours ago, Tenhigh said:

Was he at all accurate? You didn't believe any predictions that proved inaccurate?

I don't know where you started, but i hope this isnt you showing growth. 

Thanks, I don't know anything about this guy.  There are a lot of lying a$$#oles on social media,  and an exponential number of idiots that believe them.  

Yes, I call them tweetards.  The whole lot of them.

[Tenhigh]

4 hours ago, GaryPinC said:

Yes, I call them tweetards.  The whole lot of them.

Dude, It's 2021, you shouldn't use that term anymore.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The proper term is Tweediots.  

[GaryPinC]

8 minutes ago, Tenhigh said:

Dude, It's 2021, you shouldn't use that term anymore.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The proper term is Tweediots.  

Good one, but not quite there for me.  Twittiots was my number 2.  But I have to stick with my number 1 as Tweetarded and Tweetardation are just too useful to ignore.

[Doc Brown]

6 hours ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

Finally, big picture, it’s hard (and ultimately dangerous) not to wonder how much of the COVID lockdown was strictly political.  Folks want to take a shot at the false god (I wouldn’t know Alex Berenson from Alex Rodriguez), but looking at the past year, and the as-if by magic loosening of restrictions as people start figuring this all out, it’s pretty clear to me many ‘experts’ belong in  that category.  Then again—maybe Florida and Georgia—states that opened early—are the zombie wastelands we were assured they would be. 

The problem with calling Florida, Georgia, Texas, etc. a success is the warm weather there as people are outside more.  Also, we don't know the death rate if they didn't ease restrictions.  An apples to apples comparison is really difficult because the US is composed of 50 states that all implement their own policies.  In a perfect world I think warmer weather states should have less restrictions right now and then maybe reverse it in the summer time.  You saw a spike last summer states where people had to go inside and rely on the air conditioning.  Meanwhile, the more northern states got hammered until spring time in 2019 as people began to spend more time outside.  A post pandemic autoposy is going to be very difficult and unfortunately motivated by preconceived notions.

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

14 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

The problem with calling Florida, Georgia, Texas, etc. a success is the warm weather there as people are outside more.  Also, we don't know the death rate if they didn't ease restrictions.  An apples to apples comparison is really difficult because the US is composed of 50 states that all implement their own policies.  In a perfect world I think warmer weather states should have less restrictions right now and then maybe reverse it in the summer time.  You saw a spike last summer states where people had to go inside and rely on the air conditioning.  Meanwhile, the more northern states got hammered until spring time in 2019 as people began to spend more time outside.  A post pandemic autoposy is going to be very difficult and unfortunately motivated by preconceived notions.

Maybe it was the weather, but probably not.  

 

I've decided that the vast majority of the restrictions and shutdowns were politically motivated, and while I can write off some of that as the learning curve for the virus, I think the black swan event was created by Black Swan political ops across the board. That's not to say the virus isn't dangerous for some, it surely is.   At the same time, death and despair are good business for the politician positioning him/herself as the savior, and it would appear that Americans in general are pretty damn compliant when push comes to shove.  

 

 

[Doc Brown]

7 hours ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

Maybe it was the weather, but probably not.  

 

I've decided that the vast majority of the restrictions and shutdowns were politically motivated, and while I can write off some of that as the learning curve for the virus, I think the black swan event was created by Black Swan political ops across the board. That's not to say the virus isn't dangerous for some, it surely is.   At the same time, death and despair are good business for the politician positioning him/herself as the savior, and it would appear that Americans in general are pretty damn compliant when push comes to shove.  

I'm assuming you mean the world made this a black swan event by overreacting to it for political purposes.  I dispute that as the death toll is the highest since 1918 as far as short term infectious disease outbreak by far.  They finally came out with excess deaths yesterday and there was a 15.9% increase in deaths per capita in the US compared to 2019.  Covid was the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.

 

I'm not as cynical as you when it comes to the restrictions and shutdowns.  I think a majority of the local and federal elected officials did the best they could given the information they were provided.  There were/are of course some politicians who used this crises for political gain and power.  Most of them have been sniffed out by now. 

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

9 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

I'm assuming you mean the world made this a black swan event by overreacting to it for political purposes.  I dispute that as the death toll is the highest since 1918 as far as short term infectious disease outbreak by far.  They finally came out with excess deaths yesterday and there was a 15.9% increase in deaths per capita in the US compared to 2019.  Covid was the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.

