Coronavirus

[mickO)))]

the WHO they are corrupt as fuck.

That article I linked earlier has sent me down a rabbit hole about them and it's amazing stuff. As was said earlier here they are mostly something nobody thinks about but once one starts to look... it's interesting to say the least

Even the fact that two years ago they appointed Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador didn't get people asking questions. 

[Eoin McLove]

I had a look at an article on the BBC there about the strength of the US economy and it does appear to be booming but the report suggests there was an upward trajectory that has continued since the Obama administration. Good to see they are doing well, and calling out China is fair enough in many respects, but his oaf-ish manner is tough to get beyond.

I suppose the other side of the coin is having a smooth operator, like Obama, who is charming and charismatic and maybe uses his personality to deflect attention from the more insidious aspects of the job. 

It's difficult to get a sense of what life is like in the States these days as that chasm that exists between left and right seems to be growing, but is that just a distortion coming via internet forums and hysterical news reporting?

[Caomhaoin]

There probably was an element of 'protest vote' involved, and I was initially lukewarm to him. I also believe that if the democrats had but up a less distasteful, dishonest candidate, he would have been defeated. Joe Biden is pre-senile, tottering on the edge of dotage and in second place you had a fella who said taxing the very wealthy at 90% was justified, so they are essentially handing the second term to him on a plate with the shite they have scrapped together as an opponent .

Money of course is always going to be a factor (a majority of Scots in a survey said an extra 500 quid A YEAR would have made them vote either way in the independence referendum , although my Dads tight Scotsman's jokes are coming to mind).  However, I think his promises to revive an ailing and shrinking middle class and to 'bring back' manufacturing jobs to the US resonated enormously. Has he delivered? To an extent he has, and it seems to matter to him. Obama was shinier, more eloquent but in hindsight he was far fuller of hot air than trump has been, despite superficial observations to the contrary.

On a lighter note, following him on Twitter is very entertaining. CHY-NA🤣

[Caomhaoin]

I had a look at an article on the BBC there about the strength of the US economy and it does appear to be booming but the report suggests there was an upward trajectory that has continued since the Obama administration. Good to see they are doing well, and calling out China is fair enough in many respects, but his oaf-ish manner is tough to get beyond.

I suppose the other side of the coin is having a smooth operator, like Obama, who is charming and charismatic and maybe uses his personality to deflect attention from the more insidious aspects of the job. 

It's difficult to get a sense of what life is like in the States these days as that chasm that exists between left and right seems to be growing, but is that just a distortion coming via internet forums and hysterical news reporting?

The internet warfare between Shapiro, Crowder, Sargon of Akkad, Gavin McInnes on one side and Vox, The Slate the Young Turks etc shows how contrary it has gotten. There are very few impartial sources easily available. Planned Parenthood for example is a perfectly benign organisation to some and an outrageous tax dollar joke to others, regardless of the morality.

You get the impression a lot of youthful lefties (I was one myself) are gravitating towards Trump and the right by observing what left wing politics in the US, Canada and the UK have become ; a cringeworthy whinefest, demanding society be torn down and started from scratch. It's like the youth wing of the Khmer Rouge.

[mickO)))]

It's difficult to get a sense of what life is like in the States these days as that chasm that exists between left and right seems to be growing, but is that just a distortion coming via internet forums and hysterical news reporting?

I am Canada I can tell you here the left and right thing is huge and a source of many arguments in every walk of life you really cannot say what you feel for fear of the consequences freedom of speech does not exist in Canada. Things are even worse in the US and it started getting very bad when Obama took office. The same here in Canada the country has never more been divided than they are right now under Trudeau.

[Eoin McLove]

The right and left seem mired in shite but there are some voices, generally conservative admittedly,  who are bringing a bit of sense into the conversation.  The likes of Douglas Murray, for example. Probably a 'total mysogynazitransphobepatriarch', like those other scary monsters,  Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson, but at least you can listen to him articulate an idea without wanting to smash your phone off a wall.

