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Posts by fadedranger162

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Should we bring back lockdowns? in Coronavirus ·
Lawrence Reed3 said:Who’s actually stopping you? You just find your group, pick a spot, and make it happen... honestly, they just scared us senseless with all that nonsense about neighbors snitching or police raiding homes during the holidays, but in the end, it turned out to be nothing but intimidation tactics. Now? None of that bothers me even 5%.
Those folks over in Oakwood deserve being dragged through the news—people are rightfully calling them out because they couldn't manage to host a party without getting busted... I guess since they're "professionals" and all, they really should know better.
And look, even the Czechs are reopening cafes as a form of protest.

I really hope we follow their lead if things don't start looking up regarding the reopening by the time those new numbers hit.

It’s pretty wild that their max fine is only about $800, whereas over here, I think it starts at $10,000$0.00 for anyone caught without a mask. Honestly, if everyone just opened up all at once, who could actually stop them? They can't hand out fines to every single person in the country. Plus, if all the local restaurant owners teamed up and pooled their money to cover whoever gets hit with a fine, they could basically call the government's bluff. It's better to just follow the rules as best as possible—like sticking to outdoor seating or doing "coffee to go" so people can just hang out on curbs or low walls nearby.
Quarantine Life in Coronavirus ·
mellownomad7 said:Honestly, I’d sue the government for both the fine and the public embarrassment.

https://www.nytimes.com/news/articles/government-lawsuit-details-15004161

Cheers

Honestly, I was just wondering what happens to this guy now. Is he actually getting his money back, or is our "great leader" Plenković and his little inner circle just going to glide right over this? It seems like they can just ignore every earthly problem while everyone else gets branded a bioterrorist or a mass murderer if they even breathe the wrong way.
mellownomad7 said:Look, jokes aside, they basically shoved everyone into quarantine.
The whole town was locked down. They even put those spikes on the roads like we were some kind of high-security prison.

Cheers,

Yeah, they were officially placed under quarantine, so they should be getting paid—especially the ones who aren't already covered by these stimulus checks.

If they don't pay up, people should just sue; it's their legal right. And if the government tries to screw over a few hundred or thousand people just to save a buck, well, that just confirms what kind of country we live in.

hollowfox3 said:Aside from those stay-at-home orders, honestly, the restrictions here in America have been pretty mild compared to other countries where people aren't even allowed to wander a few hundred feet away from their own front doors, let alone step foot in someone else's building—which, granted, makes sense given the circumstances. In some places, you practically need a hall pass just to hit the grocery store. And don't even get me started on curfews. Around here, we didn't really see quarantine mandates unless you were actually infected or living in a hot zone like Martha's Vineyard or El Paso, plus the usual folks in self-isolation.

Major spots like Lake Tahoe, Central Park, or even walking along the San Francisco Embarcadero... they never closed them down.

I traveled wherever I wanted, really. I even hopped between different cities, counties, and states. I don't mind making a few calls to get things sorted if I need to.

I get why smaller towns might have felt more hit by all this, though. That part makes sense.

That’s a fair point. There are definitely harsher restrictions out there, but those countries were also hit way, way harder by the virus. Plus, even in some of the worst-hit areas, they didn't even implement these kinds of rules. Sure, everything was chaotic at first, but this interstate travel ban doesn't make sense anymore when some states haven't seen a single case in days, or even weeks.

If the PR teams were actually good at their jobs, they would have announced an end date for the measure, while simultaneously warning everyone to limit travel to essentials—or, say, if someone heads to a cabin for the weekend, tell them to pack enough supplies so they don't have to hit the local grocery store and risk mixing with people.

They need to educate people and talk to us like rational adults, instead of just fear-mongering and pointing fingers saying, "It's all your fault" if something goes wrong.
mellownomad7 said:🤔 Once this blows over, there’s going to be hell to pay.

They could really be in hot water if they get hit with lawsuits over forced quarantines. Some constitutional experts—like Judge Andrej Abramović, for instance—are already arguing that these orders were illegal moves that basically suspended democracy. On top of that, legal scholars are claiming that quarantines should only be triggered by the Secretary of Health, not some emergency management task force. They’re even suggesting that since you can't just lock down entire regions, the government actually owes compensation to anyone forcibly confined (?!).

"If that happens, we’re suing both the County and the federal government. We don't want to go that route; we'd rather focus on building things up, but if we're backed into a corner, we're speaking out," said Turčinov, representing the "liberated" folks from Murterin.

See? That's exactly why they call it "self-isolation." It’s just a clever way to dodge using the word "quarantine" so they don't have to trigger any legal requirements to actually pay people out under the law.😉
Honestly, we could be cooking up some new job openings for them given how shaky things look right now. I mean, let’s face it—an economic downturn is basically inevitable, the population keeps climbing, and we’re clearly going to see these kinds of outbreaks more often. It just makes sense to build up a specialized workforce ahead of time, rather than scrambling to find someone who actually knows what they're doing when everything starts hitting the fan. 😁
Jesse Hughes6 said:So I'm scrolling through Index : Quote right now:

The permits are still a thing.

"We’re going to broaden the criteria for why they're issued. They aren't going away, but we'll expand the scope based on how the epidemic trends look. As for retail, the CDC will be putting together some recommendations. We expect to double down on that," he noted.

He basically explained that if someone is traveling from somewhere like Cleveland down to the coast, they’ll get a permit. So, as he put it, they stay in play, they're just becoming easier to get.

"We aren't rushing this. We’ll lift restrictions as much as possible while maintaining maximum caution," he said a bit later.

I must've missed something here, but are the hotels actually open, or is that just what they're hoping to keep doing through the summer? Seriously, what a joke. They’re dreaming about Americans driving through half the country just to hit our beaches, while simultaneously planning to set up checkpoints at every single turn on the way to the coast. 😵 😵 😵
Jerry Robinson56 said:Given that even a Supreme Court Justice like Piplmasttrastas is unwilling to hear my conclusions regarding certain individuals within the Democratic Party...
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, regardless of whether it holds any water. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was quite explicit in his warning to him: stop trying to build a career on the development of your own inability to draw logical conclusions within complex subject matter.

I have spent considerable time reviewing the recent documentation regarding the legal challenges surrounding the emergency measures implemented during the height of the pandemic. It is a dense, rather exhausting read, but necessary if one wishes to understand how the administrative state attempts to bypass traditional oversight. The core of the matter rests on whether the executive branch overstepped its constitutional bounds when issuing specific mandates under the guise of public safety. From my perspective, we are seeing a recurring pattern where the Cabinet attempts to implement sweeping regulations without the explicit authorization typically required from Congress. It is a calculated move, designed to present the public with a fait accompli before any meaningful debate can occur. There is a certain cynicism inherent in the way these legal frameworks are being stretched. One begins to wonder if the protections enshrined in the Constitution of the United States are being treated as mere suggestions rather than absolute boundaries. While the necessity of managing a national crisis is indisputable, the precedent set by these maneuvers is deeply unsettling. We are witnessing a slow, methodical expansion of executive power that, once established, is notoriously difficult to retract. It is much like watching a heavy fog roll into a valley; you don't realize how much the landscape has changed until you find yourself unable to recognize the landmarks you once relied upon. The legal machinery is moving, and frankly, it isn't looking back.

