Former White House Task Force Aide: CDC Guidance Was Watered Down to Align With President Trump's Message

 

Photo: Click 2 Houston

By now, Americans have realized from Veteran Reporter Bob Woodward's conversations with President Trump, that the President intentionally 'downplayed' the severity of the COVID-19 virus to avoid causing alarm throughout the nation.  Americans are not children (at least not all of us currently).  Therefore, we expect a certain amount of truth from the top leadership.  Why do I carry on providing clips from media in my recent blog posts?

As we approach an election to appoint the next President of the United States, voters should be considering all sides.  Now, does that mean I need to propagate the news coming from Fox News too?  Sure, if that news was credible.  In the coming weeks, I will provide a certain amount of commentary (news videos) with information that I feel is relevant to the decision before us.

You (the reader) might disagree with the decision.  Fair enough.  I will take that chance.  The chance to inform the public that the current leadership does not have your welfare (safety and health) in mind.  As an example, a former White House COVID-19 Task Force aide was interviewed by MSNBC's Rachel Maddow about the cover-ups by the Task Force of the potentially unsafe spread of COVID-19 among the public.  Specifically, in one instance, covering up the safety standards coming out of the meatpacking industry.  A blatant disregard for the health of Americans:

Get educated about the obvious.  Get out to exercise your vote!

Related Blog Posts:

the American People Do Not Like Liars - Politicians Take Note!

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Politics: How Good Is Your Life At The Moment?

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COVID-19 Vaccine by November? Yeah right!

A Statistic that an Ordinary Person just does not Think About

Vladimir Putin Hopes To Be The Last Man Standing!

 

Photo: NBC News

Russia has meddled with U.S. elections in the past.  That much is known.  Further, looking into the future, Russia will continue to meddle with elections of the U.S. and other countries.  Why?  As politicians and news pundits speculate about the ties between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, others look to the obvious signs.  Who are these "others"?

By others, I mean retired Generals such as Former National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster.  General McMaster has a new book that just came out titled "..." in which he discusses the current state of affairs from his perspective.  A perspective worth reading about.  Although, I must admit that I have not yet read the book myself -- just a disclaimer.

In an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough presses the Former National Security Advisor on the questions and answers coming from President Trump regarding President Putin.  Specifically, Joe tries to understand the tie between the two.  Although, the Former National Security Advisor says answers are in the overall signs of the state of affairs coming out of Russia:

Listening to the Former National Security Advisor in the video above, the logic surrounding Russia's mission on bringing down nations around them is quite attractive.  Very simple.  I was surprised to learn about the size of Russia's economy relative to other countries economies.  That helps put the problem into perspective.

At the same time, that does not help to answer the question of President Trump's actions toward Russia.  Or the lack thereof actions toward Russia on the national stage.  That prompts viewers with more questions about President Trump.  While the answer maybe simple from the perspective of Russian President Putin, the answer is not so apparent and seems shady coming from the White House.  Hopefully, in due time, the American people can understand the conundrum playing out in front of them.  Stay tuned!

Wow!

Ralph Nader: Why Do Americans Give Away So Much Control to Corporations?

 

Photo: Ensia

Capitalism is a large part of our society.  Corporations generate jobs and create wealth which in turn fuels an economy.  What happens when corporations do not behave correctly?  Who governs corporations?  Congress?  How have the Houses of Congress in the United States done recently to regulate corporations? Voters control the make-up of Congress which in turn governs corporations.

Ralph Nader asks the question in his recent newsletter: Why do Americans Give So Much Control to Corporations?  The letter is shown below:

The American people own most of the wealth – private and public – and most of the information in the country. The top one percent do not.

The American people have most of the power in the country. The top one percent do not.

These assertions may surprise you, because the top one percent and the giant corporations work overtime to control what you own. This means they do not have to seize what you own so long as their control provides them with both riches and power over you.

Let’s spell this out with specifics. Our Constitution starts with the words, “We the People…”; it doesn’t start with ‘we the corporations’ or ‘we the Congress’ or ‘we the super-rich.’ The sovereign authority under the Constitution is us; we the people are the bosses. But we give our power away to the Big Boys who run the big companies that control most of our elected politicians. The politicians in turn proceed to corrupt our elections with campaign money, gerrymandering, deceitful ads, voter obstructions, and a totally dominant two-party duopoly. This corporate state destroys competitive democracy which would give our votes meaning, choices, and effectiveness.

