Have half of the US lost their minds?

[Nimos]

I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

Why are people (Republicans) not standing in line to get rid of this absolute idiot of a president and his partners in crimes?

Have these people just thrown common sense out the window, when they listen to these absolute imbeciles? I would be furious and embarrassed on behalf of my country men, if I were a democrat, and I feel with them, I really do.

 

[Wandering Monk]

Trump is their god.

 

[Revoltingest]

I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

Why are people (Republicans) not standing in line to get rid of this absolute idiot of a president....

Our standing in any line won't do it.
The system will send him on his way.

 

[JustGeorge]

Lost their minds?

I never thought 3/4ths of us had minds to lose to begin with...

I may be being slightly pessimistic, of course.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

Why are people (Republicans) not standing in line to get rid of this absolute idiot of a president and his partners in crimes?

Have these people just thrown common sense out the window, when they listen to these absolute imbeciles? I would be furious and embarrassed on behalf of my country men, if I were a democrat, and I feel with them, I really do.

We have our own issues over here (Australia) so I'm not holding us up as a paragon of anything.
However, on this particular topic...

South Australia (next state to where I live) has been largely COVID free for some considerable time, now. A few days ago, there was an outbreak, traced back to returning travelers, and spread through the hotel quarantine system (a recurrent issue here in Australia). Within 24 hours, 17 people had been identified with COVID in Adelaide (the capital city).
The government immediately instituted increased lockdown (closing bars and gyms, mostly - not a full lockdown yet) and asked people who had been to anyone of a variety of places to please get tested, regardless of symptoms.

It was both good and bad to note some people lined up for 11 hours to get tested, voluntarily.

Bad, because of course we should be able to ramp up testing more quickly than that, and there was clearly some systemic failures (and perhaps mistaken thoughts that South Australia was 'COVID-free').
But good because it was a real sign of community. There was a determination by not only the government, but the preponderance of people as well to stamp on this as hard as they could, and accept short term sacrifice for gain.

I'm not suggesting this has too much to do with the current US situation, but ultimately a cohesive and unified approach based on our best science is better than any other option (for all that there has been an unfortunate amount of guesswork, and learning on the fly involved).

Victoria, where I live, has now had zero cases for 18 days straight, and zero deaths for the same period. Christmas is on the horizon, and it's increasingly looking like it might resemble a 'normal' Christmas, but we'll just have to see.

 

[Wandering Monk]

We have our own issues over here (Australia) so I'm not holding us up as a paragon of anything.
However, on this particular topic...

South Australia (next state to where I live) has been largely COVID free for some considerable time, now. A few days ago, there was an outbreak, traced back to returning travelers, and spread through the hotel quarantine system (a recurrent issue here in Australia). Within 24 hours, 17 people had been identified with COVID in Adelaide (the capital city).
The government immediately instituted increased lockdown (closing bars and gyms, mostly - not a full lockdown yet) and asked people who had been to anyone of a variety of places to please get tested, regardless of symptoms.

It was both good and bad to note some people lined up for 11 hours to get tested, voluntarily.

Bad, because of course we should be able to ramp up testing more quickly than that, and there was clearly some systemic failures (and perhaps mistaken thoughts that South Australia was 'COVID-free').
But good because it was a real sign of community. There was a determination by not only the government, but the preponderance of people as well to stamp on this as hard as they could, and accept short term sacrifice for gain.

I'm not suggesting this has too much to do with the current US situation, but ultimately a cohesive and unified approach based on our best science is better than any other option (for all that there has been an unfortunate amount of guesswork, and learning on the fly involved).

Victoria, where I live, has now had zero cases for 18 days straight, and zero deaths for the same period. Christmas is on the horizon, and it's increasingly looking like it might resemble a 'normal' Christmas, but we'll just have to see.

What's with Skynews AU? Seems like a den of conservative vipers there.

 

[Kenny]

I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

Why are people (Republicans) not standing in line to get rid of this absolute idiot of a president and his partners in crimes?