It is either what it is, or it isn't. There is no middle ground, no gray area, and certainly no room for nuance when the facts are laid bare. It is a binary reality. Period.

It is just as corrupt as the individual in question.

It appears we have reached a point where one must wonder: does The Cabinet simply lack the basic competence required to respect the Law? 🤔 It is a fallacy to suggest that Andrej Plenković was responsible for drafting that specific regulation. In reality, he simply took advantage of the strategic lull while Congress was on recess. As for my own efforts, I am doing the absolute best I can under the circumstances; whether that result meets the highest possible standard is an entirely different matter, and frankly, it has very little to do with them.

People ought to be considering their fellow citizens and their fundamental rights, rather than obsessing solely over their own narrow professional interests.

Honestly, I don't really care if someone is from the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, if that's what you're asking. Just because a bunch of people over there—as you've noticed—tend to play it safe and not rock the boat, especially during a crisis like this, doesn't mean they weren't right.

I don't know if you caught my drift, but I never claimed anything was unconstitutional. I said it was in that gray area where it isn't technically illegal, but it's definitely not quite by the book, and people have already called them out on it.

Anyway, regarding your previous post and this part:
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse" is a fundamental legal principle. You can't just claim you didn't know something wasn't prohibited or regulated by law.
Does that rule only apply to the common folk, while the people in power get to pick and choose when to follow it based on whatever suits them?

If everything had been handled correctly, wouldn't they have had to amend and supplement the law at least twice by now? All they did was add COVID-19 to the list of infectious diseases. And then they have the nerve to brag about how nobody can sue them now, acting all smug about it.

Joseph Taylor11 said:My bad... I accidentally deleted "the Constitution of the United States" while I was editing my post.

As for that second question—no, there aren't any outbreaks within the municipality or even in the surrounding areas. As far as I know, there hasn't been a single case reported in the township itself, though I can't say that with absolute certainty since they don't release those specific numbers to the public. That said, things are looking pretty solid across the entire county.
Since the mayor refused to sign that agreement with the other townships—the ones that actually wanted to let people move around without needing special permits—I can't help but wonder which way the wind is blowing.

Considering it's the Constitution, but also given how things are right now, I'm not so sure anymore. And if they leave you stuck in a place like Nashville, you'll be back to "making a scene" just to get someone to listen. 😁
Which law are we talking about here—Article 17 of which specific act? I mean, technically speaking, sure, that might hold water, but legally? We probably need someone who actually knows their way around the books to weigh in on this.

As for that second point, unless there are a couple of hotspots right in that municipality or somewhere super close by, you wouldn't expect to see stuff like this happening. But honestly, we won't know for sure until we see what kind of nonsense the local officials cook up.
Jerry Robinson56 said:At no point was anything illegal... throwing tantrums is the only specialty of this "gentleman," and his ideas are as rotten as he is...
They weren't patching holes; they were providing clarifications on how existing laws apply, intended to make both understanding and enforcement easier.
A curfew could have been implemented without any issues, and then we would have spent the whole time hearing people whine, "Wait, how is this allowed?"
It is enough that Minister Božinović stated—exercise your authority under Article 52 until further notice.
The system looks after itself; unfortunately, society and individuals are merely secondary considerations.

Look, nothing was technically illegal, but it wasn't exactly by the book either. Even one of the Supreme Court justices weighed in on how the headquarters was operating, basically warning them to actually read the fine print regarding who is a member, who can make which decisions, and what powers they actually hold—not just this one rule, but every single one they passed.

It’s not "throwing shade." If we’ve decided to live in a democracy and respect the law, then we should actually follow it. That doesn't take away from what they achieved, but just because things are messy doesn't mean everyone gets to do whatever they want—just like we aren't allowed to right now.

They probably didn't think about it at the time because they were too busy rushing to react, but hey, they wrote their own procedures and laws. If small business owners can get screwed over because of some dead letter in a statute, then shouldn't the people in charge be held to those exact same standards? Or is that not how you see it?

They had the option to use that specific article, but they didn't, so now they have to play by the rest of the rules.
@Joseph Taylor11 It probably varies from person to person—some folks feel one way, some the other, and some are stuck right in the middle. Honestly, the only thing we can really do is slash those costs. Right now, every single tiny municipality has to staff its own department heads, assistants, deputies, and so on, plus their own local utility companies. Sure, you could lay off the same number of laborers, but what are we supposed to do with all those directors, VPs, and high-level bureaucrats?

If we actually scaled this back properly, we’d likely have somewhere between 30,000 to 50,000 people completely out of a job. Most of them have probably never even stepped foot in the private sector, so you can bet they’ll fight tooth and nail using every dirty trick in the book just to coast their way toward retirement.

Edit:
@Jerry Robinson56
That’s exactly what gets under my skin. We saw how China handled things, and we saw how Italy did it—they basically knew what was coming a month ahead of time. But here? We’re always caught flat-footed, like a pasta maker getting blindsided by a blizzard in the middle of January. Then we end up with these half-baked, rushed-out regulations that nobody knows how to actually enforce, otherwise, we wouldn't even be talking about this right now.

I mean, look, the French know exactly how the contagion arrived. But how do you pin it down? Do you tell them the sailors probably picked it up while taking care of business at the docks, or is it more likely that a different crew swapped shifts with them from the coast and brought the virus onboard?

Look, he isn't some lazy slacker; he was just pointing out that what was happening might actually be illegal. Didn't we choose democracy, after all? And if everything was already perfectly regulated by law, why did they suddenly need to scramble and cook up a new rule just to patch the holes? Even here, as far as I know, a state of emergency hasn't even been declared yet, so there’s no reason to be invoking those specific laws. That’s where the whole mess lies.
I can't even begin to process this. It’s just... wow. Honestly, I’m sitting here staring at my screen, wondering if anyone else is seeing this absolute circus, or if it's just me. This is beyond ridiculous.
Jerry Robinson56 said:
Munjen blago As stated by:
Even for those nations with more advanced infrastructure, surveillance cameras didn't do much to curb the spread—and I’m not even talking about monitoring quarantine compliance. I highly doubt things would have been any easier for us here in America. Some countries might have seen a marginal benefit, but compared to us, they are essentially a century ahead when it comes to that kind of technology. But look at the logic: in a sprawling metropolis like Washington, D.C., someone on one side of the city could easily infect someone on the complete opposite side. In that scenario, what is the actual utility of localized tracking? You end up having to shut down the entire city, forcing everyone in the surrounding suburbs and commuter towns to suffer along with it. It seems far more rational to isolate a single neighborhood rather than paralyzing an entire metropolitan area.

