From The Archives -- Gaming Out A Future Pandemic
Program Note: I am taking some personal time off this week, so for today and tomorrow we will continue our look back five years, to the very earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One interesting side-note is in order -- a memory from five years ago. After talking back then to a friend who had extensively reviewed the history of the Spanish Flu back during World War I, they were astonished at a number of parallels between what took place back then (all the efforts to fight the pandemic) and what was taking place during COVID. But one thing they mentioned hadn't happened yet -- a sort of vast amnesia that descended on the populace after it happened.
This is understandable enough, when you think about it. People tend to remember good things more than bad things. Happy memories are relived often, while unhappy memories are avoided or buried, for the most part.
But here we are, five years later, and the entire experience is fading from most people's memories. There is probably one exception to this general rule, and that is the children who had a large part of their childhood experience drastically changed -- what I later started calling "The COVID Generation." Kids who had missed out on senior year, or starting elementary school, or had to attend college remotely -- they'll have COVID as part of their formative years and the memories will likely be a lot stronger for them.
For the rest of us, reviewing the experience may not be high on anyone's list of things to do, but if you'd like to read some random thoughts, the New York Times has two articles today featuring people's thoughts (one from 29 different people and one from a columnist's perspective).
In any case, while reviewing what I had written five years ago, I came across the article below. It is wildly optimistic, in hoping that America would learn from our mistakes and plan accordingly for the future, I have to admit. The pandemic and the desperate responses to it became so politicized (for no real reason) and such a point of contention, that looking back on it now I'd have to say we would be even less prepared for another pandemic, at least in the near future. I say this no matter who would be president at the time. Just think if bird flu had leapt to humans a year ago and Joe Biden had been stuck with figuring out a response to it. Would he have closed schools and businesses? Probably not -- for fear of the political backlash. So I have to say, what I wrote back then makes perfect sense and was still what I would call sage advice, but sadly none of it happened and none of it likely ever will.
Originally published March 16, 2020
The administration of President Donald Trump is showing us all, in real time, how not to tackle a widespread medical crisis. Because things are moving so quickly, though, it's tough to tell how much of their woefully inadequate response has been the fault of Donald Trump himself, Trump's scorn for experts of any type who know more things than he does (a category which includes many people, for obvious reasons), or Trump's advisors and aides who have been put in charge of a massive problem but whose main worry seems to be not ever contradicting Trump in public (no matter how wrong Trump gets things). It all adds up to making a bad situation much worse, which is precisely where we find ourselves now. Decisions are made for political reasons, or -- worse -- to avoid making Trump himself look bad in any way. This has shattered the confidence of the stock market, as evidenced by today's record-busting 3,000-point drop. The more time goes by, the more Trump's inadequacies are becoming impossible to ignore, even by his staunchest supporters. Donald Trump, quite obviously, does not have a clue what to do next, is instead out there blatantly lying about the situation on a daily basis, and we're all going to suffer as a direct result. No wonder the market's tanking.
Last Friday, the market seemed to recover somewhat, as Trump finally (finally!) managed to sound presidential for 10 or 15 minutes in a press conference. Of course, the market closed before he actually took questions, but his scripted remarks were precisely what they should have been -- calming and showing some confidence, backed up by private-sector business leaders who were eager to help. The only problem was, the two big things that Trump promised would happen very soon were soon proved to be nothing more than two gigantic lies, once again. Trump distinctly said the new website for people who were experiencing symptoms would be up and running by "Sunday night." He also implied that drive-through testing would be widely available within days. Neither is remotely true. The company working on the website hastily issued a statement saying the website would definitely not be ready when Trump said it would, would initially only work for people in the San Francisco Bay Area, and no timeline was even given as to when it would be ramped up nationwide. One drive-through testing center opened in New Rochelle, New York, but few others have been set up, three days later.