Shouldn’t we be discussing why, when we own the vast federal public land, one-third of America – and the vast public airwaves, do we give control of these resources to corporations every day of the year to profit from at our expense?  We give the television and radio stations, that block our voices, free control and use of the airwaves, 24/7. We receive very little in royalties from the energy, mining, timber, and grazing companies extracting huge wealth from our federal lands.

We send our tax dollars to Washington, D.C., and the federal government gives trillions of these dollars to companies in the form of subsidies and bailouts.

Trillions of dollars are devoted to government research and development (R&D), which has built or expanded private companies. These include such industries as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, military weapons, computers, internet, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and containerization.

Our taxpayer-funded R&D is essentially given away free to these for-profit businesses. We the People receive no royalties nor profit-sharing returns on these public investments. Worse, we pay gouging prices for drugs and other products developed with our tax dollars.

We have trillions of dollars in savings and retirement money placed in giant mutual and pension funds. The managers of these institutions make big profits by investing your money in the stock and bond markets. If you controlled these trillions of dollars in stocks and bonds that you own, that is if there was real shareholder and bondholder power, you would control the ownership of all the big companies and turn the tables on the Big Bosses. Polls show a big majority of people think Big Business has too much power and control over us. Nonetheless, we regularly give these plutocrats control over what we own.

We own our personal information. Yet, we give it totally free to the likes of Facebook, Google, Instagram, and YouTube, etc. so they can make trillions of dollars selling data on what we buy, what we like, what we think, and what we’re addicted to in the marketplace. The advertisers then pester us 24/7 and even betray our trust. Imagine Alexa eavesdropping in our homes and businesses. High-tech companies should not be privy to our personal information.

Unfortunately, giving companies our personal information, from which they profit immensely and gouge and penalize us profusely, started long ago. The moment we took out credit cards, for example, we began to lose control of our money and our privacy. With the internet, companies are generating new payment-system controls, with their dictatorial fine-print agreements and never-ending additional surcharges, driven by their greedy overreaches.

People spend lots of time just trying to get through to these companies for refunds, adjustments, corrections, and simple answers to their questions.

Why have we handed over the enormous assets we own to this expanding corporate state? Why have we surrendered to statism or corporate socialism? The corporate “Borg” is sucking the ready availability of the good life, decent, secure livelihoods assured by our collective self-reliance, and the freedom to shape our future out of our political economy.

Why are we allowing the United States – this rich land of ours – to have so many impoverished, powerless people, dominated by the few? With ever greater concentration or powers under corrupt Trumpism and its corporate supremacists,  control of our lives is getting worse.

It starts with us being indoctrinated into being powerless (civic skills and practice are not taught in schools). This leads to the people not taking control of Congress (only 535 of them). We are allowing elections and debates to ignore raising these basic democratic issues of who owns what and who should control our commonwealth.

David Bollier and his colleagues are working to have adults and students learn about the commons – owned by all of us – and the few examples of people sharing in our commonwealth. Through the Alaska Permanent Fund, every Alaskan gets about $2000 a year from the royalties’ oil companies pay for taking the people’s oil from that state.

If you’re interested in reading further about the “commons” we own but do not control go to bollier.org and breakingthroughpower.org. It’s in our hands!

Stay Tuned!

Related Blog Posts:

Ralph Nader: Can the Democratic Party Rev the Engines to Topple Tyrant Trump?

Ralph Nader: Speaker Nancy Pelosi Writes To Me!

Ralph Nader: Calls Mounting For Trump to Step Aside From Covid-19 Bungling

Ralph Nader: The Enduring Case for Demanding Trump’s Resignation

Ralph Nader: Trump and Pence – Step Aside for Professional Pandemic Scientists and Managers

Ralph Nader: Congress Must Hold President Trump Accountable!

 

The Latino Population Needs To Be Respected More, Not Less

 

Photo: WLRN

Our country is made up of immigrants.  This very fact is problematic for many to accept.  Although, some will say that they are not against immigration -- if done the correct way.  "The correct way" is very subjective, given the variety of circumstances under which immigrants arrive in the United States of America.  One overarching stance taken by many is the disrespect of the minority (immigrant) populations.   