We find ourselves returning once again to the realm of philosophy. It has been established for quite some time that algorithms capable of performing miracles can be deployed within a heartbeat—and I am not merely referring to the instantaneous recognition of license plates or facial features. The true utility lies in the ability to track the trail of a potential new contagion, rather than simply throwing up our hands in defeat. One cannot expect people to just drive around recklessly while social distancing mandates are being enforced everywhere.
Even if you're out on the road, you aren't exactly a walking hazard. Washington, D.C. has seen a relatively low number of infections...
I find myself reiterating once again just how vital movement data truly is. A friend was telling me about his situation yesterday; his kids, who are already adults, managed to secure their permits without any trouble whatsoever. He, on the other hand, had to jump through quite a few hoops just to get his. Still, he eventually secured it... the man has some serious assets. 19 miles If you're coming all the way from Washington, D.C., then securing a permit shouldn't be an issue at all.

It appears that recent developments regarding the government's stance on various regional security matters have once again highlighted the predictable incompetence we see at the federal level. One cannot help but observe the sheer lack of foresight displayed by the administration when addressing systemic issues that affect our local communities. It is quite wearying to watch the same bureaucratic patterns repeat themselves, especially when the consequences impact everyday citizens from the Midwest down to the coasts. There seems to be a growing consensus among all mayors that the current policy direction is fundamentally flawed. While the leadership in Washington, D.C. attempts to project an image of stability, the reality on the ground suggests a much more fractured situation. We are witnessing a series of tactical errors that could have been easily avoided had there been even a modicum of strategic planning. Instead, we are left with a series of reactive measures that serve only to mask deeper structural failures within the government. It is a tiresome cycle of mismanagement that continues to define the current political landscape.

And yet, the true origin of this contagion remains entirely unknown.

One really ought to pause and reflect on what was actually said here. Consider the acquisition of immunity in the US and Sweden. There remains a profound question regarding whether such immunity is truly attainable, when exactly it will be achieved, and the potentially significant consequences of obtaining it. We all know how the conquistadors handled the immunization of Latin America.

It is an exceptional scene, and frankly, there would have been far more panic if people were being forcibly turned back toward their homes. You must understand that these quarantine measures are purely preventative... the virus hasn't reached critical mass yet—at least, I should hope not. Its distribution is still highly questionable, and the most vital factor remains the actual viral load in any given area. It is difficult to navigate this situation and the shifting dynamics of these mandates, regardless of which protocols are employed.

It is easy to be a general after the battle is over. That is debatable. In principle, I agree with your sentiment, but 😁 it is better to prevent than to cure... and to implement rigorous restrictive measures. We need to "build" social awareness within the individual.

I wrote this quite some time ago, but not in the sense of forcing everyone home... rather, ensuring there is adequate housing, though that seems somewhat inhumane. Here we return once again to the "every man for himself" mentality... some find these measures easier to stomach than the ones you mentioned... let us be solidary for a few weeks and perhaps everything will turn out fine... presumably.
I still maintain that they are responding well, at least the "task force."

They actually have the opportunity right now to change things... let them write to their superiors, and when the elections come, they should remember who they voted for.

There is no such thing as a "politician"; they are all just amateurs wearing expensive suits. It becomes even more awkward when they migrate from those remote regions into the cities you mentioned... but to cut to the chase, the real issue is the judiciary.

You are clearly aware and conscientious, and it would be wonderful if the majority shared those traits. But I will say, even just one... unfortunately, there are enough people out there breathing down your neck on the escalator as it is these days. The greatest problem is that the potential danger remains invisible.

Look, nobody was out driving around aimlessly before this started either, and people were actually keeping their distance. Things have calmed down a bit now, but we’re still seeing these massive headaches with the checkpoints. In the end, it feels like anyone who wants to slide through can just breeze right past, which honestly makes me doubt if they even implemented this tracking stuff to monitor infection rates. The whole point was supposed to be keeping everyone stuck at home, but clearly, they didn't think through how much of a mess such a pointless rule would cause. It’s like they have zero clue how disorganized our country actually is—from the way residency and local registration work to the total chaos within our local municipalities and cities.

Our first big move to stop this infectious virus? Yeah, it was basically just stopping thousands of people at the borders and airports, only to have them cram together in massive, suffocating crowds. People were stuck shuffling around for hours—some almost an entire day—just to get some official piece of paper telling them they had to go sit in self-isolation. Brilliant strategy, right? 😵 😵 😵

Even that carnival in Seattle had some Italian groups showing up. Look, if this thing were actually as contagious and lethal as they’ve been trying to scare us with, Seattle would already look like Bergamo, and the rest of the country wouldn't be much better with everyone flooding back in from the borders. Seriously, we need to take this seriously, but honestly? People are freaking out way more than they need to.

Look, just do the math on this one. You’ve got a carrier that basically holds two football fields worth of space, packed with maybe 2,000 people all crammed together. We're talking everyone hitting the exact same cafeteria, using the same bathrooms, sleeping in the same shared quarters—it's a total petri dish. If you want a real-world comparison, think about nursing homes back here in the States; you see how fast things spread in those environments? It's brutal. These guys were docked at the port for a few days in mid-March, and by then, the situation had already spiraled out of control across much of Europe. It's pretty obvious someone picked something up and brought it right onto that ship.

Jerry Robinson56 said:
Munjen blago As stated by:
Even for those nations with more advanced infrastructure, surveillance cameras didn't do much to curb the spread—and I’m not even talking about monitoring quarantine compliance. I highly doubt things would have been any easier for us here in America. Some countries might have seen a marginal benefit, but compared to us, they are essentially a century ahead when it comes to that kind of technology. But look at the logic: in a sprawling metropolis like Washington, D.C., someone on one side of the city could easily infect someone on the complete opposite side. In that scenario, what is the actual utility of localized tracking? You end up having to shut down the entire city, forcing everyone in the surrounding suburbs and commuter towns to suffer along with it. It seems far more rational to isolate a single neighborhood rather than paralyzing an entire metropolitan area.

We find ourselves returning once again to the realm of philosophy. It has been established for quite some time that algorithms capable of performing miracles can be deployed within a heartbeat—and I am not merely referring to the instantaneous recognition of license plates or facial features. The true utility lies in the ability to track the trail of a potential new contagion, rather than simply throwing up our hands in defeat. One cannot expect people to just drive around recklessly while social distancing mandates are being enforced everywhere.
Even if you're out on the road, you aren't exactly a walking hazard. Washington, D.C. has seen a relatively low number of infections...
I find myself reiterating once again just how vital movement data truly is. A friend was telling me about his situation yesterday; his kids, who are already adults, managed to secure their permits without any trouble whatsoever. He, on the other hand, had to jump through quite a few hoops just to get his. Still, he eventually secured it... the man has some serious assets. 19 miles If you're coming all the way from Washington, D.C., then securing a permit shouldn't be an issue at all.

It appears that recent developments regarding the government's stance on various regional security matters have once again highlighted the predictable incompetence we see at the federal level. One cannot help but observe the sheer lack of foresight displayed by the administration when addressing systemic issues that affect our local communities. It is quite wearying to watch the same bureaucratic patterns repeat themselves, especially when the consequences impact everyday citizens from the Midwest down to the coasts. There seems to be a growing consensus among all mayors that the current policy direction is fundamentally flawed. While the leadership in Washington, D.C. attempts to project an image of stability, the reality on the ground suggests a much more fractured situation. We are witnessing a series of tactical errors that could have been easily avoided had there been even a modicum of strategic planning. Instead, we are left with a series of reactive measures that serve only to mask deeper structural failures within the government. It is a tiresome cycle of mismanagement that continues to define the current political landscape.