Nowhere is it more evident how callous the lies coming from the Trump administration are than in the availability of testing. At the beginning of the month, Trump administration officials were promising "a million tests" would be available "by the end of the week." On March 4, Vice President Mike Pence swore they were ramping up to 1.5 million tests that week, and by the following week would be up to "4 million tests" made available to the public. By that Friday, March 6, only 500 people in the entire country had actually been tested, while Trump was telling the public that "everyone who wants a test can get tested." Yesterday -- more than a week later -- that number had only climbed to 13,000 people tested. By their original estimates, we were supposed to have 4 million tests by that point, but only 13,000 had been done. That's not just "missing our projections," that is outright lying or massive incompetence, take your pick.
How much of this miserable failure is the fault of Trump and his team of sycophants, and how much is the fault of the federal government in not making adequate plans for future pandemics? We'll likely have to wait a while to find out the answer to that. There could easily be a playbook sitting around some government office somewhere gathering dust that hasn't even been consulted yet, which could have dictated a much better response to the coronavirus. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out that is the case, and the reason why it was never consulted was due to Trump having fired every single person who knew it even existed. Or, even worse, I also wouldn't be surprised if there was a playbook but Trump ordered everyone to ignore it because he thought the whole thing would just blow over like the flu and none of it would be necessary. At this point, virtually nothing the Trump administration does surprises me anymore, because I've become so numb to their ongoing parade of incompetence. Perhaps there was a playbook developed by the White House pandemic team that Trump fired two years ago, but Trump ordered it all deleted because "it came from Obama, therefore it must be worthless." Again, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.
But, to be fair, it also wouldn't surprise me if that playbook simply never existed at all. It would shock me, to be sure, but it wouldn't surprise me much. The only part of the federal government who seems capable of long-term planning that covers all imaginable contingencies is the Pentagon. At least, that's been my experience throughout my life. Which is why the word "gaming" appears in this article's title.
At some point, we'll make it through the COVID-19 crisis. We as a nation will have learned a lot. So will the government. We'll all learn from mistakes made, and hopefully efforts will be launched to improve things when the next pandemic hits, drawing on all the lessons we're now learning.
But we really need to go further than that. We need to put protocols in place and draw up plans for all possible contingencies so that the next time around everyone will have a solid roadmap of what should happen and when. And the best way to do that is to game it out.
Those old enough to remember the Cold War know what the term "war games" means. There was even a movie of the same name, although it dealt more with a computer that seemingly took over our nuclear force (kind of a proto-Skynet, if you prefer Terminator metaphors). But rogue computers aside, the basic idea is pretty simple. Two groups of military generals and government officials are created, with each assigned a role (president, joint chiefs of staff, etc.). One team was put in charge of the Soviet Union, and the other was put in charge of the United States. Referees would pass between the two isolated groups and all the pieces on the "big board" were moved around. A war would break out, and then escalate. A situation would develop, which sometimes would turn into a nuclear exchange. Sometimes random events would be inserted by the referees ("Sorry, there's a category-4 hurricane in the North Atlantic, if you send your warships to Iceland, you'll probably lose a number of them to the storm"), just to keep things lively.
On one level, the whole thing sounds kind of silly -- because important officials were spending their valuable time essentially playing a gigantic game of Risk. These war games could last days at a time, and were entirely fictional. But that's missing the point of the exercise. There were two main goals from holding these war games: (1) to improve the Pentagon's playbook to include all possible contingencies about how the Soviets might attack, how we would respond, and what would happen next; and (2) to give the people involved some experience with the consequences of certain actions they decided to take. Will you launch a missile attack from American submarines at Moscow? Well, then, you just lost New York City and Washington D.C. to a retaliatory attack. Any government officials who were still in those two cities are now dead, so you've got to continue playing without them. Did you protect the presidential line of succession by moving some cabinet members to remote locations? Then the highest on the list is now acting president and will be giving the orders.
These war games would end with wildly different outcomes. Sometimes diplomacy worked and war was entirely avoided. Sometimes multiple nuclear exchanges took place, wiping out high percentages of the population of both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Tens of millions of deaths are always a possibility when the nukes start flying. And the referees who set up the scenario always would try to show that sometimes random events beyond your control have major implications that the military hadn't yet considered. At the end of each war game, military planners would take any lessons learned and try to avoid pitfalls and adjust the nation's war plans accordingly. That's how the playbook was continually updated.