This is surprising given that immigrants are super crucial to the American people for so many reasons—some reasons which are apparent and other reasons which are not apparent to everyone.  In the video below by the MSNBC Morning Joe Show, interviews are conducted regarding the importance of the Latino/Latina vote.  More importantly, is the respect to the Latino/Latina population which should be about care and not just a vote:

In the video above, Eve Longoria cites statistics about the size of essential workers represented by the Latino/Latina population.  32 million eligible Americans that cannot access the polls to participate in the electorate process.  How is the bridge gapped?  

The confidence gap is a real problem for the community.  On the other hand, voter suppression is not helping each minority community rise up and participate in the election process.  Economic inequality and healthcare are a major problem.  The number one issue at hand is the American economy.  Latino/Latina participate and elevate the American economy.  

Why are they left out?  34% of essential workers are Latino/Latina.  18% of the overall American population.  America needs to be more inclusive of all participants and invest in long term success of the nation.

the American People Do Not Like Liars - Politicians Take Note!

 

Photo: Click On Detroit

Some people are content with politicians lying to them repeatedly over time about important issues.  Promises that are unkept or broken along with sounding like a broken record -- "I promise."  At the same time, more Americans are interested in politicians who keep their word - yes - keep their word.  That is why the current situation with the devastating loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is so important.  

We are living in a period of obvious broken promises with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recanting on his promise of 2016.  During which, President Obama proposed a candidate to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia.  In response, Senator Mitch McConnell said that the decision during an election year would be left to the vote of the people.  Now, the opposite is true.

In the video below, MSNBC's Morning Joe - Joe Scarborough details his personal knowledge of these senators who are flip-flopping in the current political climate:

Wow!  What next?  Goodness, this is terrible. 

President Trump Attempts To Discredit Science and 'Blue States'

 

Photo: NBC News

The number of fingers on the residents of the White House cannot account for the number of times President Trump has lied to the American people.  Over the nearly 4 years in office, President Trump has topped 20,000 lie mark.  Now, a smaller number would be the number of times President Trump directly said that science is incorrect.  Although the number is very high in a closely trailing second.  This is especially concerning as the world is in a pandemic with a virus that relies on two solutions to guide us out.

The first is that a more significant number of people worldwide wear masks to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 among the populations of nations.  That is until scientists can come up with a vaccine and test it properly with clinical trials.  Clinical trials that are confirmed by science and tested rigorously.  Clinical trials reveal a success rate of a vaccine much more significant than 50%.  A success rate of 50% is usually deemed failed by the FDA and is discontinued.

Not by the Trump administration.  Any attempt or success at rolling out a vaccine by November would be much appreciated (and awarded) by anyone from the President of the United States.  In the video below, which is an interview with Dr. Gupta by MSNBC's Morning Joe news anchors, rebuking science by President Trump is the main topic of interest - and amazement:

Wow!  How can a President with no science background just rebuke science?  Further, how can President Trump ignore and outright lie about the efficacy of wearing masks?  Science is independent of politics.  

Again, a video from MSNBC Morning Joe Show shows President Trump directly changing the testimony of Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC during a Senate Hearing that same day.  Contradicting statements about the release of a potential vaccine (now predicted Q2 or Q3 2021) along with wearing a mask:

Fortunately, for the sake of humanity, pharmaceutical companies have banded together and stated that no vaccine will be unveiled to the public until that vaccine is rigorously tested.

Thank goodness.  For if we have left the solution to the politicians running our country currently, the end of humanity as we know it would be closer than it already is.  Wake up people and go vote, please!

Related Blog Posts:

Parameter: Solar Panel Efficiency and Fires Smoke

Bill Nye Educates Fox News Anchor Tucker Carlson on Wearing Masks and Science in Government

Why Don't People Wear Masks In Public?

Politics: How Good Is Your Life At The Moment?

 

Photo: History Today

We are living in an unprecedented moment in time.  Leadership from the top down: White House (incompetent) to the States (competent) is diverging wildly on proceeding forward with the pandemic.  Not to mention the race protests across the nation and the wildfire ravaging the West Coast, and the hurricanes rip apart the East Coast.  The question continually arises (as in daily):

How is your life these days?  How are Americans fairing under the current leadership?

