did 'e?

Trump died — Maw

Link?

It's the volatility that's going to be a challenge. — frank

In your summary of climate change, I think you missed out the consequence of the mass extinction event we're presiding over. — Punshhh

Never mind the deforestation, the collapse of environment, the loss of the most fertile farmland, the mass extinctions , the loss of pollinating insects, the expanding deserts, never mind the radical change in society to become carbon neutral, how we going to deal with sea-level rise, and the climate refugees it will be producing?

https://phys.org/news/2019-09-refugees-seas-home.html

The Greenland ice sheet has passed the point of no return and will all melt. That's a sea level rise of 6 meters locked in, not counting Antarctic ice and mountain glaciers.

In your summary of climate change, I think you missed out the consequence of the mass extinction event we're presiding over. As an example, trees are struggling these days, there are lots of exotic diseases being imported from other parts of the world. We are currently watching all our Ash trees die of Ash Die Back disease, along with Horse Chestnuts trying to survive a voracious leaf minor. There are worrying reports of Oak trees being in trouble next, which will be devastating, as the Uk is populated with a large population of ancient oak trees. — Punshhh

Yep. My favorite tree is the Dogwood (childhood associations). They're under attack from some virus and are expected to be extinct soon. The North American Chestnut would be extinct if it wasnt an object of fascination for foresters. Not global warming though, it was some imported organism. As it turns out, just about any plant from Asia loves North America, so we have an on going heartbreak from watching native species being edged out. I'm making peace with it. Sorta.

This issue is distinct from climate change. Why are you wanting to fuse them?

Could you post a picture of your furniture? I love handmade furniture. I have a couple of tables I traded for paintings back when I knew a bunch of wood workers.

how we going to deal with sea-level rise, and the climate refugees it will be producing? — unenlightened

Same way we deal with anything, the best we can. There's some psychology to discuss regarding how people react to the threat of disaster and profound change (for people who are intrigued by that sory of thing). See the movie Melancholia if you haven't.

Yes, I'm well aware of all that. I recently moved house and was conscious of sea level rise. I'm now at 56 metres above sea level, I've moved up by over 20 metres.

“Don Jr. Thinks Trump Is Acting Crazy”: The President’s COVID Joyride Has the Family Divided

Donald Trump’s erratic and reckless behavior in the last 24 hours has opened a rift in the Trump family over how to rein in the out-of-control president, according to two Republicans briefed on the family conversations. Sources said Donald Trump Jr. is deeply upset by his father’s decision to drive around Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last night with members of the Secret Service while he was infected with COVID-19. “Don Jr. thinks Trump is acting crazy,” one of the sources told me. The stunt outraged medical experts, including an attending physician at Walter Reed.

According to sources, Don Jr. has told friends that he tried lobbying Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner to convince the president that he needs to stop acting unstable. “Don Jr. has said he wants to stage an intervention, but Jared and Ivanka keep telling Trump how great he’s doing,” a source said. Don Jr. is said to be reluctant to confront his father alone. “Don said, ‘I’m not going to be the only one to tell him he’s acting crazy,’” the source added.

One area where the family seems united is over the president’s manic tweeting early Monday morning. After Trump sent out more than a dozen all-caps tweets, the Trump children told people they want Trump to stop. “They’re all worried. They’ve tried to get him to stop tweeting,” a source close to the family told me.

The Trump family’s private concern about Trump’s behavior could raise questions about his fitness for office. Trump has been prescribed drugs that medical experts say can seriously impair his cognitive function. Last night the New York Times reported that steroids, which Trump is reportedly taking, specifically dexamethasone, are known to “affect mood, causing euphoria or a general happiness.”

That’s really weird because Trump taking a joyride around the hospital, regardless of the consequences to others, and manic tweeting seem totally in character.

But a universal basic income would turn off the majority of voters in the UK. And yes the scale of the reform and what is implied in its implementation would be scary for many. — Punshhh

UBI is also backed by the Glib Dems. I think that's going to be a mainstay of the progressive platform in the near future; 51% of voters support it. Thanks, Covid! The Glib Dems in 2010 were also a big reforming party.

Obviously we're both guessing, but I honestly think we'd find more support for UBI than for cancelling road investment and replacing it with public transport and cycle path investment. That shit just doesn't fly. It really should.

↪Relativist


How can this stunt possibly be given a pro-Trump spin?


As easily as you’ve given it an anti-Trump spin, except without having to use another’s opinion to form ones own. — NOS4A2

OK, give it to me. Play the role of Kayleigh Mcenany (before she tested positive) and explain what's good about Trump being driven around by a Secret Service man (risking his exposure) and waving at supporters. Also let me know if you think this positive spin will gain him votes.

Me strong. Me smash covid.

How can this stunt possibly be given a pro-Trump spin? — Relativist


He is waving thank you to loyal supporters. — magritte

I know that's what he did, but why should voters think this was a good thing? It's undeniable that it exposed the secret service men to some unnecessary risk. Explain the positive that offsets this negative.

The negative view is that it's another example of his poor judgment - the same poor judgment that contributed to the infection of a number of White House staff and other supporters (like Christie).

The negative spin will not turn any strong supporters against him, so the net result of the "spinning" is only relevant if it has some persuasive power to an undecided voter; ie. the positive spin needs to be more powerful than the negative for relevancy.

He's so drugged out, he isn't even aware he's drugged out. Better than 20 years ago. Lol.