And yet, the true origin of this contagion remains entirely unknown.

One really ought to pause and reflect on what was actually said here. Consider the acquisition of immunity in the US and Sweden. There remains a profound question regarding whether such immunity is truly attainable, when exactly it will be achieved, and the potentially significant consequences of obtaining it. We all know how the conquistadors handled the immunization of Latin America.

It is an exceptional scene, and frankly, there would have been far more panic if people were being forcibly turned back toward their homes. You must understand that these quarantine measures are purely preventative... the virus hasn't reached critical mass yet—at least, I should hope not. Its distribution is still highly questionable, and the most vital factor remains the actual viral load in any given area. It is difficult to navigate this situation and the shifting dynamics of these mandates, regardless of which protocols are employed.

It is easy to be a general after the battle is over. That is debatable. In principle, I agree with your sentiment, but 😁 it is better to prevent than to cure... and to implement rigorous restrictive measures. We need to "build" social awareness within the individual.

I wrote this quite some time ago, but not in the sense of forcing everyone home... rather, ensuring there is adequate housing, though that seems somewhat inhumane. Here we return once again to the "every man for himself" mentality... some find these measures easier to stomach than the ones you mentioned... let us be solidary for a few weeks and perhaps everything will turn out fine... presumably.
I still maintain that they are responding well, at least the "task force."

They actually have the opportunity right now to change things... let them write to their superiors, and when the elections come, they should remember who they voted for.

There is no such thing as a "politician"; they are all just amateurs wearing expensive suits. It becomes even more awkward when they migrate from those remote regions into the cities you mentioned... but to cut to the chase, the real issue is the judiciary.

You are clearly aware and conscientious, and it would be wonderful if the majority shared those traits. But I will say, even just one... unfortunately, there are enough people out there breathing down your neck on the escalator as it is these days. The greatest problem is that the potential danger remains invisible.

I might have exaggerated a little, but that’s the reality of it. Like you said, the whole of Washington, D.C. has a handful of infected people, yet it's way bigger and more crowded than that island, and everyone can move around the city freely without things blowing up. Those folks on the island have basically been stuck in quarantine since they banned entry—nobody goes there except delivery drivers, and they’ve played by the rules just like any Washingtonian who heads out to Central Park for a jog with a few buddies. Actually, they’re even stricter because people are literally filming them.

But seriously, our guys are still pinning their hopes on some pathetic recovery at the end of summer, acting like if we just went full lockdown like the Chinese, we wouldn't have a single case left. We already saw what happens when people start flying in from other infected countries again; are we going to go into total lockdown every single time until they finally cook up some kind of vaccine?

Jerry Robinson56 said:
Munjen blago As stated by:
Even for those nations with more advanced infrastructure, surveillance cameras didn't do much to curb the spread—and I’m not even talking about monitoring quarantine compliance. I highly doubt things would have been any easier for us here in America. Some countries might have seen a marginal benefit, but compared to us, they are essentially a century ahead when it comes to that kind of technology. But look at the logic: in a sprawling metropolis like Washington, D.C., someone on one side of the city could easily infect someone on the complete opposite side. In that scenario, what is the actual utility of localized tracking? You end up having to shut down the entire city, forcing everyone in the surrounding suburbs and commuter towns to suffer along with it. It seems far more rational to isolate a single neighborhood rather than paralyzing an entire metropolitan area.

We find ourselves returning once again to the realm of philosophy. It has been established for quite some time that algorithms capable of performing miracles can be deployed within a heartbeat—and I am not merely referring to the instantaneous recognition of license plates or facial features. The true utility lies in the ability to track the trail of a potential new contagion, rather than simply throwing up our hands in defeat. One cannot expect people to just drive around recklessly while social distancing mandates are being enforced everywhere.
Even if you're out on the road, you aren't exactly a walking hazard. Washington, D.C. has seen a relatively low number of infections...
I find myself reiterating once again just how vital movement data truly is. A friend was telling me about his situation yesterday; his kids, who are already adults, managed to secure their permits without any trouble whatsoever. He, on the other hand, had to jump through quite a few hoops just to get his. Still, he eventually secured it... the man has some serious assets. 19 miles If you're coming all the way from Washington, D.C., then securing a permit shouldn't be an issue at all.

It appears that recent developments regarding the government's stance on various regional security matters have once again highlighted the predictable incompetence we see at the federal level. One cannot help but observe the sheer lack of foresight displayed by the administration when addressing systemic issues that affect our local communities. It is quite wearying to watch the same bureaucratic patterns repeat themselves, especially when the consequences impact everyday citizens from the Midwest down to the coasts. There seems to be a growing consensus among all mayors that the current policy direction is fundamentally flawed. While the leadership in Washington, D.C. attempts to project an image of stability, the reality on the ground suggests a much more fractured situation. We are witnessing a series of tactical errors that could have been easily avoided had there been even a modicum of strategic planning. Instead, we are left with a series of reactive measures that serve only to mask deeper structural failures within the government. It is a tiresome cycle of mismanagement that continues to define the current political landscape.

And yet, the true origin of this contagion remains entirely unknown.

One really ought to pause and reflect on what was actually said here. Consider the acquisition of immunity in the US and Sweden. There remains a profound question regarding whether such immunity is truly attainable, when exactly it will be achieved, and the potentially significant consequences of obtaining it. We all know how the conquistadors handled the immunization of Latin America.

It is an exceptional scene, and frankly, there would have been far more panic if people were being forcibly turned back toward their homes. You must understand that these quarantine measures are purely preventative... the virus hasn't reached critical mass yet—at least, I should hope not. Its distribution is still highly questionable, and the most vital factor remains the actual viral load in any given area. It is difficult to navigate this situation and the shifting dynamics of these mandates, regardless of which protocols are employed.

It is easy to be a general after the battle is over. That is debatable. In principle, I agree with your sentiment, but 😁 it is better to prevent than to cure... and to implement rigorous restrictive measures. We need to "build" social awareness within the individual.

I wrote this quite some time ago, but not in the sense of forcing everyone home... rather, ensuring there is adequate housing, though that seems somewhat inhumane. Here we return once again to the "every man for himself" mentality... some find these measures easier to stomach than the ones you mentioned... let us be solidary for a few weeks and perhaps everything will turn out fine... presumably.
I still maintain that they are responding well, at least the "task force."

They actually have the opportunity right now to change things... let them write to their superiors, and when the elections come, they should remember who they voted for.

There is no such thing as a "politician"; they are all just amateurs wearing expensive suits. It becomes even more awkward when they migrate from those remote regions into the cities you mentioned... but to cut to the chase, the real issue is the judiciary.