The video below is from MSNBC -- The 11th Hour with Brian Williams -- is a compilation of the current situation in America.   After watching the events in the video, return to the question above:

In the video above, the highlights are the following:

1) President Trump does not believe in science.

2) President Trump believes that 'science does not know' about wildfires and climate change.

3) Widespread evacuations on the East Coast are occurring lately due to hurricanes

4) Widespread evacuations are occurring on the West Coast due to raging wildfires. Deaths are rising.

5) President Trump knew the severity of the COVID-19 virus and chose to 'downplay it.' 

6) No money in support is flowing out of Washington D.C. because of partisan politics

7) COVID19, Wildfires, and Hurricanes do not follow partisan boundaries.

8) What will the holidays look like this year?

9) Come next March, when mortgages and rents are due, how are Americans supposed to pay?

10) What will happen to the rising homeless population (i.e., people displaced due to no support during COVID19, Wildfire, and Hurricane season)?

The bullet points above represent the state of the nation.  Which is under the leadership of President Trump.  Each day, President Trump campaigns with the attitude that someone else is currently running the country.  

Well, wake up, Sir.  

The world that we find ourselves in is due to your inaction!  

Parameter: Solar Panel Efficiency and Fires Smoke

 

Photo: News Times

The upper limits to solar energy generation are constantly being pushed by research scientists around the world.  What is not argued is that solar energy efficiency drops dramatically when the solar panel is blocked from the penetrating sun rays which generate energy.  The energy that eventually offsets our demand on the local infrastructure grid.  

Some solar cells (i.e., panels) are claimed to be 'self-cleaning' while older models just tend to let dust and dirt collect while their efficiency drops in response to the layer grown on the surface.  

If a solar panel surface becomes dirty then no sun rays can pass through to generate energy!

Under normal operating conditions with seasonal variations, dirt and dust might accumulate temporarily only to be washed away by rain or wind throughout the year.  Or, an owner can have the solar panels cleaned periodically to ensure that the panels are achieving the maximum energy efficiency (i.e., energy generation) possible.  That requires preventative maintenance costs - money.

During the unprecedented fire seasons which states like California and Oregon along with Washington are experiencing, the problem could be exacerbated.   The problem of coating the surface of the solar panel is increased with the generation of fire smoke.  Smoke contains small particulate matter of the size 2.5 micron (2.5 x 10^-6 meters or 2.5/1,000,000 meters).  

Particles of this size can get lodged into the lungs of humans and animals to cause breathing problems.  If a person is exposed to particles of this size for extended periods of time, health problems such as developing COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) can occur within the lungs of otherwise healthy humans.

A diagram from the website 'smart filters' shows the range of size of particulate matter on different size scales below:

Photo: Smart Filters

Commercial filters can handle 2.5 micron particulate matter more easily than smaller diameter such as 0.3 micron particulate matter.  At such small filter pore size, air flow restriction becomes a real problem.

A perfect example is with citizens complaining about wearing masks (such as N95) for preventing the spread of COVID-19 at the moment.  Exercise is pretty difficult using such a filter mask since the airflow restriction will scale with the pore size.  Smaller pore size, more filtering, less airflow.

Coating the Surface of Solar Panels

Back to the discussion of solar panels and efficiency.  As discussed, the air contains many sizes of particles on a daily basis.  Some of which can be filtered out and some that cannot very easily.  Although, air passing over a house has no filter.   Add into the mix a fire and the particulate matter increases in concentration.  In order to clear the air (i.e., filter) large filters would be needed.

The take-home message for the post is that there are two main parameters which can drastically impact the efficiency of solar panels:

1) Breakdown of the solar panel material - internal breakdown of solar energy generating material. 

2) Blocking/reducing access to light to generate energy: particulate matter (and dirt/dust) can block out completely or partially sun spectrum which can greatly reduce the efficiency of the solar panels.

The fires have ravaged the West so far.  One take home thought can be to think about preventative maintenance on solar panels into the future.  An additional benefit of thinking about parameters impacting the efficiency of a solar panel might just contribute to a person's long term health.  Think about the particulate matter in the air.

If the particulate matter in the air is dangerous for blocking the efficiency of a solar panel, what will happen to the surface of your lungs?  Wear a mask if you must go outdoors.