No matter how the coronavirus pandemic ends, the same approach is certainly worth considering in the future. Instead of playing war games, set up a "virus game" or "pandemic game" instead. Get governors and high-ranking government doctors and officials to participate. Get the appropriate military men involved (mostly National Guard leaders), but also try to get as many representatives of those who would need to leap into action in the same room as possible -- C.E.O.s of drug companies and testing-kit companies and website companies, major hospital administrators, state-level public health officials, major airport managers, as well as leaders of industries that might have to bear the weight of the response, such as airlines, restaurants, sports leagues, etc. Put them all in a closed room, assign them all roles to play, and game the whole thing out. Let them all see in stark detail the consequences of each action or inaction.
America regularly put in this effort to hone our plans for possible military conflict with the Soviet Union because it was rightly seen as an existential threat. Now, a pandemic is less of a threat (it'd be a stretch to call it "existential," since America will still be around afterwards no matter what develops, most likely), but it's still a pretty major threat to our country and our economy. As we all can now see, with every passing day.
Trump's response to the pandemic might be valuable one day as the best worst example. But sooner or later, COVID-19 will cease to be a threat and life will go on. Also sooner or later, Trump will no longer be in the White House and the government can get back to where expertise and intelligence are once again highly regarded in high-ranking officials. And at that point, the government should begin planning in earnest for the next pandemic. And "virus games" could be a valuable part of developing such plans.
The most striking thing about the bewilderingly insufficient response from the Trump administration so far has been its ad hoc nature. Things have happened with absolutely no guidance from the top. Trump obviously wasn't interested in displaying any sort of leadership whatsoever, so others stepped into the void. The major sports leagues decided -- on their own -- to suspend seasons and cancel championship playoffs. Governors -- independently -- decided to shut down schools and ban gatherings of large people. States got tired of waiting for the federal government to deliver test kits and developed tests of their own instead. Amusement parks decided to close their doors. Now, even presidential primaries are being postponed. But none of it -- none of it, mind you -- happened because of any guidance from the top. Trump didn't call for sports to take a hiatus. The Department of Education didn't issue guidelines to schools and universities about whether they should close or not. Neither did the Department of Health and Human Services. Today the Centers for Disease Control finally recommended that gatherings of 50 people or more be banned, but this was long after many governors had already done so. A website is grandly announced, but then it turns out it won't be ready any time soon. Drive-through testing is unveiled with much fanfare, but nobody really knows how it's going to work or where it will take place. Everything has been slap-dash and put together on the fly. This makes it painfully obvious that there simply is no pandemic playbook being followed. It either does not exist or it is being flat-out ignored, one or the other.
It shouldn't have to be like this. It shouldn't have to be like this now, but it damn sure shouldn't be like this in the future. The biggest lesson the federal government needs to learn from the disastrous response by Team Trump is that such plans must be put in place before the emergency hits. And the only way to develop such plans is to see how different actions and aggressive timelines might make a difference in the future. The next president should make it a priority, in fact. Let the "virus games" begin.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Another grim reminder of the dumpster fire that was the first Trump administration.
I do want to say, I seem to remember reading that there was a 'playbook' at the White House of how to deal with a pandemic, prepared by the Obama administration, and sure enough, it was ignored or banned by the incoming Trump staff - just before the COVID disaster began to manifest itself.
I can't tell, from your revived post, if this information became public before or after your critical view that perhaps NO ONE in the Federal government had ever prepared a pandemic policy playbook. But as far as I know: Yes, they had. They were rational and thoughtful public servants. And No, the Trump staff did not care or understand the value of such a playbook, and trashed it. They were hacks and toadies, with no idea whatsoever of the meaning of public service.
And they're back. They're BAAAACKKK....
