I found it interesting in the article, where it notes that covid is racist:

Deaths among white people in 2020 were just 11.9% higher than average years, a much lower increase than deaths among Latinx people (53.6% higher than average), Asian people (36.6% higher), Black people (32.9% higher), and American Indians and Alaska Natives (28.9% higher). “These disproportionate increases among certain racial and ethnic groups are consistent with noted disparities in Covid-19 mortality,” the researchers wrote.

My new theory: whites synthesized covid to kill off nonwhites.

Don't do it! . . . Nevermind, just do it

Building WTC 7 you sheeple!!! — ssu

:rofl:

And btw, I remember very well on the old PF the 2003 invasion, the time of Freedom Fries. There were those who saw it as their duty to defend the invasion on PF, yet a lot of people here were totally against it. I made my mind when reading a small memoir of a Iraqi weapons inspector that convinced me the whole thing was bogus and that the war was quite similar to the Spanish-American war. Many people thought here that the US would fabricate the WMD's later, but no, who cares. — ssu

Damn, your old! Lol. Btw, french fries blow freedom fries away any day of the week.

Let me guess, that s.o.b. Scott Ritter got to you? Me too. After that fiasco, I adopted the law of contrary public opinion as a personal maxim. So then, you see why I am like I am with the covid hysteria?

A wild idea: governments would each agree to reduce military spending by half. In the US that would free up around $350B. Some good could be done with that! — tim wood

Ha!!!! Not a chance in hell.

here is Professor Sir David Speigelhalter himself saying the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you are saying. You can make country comparisons, of course you have to understand how rough those comparison are, which I DO understand. Please listen the following interview to the end. — ssu

I'm not arguing that no-one thinks inter-country comparisons are useful, so I'm not sure what this interview is supposed to teach me. You were the one arguing that issues around variable recording methods were 'tinfoil hat-wearing' conspiracy theory. I'm just trying to inject a little nuance into this. It's more complicated than that.

Where did you give the contrary evidence? I and you have not discussed or if you have given it earlier, so could you give a link to what you are referring to. It's an informative way would give links or simply to give the exact reason why and what is wrong. — ssu

From the UK government's own website

concerns [were] raised by academics from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine about the original measure, which counted anyone who had ever tested positive as a COVID-associated death.

the numbers of deaths in people who have tested positive have become substantially greater than the numbers of deaths subsequently registered as COVID-19 deaths by the ONS, which is why we are now changing our approach to reporting deaths — PHE

I've not gotten the stuff you refer to, that governments can make statistics just what they want. — ssu

Where did I say anything like that?

In my view Spiegelhalter isn't refuting or contradicting the pandemic. — ssu

Of course he wasn't, he's a respected professor, why would you even think he would be refuting the pandemic?

My new theory: whites synthesized covid to kill off nonwhites. — Merkwurdichliebe

I'm not sure why this stupid comment. If the data shows disproportionate deaths to a certain group, the risk factors (e.g. lack of access to health care, pre-existing poor health, genetic factors, occupations typical of the group, etc.) ought be assessed.

Your comment is in fact so non-responsive and such an obvious and poor attempt to inflame, I wonder if your presence in this discussion is in good faith at all.

Let me guess, that s.o.b. Scott Ritter got to you? Me too. After that fiasco, I adopted the law of contrary public opinion as a personal maxim. So then, you see why I am like I am with the covid hysteria? — Merkwurdichliebe

I can understand you perfectly.

Yes, his little book was published before the invasion of Iraq. He was dutifully also publicly smeared later and made a persona-non-grata, but usually I think that US marines are honest people. And what he said was later shown to be true.

I would just say that do notice that one really has to notice that not everything is a conspiracy theory, even if many things are. The thing is that if people have first trusted the authorities and then find them lying, there is this natural urge to dismiss everything they say or what is said later. Yet that's going a bit too far. The basic way is just a) to inform oneself and have a good general awareness of history, economics and politics prior for those issues become hot topics, b) look for various sources that aren't linked to each other and c) understand just what are the facts and what part is the interpretation of the facts, that can be biased by a political or other agenda. Most easiest way for c) is to listen directly what politicians and professionals themselves say, and not only refer to what some reporters says they said or did. Look how opposing sides comment the same issue and use your own thinking.

It's simply far too easy to get trapped in your own bubble now days. Those fucking algorithms are so hard to change when looking for information. If one bothers to look for that. Yet notice that these things are real.

Just to give an example, I traveled last year with my family to the States and we visited Washington DC & New York (which were great, btw). We visited Capitol Hill and after a lengthy que we went to listen to the House of Representatives. The voting had just finished and there were just some unknown Republican members speaking to basically to an empty audience and few of us of the public. But the conspiracy theory he laid on and how startling accusations he made of the FBI just made me quite clear what Trump has done to US politics and especially the Republican party. It has gone to the absurd.

And the pandemic has huge effects and is real, even if people can criticize of the effectiveness and reasonability of the taken policies against pandemic. The policy issue is totally different from the virus existing.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to you!

Don't do it! . . . Nevermind, just do it — Merkwurdichliebe

I did. I don't feel anything. People who were in the phase 3 trial say the second shot is the one that makes people sick for 24 hours. The advice is to sleep through it.

So I have that to look forward to.

how come you got it already?

I'm a respiratory therapist.

I see... which vaccine did you get and when do you get the second shot?