[astfgyl]

Obama was shinier, more eloquent but in hindsight he was far fuller of hot air than trump has been, despite superficial observations to the contrary.

Oh the whole Obama love-in made me fucking sick while we are at it. I was watching RTE shortly after he got in and on the replacement for The Den, the presenter had a "Hope" T-shirt on with a picture of Obama's face. It seemed to me that was simply down to the fact that he was black and how fucking racist was that? Or maybe it was because he was young and that is pretty ageist, too. Any way I look at it, it was ridiculous. He also won the Nobel Peace Price while he presided over several wars which beggars belief as well. People should not be pre-judged on their race or age or gender for that matter. They must be judged on their actions. Like being the first Female or the first Afro-American or first Gay leader shouldn't matter a fuck or get anybody any sort of a bye. Equality must be applied.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Trump did at one point praise China's response. He's not coherent at all.

[Eoin McLove]

America having a black president was a big thing, in fairness. I think that's more of a landmark than having a female president, not to say that wouldn't be symbolically important too. But I agree that any politician should be judged 100% on their actions and not through the awe-struck perspective of a smitten groupie.

[Caomhaoin]

The twitter outrage brigade were essentially demanding that Joe Rogan be crucified because he doesn't think male to female transsexuals should be allowed to participate in competitive sports with women. Hardly hosting a Nuremberg rally. He's just a sound, affable lad who is capable of getting great conversation out people as diverse as Louis Theroux and Alex Jones.

Murray and Yiannopolous are singled out for special hatred (couldn't be more different, these two) because the don't fit the leftist homosexual narrative. As in, they are conservatives and homosexuals shouldn't be so.

It's mad.

[mickO)))]

The right and left seem mired in shite but there are some voices, generally conservative admittedly,  who are bringing a bit of sense into the conversation.  The likes of Douglas Murray, for example. Probably a 'total mysogynazitransphobepatriarch', like those other scary monsters,  Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson, but at least you can listen to him articulate an idea without wanting to smash your phone off a wall.

I love the podcast but Joe is an idiot and clearly being told what he can and can't say you don't get to be youtubes number 1 and still be same as you were when you started off. Up until this week he cut off anyone who mentioned the  fuck ups of the WHO over the last month and immediately changed the subject. He also has done that many times before on other topics. One great thing though that Joe did was inadvertently destroy Bernie Sanders campaign 

[astfgyl]

America having a black president was a big thing, in fairness. I think that's more of a landmark than having a female president, not to say that wouldn't be symbolically important too. But I agree that any politician should be judged 100% on their actions and not through the awe-struck perspective of a smitten groupie.

Ah yeah it was a landmark, as with any other "first", but let the judgement be made on his actions. It flies in the face of the equality movement to look at it any other way. Like he wouldn't be worse because of his race but he wouldn't be better either. He is either successful or he isn't and looking back, Obama was only middling-to-poor, despite what they say in Moneygall

[astfgyl]

The twitter outrage brigade were essentially demanding that Joe Rogan be crucified because he doesn't think male to female transsexuals should be allowed to participate in competitive sports with women.

How does he feel about it going the other way round, female to male, I wonder? But I agree with his point, it's an unfair advantage.

[mickO)))]

Anyone else see the video of the sold out Ryanair flight that apparently landed in Dublin on Monday from Sofia? 189 passengers. Keelings are suppose to have paid for a full flight of people to come over here to pick fruit and they have been sent straight to work no quarantine.

[Caomhaoin]

The twitter outrage brigade were essentially demanding that Joe Rogan be crucified because he doesn't think male to female transsexuals should be allowed to participate in competitive sports with women.

Good question, I've never considered it, but I imagine any incidents would very isolated indeed.

How does he feel about it going the other way round, female to male, I wonder? But I agree with his point, it's an unfair advantage.