What are your thoughts on how government is handling COVID-19

[missy]

Was it also reprehensible when we called the London flu the London flu?.

I'm sure a few Dr. in China knew about this virus a few weeks before the chinese government announced to the world after it gotten out of control in Wuhan. These doctors were afraid for their lives if they let the cat out of the bag.

Every news in China are censored by the government that's how a communist country operates. You can't speak freely w/o permission from the government. Look what happened to the optometrist who spoke too early about the virus, he was first arrested and then mysteriously die at the young age of 40.

It smacks of racism and causes an already difficult situation to be that much more difficult for many Americans (as well as others). I mean look at what @MakingTheGrade is going through and she is helping people get through the worst of this and now she has to deal with backlash because Trump is calling it the China Virus. Nope not OK.

It's a corrosive term fueling hatred and fear among ignorant people.
It's Xenophobic at best and racist at worst.

Let's just call it what it is. Covid-19 or Coronavirus.



And to be clear, I am *not* defending China or their practices (not allowing free speech and other human rights violations) which I also find to be reprehensible.

 

[redwood66]

It is the Wuhan virus to me because that is how all other viruses have been named for their origin. "Chinese" is not specific enough and smacks of an ulterior motive. The Chinese government has their hands very dirty for the spread of this pandemic and that should never be forgotten.

 

[Calliecake]

So was it also wrong to call the HK flu the HK flu?

With the rise in hate crimes this country has seen over the past 3 years, your attitude is appalling @Dancing Fire. Your family members could become a target. Has that not occurred to you? Please read what @JPie , @MakingTheGrade , and @Babyblue033 have experienced. We ALL need to stand against racism.

 

[JPie]

Now, more than ever, let's embrace the "ignore" function.

 

[missy]

The Chinese government has their hands very dirty for the spread of this pandemic and that should never be forgotten.

100% in agreement @redwood66. I am appalled at what the Chinese government did and how they could have prevented the spread to the rest of the world. There are no words to describe the blood they have on their hands.

Epidemiologists say China’s mammoth response had one glaring flaw: it started too late. In the initial weeks of the outbreak in December and January, Wuhan authorities were slow to report cases of the mysterious infection, which delayed measures to contain it, says Howard Markel, a public-health researcher at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “The delay of China to act is probably responsible for this world event,” says Markel.

A model simulation1 by Lai Shengjie and Andrew Tatem, emerging-disease researchers at the University of Southampton, UK, shows that if China had implemented its control measures a week earlier, it could have prevented 67% of all cases there. Implementing the measures 3 weeks earlier, from the beginning of January, would have cut the number of infections to 5% of the total.

 

[JPie]

It is the Wuhan virus to me because that is how all other viruses have been named for their origin. "Chinese" is not specific enough and smacks of an ulterior motive. The Chinese government has their hands very dirty for the spread of this pandemic and that should never be forgotten.

Red, I'm appealing to your compassion, humanity, and decency when I ask please, don't call it the Wuhan virus. I'm not disputing the accuracy or the fact that diseases often have their places of origin in their names. I'm asking because I, and other people of Asian descent outside of China, am scared for the safety of my family, my friends, and myself. We are being attacked. We can't go about our business without getting dirty looks, and some of us are even being brutally assaulted.

Using phrases like "Wuhan virus" or "Chinese virus" helps to stoke racial violence against Asians. It reminds everyone of the origins of the coronavirus in a way that makes it easy to vilify us. Just as people don't need to call diseases English Mad Cow, or African Ebola, don't call it Wuhan virus. I really don't think anyone is going to forget where it came from when you call it coronavirus, and it certainly bears no relevance on stopping this pandemic.

 

[redwood66]

Red, I'm appealing to your compassion, humanity, and decency when I ask please, don't call it the Wuhan virus. I'm not disputing the accuracy or the fact that diseases often have their places of origin in their names. I'm asking because I, and other people of Asian descent outside of China, am scared for the safety of my family, my friends, and myself. We are being attacked. We can't go about our business without getting dirty looks, and some of us are even being brutally assaulted.