Related Blog Posts:

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Why Don't People Wear Masks In Public?

Ralph Nader: Can the Democratic Party Rev the Engines to Topple Tyrant Trump?

 

Photo: The Daily Beast

By now the world has heard the revelations that President Trump knew about the extent (i.e., deadly) of the COVID-19 virus and chose to downplay the threat.  Thank you veteran journalist Bob Woodward for taping all of the conversations with President Trump revealing the tyrant that he is.  Thank you for listening to him rant and reveal the truth which other politicians knew about and chose to stay quiet about.  Thank you Thank you and Thank you.

Prior to these revelations, as in a week, Ralph Nader once again sent out a newsletter questioning the bipartisanship in our nation.  Ralph Nader recently asked the question which is paraphrased by myself: Does the democratic party have enough conviction and motivation to topple this crazy leader? Below are his thoughts on the matter from his weekly newsletter:

Can the Democratic Party Rev the Engines to Topple Tyrant Trump?

Why can’t the Democratic Party landslide the serial corporate criminal and government outlaw Donald Trump? He is a servant of Wall Street and, by his deeds favoring the powerful, a proven “enemy of the people.”

Why has the Democratic Party been losing again and again at the federal and state level to the worst, cruelest, soft on corporate corruption, war-mongering, anti-worker Republican Party in history?

The answers are many. The Democratic Party is indentured to monied interests and is incapable of taking responsibility for its losses and mistakes. Democratic operatives resist organized grassroots pressure and the party excludes/punishes any dissent inside its ranks. The shrinking trade unions that have historically pushed the Democratic Party are increasingly content with crumbs for workers and afraid of union members who have swallowed the Trump lies.

The two-party duopoly and an electoral system that obstructs challengers from smaller parties lets the Democratic Party stagnate. Unfortunately, the fate of the nation and our Constitutional Republic is in its hands. Joe Biden should be thirty points ahead in the polls against the delusional, falsifying, lawless, selected occupant of the White House who spends most of his time tweeting insults, lies, and fictional accusations when he isn’t watching the Fox News adoring bloviators. Instead, Biden’s lead is in single digits and he is having a hard time getting the offensive Trump on the defense. Here are some suggestions for the Democratic Party’s quivering leaders:

Organize a mass demand for Trump/Pence to Step Aside and let experienced pandemic scientists and managers run the federal response to Covid-19, saving tens of thousands of lives and allowing the economy to recover. Trump’s Virus, spreading daily owing to Trump’s bungling, fabricating, quackering, chaos, denials, and grinding government scientists through his ignorant, ego-obsessed shredders, requires such a demand. It will encourage more people and state and local governments to be more assertive and insist on professional management and critical coordination by Washington.

There are many Republicans in Congress who privately dread how the daily Trump Virus Show is diminishing their own electoral poll numbers.

Stop Coddling, Aiding, and Abetting Corporate Crooks who are cheating and endangering the health/safety of red state and blue state Americans alike. Demand Law and Order enforcement and greater funding for the corporate crime police. By massively dismantling government law enforcement, Trump is intensifying the corporate crime wave with subsidies, handouts, bailouts, and huge tax escapes. How’s that for putting Big Business over Main Street? Let them steal, let them pollute, let them park their profits in tax havens abroad are elements of the Trumpian mantra which he brazenly applies to his own business interests.

 

Stop Trump from committing big-time violations of our Constitution and our federal laws in order to deepen his dictatorial regime. Trump illegally uses federal employees and property to promote his political campaign – a federal crime under the Hatch Act. He seizes the “power of the purse” from Congress, spending money for unauthorized domestic and foreign objectives thereby violating the criminal statute known as the Anti-Deficiency Act. He fires prosecutors and Inspectors General closing in on his and his crony’s crimes and egregious misdeeds.

Take on Trump when he declares phony national emergencies to grab more dictatorial powers making him the largest national emergency of them all. Trump makes it easy for the Democrats when he declares “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.”

Nixon was about to be impeached and convicted in 1974, before he resigned, for a tiny fraction of what the Democrats are letting Trump get away with.