I am going to get to specifics of 2025 CW's commentary in a coming comment.
I just wanted to ask ya'all a simple question.
I know ya'all won't answer because ya'all CAN'T answer. The FACTS and the OBJECTIVE REALITY doesn't GIVE ya'all anything to answer with...
But if the first PRESIDENT Trump was so bad, so incompetent...
WHY did the American voter OVERWHEMINGLY re-hire PRESIDENT Trump??
WHY did PRESIDENT Trump even win the POPULAR VOTE by MILLIONS and MILLIONS of votes??
PRESIDENT Trump winning the Electoral Vote AND winning a SWEEP of the battleground states AND winning the popular vote by MILLIONS and MILLIONS of votes is akin to a regular candidate winning ALL 50 states!!! A MANDATE win for the ages!!
So, explain to me... HOW could that have happened if the first PRESIDENT Trump administration was so bad??
I know, I know.. No one will answer. Because no one CAN answer...
The FACTS and the OBJECTIVE REALITY speaks for themselves...
You brain dead woke progressive Democrats are simply WRONG about everything...
Hysterical Trump/America hate and hysterical PTDS is simply NOT a viable strategy...
This has been proven OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER again...
Yet, it's all that brain dead woke progressive Democrats have.. :eyeroll:
John M from Ct,
YOU were the one who said you "can't wait for the next pandemic" and are EXCITED about American "mass deaths"..
What kind of disgusting excrement HOPES for millions and millions of Americans dead??
ANSWER: A brain dead woke progressive Democrat such as yourself.. :eyeroll:
I do want to say, I seem to remember reading that there was a 'playbook' at the White House of how to deal with a pandemic, prepared by the Obama administration, and sure enough, it was ignored or banned by the incoming Trump staff - just before the COVID disaster began to manifest itself.
You mean like Basement Biden ignored PRESIDENT Trump's Afghanistan playbook and got 13 brave American troops brutally murdered, turned over over 88 BILLION dollars worth of American Top Of The Line military hardware to terrorists and released over FIVE THOUSAND Taliban terrorists??
You mean like that???
:eyeroll:
What kind of brain dead MORON would be a woke progressive Democrat???
I give you John M From CT... :eyeroll:
2025 CW is trying to rewrite recent history with completely NON FACTUAL claims...
To whit..
Trump showed a lack of leadership and decisiveness.
NOT FACTUALLY ACCURATE
PRESIDENT Trump’s administration took unprecedented steps to combat COVID-19, particularly through the launch of Operation Warp Speed in May 2020. This initiative aimed to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. By partnering with private pharmaceutical companies, the administration facilitated the rapid development of vaccines, resulting in the first vaccines being authorized for emergency use in December 2020, just 11 months after the virus was identified. This remarkable achievement is a testament to Trump's leadership and decisiveness in mobilizing resources and expertise to address the pandemic effectively.
Further, PRESIDENT Trump took swift action by implementing travel restrictions from China early in the pandemic, which was a critical step in slowing the spread of the virus. This decision was praised by health experts and likely saved countless lives.
PRESIDENT Trump scorned experts and undermined their authority.
NOT FACTUALLY ACCURATE
While critics argue that PRESIDENT Trump disregarded expert advice, the reality is that he assembled a task force that included some of the nation’s leading health experts, including Dr. Deborah Birx. PRESIDENT Trump often emphasized the importance of following scientific guidance, and his administration made significant investments in research and development. Furthermore, the rapid vaccine rollout and the establishment of testing sites across the country were direct results of the collaboration between the PRESIDENT Trump's administration and health experts. The criticism of PRESIDENT Trump’s relationship with experts utterly overlooks the complexities of managing a crisis where information was rapidly evolving.
Trump's decisions shattered market confidence.
