Posts Made By: Greg Shaffer

Originally Posted by James Brown

I'm surprised at this reply Darian.  I would never eliminate opposing points of view from existence.  We learn so much about validity of our own beliefs by testing them against opposing points of view.  I've been accused of arrogance from time to time, and I suppose it is justified.  But I can never envision myself being so assured of my position that I would snap my fingers to eliminate an opposing point of view.

Jim

Opposing points of view are one thing.....perspectives that support socialism and or communism are another animal all together and what was once a valid and respectable party has shifted so far to the left and given the reigns over to the far far left to control the party. What I once saw as a valid choice is a threat to freedom and individuality.....so I get where Darian is coming from.....and pretty much agree with him. Its been a long process for sure but it is in our faces now everyday......and it is obviously accelerating using every underhanded trick in the book

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Once more, I'll take charge of the thread I initiated and bring us back to the topic at hand although I the realize elimination of an opposing political party, as advocated by the cons on the forum, obviously takes priority.
Updates:
"Dr Lentzos said the issue of its origin was a "very difficult question", and added that "there have been quiet, behind-the-scene discussions... in the biosecurity expert community, questioning the seafood market origin that has come out very strongly from China"."
"President Donald Trump, who has been coming under fire over his administration's response to the pandemic, said that the US government is investigating the lab theory."
There now, you're up to date!

Congrats Rod....a well reasoned and non-inflammatory post.

Regarding the elimination of the Democratic party.....I believe that much of the animosity coming from those on the right (including me) can be attributed to knee-jerk reactions to media driven hype.

That said the Democratic party is NOT what it once was as it has been driven further and further left by the radicals therein......both parties have their radicals there is no doubt. Sadly the media in general has succumbed to headline driven content and the more flamboyant the better

Why would it piss us off? While I have posted about there being some support for it the fact remains that no in depth trials have been completed yet. However, regardless of reports touting dangers if one is dying then when faced with nothing better what does one have to lose? I would have no reservations on trying it.

Assuming the facts are as written I agree....They should throw the book at him.....

Originally Posted by Darian Rachal

It's interesting Rod, I don't see these people destroying property and attacking people like Leftist s**t are inclined to do.

Nor leaving tons of trash on the ground when they do protest......another indication of the difference between emotionally driven children and those who use common sense to drive their actions.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

"Fox News itself is worried about exposure to legal liability, according to Gabriel Sherman, a Vanity Fair reporter who frequently uses contacts inside Fox News to expose the inner workings of the conservative media network.
“When I’ve been talking to Fox insiders over the last few days, there’s a real concern inside the network that their early downplaying of the coronavirus actually exposes Fox News to potential legal action by viewers who maybe were misled and actually have died from this,” Sherman said in an interview published on Sunday."
https://www.courthousenews.com/fox-news-faces-lawsuit-over-its-coronavirus-coverage/

Not much on proof reading is he?....I dont believe FOX is too worried about being sued by those who might have been misled and died.

Originally Posted by Barry Megdal

 Stopped getting them after I renewed in January.  Renewal page says Red level member is entitled to emails about ads....am I wrong (I used to get the digests).

Thanks

You are not wrong. If you renewed in Jan 2020 then you should still be getting them as Red level supporters should receive them for 6 months. You might try pulling up the page that lets you select which categories and how you would like to receive them and saving your settings again. If that fails then send an email to [email protected]

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

In general, I agree with your post, however, an actual real-world scenario will likely unfold in Georgia first where an abrupt opening is happening now. Since the average incubation period for COVID 19 is about 5 days, we should know within a week...

I guess you need to define what the word abrupt means to you.....It is a staged reopening from what I have been seeing and hearing from Gov Kemp as of yesterday......

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

"Such a swift reopening runs counter to the advice of many experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top authority on infectious diseases, who warned again Monday that resuming business too soon risked a fresh spike in infections."
https://www.manufacturing.net/economics/news/21129573/georgia-to-reopen-some-businesses-as-early-as-friday

Dr Fauci no longer carries much weight with me.....

I would say these latest figures from the CDC might be eye opening for some and likely to have an impact on reopening considerations going forward.

Some thoughts from a fellow Georgian.....I find them relevant and they do a great job of mirroring my own. She puts it much better than I could.

I am going to try again to throw this out. I’ve typed it about twelve times and then stopped. It’s so touchy.

I am seeing so much anxiety about resuming business, and so much anger about continued regulations. People are feeling the need to catapult to one side or the other, then fight the opposition.

Here’s my perspective, from a mainstream medical model. I think a lot of folks have fallen into the idea that social distancing was meant to stop the viral spread. It wasn’t-it was meant to SLOW it while we put medical infrastructure in place. It has worked. We have, in most parts of Georgia, not been overwhelmed like we likely would have been without protective measures. In the meantime, our testing procedures have gotten better. We’ve increased our ventilator count. We’ve gotten a little better handle on PPE supply chains, and many have helped by making masks and gowns. Phoebe in Albany has a second COVID-19 ICU opened, and Atlanta has a field hospital ready to go. It’s not perfect, but it’s much better than it was seven weeks ago.

A vaccine is a long way off. At some point, people have to be systematically exposed to begin the building of (hopeful) herd immunity. We will likely begin to experience a real increase in cases after reopening. Ideally, that exposure is controlled and calculated, in phases, to allow our medical community to respond adequately, and reduce the number of severe or fatal cases. That’s where we are.

Whether you feel like Georgia is opening too soon, or not soon enough, we were never going to social distance this thing into nonexistence. You now need to proceed as your health, wallet, and conscience allow.

If you are medically vulnerable, you do not need to be a part of what is about to happen. Stay home if you can. If you’re not, or if your financial vulnerability trumps your health concerns, you need to proceed in ways that continue to protect yourself, and the elderly and medically vulnerable around you.

All of us need to calm down. Quit telling people who are financially struggling that they don’t care about human lives. Quit telling people who are truly at risk of dying from this virus that they are cowering in fear. Remember that until you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes, you should probably be careful in your judgements and subsequent harsh words.

We don’t HAVE to choose an either/or proposition and fight. We could choose other ways to be. Examples include but are not limited to:

“I think this may be too soon, so I will continue to shelter myself, and pray/make masks/ check on those who can’t.”

“I really need to go back to work, so I will do so, but I will be careful and try to protect myself, my family, and those around me with healthy strategies.”

See how those positions allow each of us to do what we need to, and also respect those who are choosing differently?

One thing that allows us to do this is humility. I can acknowledge that I am not an epidemiologist/economist/whatever, that I am making decisions based on my understanding of complex subjects and my own personal health and financial situation, that I am not all knowing, always right, and an expert in all fields, and that each person around me is doing their best too. We can make different choices and still be a supportive community. We can learn and evolve in our understanding of these issues.