Announce it is time to Vote Trump Out and Vote in the long-overdue Pay Raise. Ending the freeze on the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage and raising some 25 million workers’ wages to $15 per hour would answer the question: “Whose Side are You On?”  The House of Representatives has passed a $15 an hour minimum wage bill, though with a long implementation schedule. The Republican Senate, however, blocks passage and it has blocked the $600 a week relief payment to many millions of Americans without jobs due to Trump’s Virus.

Shouldn’t the Democrats make these contrasting, notorious corporate-driven cruelties more vivid, and more front and center? Repetition is what reaches people who are numb to years of empty rhetoric and who want authenticity. Comparing Walmart’s CEO making $12,000 an hour while many of his workers languish well under $15 per hour sharpens what should be the authentic contrast between the Republicans and Democrats.

Make Mitch McConnell, the self-styled “Grim Reaper” toady of big business, who buries scores of good bills passed by the House, the number two Ogre in the campaign. The evil McConnell is the worst suffocator of necessities for the American people, their children, and retirees in American congressional history. The Democrats have listed scores of bills under McConnell’s chokehold – such as protections for poor children, fragile worker and retiree pensions (including those for coal miners in his state of Kentucky), lowering drug prices and expanding health care coverage, controlling climate disasters – to name a few. Yet, once again, they have not made “Moscow Mitch’s” record (including blocking safeguards for election security and voter’s rights) vocal, vivid, and front of center. The Democrats certainly have the campaign money to do so.

The arrogant McConnell is up for re-election against a hyper-cautious conservative Democratic opponent. Democrats should take McConnell’s pompous boast “The one thing I get to do that the other 99 /Senators/ don’t get to do, is decide what we’re going to do.” and flood Kentucky with the truth about this malicious, destructive tyrant of the Senate and his  200 confirmed right-wing and corporate judges. McConnell’s lapdog delivery of the Senate has made possible Trump’s monarchical drive to repeal the American Revolution against Kings and for “a new birth of freedom.”

Last November, 61% of women in a national CNN poll wanted Trump impeached and convicted. Certainly on their minds was Trump’s long history of being a publicly bragging sexual predator and a terrible example for boys and young men. Over twenty brave women have come forward with credible accusations of sexual assaults by lying Donald. Why aren’t the Democrats making this a campaign issue and making Trump pay a political price for such disgusting outrages? Democrats can turn the Republican Party’s campaigns on “values” against Trump and his apologists.

 

The Democratic Party must choose to stand with the people by presenting a solemn covenant that improves all the livelihoods of all Americans and addresses the widespread anxiety, dread, and fear where they live, work, and raise their families. Help make people’s dreams of a secure, fulfilling future a reality. This specific covenant would show that the Democratic Party stands for much more specific changes than not being Trump. Make it vivid and memorable, including empowering the people in distinct ways.

If you like these suggestions, add some of your own, and call or email Democratic National Chairman Tom Perez, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the House Democratic Caucus leader Hakeem Jeffries.

To Contact Chairman Tom Perez

Visit: https://democrats.org/contact-us/

or call (202) 863-8000

To Contact Members of Congress, call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121

The actions above which are collectively horrific represent a lack of leadership (and empathy) toward the American people.  Not to mention, citizens worldwide.  President Trump is a businessman who would like nothing else than to run the country like a business.  Unfortunately, the country is not run like a business.  Institutions such as the Military or Postal service are run at a deficit (in business terms) to carry out a specific mission for the American people.  

With a leader who cannot comprehend a simple fact like that, we are in trouble as a nation.  The time has come to remove him from office.  Go out and vote!

Stay Tuned!

Related Blog Posts:

Ralph Nader: Speaker Nancy Pelosi Writes To Me!

Ralph Nader: Calls Mounting For Trump to Step Aside From Covid-19 Bungling

Ralph Nader: The Enduring Case for Demanding Trump’s Resignation

Ralph Nader: Trump and Pence – Step Aside for Professional Pandemic Scientists and Managers

Ralph Nader: Congress Must Hold President Trump Accountable!

 

Historian Jon Meachum: The Importance of Voting

 

Photo: University of Utah

We are living in historic times.  In ten years, we (as a nation) will look back on this time period and eventually come to the realization that -- the COVID-19 pandemic was real and comparable to the Great Depression and Spanish Flu.  Times have changed and technology has driven us as a society to treat people with medical technology that previously was of science fiction.  Therefore, losing nearly 200,000 deaths to COVID-19 is a kick in the face comparable to earlier times where a similar virus would have eradicated a society as a whole.