↪Relativist
Me strong. Me smash covid. — Benkei

I'm sure his strong supporters will cheer this, but that alone won't get him votes. Trump's #1 political weakness has been his perceived response to Covid. It seems to me the net result of this incident is to cement that negative perspective.

I'm sure his strong supporters will cheer this, but that alone won't get him votes. Trump's #1 political weakness has been his perceived response to Covid. It seems to me the net result of this incident is to cement that negative perspective. — Relativist

Putting on my tinfoil hat, it's another stunt to distract us all from the GOP working to make sure 2020 will be the last free election in America.

what drugs are they?

There was here a good article of this as one doctor referred Trump's actions being result of a cortisone psychosis (see here), unfortunately in Finnish (behind a paywall). Add there that Trump was obviously fuming at chief of staff Meadows saying that "the next 48 hours are critical" and the fact that likely Trump is using all kind of drugs already, his actions 100% Trump.

In my view, he is simply not fit for the office. Perhaps he could be made "Tweeter-in-Chief" of the USA, that would be enough.

Remdesivir and Dexamethasone.

Honestly given everything that they're doing with respect to undermining the elections, to completely ignoring the pandemic, and all this should end the GOP as a party. But I imagine in 4 years or so things will go back to normal and people will start electing them again.

it's another stunt to distract us — Echarmion

A giant paper machet Trump will be waving to adoring crowds from the roof of the White House

The GOP as a decent chance of holding on to the senate, despite trailing the democrats by more than 5 points nationally. There don't seem to be any signs that their support is collapsing. If anything, it's more highly mobilised than ever. In terms of pure power politics, the last 4 years have been phenomenally successful to the GOP. They've been fighting a rearguard action for decades now, and yet they're arguably more powerful than they've been in a long time.

They know a crash is coming eventually. The question is, how far do they go to avoid it?

Am I wrong to wonder if Trump even has Covid to begin with? Didn't we only really get information stating "Trump tested positive for Covid"? How many Covid tests per day does he take and how many of them are expected to be false positives? Such an event would be all it takes to give Trump the notion...

Trump's tried and tested tactic of obfuscating one scandal with a new unrelated stunt (distraction) is basically his only manoeuvre, and the timing after the debate is just too convenient. Now he can say that he suffered alongside the America people, and then turn around and downplay "the China virus" because he survived it. The fact that he seems to only have spent a couple days in the hospital (and was being chauffeured around by secret service all the while) makes me additionally suspicious. (I also wondered whether or nor he caught it back in March and just concealed the fact, as many would have advised). That would explain why he has been so fearless regarding masks.

I know I'm being a dick for insinuating that Trump is a liar and the the current White-House Administration are more than happy to chew their own lips off about this, but can we so easily and quickly forget the sheer volume of lies and bull-shit of the last 4 years?

Trump's aggressive course of treatment included the steroid dexamethasone and the single dose he was given Friday of an experimental drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. that supplies antibodies to help the immune system fight the virus. Trump on Friday also began a five-day course of remdesivir, a Gilead Sciences drug currently used for moderately and severely ill patients. The drugs work in different ways - the antibodies help the immune system rid the body of virus, and remdesivir curbs the virus' ability to multiply

-- AP via abc7ny

Remember that Project Veritas story @NOS4A2 assured us was very real

OK, give it to me. Play the role of Kayleigh Mcenany (before she tested positive) and explain what's good about Trump being driven around by a Secret Service man (risking his exposure) and waving at supporters. Also let me know if you think this positive spin will gain him votes.

It let’s the people know he’s ok. The man is running the country, after all, and he’s in the at-risk category. It also has the added bonus of revealing to everyone how ridiculously his opponents will twist anything he does. A wave from a car can send them into fits. Now they pretend to be worried for law enforcement after months of dismissing wholesale violence against police. It’s a thing of beauty.

The most plausible explanation for everyone involved in checking in on Trump and reporting it is that it’s real. One facet of implausible conspiracy theories is believing that every person involved in the process has their lips shut while the public is fooled.

Remember that Project Veritas story NOS4A2 assured us was very real — Maw

:rofl: What a shitcunt.

It let’s the people know he’s ok. The man is running the country, after all, and he’s in the at-risk category. It also has the added bonus of revealing to everyone how ridiculously his opponents will twist anything he does. A wave from a car can send them into fits. Now they pretend to be worried for law enforcement after months of dismissing wholesale violence against police. It’s a thing of beauty. — NOS4A2

That sounds like an interpretation that would appeal exclusively to Trump supporters. Surely you're aware that he's perceived negatively on his COVID response (irrespective of reality - just look at the polls). This stunt doesn't seem likely to improve that perception. That was the point of my question. This doesn't seem that it can help his chances, only hurt (neutral at best).

I imagine you also believe Trump won the debate. If so, wake up to the fact that he probably gained no votes from his performance. Your positive views of the man does not translate to any more votes than the one you cast.

That sounds like an interpretation that would appeal exclusively to Trump supporters. Surely you're aware that he's perceived negatively on his COVID response (irrespective of reality - just look at the polls). This stunt doesn't seem likely to improve that perception. That was the point of my question. This doesn't seem that it can help his chances, only hurt (neutral at best).

I imagine you also believe Trump won the debate. If so, wake up to the fact that he probably gained no votes from his performance. Your positive views of the man does not translate to any more votes than the one you cast.

I believe Biden won the debate and even said so.

As for his little ride and wave, I just do not possess the same anxiety towards his actions, and I actually liked what he did. The response sounds like grasping at straws to me. I could care less if they translate to votes.