So H1N1 could have "been the big one" yet there were no shutdowns or travel restrictions. They just got lucky that time. Supply stockpiles can only do so much, which is admittedly more than Trump did.

Maybe we can learn lessons from China. They managed to avoid large outbreaks in Beijing and Shanghai, seems like the virus went directly from Wuhan to the rest of the world.

If everyone somehow isolates and we get down to only only 10 new cases a day, and we let everyone out, that only resets the clock to February with the addition of a million or so people already infected and immune. Everything goes back to shit in another couple months. People's behavior changing will help slow the spread, but will not prevent it. There's plenty you can do outside the home a safe distance from other people with minimal risk, certainly less than just going to shop for food. It's ridiculous they are shutting down beaches where it's simple to walk 20' away from anybody else. To limit crowds just close down parking spaces.

Antibody tests should allow recovered people back into regular life, but the only way we get a lot of recovered people is to have a lot of sick people first. Keep the elderly and high risk people confined, and let everyone else out with reasonable precautions(no gatherings over 20, etc). The only other alternative is a 6-12 month lockdown and 100% testing, which is simply never going to happen. You would still have to lock down the borders until the rest of the world has it under control too.

I hate to say this, but Trump is responsible for Flight 752. It would have never happened without his bullshit attack.

Someone with a clue or an active brain cell would have known trigger fingers would be made itchy. That's why civilized governments declare wars. It allows the rest of the world to decide if they actually want to be in the area or not.

All rhetoric aside, Trump is officially a thug.

Okay, the whole last statement is Bullshit.
"Americans are subsidizing the cost of drugs for the rest of the world." "The reason drugs are so expensive in the US, is becuase they are cheaper everywhere else."

BULL
Talk about shifting the blame.
The reason the drugs are so expensive is because the Drug companies are "for Profit" private companies, and they know people will die without their product so they also know there is an urgency for people to have the drugs. So they jack up the price for bigger profits. Stock owners want better return on their investments, so the board and CEO do everything they can/get away with to get as much as they think they can without breaking the bank. AKA, the consumer - of course, there is an acceptable death rate that they factor in, which they feel is safe to shield them from backlash, staying as close to that line as possible.

As always follow the money - see what these companies make in a year.

<iframe src='//players.brightcove.net/2111767321001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6007817856001' allowfullscreen frameborder=0></iframe>
http://players.brightcove.net/2111767321001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6007817856001


"As a result, even with major R&D spending, pharmaceutical companies remain highly profitable. They have the tenth highest average after-tax profit levels of more than 100 different industries. And according to figures from Axios, while drug companies bring in 23% of health care’s U.S. revenue, they make 63% of the total profits."

For newts, even the .1% will go down before the rest of the world.
When I moved here, N California, I would see newts and frogs constantly, even a >1' long giant tiger salamander in my greenhouse. Now, 19 years later, I still see some frogs, but no newts or salamanders....hardly even any banana slugs.

I always figured I could just go full Morlock and live a nice cannibalistic lifestyle underground if I survive civilization's death throws.....but I'm probably old and soft enough that I won't.

Well, look at the brightside.

If you're not part of the 1% you'll perish along with the rest of the world.

If you are part of the 1% you will be living in the hell you've created until you decide to put a ray gun to your head.

What do think all those Twilight Zone shows were about?

I'm pretty sure I was in there a couple of nights back. Not to push the stereotype, but it's an Aussie pub in *celtic Dublin.

Like the rest of the world, we have Irish bars, but i's nice to have a bit of variety.

Nice to see appropriate use of force, though. Give the man a raise.

Yeah, the bad thing about the entire situation is it seems the facts vary wildly depending on who you go with. I guess just like any statistic analysis with such a charged subject, people probably alter the methodology of getting the information to support their viewpoint. I found super low stats and higher ones, so I tried to go with the ones that seemed to have the least reason to alter the stats. Maybe they are wrong, I can't say.