 

I'm not as cynical as you when it comes to the restrictions and shutdowns.  I think a majority of the local and federal elected officials did the best they could given the information they were provided.  There were/are of course some politicians who used this crises for political gain and power.  Most of them have been sniffed out by now. 

I don't see myself as cynical, I'm simply pragmatic.  I started off where you are--that government officials were well-intentioned trying to react to the pandemic and change our culture overnight.  As I've said before, I've followed protocols, distanced, masked and have seen near 100% compliance in the area I live in over the last 13 months or so.  

 

Unfortunately, in the calm light of day, I can't square the handling and the numbers you shared--assuming they are an accurate representation of what actually occurred--make me all the more certain I am correct.  

 

On the one hand, we were advised to 'Shelter in place and avoid everyone or you're going to kill people', on the other people were encouraged to gather en masse in the streets with nary a thought of the potential fallout.  On a third hand we were told that this virus was particularly devastating to the elderly and immunocompromised, while on the fourth hand the decision was made to put folks at risk of transmission with the elderly and immunocompromised.  

 

It seems to me that one of two things occurred:

1.  Our leadership was so utterly incompetent as to not recognize that there was a major disconnect between the science we were told to kneel before and the actions we saw play out nightly on the evening news;

2.  Something a bit more nefarious was afoot.  Fear , death and despair are good business for Stephen King, the media in general and politicians looking to wrest control from the opposition.  

 

I say it was option 2--tacit approval of events to spread the virus, under the guise of social justice. 

 

The final straw for me came when I took a trip down to Florida, returned home and found the "We're all in this together"  rules as it related to quarantine rules for NYers returning from Florida.  Turns out that if you were a NY resident returning, there was enforced compliance--TEST 3 days before departure!  COMPLETE virus paperwork upon return! QUARANTINE for 4 days! TEST on day 4! CONSENT to be tracked via mobile device!  REPORT symptoms!   

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum...if you were a resident of adjoining states....the deal went like this:  ALL GOOD!  No tracking, no testing, mandatory quarantine or the like.  

 

At the same time, with cases surging, Old man Biden beseeches us all to mask up for a hundred days, suddenly states begin to lift restrictions and on and on it goes. 

 

Personally I believe the COVID numbers are artificially inflated to the tine of the 25-30% referenced by Dr. Birx in a presser a few months ago.  Anecdotally, my neighbor passed away 3 days after being diagnosed with COVID...and the complete disintegration of her digestive track over a 5 month time frame where she was unable to maintain weight, keep food down, and dealt with explosive diarrhea as a result of the impact of radiation and chemotherapy for cancer in years past.  

 

COVID is serious, significant and deadly for certain people.  Was the complete lockdown of the economy, schools shuttered and an entire class of haves/have nots necessary to control it?  No, I don't think so.  

[GaryPinC]

23 minutes ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

I don't see myself as cynical, I'm simply pragmatic.  I started off where you are--that government officials were well-intentioned trying to react to the pandemic and change our culture overnight.  As I've said before, I've followed protocols, distanced, masked and have seen near 100% compliance in the area I live in over the last 13 months or so.  

 

Unfortunately, in the calm light of day, I can't square the handling and the numbers you shared--assuming they are an accurate representation of what actually occurred--make me all the more certain I am correct.  

 

On the one hand, we were advised to 'Shelter in place and avoid everyone or you're going to kill people', on the other people were encouraged to gather en masse in the streets with nary a thought of the potential fallout.  On a third hand we were told that this virus was particularly devastating to the elderly and immunocompromised, while on the fourth hand the decision was made to put folks at risk of transmission with the elderly and immunocompromised.  

 

It seems to me that one of two things occurred:

1.  Our leadership was so utterly incompetent as to not recognize that there was a major disconnect between the science we were told to kneel before and the actions we saw play out nightly on the evening news;

2.  Something a bit more nefarious was afoot.  Fear , death and despair are good business for Stephen King, the media in general and politicians looking to wrest control from the opposition.  

 

I say it was option 2--tacit approval of events to spread the virus, under the guise of social justice. 

 

The final straw for me came when I took a trip down to Florida, returned home and found the "We're all in this together"  rules as it related to quarantine rules for NYers returning from Florida.  Turns out that if you were a NY resident returning, there was enforced compliance--TEST 3 days before departure!  COMPLETE virus paperwork upon return! QUARANTINE for 4 days! TEST on day 4! CONSENT to be tracked via mobile device!  REPORT symptoms!   