With that being said, NBC News correspondent Kasie Hunt of Kasie DC interviewed historian Jon Meacham recently on the importance of voting.  In his latest book titled "His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope," Jon Meacham discusses voting in society - the past and the present.  Below is an excerpt of an interview on voting recently by Kasie Hunt:

Get out and exercise your right to vote!

Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan: 15,000 Schools Across The Nation Trying To Run Without Leadership From The Top

 

Photo: Knight Commission

Education is going through an unintended fast transformation with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Adjusting from an in-class setting to online would take years if not decades under normal circumstances.  With the COVID-19 in play, the timeline has changed dramatically.

Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan was interviewed recently on the current crisis and what that entails for schools across the nation.  

Schools across the nation are in limbo trying to survive with little guidance.  As mentioned in the video above, the lack of leadership coming out of Washington D.C. is unprecedented and creates a further unstable environment in which for instructors to operate within.  Not to mention, the trickle-down effect in stress to families and caretakers across the map.  Everyone is impacted by troubles at K-12 education.  Either indirectly (i.e., family) or indirectly (i.e., business colleagues, etc.).  

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COVID-19 Vaccine by November? Yeah right!

 

Photo: FirstPost

Despite the world's best dreamers, the reality of creating a successful vaccine for the COVID-19 virus is on course to take a while.  Why am I so pessimistic when Russia announced just yesterday a possible vaccine for COVID-19?  Because I am fully aware of the pace of good/solid evidence-based science.  Science is based on evidence with patient clinical trials with a review panel who is independent of political persuasion.  Research takes time to create and check, along with verifying and repeating the process multiple times.

Announcements are easy to conduct with celebrations from the hype in the media over potential vaccinations. Mostly when the nation (and world) is barely hanging on through tough economic times due to quarantine orders.  What is difficult and concerning about Russia is that there is no scientific evidence offered to support their claim?  

And that my friends -- is lousy science.  No data, no success, no news.  Simple as that.  In the article listed above, the announcement did include the testing for six months to be conducted on 40,000 people.  That is not a successful vaccination.

That is where current contenders are as well.  To name the front runner in the race, AstraZeneca is leading the charge.  With many in parallel still producing a vaccine.  AstraZeneca has a 30,000 patient clinical trial running currently.  The crux of any clinical trial rests on the deliberation of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) over the clinical trial.  The DSMB has the authority to do four actions during a clinical trial of a new drug or, in the present case, a vaccine.  

The DSMB can do four actions: 1) Stop a study early due to the effectiveness of the drug, (2) Stop the study due to troubling side effects, (3) Suggest making changes to the study, and finally (4) Do nothing.  These actions are critical during the clinical study.  Additionally, the DSMB represents an independent body to ensure scientific clarity and concise review of results.

Recent reporting by CNN based on results from the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a vaccine is working fine by FDA standards.  The problem is the number of participants to start with.  Although, the results indicate that patients treated with the experimental vaccine produced antibodies (which fight infection) four to six times greater than antibody levels in patients who have recovered from the COVID-19 virus.

The results are exciting and promising.  As the article reviewers note, there needs to be further testing of thousands of people to confirm the results of the small trial detailed in the published paper.  Not all reviewers say that news circulating of a vaccine by November are correct or promising.

According to Dr. Gupta of the University of Washington Medical Center -- interviewed by MSNBC's Morning Joe anchor Joe Scarborough, the level of skepticism surrounding the hype of a vaccine by November is tremendous within the scientific community.  Producing the vaccine is one major obstacle along with another -- that is testing in clinical trials.  Yet, another major hurdle is making and distributing the vaccine in a timely fashion.  The link to the video can be found by clicking here.

What Happens When The Vaccine Is Ineffective?

One major problem discussed in the news is the reality of the short timeline to the vaccine hyped by the report is the possibility of a tested vaccine being ineffective.  What is ineffective by definition by the FDA? According to the reporting in an article published in online news Stats, If a vaccine is less than 30% effective, the FDA concludes that a vaccine is ineffective and serves no real purpose.  