You are clearly aware and conscientious, and it would be wonderful if the majority shared those traits. But I will say, even just one... unfortunately, there are enough people out there breathing down your neck on the escalator as it is these days. The greatest problem is that the potential danger remains invisible.

Look, the goal should have been to calm people down so they weren't fleeing the city, not spreading rumors about how an even bigger earthquake is coming right after this one. Where the hell was FEMA, or the police, or anyone else who is supposed to react in these situations and follow established protocols?

Nobody was anywhere—everyone looked lost. Sure, it was unexpected and extreme, but that’s exactly why you need to react even faster than usual in a crisis like this. As far as I know, Washington, D.C. is supposed to have designated assembly areas for disasters like this; why weren't people redirected there instead of just heading out of town? There are specialized teams paid big bucks specifically to handle these kinds of emergencies, so where were they all?

Jerry Robinson56 said:
Munjen blago As stated by:
Even for those nations with more advanced infrastructure, surveillance cameras didn't do much to curb the spread—and I’m not even talking about monitoring quarantine compliance. I highly doubt things would have been any easier for us here in America. Some countries might have seen a marginal benefit, but compared to us, they are essentially a century ahead when it comes to that kind of technology. But look at the logic: in a sprawling metropolis like Washington, D.C., someone on one side of the city could easily infect someone on the complete opposite side. In that scenario, what is the actual utility of localized tracking? You end up having to shut down the entire city, forcing everyone in the surrounding suburbs and commuter towns to suffer along with it. It seems far more rational to isolate a single neighborhood rather than paralyzing an entire metropolitan area.

We find ourselves returning once again to the realm of philosophy. It has been established for quite some time that algorithms capable of performing miracles can be deployed within a heartbeat—and I am not merely referring to the instantaneous recognition of license plates or facial features. The true utility lies in the ability to track the trail of a potential new contagion, rather than simply throwing up our hands in defeat. One cannot expect people to just drive around recklessly while social distancing mandates are being enforced everywhere.
Even if you're out on the road, you aren't exactly a walking hazard. Washington, D.C. has seen a relatively low number of infections...
I find myself reiterating once again just how vital movement data truly is. A friend was telling me about his situation yesterday; his kids, who are already adults, managed to secure their permits without any trouble whatsoever. He, on the other hand, had to jump through quite a few hoops just to get his. Still, he eventually secured it... the man has some serious assets. 19 miles If you're coming all the way from Washington, D.C., then securing a permit shouldn't be an issue at all.

It appears that recent developments regarding the government's stance on various regional security matters have once again highlighted the predictable incompetence we see at the federal level. One cannot help but observe the sheer lack of foresight displayed by the administration when addressing systemic issues that affect our local communities. It is quite wearying to watch the same bureaucratic patterns repeat themselves, especially when the consequences impact everyday citizens from the Midwest down to the coasts. There seems to be a growing consensus among all mayors that the current policy direction is fundamentally flawed. While the leadership in Washington, D.C. attempts to project an image of stability, the reality on the ground suggests a much more fractured situation. We are witnessing a series of tactical errors that could have been easily avoided had there been even a modicum of strategic planning. Instead, we are left with a series of reactive measures that serve only to mask deeper structural failures within the government. It is a tiresome cycle of mismanagement that continues to define the current political landscape.

And yet, the true origin of this contagion remains entirely unknown.

One really ought to pause and reflect on what was actually said here. Consider the acquisition of immunity in the US and Sweden. There remains a profound question regarding whether such immunity is truly attainable, when exactly it will be achieved, and the potentially significant consequences of obtaining it. We all know how the conquistadors handled the immunization of Latin America.

It is an exceptional scene, and frankly, there would have been far more panic if people were being forcibly turned back toward their homes. You must understand that these quarantine measures are purely preventative... the virus hasn't reached critical mass yet—at least, I should hope not. Its distribution is still highly questionable, and the most vital factor remains the actual viral load in any given area. It is difficult to navigate this situation and the shifting dynamics of these mandates, regardless of which protocols are employed.

It is easy to be a general after the battle is over. That is debatable. In principle, I agree with your sentiment, but 😁 it is better to prevent than to cure... and to implement rigorous restrictive measures. We need to "build" social awareness within the individual.

I wrote this quite some time ago, but not in the sense of forcing everyone home... rather, ensuring there is adequate housing, though that seems somewhat inhumane. Here we return once again to the "every man for himself" mentality... some find these measures easier to stomach than the ones you mentioned... let us be solidary for a few weeks and perhaps everything will turn out fine... presumably.
I still maintain that they are responding well, at least the "task force."

They actually have the opportunity right now to change things... let them write to their superiors, and when the elections come, they should remember who they voted for.

There is no such thing as a "politician"; they are all just amateurs wearing expensive suits. It becomes even more awkward when they migrate from those remote regions into the cities you mentioned... but to cut to the chase, the real issue is the judiciary.

You are clearly aware and conscientious, and it would be wonderful if the majority shared those traits. But I will say, even just one... unfortunately, there are enough people out there breathing down your neck on the escalator as it is these days. The greatest problem is that the potential danger remains invisible.

But how on earth would a decision made three days after the earthquake affect the number of casualties from the quake itself, which happened ages ago? Seriously, we're lucky it happened so early in the morning and that, as far as I know, we escaped without any direct fatalities.

Jerry Robinson56 said:
Munjen blago As stated by:
Even for those nations with more advanced infrastructure, surveillance cameras didn't do much to curb the spread—and I’m not even talking about monitoring quarantine compliance. I highly doubt things would have been any easier for us here in America. Some countries might have seen a marginal benefit, but compared to us, they are essentially a century ahead when it comes to that kind of technology. But look at the logic: in a sprawling metropolis like Washington, D.C., someone on one side of the city could easily infect someone on the complete opposite side. In that scenario, what is the actual utility of localized tracking? You end up having to shut down the entire city, forcing everyone in the surrounding suburbs and commuter towns to suffer along with it. It seems far more rational to isolate a single neighborhood rather than paralyzing an entire metropolitan area.

We find ourselves returning once again to the realm of philosophy. It has been established for quite some time that algorithms capable of performing miracles can be deployed within a heartbeat—and I am not merely referring to the instantaneous recognition of license plates or facial features. The true utility lies in the ability to track the trail of a potential new contagion, rather than simply throwing up our hands in defeat. One cannot expect people to just drive around recklessly while social distancing mandates are being enforced everywhere.
Even if you're out on the road, you aren't exactly a walking hazard. Washington, D.C. has seen a relatively low number of infections...
I find myself reiterating once again just how vital movement data truly is. A friend was telling me about his situation yesterday; his kids, who are already adults, managed to secure their permits without any trouble whatsoever. He, on the other hand, had to jump through quite a few hoops just to get his. Still, he eventually secured it... the man has some serious assets. 19 miles If you're coming all the way from Washington, D.C., then securing a permit shouldn't be an issue at all.