Using phrases like "Wuhan virus" or "Chinese virus" helps to stoke racial violence against Asians. It reminds everyone of the origins of the coronavirus in a way that makes it easy to vilify us. Just as people don't need to call diseases English Mad Cow, or African Ebola, don't call it Wuhan virus. I really don't think anyone is going to forget where it came from when you call it coronavirus, and it certainly bears no relevance on stopping this pandemic.

Normally you are on ignore for your nasty comments that you make to me regularly.

I do not condone physical or verbal assaults of any kind to anyone. I have plenty of compassion, humanity and decency but rarely receive that from you. If you'd like to make some changes that would be welcome for sure.

 

[AGBF]

I should have ignored Donald Trump's press conference today, but I didn't. I watched it like a spectator at the scene of a car crash. I just became angrier and angrier as he silenced the reporters who dared to attempt to ask him relevant questions. Anyone who asked why he wasn't using the government's newly acquired powers to manufacture the goods the American Hospital Association said it desperately needed was either shuffled off or silenced with a rude rebuff. Sometimes the person was silenced with a meandering diatribe about something entirely off-topic. I just fumed. Mike Pence did an imitation of Trump, smiling unctuously and talking like a snake oil salesman. He said absolutely nothing, but his lips kept moving. It sounded as if he was saying something, The words were strung together in English. But the words had no substance. All he did was to deflect from whatever topic was under consideration (or should have been).

Trump went on and on about how wonderful it wthat the construction industry had donated masks to the government. He was told that hospitals needed not only masks, but gowns, gloves, respirators and ventilators. But whenever he was asked why we weren't making them he said that it was up to the governors to do that as if God almighty had laid down a proscription keeping the federal government from helping to supply hospitals with anything that might save American lives. He also failed to acknowledge that in the real world masks and tests for coronavirus were not as available as in his imaginary world. Yes, he was asked that.

 

[JPie]

Normally you are on ignore for your nasty comments that you make to me regularly.

I do not condone physical or verbal assaults of any kind to anyone. I have plenty of compassion, humanity and decency but rarely receive that from you. If you'd like to make some changes that would be welcome for sure.

I have never once made nasty comments to you without being prompted by something equally nasty that you've said. If you can't take it, then don't dish it.

Thank you for showing me the kind of xenophobic person you really are. I'll put you on ignore as well.

 

[bludiva]

You’re dodging the point of Obama having lied to Americans ... but what do you want to know?

I didn't read anything about Obama on this thread, not sure what that refers to and that's not what I'm responding to...

I'm replying specifically to the idea of people who like their insurance. No one I know likes their insurance.

I'd love to do a roundtable discussion with a few of these people. Questions I'm curious about:

Who is your insurance provider? What do you like about them? How are they compared to other providers?

Is it the insurance you like or the healthcare provider?

How do you access your provider (is it through work or something else)? How much do you pay for insurance? How much does your employer pay? What are your coverage terms?

How much do you spend on medical expenses in an average year? Have you had any big medical issues, unanticipated issues, ongoing issues? How did your insurance provider handle those? Has your provider ever come through for you at a time when you had fear or doubt about a health issue or related expense? Has your provider ever bungled things? Etc...Lots more questions...

**Not asking these questions of you specifically because some of them are personal, but I'd like to learn more from people that like their insurance providers and understand if leads people to feel opposed to broadening access to healthcare more generally.

I don't think insurance providers add value to our healthcare system, personally, they just make things harder for most of us. But would love to hear more from people with an alternate point of view.

 

[Calliecake]

Normally you are on ignore for your nasty comments that you make to me regularly.

I do not condone physical or verbal assaults of any kind to anyone. I have plenty of compassion, humanity and decency but rarely receive that from you. If you'd like to make some changes that would be welcome for sure.