Have these people just thrown common sense out the window, when they listen to these absolute imbeciles? I would be furious and embarrassed on behalf of my country men, if I were a democrat, and I feel with them, I really do.

You mean the people who voted for Biden?

Report: Hunter's Laptop Contained Phone Numbers for the Clintons and Explicit Photos

"Hunter Biden’s reported hard drive could just be the tip of the iceberg with regard to information that could compromise his father.

The younger Biden reportedly engaged in unethical business practices by shopping his willing father’s name to the Chinese and others."


What I always wonder is how people can look at CNN and actually call it news

 

[shunyadragon]

I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

Gallons of Kool Aide

Why are people (Republicans) not standing in line to get rid of this absolute idiot of a president and his partners in crimes?

Have these people just thrown common sense out the window, when they listen to these absolute imbeciles? I would be furious and embarrassed on behalf of my country men, if I were a democrat, and I feel with them, I really do.

Pact with the Devil for a religious agenda Supreme Court Justices.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

The world is made up of pretty much mostly ordinary people. The outliers (the super smart and the abysmally stupid) are just that...outliers.

Ordinary people spend the majority of their intellectual energy on the things that make ordinary life possible...can I feed my kids, can I find somebody to love, can I feel safe, can I keep some of the money I earn, can I get medical help if the worst happens.

Most ordinary people also don't like change very much -- face it, the only humans who really like change are wet babies.

As to Trump, as @Revoltingest repeatedly points out, he's on his way out, and nothing that the increasingly bizarre Giuliani does is going to change that. In fact, I think I'm beginning to fall in with @Revoltingest and think, "be patient...it'll play out the way it's designed to."

 

[lewisnotmiller]

What's with Skynews AU? Seems like a den of conservative vipers there.

You might have heard of Rupert Murdoch? He owns it.
So, there is some decent news services on Sky, actually. But anything even vaguely opinionative or in the 'entertainment' division is going for right-wing shock-jock status.

Mostly, they're known for being 'right at night', rather than overtly right over the entirety of their schedule. And it wasn't always this way.
In case you're interested...

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainmen...ratings-but-at-what-cost-20190527-p51rlx.html

 

[lewisnotmiller]

The world is made up of pretty much mostly ordinary people. The outliers (the super smart and the abysmally stupid) are just that...outliers.

Ordinary people spend the majority of their intellectual energy on the things that make ordinary life possible...can I feed my kids, can I find somebody to love, can I feel safe, can I keep some of the money I earn, can I get medical help if the worst happens.

Most ordinary people also don't like change very much -- face it, the only humans who really like change are wet babies.

Somewhere in Democrats headquarters they need to print this up, and display it in VERY LARGE LETTERS.

As to Trump, as @Revoltingest repeatedly points out, he's on his way out, and nothing that the increasingly bizarre Giuliani does is going to change that. In fact, I think I'm beginning to fall in with @Revoltingest and think, "be patient...it'll play out the way it's designed to."

Whilst I think that's largely true, I also think there are some lessons worth learning here.
Strip the personalities out of this, and it's always worth considering systemic improvements, I think.

 

[MonkeyFire]

****. Donald. Trump. He's such a *********. Half the country hates him then the other half are pathological liars and they they are probably to stupid to trust, and it's kind of just overwhelming democracy and liberty. But, Jesus is going to serve them their karma without violence.

 

[Nimos]

You mean the people who voted for Biden?

Report: Hunter's Laptop Contained Phone Numbers for the Clintons and Explicit Photos

"Hunter Biden’s reported hard drive could just be the tip of the iceberg with regard to information that could compromise his father.

The younger Biden reportedly engaged in unethical business practices by shopping his willing father’s name to the Chinese and others."


What I always wonder is how people can look at CNN and actually call it news

I mean, whether a person voted for Trump or not, I still think such person would see the value in the president having an advisor that knows about pandemics, when you are in the middle of one!!
Instead of assigning one that apparently doesn't know anything about it and still decide to give advice to people, especially when such person is incapable of following the advice from people, which actually knows about it.