NOT FACTUALLY ACCURATE
The stock market, by it's very nature, always experiences volatility during periods of uncertainty.. The stock market did experience volatility during the early stages of the pandemic, but it is essential to recognize that this was largely due to the unprecedented nature of COVID-19 and its global impact. Following the implementation of Operation Warp Speed and the announcement of vaccine developments, the market began to recover significantly. By the end of 2020, the stock market had rebounded, reaching record highs as investors gained confidence in the economic recovery fueled by the vaccine rollout and stimulus measures. This recovery reflects the effectiveness of the PRESIDENT Trump administration's response rather than a failure of leadership.
The administration failed to provide adequate testing.
NOT FACTUALLY ACCURATE
While there were initial challenges in testing availability, the PRESIDENT Trump administration took significant steps to increase testing capacity. By the summer of 2020, the U.S. was conducting millions of tests per week, far surpassing initial projections. The administration also facilitated partnerships with private companies to expand testing capabilities, including drive-through testing sites. The rapid increase in testing availability was a direct result of the administration's efforts, and by the end of 2020, the U.S. had conducted over 200 million tests, demonstrating a commitment to addressing the pandemic effectively.
PRESIDENT Trump lied about testing and availability.
NOT FACTUALLY ACCURATE
The PRESIDENT Trump administration faced the challenge of communicating in a rapidly changing environment. While there were miscommunications, the administration consistently updated the public on the evolving situation and the steps being taken to combat the virus. The establishment of the COVID-19 Task Force and regular press briefings provided a platform for transparency. Furthermore, the administration's commitment to Operation Warp Speed and the subsequent vaccine rollout showcased a proactive approach to addressing the crisis, putting the claims of dishonesty in the TOTAL BULLSHIT category.
The federal government failed to provide guidance, leading to chaos.
NOT FACTUALLY ACCURATE
The U.S. operates under a federalist system, which grants states significant authority to manage public health crises. While some states took independent actions, this reflects the flexibility of the system rather than a failure of federal leadership. The PRESIDENT Trump administration provided states with resources, guidance, and funding to respond to the pandemic. The collaboration between federal and state governments was crucial in managing the crisis, and many governors praised the administration for its support during the pandemic.
There was no pandemic playbook followed.
The PRESIDENT Trump administration recognized the need for preparedness and initiated Operation Warp Speed, which was a proactive measure to ensure that the U.S. was ready to respond to the pandemic. This initiative not only focused on vaccine development but also on creating a distribution plan that would ensure rapid access to vaccines once they were available. The lessons learned from this pandemic have led to discussions about improving future preparedness, and the groundwork laid by the Trump administration will inform future responses to health crises.
The PRESIDENT Trump administration is responsible for COVID deaths due to incompetence.
NOT FACTUALLY ACCURATE
While the pandemic resulted in significant loss of life, attributing these deaths solely to the PRESIDENT Trump administration overlooks the complexities of managing a novel virus. Dr. Fauci's bone head mistake and the subsequent bone head decisions made by the Biden administration are what caused the vast majority of COVID deaths. For instance, the Biden administration totally scroo'ed the pooch in its handling of vaccine distribution and messaging, which contributed to hesitancy and delays. The entire screed just looked to blame PRESIDENT Trump while completely ignoring the FACT that the vast majority of COVID deaths happened under Biden's and the brain dead woke progressive Democrats' watch...
So kids... Let's recap..
PRESIDENT Trump's administration took significant and decisive actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through Operation Warp Speed, which facilitated the rapid development and distribution of vaccines.
Further, PRESIDENT Trump's swift action of implementing travel restrictions from China early in the pandemic proved to be an incredible example of leadership and was a critical step in slowing the spread of the virus. I recall how brain dead woke progressive Democrats fought PRESIDENT Trump on those travel restrictions. The decision by PRESIDENT was praised by health experts and saved MILLIONS of lives. Lives that turned around and were lost with Biden's and brain dead woke progressive Democrats bumbling..
While it's obvious that challenges existed, the overall response by PRESIDENT Trump demonstrated a commitment to addressing the crisis effectively. The complexities of the pandemic response require a nuanced understanding, and attributing failures solely to PRESIDENT Trump ignores the broader context of the situation and the subsequent bone headed mistakes of Fauci and Biden..