Same for Dr. Ford, I can only go off my personal take on it. She seemed credible until I read the letter from her Ex, but maybe he lied or was a plant by the Republicans. I certainly can't go by her polygraph since I agree with everyone so far that they are pretty much junk science as you said. I'm torn, but like I mentioned, I am still leaning towards her account being false. I might be totally wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.

The worst thing is that no one here really won except Kavanaugh. The Republicans are going to take a hit in years of coming elections, the Democrats are stuck with a conservative majority court, Dr. Ford is going to be praised or vilified depending on individual opinion, and we as a nation look like we are ready to basically go to war with one another over our political split. We look dumber than ever to the rest of the world and I don't see a quick resolution in sight.

I like how they ripped things straight from people's youtube channels.

Also, they do understand that the rest of the world has access to these games right? Kind of shits on any correlation they want to make there, doesn't it?

I don't really have a problem with owning guns and it's certainly not "all or nothing".

My issue with the gun arguments in the states is that they're asking the wrong questions. The problem isn't the guns, it's why you seem to think you need them.

No other developed nation has this issue. The rest of the world all have guns, we're just responsible with them. We're ok with reasonable legislation and we don't have a lunatic fringe screaming about tyranny if we can't own assault rifles.

Most importantly, no civilised country thinks you need a gun for self-defence. A) we have police for that and b) most of us just aren't afraid that someone is coming to kill us... because they aren't.

I don't think there's an easy fix to America's gun problems. Fundamentally I think the issue is cultural rather than regulatory, but honestly, at this stage, you're like a bunch of kids, who need their toys taken off them until they can prove they're mature enough to use them properly.

If someone is an alcoholic, the most important thing isn't taking the booze away, it's getting them to admit there's a problem. But sometimes, you need to take the booze away long enough for them to sober up and admit there's a problem.

Ok, finally got to watch this, and let me say, on behalf of the rest of the world...

America, are you ok?
Look, we kinda get why you're in this abusive relationship, but it's time to admit it's just not working out.
YOU CAN DO BETTER.
You don't deserve this shit. You can leave him and we will be here for you. Even if he's being a total psycho, you can come round and crash on at our place until he moves out. We can get pizza! Hell, go back to the last guy... he was good to you.

fake news!

but it's persistence does speak to general attitude of the rest of the world to America

Sorry you turn fact into perverted truth.
Trump is kicking ASS.

Obama was a pussy, like other POTUS before him.
Why has no POTUS fixed N Korea yet-- This clock has been ticking for some 20+ years. No POTUS has had the balls.

You also must be a CNN fan boy.

The rest of the world is moving to what kind of future? 1 Socialist world order king? Fuck that.

That's an interesting list, Bob.

If you actually read it, it breaks down into three categories:

1. Outright lies.
2. Things Trump had absolutely nothing to do with.
3. Opinion being passed off as fact.

Trump has disgraced the United States to the rest of the world. His foreign policy is best described as an unmitigated disaster. His racism, misogyny and immaturity make him look like a clown compared to real world leaders like Trudeau, Macron and Merkel. The rest of the world is moving towards the future while reactionaries like yourself can only look backward.

Your president is a failure. He reflects the voters who put him there.

@jwray I think genetic factors play a role in how aggressive someone is, I just think that in a society as genetically diverse as the US it will be impossible that that is the difference compared to other countries. My guess is that genes only explain a small part of gun violence, and no more than in other countries.

I think the vast majority of the high gun violence can be explained by culture. The US is a dog eat dog world. The mindset of the country seems to be Ann Randish / Neo Liberal / Right compared to similar countries in the rest of the world. The US seems to prefer personal freedom over common good.

In a country with that state of mind, you tend to get that everyone fights for themselves and there is less willingness to compromise. Everyone becomes defensive. Throw in poverty (another part of the same mindset) and guns and you get an explosive mix.

It is a classic prisoner dilemma. Everyone would be better off if they cooperate, yet because of lack of trust everyone defects.

Japan is one of the many places that shows what you can achieve with more social safety. It costs higher taxes and less personal freedom, you get back less death.