@Redwood, I am butting in here and I know it probably won’t be appreciated or maybe even noticed as you may have me on ignore. We all have stated our opinions at times in ways we could easily regret a week later. Can you please try to see where @JPie is coming from on this. It would be awful to be the target of racial hatred. Is that really so hard to understand Red? Is it really hard to show compassion for someone who is genuinely scared or hurting?

We don’t agree on politics and I know we have made comments that have rubbed the other the wrong way but don’t you know most of us felt your pain when we found out your son was being deployed. Do you not think there are times I think about you and wonder if you are ok and how you are feeling? I do.

I‘m so sorry for what you are going thru @JPie .

 

[redwood66]

I have never once made nasty comments to you without being prompted by something equally nasty that you've said. If you can't take it, then don't dish it.

Thank you for showing me the kind of xenophobic person you really are. I'll put you on ignore as well.

And there you are just like always. I don't ever make comments to you personally. Welcome back to ignore.

 

[redwood66]

@Redwood, I am butting in here and I know it probably won’t be appreciated or maybe even noticed as you may have me on ignore. We all have stated our opinions at times in ways we could easily regret a week later. Can you please try to see where @JPie is coming from on this. It would be awful to be the target of racial hatred. Is that really so hard to understand Red? Is it really hard to show compassion for someone who is genuinely scared or hurting?

We don’t agree on politics and I know we have made comments that have rubbed the other the wrong way but don’t you know most of us felt your pain when we found out your son was being deployed. Do you not think there are times I think about you and wonder if you are ok and how you are feeling? I do.

I‘m so sorry for what you are going thru @JPie .

Why would you say or assume "you know it won't be appreciated"? Of course I appreciate concerns by others as I hope they do mine. But I will not be lumped into a group of people who are doing heinous acts to others because of their own xenophobic issues. Thanks for your thoughts and they are appreciated.

 

[Calliecake]

Why would you say or assume "you know it won't be appreciated"? Of course I appreciate concerns by others as I hope they do mine. But I will not be lumped into a group of people who are doing heinous acts to others because of their own xenophobic issues. Thanks for your thoughts and they are appreciated.

The only reason I said it may not be appreciated is because I was butting in and not minding my own business. It was a dig at me, not you.

IMO If ever there was time for all us to come together and try to help one another and show compassion it’s now. We are all in this together.

 

[redwood66]

The only reason I said it may not be appreciated is because I was butting in and not minding my own business. It was a dig at me, not you.

IMO If ever there was time for all us to come together and try to help one another and show compassion it’s now. We are all in this together.

That's good to know.

As for coming together I am all for it, but also realize there are people who are oil and water. Ignore is the best option.

 

[Laila619]

Racism is always wrong. I am sad that people are fearful because of hateful actions of others. But saying that this virus originated in China and that the Chinese government was not being totally honest is not racist. The Chinese gov’t should be held accountable for this huge crisis the entire world is going through.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Let's call it "the white virus" since the chinese government said it came from the US.

 

[Bonfire]

The virus has a name, COVID19. Calling it anything else is intentionally antagonistic.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Trump is now only trying to deflect from his complete incompetent handling of this crisis by using inflammatory antics to shift the short-sightedness of his "followers" from him to anyone or anything else. It's worked time and time again. More people will suffer because he told everyone not to worry about the virus. Maybe he will get away with it again.

 

[redwood66]

The virus has a name, COVID19. Calling it anything else is intentionally antagonistic.

I have to respectfully disagree with this as far as attaching this virus where it rightfully belongs. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the Chinese government willfully hid (are they still hiding?) information to the detriment of the entire world, both medically and economically.

 

[sparlie]

So trump wants to call it the China virus because that's where it originated and the government of China initially suppressed information pertaining to it. If trump has such difficulty calling it the coronavirus then let him name it after the head of the government, Xi Jinping, or whomever is responsible for suppressing the information. Calling it the China virus can create racism toward Chinese Americans.

