Covid-19

[xu82]

Calling it the Chinese Virus is stupid.

I'm not going to say that Trump is a racist. I am going to say that he's not an epidemiologist or any sort of a scientist. This isn't something that is only effecting China. It isn't something that's only effecting people that have recently visited China. It isn't something that everyone else other than China was able to contain. There are typically actual epidemiological reasons that viruses and diseases are given the names they're given. To call it the Chinese Virus completely misrepresents what this actually is. It also probably means that he isn't listening to anyone that actually knows what the hell they're talking about. That's INCREDIBLY disturbing.

Most of what happens politically has no direct impact on anyone's life. People may not like how Hillary deleted a bunch of emails, or how Trump attacks Obama, or what was in the Mueller Report, or what wasn't in the Mueller Report, or who was appointed to the Supreme Court, or who wasn't appointed to the Supreme Court, or whatever. The thing is, almost none of that has a huge direct impact on peoples' day to day lives. You still work the same job, have the same doctors, live in the same house, and do the same things you'd be doing anyway.

That's not the case with this. You can't just ignore it. You can't just say it's under control when it isn't. You can't say that we are close to a vaccine when we are not. You can't say that we have medicines to treat it when we don't. You can't say that it's going to be gone in 15 days when it won't be. You can't continue to ignore or downplay this problem and not listen to the people who know what they're talking about. The virus is not Trump's fault at all, but the way he is managing it is making it infinitely worse. He can't keep it from spreading simply by saying that it won't. He can't say that anyone who wants to get a test can get a test and that the tests are wonderful when the tests do not actually exist. He can't get people treatment by saying we have medicines that we think will work when in reality no one is really sure whether they will or won't. He can't make this better in fifteen days by simply saying it's going to be better in fifteen days. Lying about this is not like lying about emails or porn stars. Just saying things won't do anything to mitigate it. If anything, it will actually make it a lot worse.

Might I add petty and childish?

The virus has a name. Grown ups use it.

[GoMuskies]

Might I add petty and childish?

The virus has a name. Grown ups use it.

That's right: Kung Flu

[xubrew]

I'm of German descent.

Is the "German Measles" racist, or does that only apply to non-white references? I'm not offended.
Or how about the "Spanish Flu"? Is that racist against Spain?
How about 'West Nile Virus"? Is that racist against Egyptians?
How about Ebola and Zika viruses. Is that racist against West Africa or Uganda? Or is it that a Black President can call them that but when a white president refers to the disease source he's "racist" or 'xenophobic"?

This virus originated and was covered up in China. This manufactured controversy is total boolsheet. Period.

To repeat, all of those have actual epidemiological reasons for having the names that they have. I'm not saying Trump is a racist. I'm saying he completely misrepresents what it is when he calls it the Chinese Virus.

One virus that got its name for a reason that wasn't epidemiological was the Spanish Flu. I guess we haven't learned anything from that, which is also rather concerning right now. The Spanish Flu actually started in the United States, most likely in Kansas. It then spread around the world during the War, and continued to spread as soldiers became infected, then went back home and infected everyone else. Everyone ignored it or downplayed it, probably because they didn't want to disrupt morale or the normalcy of life (Geez , sound familiar??). The one country that didn't ignore it was Spain. Their newspapers and media were the only ones that initially reported on it for what it really was. That's how it became known as the Spanish Flu, which was really unfortunate because had it not been dismissed as some sort of innocuous illness that was only impacting Spain then maybe millions less people would have died. So, again, it's STUPID to just call this the Chinese Virus. History may end up actually remembering this as the Trump Virus.

[Lloyd Braun]

I'm of German descent.

Is the "German Measles" racist, or does that only apply to non-white references? I'm not offended.
Or how about the "Spanish Flu"? Is that racist against Spain?
How about 'West Nile Virus"? Is that racist against Egyptians?
How about Ebola and Zika viruses. Is that racist against West Africa or Uganda? Or is it that a Black President can call them that but when a white president refers to the disease source he's "racist" or 'xenophobic"?

This virus originated and was covered up in China. This manufactured controversy is total boolsheet. Period.

You really just regurgitate propaganda huh...