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum...if you were a resident of adjoining states....the deal went like this:  ALL GOOD!  No tracking, no testing, mandatory quarantine or the like.  

 

At the same time, with cases surging, Old man Biden beseeches us all to mask up for a hundred days, suddenly states begin to lift restrictions and on and on it goes. 

 

Personally I believe the COVID numbers are artificially inflated to the tine of the 25-30% referenced by Dr. Birx in a presser a few months ago.  Anecdotally, my neighbor passed away 3 days after being diagnosed with COVID...and the complete disintegration of her digestive track over a 5 month time frame where she was unable to maintain weight, keep food down, and dealt with explosive diarrhea as a result of the impact of radiation and chemotherapy for cancer in years past.  

 

COVID is serious, significant and deadly for certain people.  Was the complete lockdown of the economy, schools shuttered and an entire class of haves/have nots necessary to control it?  No, I don't think so.  

I understand you strive to be a pragmatic person but the minute you believe people in power were taking precautions simply to subjugate their citizens, then you are a cynic.

 

Kneel before the science?  Cynical.  Actually, the biggest problem with Covid was the amount of unknown science fed into precautions to allow the science to catch up to it and until vaccines became available. 

 

Frustrated by the variable response between states like New York and states like Florida, Ohio, etc?  A large portion of that rests squarely on Trump deferring to the governors rather than some firm federal guidelines.

 

Only affects the weak or co-morbid?  My neighbor is late 50's, pilot, outdoorsman, suburban house but also runs his farm in his spare time.  Almost lost his life to Covid and was on oxygen for 3 months while his daughter had only mild symptoms.  No one would think of him as weak.  

 

My nephew, 18, 6'4" soccer player.  Skinny, perfectly healthy.  Covid in January, mild symptoms.  A couple weeks later, his finger tips and nail beds are dark red and purple.  Better known as "Covid toes" except in his fingers.  Has had to apply topical steroid daily until just recently.  What happens if he contracts it again?  That's an odd and disconcerting side effect.

 

The cynical cling to the fact that this isn't the bubonic plague and therefore we should just suck it up and "virus gonna virus".

The pragmatic realize that most of us luckily only suffer minor effects, but that this thing is Russian roulette and you don't want to take a chance on a bullet.  And yes, age and the co-morbid suffer more but between asymptomatic spread and mutations, the best thing is to prevent spread and do everything we can to tamp it down.

 

As the vaccines gain steam, here in Ohio events and concerts are being advertised like crazy and life is going to return to at least mostly normal this summer.  And even the most cautious people will rejoice as NO ONE has enjoyed the last year +.

 

Please everyone get your vaccine and help push normal back to stay again.

 

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

1 hour ago, GaryPinC said:

I understand you strive to be a pragmatic person but the minute you believe people in power were taking precautions simply to subjugate their citizens, then you are a cynic.

 

Kneel before the science?  Cynical.  Actually, the biggest problem with Covid was the amount of unknown science fed into precautions to allow the science to catch up to it and until vaccines became available. 

 

Frustrated by the variable response between states like New York and states like Florida, Ohio, etc?  A large portion of that rests squarely on Trump deferring to the governors rather than some firm federal guidelines.

 

Only affects the weak or co-morbid?  My neighbor is late 50's, pilot, outdoorsman, suburban house but also runs his farm in his spare time.  Almost lost his life to Covid and was on oxygen for 3 months while his daughter had only mild symptoms.  No one would think of him as weak.  

 

My nephew, 18, 6'4" soccer player.  Skinny, perfectly healthy.  Covid in January, mild symptoms.  A couple weeks later, his finger tips and nail beds are dark red and purple.  Better known as "Covid toes" except in his fingers.  Has had to apply topical steroid daily until just recently.  What happens if he contracts it again?  That's an odd and disconcerting side effect.

 

The cynical cling to the fact that this isn't the bubonic plague and therefore we should just suck it up and "virus gonna virus".

The pragmatic realize that most of us luckily only suffer minor effects, but that this thing is Russian roulette and you don't want to take a chance on a bullet.  And yes, age and the co-morbid suffer more but between asymptomatic spread and mutations, the best thing is to prevent spread and do everything we can to tamp it down.