What the government of China did in hiding the truth of what was happening was terrible. By the same token, trump is also responsible for what he did to the American citizens. My son saw this coming at the very beginning of this year and became more concerned as soon as it started spreading. It was agonizing having to listen to trump downplay this and tell us there were only 15 Americans infected with it and it was going to go down to 5 then 2 and then miraculously go away. By this point my family had already stopped going out and had purchased all of our necessary items. Then we had to hear his excuses that no one saw this coming. I am exhausted by his ignorance and ineptness. He chose to disband the NSC pandemic unit, rejected test kits from the World Health Organization and lost valuable time because of his failure to recognize this crisis. He should have ramped up production of ventilators, prepared for testing and implemented necessary lock downs.

Now he states he knew it was a pandemic long before WHO declared it as such! So either he is lying or he is inept and guilty for not taking aggressive action at that time. There's no double standard here. Just as the head of the Chinese government made catastrophic errors so did trump.

 

[AGBF]

This article in "The New York Times" is about what I posted above. The hospitals are crying out for help from the federal government to supply them with what they need to fight this virus. Donald Trump is trying to fob off the responsibility onto the states. It is beyond reason.

‘At War With No Ammo’: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire (Published 2020)

The lack of proper masks, gowns and eye gear is imperiling the ability of medical workers to fight the coronavirus — and putting their own lives at risk.

www.nytimes.com

I should have ignored Donald Trump's press conference today, but I didn't. I watched it like a spectator at the scene of a car crash. I just became angrier and angrier as he silenced the reporters who dared to attempt to ask him relevant questions. Anyone who asked why he wasn't using the government's newly acquired powers to manufacture the goods the American Hospital Association said it desperately needed was either shuffled off or silenced with a rude rebuff. Sometimes the person was silenced with a meandering diatribe about something entirely off-topic. I just fumed. Mike Pence did an imitation of Trump, smiling unctuously and talking like a snake oil salesman. He said absolutely nothing, but his lips kept moving. It sounded as if he was saying something, The words were strung together in English. But the words had no substance. All he did was to deflect from whatever topic was under consideration (or should have been).

Trump went on and on about how wonderful it wthat the construction industry had donated masks to the government. He was told that hospitals needed not only masks, but gowns, gloves, respirators and ventilators. But whenever he was asked why we weren't making them he said that it was up to the governors to do that as if God almighty had laid down a proscription keeping the federal government from helping to supply hospitals with anything that might save American lives. He also failed to acknowledge that in the real world masks and tests for coronavirus were not as available as in his imaginary world. Yes, he was asked that.

 

[JPie]

When Ebola came to the States, why didn't @Dancing Fire & @redwood66 & @Laila619 call it African virus and say that Liberia had to pay for how poorly they handled it? That's because it's as ridiculous as it sounds.

Yeah, calling it Chinese or Wuhan virus is technically correct in respect to origin, but you are not helping your fellow Asian Americans feel any safer or less targeted. Yes, we are Americans too, and we're trying to tell you that those words make us fear for our safety.

If you denounce racism but you can't see the harm you're doing when you parrot Trump's divisive rhetoric, you're not helping. If being technically correct & vindictive is more important to you than being an ally to fellow Americans being unfairly targeted, then you've made your point about what's important to you.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

When people disagree and civility disappears for a short bit, many of us forget about the sharp words in a day or two. What is awful is to carry-on with a silly or even serious disagreement when we all ought to forget he disagreement and start over. I am not mad at anyone on our political threads even though my views are clearly stated and opposing views are also clearly stated.

JPie made an important point. DT's words put her and her family in danger. Redwood has an important point in saying China is responsible for the spread. These are two different thoughts that can live together simultaneously. Both ideas important, but different. I come here not to hear two sides of an issue, but to absorb different points that I may have missed. People see things differently, and I gain from that.

JPie, I'm sorry that I said what I did. I know you are smart and thoughtful, that day I missed it .Redwood, I enjoy reading your views, some I agree with. Red is also smart and I appreciate her on here. But lets not keep the anger. Be mad for a day and then let it go.