"These are the facts of the case. And they are undisputed."
-Captain Smilin' Jack Ross, A FEW GOOD MEN
To be fair to 2025 CW, some of what I posted occurred AFTER CW's commentary was posted...
Basement Biden's and Fauci's bone head mistakes, for one..
So, there is that...
In a recent op-ed, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville highlighted a critical issue within the Democrat Party. Towhit the overwhelming obsession with PRESIDENT Trump.
Trump/America Hate and PTDS are NOT VIABLE strategies... They never were...
Carville's call for a "tactical pause" is a much-needed reminder for brain dead woke progressive Democrats that the current strategy of hysterical and baseless opposition and chaos is not only ineffective but also detrimental to the party's long-term goals.
The reaction to Carville's piece, particularly from figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom and commentator Molly Jong-Fast, underscores a troubling trend among brain dead woke progressive Democrats. Instead of regrouping and strategizing for the future, they advocate for a full-on assault against PRESIDENT Trump, complete with flashy and hysterical media stunts and social media noise. This approach, as Carville points out, is akin to "The Charge of the Light Brigade"—a reckless and disorganized response to a complex political landscape.
The reality is that this strategy is not going to work for the brain-dead woke progressive Democrats. The American electorate is tired of the constant drama and chaos. They want solutions, not spectacle. Carville's emphasis on a deliberate, determined, and dignified response is crucial. Brain dead woke progressive Democrats need to focus on the issues that matter to everyday Americans, rather than getting lost in the noise of hysterical anti-Trump rhetoric.
It's essential for brain dead woke progressive Democrats to remember that events will dictate the political landscape. Instead of being consumed by hysterical hatred for PRESIDENT Trump, they should concentrate on building a cohesive strategy that addresses the needs of the American people.
This is the ONLY way that brain dead woke progressive Democrats can hope to regain the trust and support of voters who are weary of the divisive tactics that have dominated the political discourse.
Of course, we all know that brain dead woke progressive Democrats WON'T follow this very sound advice..
Which is exactly why brain dead woke progressive Democrats will NOT be a viable political Party for the rest of my lifetime at least...
More lies from brain dead woke progressive Democrats.. :eyeroll:
Gavin Newsom's recent claim that "not one person ever in my office has ever used the word Latinx" has been met with scrutiny and is demonstrably false. This assertion, made during a podcast with Charlie Kirk, crumbles under the weight of evidence from Newsom's own public records. In fact, Newsom himself has used the term on multiple occasions, including a 2019 tweet referencing a study on childhood poverty and a 2020 tweet discussing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the "Latinx community."
Moreover, official documentation from his office further contradicts his claim. For instance, in a 2023 letter from Brooks Allen, Newsom's Education Policy Advisor, the term "Latinx" was used in the context of the state's Ethnic Studies model. Additionally, the term appeared in various press releases and official communications, including discussions about the impact of the pandemic on minority-owned businesses and outreach efforts to parents in underserved communities.
Newsom's spokesperson attempted to downplay the usage of "Latinx," stating it is "not a term that is widely used in his Administration," yet the evidence suggests otherwise. The term has been integrated into official communications and initiatives, indicating that it is indeed part of the language used by his administration.
It's important to note that "Latinx" is considered unpopular among many in the Latino community, with a Pew Research Center study revealing that 51% of Hispanic American adults are unfamiliar with the term, and only 4% actually use it. Newsom's denial not only misrepresents his administration's language but also highlights a disconnect with the very community he claims to represent. This contradiction raises questions about his credibility and the authenticity of his engagement with Latino constituents.
Funny how ya'all brain dead woke progressive Democrats get all hysterically indignant about PRESIDENT Trump's alleged "lies"...
Yet ya'all completely ignore the REAL and ACTUAL lies coming from ya'all's side of the aisle..
Why is that???
Hypocrisy. It's not a bug in Democrat programming. It's a feature."