Asians have been persecuted because of this virus and the fear it causes. Calling it “Chinese Virus” perpetuates that rhetoric that they are somehow responsible for it. Using an official name of the virus is almost always preferred if there is any chance of harm being done to an individual.

I doubt you were persecuted for German Measles in the past, but if you were, I hope you corrected them to the more proper and common term - Rubella.

[GoMuskies]

People of Asian descent should not be persecuted for this. The Chinese government absolutely should.

[Masterofreality]

To repeat, all of those have actual epidemiological reasons for having the names that they have. I'm not saying Trump is a racist. I'm saying he completely misrepresents what it is when he calls it the Chinese Virus.

One virus that got its name for a reason that wasn't epidemiological was the Spanish Flu. I guess we haven't learned anything from that, which is also rather concerning right now. The Spanish Flu actually started in the United States, most likely in Kansas. It then spread around the world during the War, and continued to spread as soldiers became infected, then went back home and infected everyone else. Everyone ignored it or downplayed it, probably because they didn't want to disrupt morale or the normalcy of life (Geez , sound familiar??). The one country that didn't ignore it was Spain. Their newspapers and media were the only ones that initially reported on it for what it really was. That's how it became known as the Spanish Flu, which was really unfortunate because had it not been dismissed as some sort of innocuous illness that was only impacting Spain then maybe millions less people would have died. So, again, it's STUPID to just call this the Chinese Virus. History may end up actually remembering this as the Trump Virus.

Or the "Xi Virus", more appropriately?

Hey, I'm not a medical guy, and so I'm not going to try to argue what "epidemiological" reason there is to call numerous diseases after the geographical area of the world it originated from, uh, like this has been called, but whatever...

[SemajParlor]

That's not the case with this. You can't just ignore it. You can't just say it's under control when it isn't. You can't say that we are close to a vaccine when we are not. You can't say that we have medicines to treat it when we don't. You can't say that it's going to be gone in 15 days when it won't be. You can't continue to ignore or downplay this problem and not listen to the people who know what they're talking about. The virus is not Trump's fault at all, but the way he is managing it is making it infinitely worse. He can't keep it from spreading simply by saying that it won't. He can't say that anyone who wants to get a test can get a test and that they no one is really sure whether they will or won't. He can't make this better in fifteen days by simply saying it's going to be better in fifteen days. Lying about this is not like lying about emails or porn stars. Just saying things won't do anything to mitigate it. If anything, it will actually make it a lot worse.

Agreed on this 100%.

[GoMuskies]

The Wuhan Wild Wet Markets Virus

It even alliterates!

[Smails]

Yes that’s my position. I’m sure you could find multiple instances of Biden calling him a xenophobic even prior to the campaign rally (which also is pertinent). And Biden is not alone in that regard. Calling it the Chinese Virus intentionally is blatant xenophobia, sorry. When directly asked, Biden (and I really do not enjoy defending him) has supported travel bans and distancing.

Here's a piece of a tweet that Biden sent out the same day as the speech, but afterward.

“Banning all travel from Europe – or any other part of the world – will not stop it,”

Still think that it was just coincidence and that there's just no way Biden could have been referring to Trump's ban as Xenophobic? Perhaps trying to crank up his base at a rally on the heels of a travel being announced?? Any chance?

There are plenty of ways to continue to tear down our president that don't involve propping up a buffoon like Biden.

[Masterofreality]

You really just regurgitate propaganda huh...

Asians have been persecuted because of this virus and the fear it causes. Calling it “Chinese Virus” perpetuates that rhetoric that they are somehow responsible for it. Using an official name of the virus is almost always preferred if there is any chance of harm being done to an individual.

I doubt you were persecuted for German Measles in the past, but if you were, I hope you corrected them to the more proper and common term - Rubella.

What's propaganda? Those are names of diseases from whatever part of the world they came from. And since when have the Chinese been "persecuted" for the naming of this disease- except, of course , by their own oppressive and disingenuous government that killed the doctor who was trying to put the word out about this mess. The Chinese Government is absolutely responsible for this by their irresponsible behavior. And to make it worse, they tried to blame it on the "US Military" for creating and spreading it
You are on the wrong side of this, Brother, but go right ahead and be snowflake offended over the labling of where a disease originated and was covered up.