Just my thoughts,

Annette

 

[lyra]

I think the scientific names are more informative than the geographic names. But I also feel that this is the Chinese government's fault in delaying and under reporting. The Chinese people had no say in that. Whistleblowers mostly ended up dead. Blame the government(s), but not the people. The people did as they were told as far as I know, and had no choice in the matter.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Trump is now only trying to deflect from his complete incompetent handling of this crisis by using inflammatory antics to shift the short-sightedness of his "followers" from him to anyone or anything else. It's worked time and time again. More people will suffer because he told everyone not to worry about the virus. Maybe he will get away with it again.

More people would have suffered had Trump not closed the gate on Chinese flights coming in from China a month ago, but of course he was labeled as racist by the left wingers back then..

 

[redwood66]

Ebola River; Lyme, CT; Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; the list goes on and on. Perhaps people should stop taking things so personally offensive as if it's directed at them individually. There are jackasses in the world who will take any opportunity to say or do offensive and dangerous things to others. I hate those kinds of disgusting piles of dung. But China and possibly WHO need to be called out for their lack of response to this tragedy of epic proportions. We don't have any idea of the lasting effects of this worldwide. Is that rich Chinese person still missing after calling Xi a clown? I am angry and it has nothing to do with Chinese Americans or the Chinese people.

 

[lyra]

We are still dependent on China for research and exchange of data. We can't cut off communications, make the situation worse, or place blame until such time as we are all well past this crisis. So for all of our sakes, it's in everyone's best interests to just accept that we need to all work together. Governments, and the peoples.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Haha, trust me the Chinese people are plenty harmed by the chinese goverment and aren't happy about how the virus was handled either..

Personally I"m not interested in arguing why it shouldn't be called the "China virus" because if the harm of it isn't completely obvious to you, I doubt anything I say will change your mind. And more importantly I need all my energy for my work and to hold the government here accountable (since I can't do squat about the government in china). Chinese government was responsible for the spread and cover up initially, but once it got to the US, the responsibility was no longer theirs.

As much as it personally affects me, I am not interested in letting Trump distract from the conversation about how the current administration is dealing with things by fomenting xenophobia and relying on his base to defend him in that fight. I'm really mad about it, sure, and so I'm venting on this thread. But trust me, it is LOW on my list of reasons I'm upset about his decisions regarding Covid19, it just feels the most personal. And at the end of the day, so much of my anger about this is not because I"m worried about myself, the people most at danger now are likely to be members of trumps base who listened to him early on about it not being a big deal and still haven't turned their behaviors around and are most at risk of dying or losing a family member. I am well connected, well educated, and well resourced, I'm not scared for me. At the end of the day the people Trump hurts the most through misinformation are the ones who believe him and vote for him.

This administration has much to answer for in harming its own citizens.

 

[redwood66]

Haha, trust me the Chinese people are plenty harmed by the chinese goverment and aren't happy about how the virus was handled either..

Personally I"m not interested in arguing why it shouldn't be called the "China virus" because if the harm of it isn't completely obvious to you, I doubt anything I say will change your mind. And more importantly I need all my energy for my work and to hold the government here accountable (since I can't do squat about the government in china). Chinese government was responsible for the spread and cover up initially, but once it got to the US, the responsibility was no longer theirs.

As much as it personally affects me, I am not interested in letting Trump distract from the conversation about how the current administration is dealing with things by fomenting xenophobia and relying on his base to defend him in that fight. I'm really mad about it, sure, and so I'm venting on this thread. But trust me, it is LOW on my list of reasons I'm upset about his decisions regarding Covid19, it just feels the most personal. And at the end of the day, so much of my anger about this is not because I"m worried about myself, the people most at danger now are likely to be members of trumps base who listened to him early on about it not being a big deal and still haven't turned their behaviors around and are most at risk of dying or losing a family member. I am well connected, well educated, and well resourced, I'm not scared for me. At the end of the day the people Trump hurts the most through misinformation are the ones who believe him and vote for him.

This administration has much to answer for in harming its own citizens.

I thank you for the wonderful work you continue to do and please be safe.