But guess these people are still stuck in the election.... Christ almighty

 

[Father Heathen]

You mean the people who voted for Biden?

Report: Hunter's Laptop Contained Phone Numbers for the Clintons and Explicit Photos

"Hunter Biden’s reported hard drive could just be the tip of the iceberg with regard to information that could compromise his father.

The younger Biden reportedly engaged in unethical business practices by shopping his willing father’s name to the Chinese and others."


What I always wonder is how people can look at CNN and actually call it news

And how exactly does this vendicate Trump's misdeeds, failures, and buffoonery?

 

[Trailblazer]

And how exactly does this vendicate Trump's misdeeds, failures, and buffoonery?

It doesn't.

 

[dybmh]

New I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

It goes back to the repeal of The Fairness Doctrine where: "holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the FCC's view—honest, equitable, and balanced. "

FCC fairness doctrine - Wikipedia

This in concert with President Bill Clinton's deregulation of broadcast media in The Telecommunications Act of 1996 resulted in News in America becoming a for profit enterprise instead of being a public service.

Telecommunications Act of 1996 - Wikipedia.

In short, Americans are able to choose information according to their bias and easily avoid news that is emotionally uncomfortable. If an individual does not trust science, they can find multiple "News" outlets to reinforce this distrust. Even during a pandemic.

This would not be possible if The Fairness Doctrine had not been revoked, and if broadcast news companies were limited in size preventing them from being used for propaganda.

 

[Heyo]

You mean the people who voted for Biden?

Report: Hunter's Laptop Contained Phone Numbers for the Clintons and Explicit Photos

"Hunter Biden’s reported hard drive could just be the tip of the iceberg with regard to information that could compromise his father.

The younger Biden reportedly engaged in unethical business practices by shopping his willing father’s name to the Chinese and others."


What I always wonder is how people can look at CNN and actually call it news

And here I thought it was Joe Biden who was on the ticket, not Hunter.

 

[Bear Wild]

I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

Why are people (Republicans) not standing in line to get rid of this absolute idiot of a president and his partners in crimes?

Have these people just thrown common sense out the window, when they listen to these absolute imbeciles? I would be furious and embarrassed on behalf of my country men, if I were a democrat, and I feel with them, I really do.

What it shows is that at least half of the US have little input from our cognitive brains to override their affective emotional brain driven by fear of anything different from them which is also creates the distrust for science as the tools of those trying to suppress them.

More concerning it also reveals how much underlying racism there is in the US that did not come to the surface until there was a leader that would sanction it - Trump.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I get almost shocked everyday by the stupidity of some americans, what on Earth have you been smoking over there?

Why are people (Republicans) not standing in line to get rid of this absolute idiot of a president and his partners in crimes?

Have these people just thrown common sense out the window, when they listen to these absolute imbeciles? I would be furious and embarrassed on behalf of my country men, if I were a democrat, and I feel with them, I really do.

"The whole world is crazy except for ye and me. Although I'm not so sure about ye. Come to think of it, I'm not so sure about me either".

- paraphrasing Dave Allen-

 

[Nimos]

It goes back to the repeal of The Fairness Doctrine where: "holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the FCC's view—honest, equitable, and balanced. "

FCC fairness doctrine - Wikipedia

This in concert with President Bill Clinton's deregulation of broadcast media in The Telecommunications Act of 1996 resulted in News in America becoming a for profit enterprise instead of being a public service.

Telecommunications Act of 1996 - Wikipedia.

In short, Americans are able to choose information according to their bias and easily avoid news that is emotionally uncomfortable. If an individual does not trust science, they can find multiple "News" outlets to reinforce this distrust. Even during a pandemic.

This would not be possible if The Fairness Doctrine had not been revoked, and if broadcast news companies were limited in size preventing them from being used for propaganda.

But isn't there some pride or journalistic code of honor, that truth is what should be reported and that it matter etc.? I know it might not be like by law or anything, but still...