:eyeroll:
"Who's really being removed by ICE tonight?? The child who would have discovered a cure for cancer in 2046?? The 9th grade nerd who would have stopped the asteroid from hitting the earth in 2032??"
-Michael Moore
That's great, Mr Moore..
Now do ABORTIONS....
What IS it about brain dead woke progressive Democrat morons that they are so completely and utterly out of touch with the objective reality???
:eyeroll:
And, just because it's funny... :D
http://mfccfl.us/questions.jpg
Here is a much more FACTUAL assessment of the COVID pandemic on it's 5th Anniversary...
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant failures in leadership, particularly from Dr. Anthony Fauci and President Joe Biden. Their decisions and policies not only exacerbated the crisis but also led to unnecessary suffering and needless loss of life by the MILLIONS. As we reflect on the fifth anniversary of the outbreak, it is crucial to hold these leaders accountable for their mistakes.
Dr. Fauci, as the face of the U.S. response to the pandemic, pushed for lockdowns and school closures despite NUMEROUS warnings from experts that such measures lacked solid evidence of effectiveness.
Fauci's insistence on these drastic interventions resulted in devastating economic consequences, including trillions in deficit spending and massive learning loss among children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The emotional toll of isolation and the inability to say goodbye to loved ones in nursing homes further compounded the tragedy. Despite these sacrifices, the U.S. still recorded a higher death rate than many other wealthy nations thanx to Joe Biden.
President Biden's administration continued down the same path, failing to pivot from the lockdown mentality even as evidence mounted that schools could safely reopen. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended reopening schools by June 2020, yet Biden's policies remained stagnant, prolonging the negative impacts on children and families. Negative impacts that are still being felt today, five years later.
The administration's reluctance to embrace alternative strategies, such as the Great Barrington Declaration's focus on "focused protection," stifled necessary debate and innovation in public health policy.
Moreover, the suppression of dissenting voices, including those advocating for a more balanced approach to managing the pandemic, undermined public trust in health authorities. The dismissal of legitimate concerns about lockdowns and the politicization of the pandemic created an environment where skepticism was equated with conspiracy theories. This not only clouded judgment but also alienated many Americans who were seeking clarity and guidance.
Thank you brain dead woke progressive Democrats!!
So... To recap...
The failures of Fauci and Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic warrant serious scrutiny. Their adherence to ineffective strategies and dismissal of alternative viewpoints contributed to a crisis that could have been managed more effectively. As we move forward, it is essential to learn from these mistakes and ensure that future responses to public health emergencies prioritize evidence-based strategies and open dialogue.
A recent exchange during a congressional hearing, where Rep. Keith Self referred to Rep. Sarah McBride as "Mr. McBride," underscores the distinction between the "trans" fad of pretending to be the opposite sex and the SCIENTIFIC FACTS of biological sex. Rep. McBride identifies as a "trans" woman, which simply means he is pretending/cosplaying as a woman. The scientific FACT of biological sciences states emphatically that sex is based on physical and genetic characteristics. According to established scientific understanding, Rep. McBride is male, as he was assigned male at birth.
This distinction is rooted in biological facts, which assert that there are only two sexes—male and female. Prominent figures, including Rep. Mary Miller and Rep. Nancy Mace, have highlighted this perspective, emphasizing the importance of recognizing biological reality in discussions about gender.
The scientific community maintains that biological sex is a fundamental aspect of human biology. Discussions regarding gender must be grounded in factual science, as personal identity and pretend play/cosplay cannot override established scientific facts.
Of course, there are genetic oddities and mutations and birth defects that DO come into play with a very small percentage of the human population..
However, these oddities and mutations and birth defects have NOTHING to do with this current issue, as Mr Tim McBride does not suffer from any of these birth defects..
Science is science.. Facts are facts..
Mr Tim McBride is a male.. While he may (or may not) sport a CAPTAIN WINKY, the simple scientific FACT is that McBride is a man pretending to be a woman..
It's high time that NON brain dead woke progressive Democrats quit catering to the delusions of the mentally ill...