One danger in ineffectiveness is that anti-vaccination campaigners will run wild with the results.  That is just one fallout of producing an ineffective vaccine.  Second is the failed confidence in science.  Humans already hold an unrealistic view of the scientific process.  Now, with the world hanging by a thread of hope for a vaccine, is not the time to take risks of producing an ineffective vaccine.  

Of course, the risk could be realized by outweighing the benefit in a majority of cases. That is not the case here.  The time has come (unfortunately) to take a risk.  The largest danger is that the risk/benefit analysis is not properly being taught to society at large through leadership or news outlets.  And that presents a real danger in moving forward for confidence in scientific results.

All because leaders in the highest office of the land (i.e., the White House) are unable to deal with the reality of the threat posed by the COVID-19 virus.  Instead of getting out ahead of the virus and producing a national effort, President Trump has chosen to take a different path.  A path of blindness to the reality of the danger.  A path that will lead Americans along with the rest of the world into real danger in the near future.

Conclusion...

It is my hope that a vaccine is realized and produced quickly.  Unfortunately, the reality of science is that the process is thorough.  That is not unfortunate to me.  But unfortunate to most people who think that at a push of a button, a vaccine will appear.  Science will prevail with a vaccine.  The question is how long will a truly effective vaccine take to produce and distribute?  Time will tell.  Stay tuned.

A Statistic that an Ordinary Person just does not Think About

 

Photo: WWII Museum

My grandfather (maternal) was a proud U.S. Marine until he was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetary a few years ago.  Each morning he was up early for a shave and cigarette along with a shower and then off to breakfast.  The breakfast routine was not from the military but from his Mother raising him in hotel rooms early on in life.  As she was a wedding/event planner for high-end hotels in Los Angeles.

One of the most interesting stories that my grandfather shared with me traveling back from Iwo Jima was being stuck in the lower ship levels with African American soldiers -- fellow marines.  He was not much of a gambler but was respected for the wounds in a battle that he had received.  Therefore, he survived a rough few weeks as the only white male in a lower deck with minority leadership.

At first sight, he remarked to his white sergeants ... "I will die down there" due to the segregated environments at the time.  My grandfather was a loving (freemason) with a heart the size of planet Earth.  As I mentioned, he thought that the trip was unsurvivable due to segregation.  One afternoon, he got to leave the ship to go to a 'freemason' ceremony.  Don't ask me how he got this permission. 

He asked his fellow deck mates what they would like him to bring them if possible.  He managed to sneak on some liquor and pineapple juice aboard.  For this, he was welcome in an unwelcoming environment due to the racial segregation at the time.  He has never held a racist bone in his body.

Why do I bring this up now?  

Aside from the racial tensions across America, I read a story in The New York Times which blew my mind.  The story is titled "The Few, the Proud, the White: The Marine Corps Balks at Promoting Generals of Color" which is centered around the fact that the U.S. Marine Corp is the only force that has not had a minority in a top leadership position in it's entire existence.  What?

The story is written around the potential promotion of Col. Anthony Henderson who has received more than enough accommodations to become a 'General' in the system.  Surprisingly enough, the U.S. Marines have given one-, two-, and three-star General to minorities.  But exclusively in positions that would be a ceiling for the soldiers.  Meaning that the top of their careers had been met.  No further promotion was possible.

The sneaky nature of promotions in the military often results in resentments among soldiers.  Very often soldiers will point out the disparity between soldiers of different caliber who are promoted that do not necessarily deserve the promotion but receive one due to 'affirmative action' -- the silent and invisible equalizer.  Although, that is often not the case, but hard to accept for either side.   The last two sentences are directly from my time serving in the United States Air Force.  

I watched the promotion pass different people on by.  Rumors circulated and are often left to circulate among soldiers.  The last lawsuit any military service needs is a discrimination lawsuit.  Racial issues are tightly controlled in the military services.  And rightfully so.  Service before self.

Conclusion:

With that being said, the fact that a minority has never attained a top leadership role in the U.S. Marines is surprising and disturbing to say the least.  I am sure that there have been more qualified minority soldiers in the past.  What the exact reason is we might never know?  But I strongly suspect that the issue of race looms large in leadership roles.

Which is surprising to me since General Colin Powell is an example of a stellar leader both in Military and Civilian leadership roles?  I will say something that I thought that I would not ever say: Come on Marines catch up with current times.