 

As the vaccines gain steam, here in Ohio events and concerts are being advertised like crazy and life is going to return to at least mostly normal this summer.  And even the most cautious people will rejoice as NO ONE has enjoyed the last year +.

 

Please everyone get your vaccine and help push normal back to stay again.

 

Thanks for the feedback and the opinions you have shared.  I mean that sincerely, but it doesn’t change anything for me and my pragmatic approach to life. 
 

The simple fact is that a quick review of the history of world reveals that some leaders attempt to subjugate and modify behavior.  Folks on the left just worked themselves into a froth the last 5 years for that very reason, that was a top down effort.  If you’re a believer in the innate goodness of all people who seek and consolidate incredible power, I think you’re naive but it’s possible you’re correct.  

 

My reference to kneeling before science comes about simply because that while the compliant were compelled to comply, the science seemed to stop at the door step of social justice.  Suddenly, the impact of large gatherings, social intimacy, animated interaction between individuals resulted in a COVID mulligan of sorts.  Never mind that folks from those tens of thousands of different household did not arrive by teleportation, that they interacted within tens of thousand more along the way. The transmission of the virus from these gatherings must have resulted in what— tens of thousands of dead?  Hundreds of thousands?  
 

When hypocrisy is the order of the day, it’s a foregone conclusion that the message will be questioned.  That’s before we talk about political leaders gathering in violation of their own rules, inauguration gatherings during a pandemic and the like.  
 

I read your posts and generally appreciate your perspective, but I’m going to point out you mischaracterized what I wrote about the seriousness of the virus.  I never implied your neighbor was “weak”, those are your words.  As for your nephew, that’s a horrible thing for a young man to experience and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.  I know people who have had a very difficult time with COVID, young, healthy and the elderly. Some recovered and unfortunately some died.  I was quite clear about the severity for some of our population, I’m not sure why you’d hop up on a soapbox and imply I said something to the contrary.  The question didn’t boil down to “do nothing” or “total lockdown”.  
 

Being pragmatic, I always understood that while I’m a healthy 60ish year old, the reality is that I might well be the one to contract the virus, suffer the after effects and/or die.  Sometimes, that’s the way life goes.  
 

Extra points for the Trump reference, btw.  Maybe he’s the one political operator not kissed by angels, wrapped in rainbows and with an incredibly altruistic heart made of crunchy peanut butter? 
 

 

 

 

 

[Big Blitz]

Yep.  The triggering today has been off the charts. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These of course are just the short term side effects.  

 

Odds in 10 years you'll see a commercial that goes like this:

 

"If you or someone you know has taken a Covid vaccine......"

 

 

 

 

Sucks we "agreed" to let the get back to normal metric be "full eradication of virus via vaccines."

 

 

 

 

I liked the "flatten the curve/don't overwhelm hospitals" metric better then this s*** show.

 

 

Month 14 now to slow the spread everyone!   Month 14!  Give yourselves a good round of applause and a bonus "Trump's fault" while you're at it they can't hear you in the back take a bow our kids 1 childhood needs you to really give it up for them let's go!

Edited April 13, 2021 by Big Blitz

[BillStime]

 

 

Idiots

[Big Blitz]

9 minutes ago, BillStime said:

 

 

Idiots

 

 

There is a difference between being an "anti vaxxer" and an "anti new vaxxer" we know nothing about.   

 

Alex shared data from sources all over the world.  

 

 

The lab leak people were suspended to.  

 

Glad to see you support for fascism remains steadfast. 

[BillStime]

3 minutes ago, Big Blitz said:

 

 

There is a difference between being an "anti vaxxer" and an "anti new vaxxer" we know nothing about.   

 

Alex shared data from sources all over the world.  

 

 

The lab leak people were suspended to.  

 

Glad to see you support for fascism remains steadfast. 

 

 

Who is a wannabe dictator?

 

 

[Big Blitz]

1 minute ago, BillStime said:

 

 

Who is a wannabe dictator?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you do better then a low info meme of Trump Mocking a reporter that was lying about him that has nothing to do with anything. 

 

No you can't.  

[BillStime]

1 minute ago, Big Blitz said:

 

Can you do better then a low info meme of Trump Mocking a reporter that was lying about him that has nothing to do with anything. 

 

No you can't.  

 

Do you argue with Stop signs, too?