It appears that recent developments regarding the government's stance on various regional security matters have once again highlighted the predictable incompetence we see at the federal level. One cannot help but observe the sheer lack of foresight displayed by the administration when addressing systemic issues that affect our local communities. It is quite wearying to watch the same bureaucratic patterns repeat themselves, especially when the consequences impact everyday citizens from the Midwest down to the coasts. There seems to be a growing consensus among all mayors that the current policy direction is fundamentally flawed. While the leadership in Washington, D.C. attempts to project an image of stability, the reality on the ground suggests a much more fractured situation. We are witnessing a series of tactical errors that could have been easily avoided had there been even a modicum of strategic planning. Instead, we are left with a series of reactive measures that serve only to mask deeper structural failures within the government. It is a tiresome cycle of mismanagement that continues to define the current political landscape.

And yet, the true origin of this contagion remains entirely unknown.

One really ought to pause and reflect on what was actually said here. Consider the acquisition of immunity in the US and Sweden. There remains a profound question regarding whether such immunity is truly attainable, when exactly it will be achieved, and the potentially significant consequences of obtaining it. We all know how the conquistadors handled the immunization of Latin America.

It is an exceptional scene, and frankly, there would have been far more panic if people were being forcibly turned back toward their homes. You must understand that these quarantine measures are purely preventative... the virus hasn't reached critical mass yet—at least, I should hope not. Its distribution is still highly questionable, and the most vital factor remains the actual viral load in any given area. It is difficult to navigate this situation and the shifting dynamics of these mandates, regardless of which protocols are employed.

It is easy to be a general after the battle is over. That is debatable. In principle, I agree with your sentiment, but 😁 it is better to prevent than to cure... and to implement rigorous restrictive measures. We need to "build" social awareness within the individual.

I wrote this quite some time ago, but not in the sense of forcing everyone home... rather, ensuring there is adequate housing, though that seems somewhat inhumane. Here we return once again to the "every man for himself" mentality... some find these measures easier to stomach than the ones you mentioned... let us be solidary for a few weeks and perhaps everything will turn out fine... presumably.
I still maintain that they are responding well, at least the "task force."

They actually have the opportunity right now to change things... let them write to their superiors, and when the elections come, they should remember who they voted for.

There is no such thing as a "politician"; they are all just amateurs wearing expensive suits. It becomes even more awkward when they migrate from those remote regions into the cities you mentioned... but to cut to the chase, the real issue is the judiciary.

You are clearly aware and conscientious, and it would be wonderful if the majority shared those traits. But I will say, even just one... unfortunately, there are enough people out there breathing down your neck on the escalator as it is these days. The greatest problem is that the potential danger remains invisible.

But seriously, they could have just put everyone coming back into quarantined hotels, one person per room, to stop any potential spread if someone actually had the virus. But nope. At least then some hospitality workers would actually have jobs, and controlling the situation would be ten times easier than having everyone scattered across the country in their own homes.

There are some good moves being made, but the decision-making and the actual execution of the big ones—like the ones I listed earlier—is questionable, to say the least.

Oh, and by the way, for those people who are all hyped up about filing lawsuits: didn't you catch that Speaker of Congress guy, or whoever he was, explaining how they're just ironing out the final details now? They're basically working to retroactively legalize everything the headquarters has done so far, just so they can smooth everything over legally and make sure nobody can successfully sue them.

The guy actually gave this smug little grin and basically said that people can try to sue after this is done, but they'll get absolutely nowhere. Something along those lines. Honestly, if I hadn't been watching, I might have thrown my TV right out the window...
nimbleharbor10 said:How exactly are you supposed to provide decent services to the public when every cent of the budget has already been drained by local municipal payrolls? It’s a case of chronic cronyism and petty, small-town politics.

Furthermore, these tiny municipalities end up discriminating against residents because they don't apply rules uniformly across the entire territory; instead, various local jurisdictions impose different sets of regulations on people. If it weren't for the PNN, these local political appointees would likely be imposing completely different tax rates on citizens depending on which side of the county line they live on.

And look, we *do* have services, but we also see how mediocre they are. Honestly, at least 50% of those roles could be replaced by one decent computer nowadays. It's not just small towns, either; even bigger cities aren't immune. Remember that news story from a while back about how half the staff in some department was constantly out on sick leave? And yet, the mayor or whoever was bragging that it wasn't an issue because "efficiency remains high" and everything was still getting done. 😵

Plus, in the big cities, it’s way easier to mask someone's job as some vital position. You know, like a "Director of Official Document Authentication" (which is just a fancy way of saying someone who hits things with a rubber stamp), or maybe a "Financial Department Consultant for Catering Logistics and Meeting Coordination." Sounds much better than saying, "Miles picks up the lunch orders and books the steakhouse when needed," right? Then, to top it all off, some shady official comes along and uses some mathematical nonsense to bump up their pay coefficients, and everyone lives happily ever after. 😁

This really should be the moment to completely overhaul the whole system from top to bottom. Since we’re essentially starting from scratch after this mess anyway, we might as well do it right this time. We aren't 25 years old anymore, but then again, who would dare risk losing all those "crisis management" points these guys have racked up right before the elections?

We need to fix this so that during the next pandemic, we aren't dealing with the same kind of absolute nonsense being described here.
Honestly, the best part about all this is that we finally realized we were dealing with maybe a hundred municipalities back in the day, not the massive sea of hundreds we're stuck with now.

Plus, everything can be handled online in a heartbeat these days. Most of those service counters, piles of paperwork, official stamps, and useless little permits? They’re totally obsolete. Most of those roles only exist to justify their own existence, rather than actually providing better service to the public.
Jerry Robinson56 said:🙂 No... that would be absurd. However, given the sheer number of surveillance cameras available, if we are going to philosophize about it... the issue lies in the protocols. Once again, the focus should be on isolating the specific locations of potential infection sources.

I don't have access to every detail, but I certainly wouldn't play soccer in a minefield that I haven't personally cleared myself... speaking purely rhetorically, of course.

The measure was sudden, though they could have instituted a curfew to make it seamless—is that what you want? People "left" out of concern... and I wouldn't call it a mass exodus; I witnessed the first stages with my own eyes. It was truly fortunate that FEMA decided on this measure, because the consequences of the earthquake would have resulted in far more casualties on the streets...

Self-isolation followed by enforcement... the real issue lies with those who simply refuse to comply. Don't you feel that if people were actually being cooperative, these restrictions could be eased significantly?
The police force is insufficient. Brkaš is overworking the Department of Justice staff...

The problem is "your people"... they think they've solved everything just by thinking about it...

As previously stated... "your people" need to ensure rational conduct within one's own place of residence... how could the Headquarters possibly manage to handle every single localized detail? >A certain degree of centralization is necessary to consolidate data... we still know very little about the virus... or its genesis.
A simple memo to the Headquarters and an agreement with the surrounding areas would suffice... Besides, you proposed a similar solution yourself.👍 Think globally, act locally.😉

Even for the most advanced countries, cameras didn't really help stop the spread (I'm not talking about monitoring quarantines, I mean the spread itself)—I doubt it would have been any easier for us. Some places might have benefited, but compared to them, we're basically a hundred years behind on that front. But think about it: in the entire Washington, D.C. area, someone on one side of town could easily infect someone on the complete opposite side. Where does that leave localization? You'd have to shut down the whole city and screw over everyone in the suburbs who relies on it. Instead of just isolating a single neighborhood, like

Jerry Robinson56 said:🙂 No... that would be absurd. However, given the sheer number of surveillance cameras available, if we are going to philosophize about it... the issue lies in the protocols. Once again, the focus should be on isolating the specific locations of potential infection sources.