I got the Pfizer vaccine. The second shot is 17-21 days later.

fair enough. I want to get the Oxford vaccine, no idea when that'll be though..

I think most people on the planet who get vaccinated will get that one. Should be soon.

The advice is to sleep through it.

So I have that to look forward to. — frank

I love a good nap too.

I'm not sure why this stupid comment. If the data shows disproportionate deaths to a certain group, the risk factors (e.g. lack of access to health care, pre-existing poor health, genetic factors, occupations typical of the group, etc.) ought be assessed.

Your comment is in fact so non-responsive and such an obvious and poor attempt to inflame, I wonder if your presence in this discussion is in good faith at all. — Hanover

Sorry for that comment. It is obviously a ridiculous theory. It was actually a bad attempt at a good joke, meant to mock all the speculation over these statistics.

My new theory: whites synthesized covid to kill off nonwhites. — Merkwurdichliebe

Actually God synthesized Covid to kill off the old as punishment for Brexit.

I liked your joke, don't worry about it.

Actually God synthesized Covid to kill off the old as punishment for Brexit.

I liked your joke, don't worry about it. — Kenosha Kid

God is such a goofball.

Thanks.

I would just say that do notice that one really has to notice that not everything is a conspiracy theory, even if many things are. The thing is that if people have first trusted the authorities and then find them lying, there is this natural urge to dismiss everything they say or what is said later. Yet that's going a bit too far. The basic way is just a) to inform oneself and have a good general awareness of history, economics and politics prior for those issues become hot topics, b) look for various sources that aren't linked to each other and c) understand just what are the facts and what part is the interpretation of the facts, that can be biased by a political or other agenda. Most easiest way for c) is to listen directly what politicians and professionals themselves say, and not only refer to what some reporters says they said or did. Look how opposing sides comment the same issue and use your own thinking.

It's simply far too easy to get trapped in your own bubble now days. Those fucking algorithms are so hard to change when looking for information. If one bothers to look for that. Yet notice that these things are real. — ssu

That is good advice. Moderation is good in moderation. But history is too repetitive for me not to feel completely alienated from, and suspicious of anything that is proposed/advocated/mandated/&c. by government, business and media. Each has specific vested interests, the bottom line for each is power, money and influence, none of which take your or my well being into account. As far as they are concerned, you and I are here merely to concede, consume and conform. In it all, I see major problems which call for major change, and I feel excruciatingly novel thought is more effective than moderate thought at effecting such change.

And the pandemic has huge effects and is real, even if people can criticize of the effectiveness and reasonability of the taken policies against pandemic. The policy issue is totally different from the virus existing.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to you! — ssu

I don't doubt the virus exists. It is policy issue (specifically in regard to the overexageration of the severity of the virus) that I have issue with. Of course, I know that I have less fear of sickness and death than most, which explains why I am so dismissive of all those people just falling in line with the policy. Yet I cannot help but notice that there is definitely an element of fascism involved in all the covid hysteria (you either fall in line or you are the enemy), and that is a giant red flag for me. In my study of history, I have seen the safe bet (of falling in line) turn into a nightmare one too many times for me to ever just fall in line because it is what is popular at the time. But that's just me, it's a terrible tragedy.

And merry Christmas to you! May we all be happy and healthy!

it would be all right for me to carry a rifle into your neighborhood and just start shooting wherever? After all, probably won't kill too many, and we all know there are more where they came from. And the odds for any individual are pretty good. Not worth closing down the neighborhood just for that, right — tim wood

You could try, but make no mistake, someone will put you down hard within a minute or two, and likely into a field shortly thereafter. Your comparison is idiotic.

But the war isn't over, and while subject to the vaccine's efficacy, may not yet even have properly begun. Business-as-usual, then, is head-in-the-sand. — tim wood

There is no war. There is panic, and world class media bullshit, but basically, just panic. As far as head in the sand goes, WHO released a fairly well buried study a few months back about the effects of the lockdowns on TB related deaths: an additional 1.18 million deaths for every 3 months of lockdown, due to non-diagnosis and non-treatment. So from a life for a life, using TB only, for every life lost by Covid we can add another 3.6 due to the life saving lockdown. I feel safer already. Forget the overdose death increases and suicides, and future starvation due to destroyed supply lines. Those don't matter eh.

There's nothing you can do about it tho. Is that frustrating?

Not as frustrating as you might think, although my opinion of the race is in decline. Which is saying something as I did not have a high opinion of it prior to this.

my opinion of the race is in decline. — Book273

It's as beautiful as it is flawed.

Flawed, certainly. Beautiful...it has it's moments, but they are far between and I am starting to not look for them anymore. I appreciate the world and all it's wonders, but people...not so much. That's been burnt out of me.

As long as you're at peace with it, it doesn't matter.

Pretty much, I am not here to change minds. Maybe there is an off chance I say something that makes someone take a moment to think about the topic. Their conclusions are their own. My only goal is to promote active consideration of the topic. Hopefully people understand why they have taken the stand they have. Many I have spoken to respond as if programmed, which is too bad. What's the point of free will if we won't even look around?

I am not here to change minds. — Book273

Then you won't be disappointed.

Nope, not disappointed. Sometimes a decent debate ensues, which is always enjoyable. It is unfortunate when it descends into name calling. That reflects poorly on the name caller and does nothing for the debate.

I don't know what you're talking about, but you can flag posts if you find them offensive.

Indeed. It is the requiring of it that I would avoid. Thanks for the suggestion though.