I don't have access to every detail, but I certainly wouldn't play soccer in a minefield that I haven't personally cleared myself... speaking purely rhetorically, of course.

The measure was sudden, though they could have instituted a curfew to make it seamless—is that what you want? People "left" out of concern... and I wouldn't call it a mass exodus; I witnessed the first stages with my own eyes. It was truly fortunate that FEMA decided on this measure, because the consequences of the earthquake would have resulted in far more casualties on the streets...

Self-isolation followed by enforcement... the real issue lies with those who simply refuse to comply. Don't you feel that if people were actually being cooperative, these restrictions could be eased significantly?
The police force is insufficient. Brkaš is overworking the Department of Justice staff...

The problem is "your people"... they think they've solved everything just by thinking about it...

As previously stated... "your people" need to ensure rational conduct within one's own place of residence... how could the Headquarters possibly manage to handle every single localized detail? >A certain degree of centralization is necessary to consolidate data... we still know very little about the virus... or its genesis.
A simple memo to the Headquarters and an agreement with the surrounding areas would suffice... Besides, you proposed a similar solution yourself.👍 Think globally, act locally.😉

If everyone on Maui got infected right now, it wouldn't even be an issue putting them in quarantine and localizing the outbreak. Besides, if they want to welcome tourists back, it’s better they get hit now and build immunity rather than waiting for it to blow up later.

Jerry Robinson56 said:🙂 No... that would be absurd. However, given the sheer number of surveillance cameras available, if we are going to philosophize about it... the issue lies in the protocols. Once again, the focus should be on isolating the specific locations of potential infection sources.

I don't have access to every detail, but I certainly wouldn't play soccer in a minefield that I haven't personally cleared myself... speaking purely rhetorically, of course.

The measure was sudden, though they could have instituted a curfew to make it seamless—is that what you want? People "left" out of concern... and I wouldn't call it a mass exodus; I witnessed the first stages with my own eyes. It was truly fortunate that FEMA decided on this measure, because the consequences of the earthquake would have resulted in far more casualties on the streets...

Self-isolation followed by enforcement... the real issue lies with those who simply refuse to comply. Don't you feel that if people were actually being cooperative, these restrictions could be eased significantly?
The police force is insufficient. Brkaš is overworking the Department of Justice staff...

The problem is "your people"... they think they've solved everything just by thinking about it...

As previously stated... "your people" need to ensure rational conduct within one's own place of residence... how could the Headquarters possibly manage to handle every single localized detail? >A certain degree of centralization is necessary to consolidate data... we still know very little about the virus... or its genesis.
A simple memo to the Headquarters and an agreement with the surrounding areas would suffice... Besides, you proposed a similar solution yourself.👍 Think globally, act locally.😉

I had to deal with this because of my sister, a college student who stayed in D.C., though she ended up having to head home because of it. The highway out of D.C.—especially around 3 or 4 in the afternoon—was packed like it was the middle of summer. I don't blame anyone who decided to ditch their crumbling or destroyed house to go to a place that’s actually standing, if they have one available. But this rule was brought in way too late, mostly just to try and stop the massive exodus that happened the day after the quake, as if that would prevent the spread. And as we've already seen, the spread didn't even happen.

Before that, there weren't even that many people out on the streets anyway, and nobody was traveling unless they absolutely had to; that was the case in most cities and towns people would have passed through. Most of the time, you wouldn't see a soul walking, and maybe only 1/5th of the usual cars on the road. This measure was introduced two or three days AFTER the earthquake, and not implementing it wouldn't have caused any extra casualties.
The biggest stroke of luck is that it hit at 6 in the morning, which is what prevented the most possible victims.

Jerry Robinson56 said:🙂 No... that would be absurd. However, given the sheer number of surveillance cameras available, if we are going to philosophize about it... the issue lies in the protocols. Once again, the focus should be on isolating the specific locations of potential infection sources.

I don't have access to every detail, but I certainly wouldn't play soccer in a minefield that I haven't personally cleared myself... speaking purely rhetorically, of course.

The measure was sudden, though they could have instituted a curfew to make it seamless—is that what you want? People "left" out of concern... and I wouldn't call it a mass exodus; I witnessed the first stages with my own eyes. It was truly fortunate that FEMA decided on this measure, because the consequences of the earthquake would have resulted in far more casualties on the streets...

Self-isolation followed by enforcement... the real issue lies with those who simply refuse to comply. Don't you feel that if people were actually being cooperative, these restrictions could be eased significantly?
The police force is insufficient. Brkaš is overworking the Department of Justice staff...

The problem is "your people"... they think they've solved everything just by thinking about it...

As previously stated... "your people" need to ensure rational conduct within one's own place of residence... how could the Headquarters possibly manage to handle every single localized detail? >A certain degree of centralization is necessary to consolidate data... we still know very little about the virus... or its genesis.
A simple memo to the Headquarters and an agreement with the surrounding areas would suffice... Besides, you proposed a similar solution yourself.👍 Think globally, act locally.😉

That’s exactly why! Because people aren't sticking to self-isolation, they should have been checking in on them more frequently and strictly. Instead, now they're stuck patrolling every single intersection across hundreds of tiny towns just to monitor maybe a million or two people instead of several thousand. Okay, maybe my math is a bit off, but logically, that's much easier to pull off. But hey, in true American fashion, better to hammer everyone with enforcement rather than just targeting the actual rule-breakers, right? Whatever.

Jerry Robinson56 said:🙂 No... that would be absurd. However, given the sheer number of surveillance cameras available, if we are going to philosophize about it... the issue lies in the protocols. Once again, the focus should be on isolating the specific locations of potential infection sources.

I don't have access to every detail, but I certainly wouldn't play soccer in a minefield that I haven't personally cleared myself... speaking purely rhetorically, of course.

The measure was sudden, though they could have instituted a curfew to make it seamless—is that what you want? People "left" out of concern... and I wouldn't call it a mass exodus; I witnessed the first stages with my own eyes. It was truly fortunate that FEMA decided on this measure, because the consequences of the earthquake would have resulted in far more casualties on the streets...

Self-isolation followed by enforcement... the real issue lies with those who simply refuse to comply. Don't you feel that if people were actually being cooperative, these restrictions could be eased significantly?
The police force is insufficient. Brkaš is overworking the Department of Justice staff...

The problem is "your people"... they think they've solved everything just by thinking about it...

As previously stated... "your people" need to ensure rational conduct within one's own place of residence... how could the Headquarters possibly manage to handle every single localized detail? >A certain degree of centralization is necessary to consolidate data... we still know very little about the virus... or its genesis.
A simple memo to the Headquarters and an agreement with the surrounding areas would suffice... Besides, you proposed a similar solution yourself.👍 Think globally, act locally.😉

"My people" actually did a decent job—they were among the first to react to COVID and these pointless measures just to make life easier. But just because I'm lucky enough to live in a somewhat normal suburb doesn't mean everyone else has it that easy.

But what I was really getting at is our "top brass"—you have to wonder if they've ever even stepped foot outside of D.C. or some massive metropolis, considering the calls they make. I'm not saying there shouldn't be some centralization, but you can't apply the exact same rules to California, the deep South, rural Appalachia, or tiny island towns. You can try to force it, but look where that got us.

My idea is similar, BUT my version doesn't involve travel bans. You wouldn't depend on whether you're buddies with the local sheriff or someone at Headquarters. It's based on the idea that if you choose to travel, you take some personal responsibility to keep your word. I think the French tried something like this—you essentially give yourself a pass to go to the grocery store, for example, but the expectation is that you actually use it for that. To some people, that means nothing, but those are probably the same folks currently finding ways to hack their way into passes anyway.
Jerry Robinson56 said:You're making assumptions about Washington, D.C., yet I traverse this city in all directions multiple times almost every day. And frankly, nearly everyone adheres to the rules...
Let me reiterate: the raw number is irrelevant! For heaven's sake, understand this once: if an infection occurs, you will at least know who was standing near you. It isn't like some stranger from deep within D.C. or someone from Maui. That is the crux of the matter. In your own community, you actually recognize the people around you; elsewhere, you don't.

So, what, you think you personally know all 780,000 of your fellow citizens well enough to pinpoint exactly who infected you? Was it that guy from Brooklyn, the dude downtown, or someone from a neighborhood halfway across a city that's twice the size of Maui?

And look at those people in the procession—they were following all the protocols, just like you claim the walkers are doing. They didn't even have any active cases on the island, and they’ve basically been in quarantine there for three weeks anyway.

This whole restriction is totally unnecessary. We already saw after that massive exodus from Washington, D.C. during the earthquake that we didn't see a spike in infections at all. People who didn't need to travel weren't traveling before, and now they’ve just made life needlessly complicated on top of an already shitty situation.

The truth is, they only pulled this stunt because they were too incompetent to manage the 10,000 people in self-isolation. I mean, if we have three or four times more cops than that, they could have easily organized shifts to handle them. They were even more useless after the earthquake—where was FEMA or the police that morning to direct people to safe zones, calm things down, and stop everyone from fleeing like crazy? They were just as clueless when these permits first rolled out, where anyone could practically grab one if they played nice with the local sheriff.

It’s easy for you to sit there and talk trash about how great this rule is, just like the people who implemented it. They act like everything revolves around Washington, D.C., as if the rest of the country doesn't even exist. If they actually wanted to track movement, they could have just required a temporary check-in with local headquarters whenever you travel, and then slapped you with a fine if you got caught without reporting it.

Because as it stands, it's absolute insanity. You've got Grandma Mary who can't even walk a mile to the grocery store because it's technically in a different municipality, forcing her to trek all the way to the other side of her own county 3.5 miles, maybe even a pricier shop. Meanwhile, let's say Mark is infected but has no clue, and he can stroll into any Walmart in the D.C. area and cough all over the shelves while thousands of people pass by.
Jerry Robinson56 said:http://hr.n1info.com/Vijesti/a499279...jte-VIDEO.html

Last night, the "Procession of the Cross" took place on Maui, where participants from every local area (Small town, USA, Small town, USA, Small town, USA, Small town, USA, Small town, USA, and Small town, USA) sent about 15 people each, and they have full authorization from FEMA.

Is it clear to you now? Perhaps once you actually make it to Washington, D.C., you might realize... the ceremony itself isn't even the point but rather how widespread this tradition is across the islands.
Regardless, they followed the regulations to the letter.
Objectively speaking, there was no reason to stop it, and I quite appreciate the phrasing used... a protected custom registered with UNESCO...

Maui
Size: 115 square miles
Population: 11,500

Washington, D.C.
Size: 247 square miles
Population: ~780,000

What kind of insane island spread are we even talking about here? I mean, look at the math. We’re dealing with an area twice as large as Maui, plus there are almost 80 times more people in the D.C. area for this thing to actually tear through. It's not even a fair comparison.

The issue is that you’ve got a few dozen people gathering from all over Maui—not even anyone infected, if I had to guess—just for one day to hold a procession while following every single rule to the letter. So why is it suddenly a massive crisis when thousands of Washingtonians are out wandering around Lake Tahoe, trekking up Mount Rainier, or just hitting the streets of D.C. every single day? You're talking a lot of double standards here.
Aha, fine, let her be their guinea pig. Let's just hope their version of "discipline" actually ends up working in our favor for once.

But seriously, why on earth do they have these kinds of lockdowns and movement restrictions? Do they honestly think they can just open up shops and businesses like that? I'm not entirely sure how much our rules line up with theirs, if you happen to be more clued in than I am.
Grace Jones86 said:That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking for days. But now I'm getting worried that this won't be easy, normal, or even rational. Instead, we'll have all these epidemiologists and task forces twisting things and playing games—intentionally keeping their boots firmly planted on our necks during this "epidemic" for as long as they feel like, regardless of whether it's necessary. China-style. 😵

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a spike in cases every five or six days just so they can claim, "See? We can't lift the restrictions yet."

Melissa Phillips4 said:I’m wondering what happens six months from now when hospitals are overflowing with people who missed essential diagnostics and medical care during their 3rd and 4th months of this mess.
Honestly, it all leads to the same place: let the chronic patients stay home, let healthy people get on with their lives, and just test hospital staff daily. That’s it.
Hospitals need to be open for patients. It breaks my heart to see a facility like Dubrava sitting completely empty—and anyone who has ever even walked through those doors knows exactly what kind of place that is.
Our healthcare system is already collapsing anyway; waiting lists are endless. If you want to actually find out if you're sick in a timely manner, you're forced to go private.
By the way, in Germany, hospitals are functioning normally for patients, even with 80 million people and 120,000 infections.

I was saying the same thing after seeing a segment on your show. Now, everything has stalled—either because hospitals can't separate infected patients from everyone else, or because people are too terrified to even show up for essential checkups. I heard a doctor mention that cancer mortality rates are over 50%, yet even two weeks ago, the number of people coming in for screenings to catch things early had dropped several times below the usual levels.

For some people, these next two or three months are quite literally a matter of life or death. But I doubt those stats will be splashed across every news site for the next year like this whole COVID situation is. Not to mention, if you aren't literally dying, they barely even want to take you in—though apparently, that didn't help that guy out by the shopping mall either.

Carl Wilson said:Look, I know I’m basically reposting what I wrote a couple of days ago, but seriously, we are flying blind here. There is zero strategy, and if you listen to those press conferences, you can't even tell what the actual goal is supposed to be.

If the whole point is reaching some kind of herd immunity, then this entire approach is a total bust because there is no way we're ever getting there with these numbers. Instead, the move should be keeping cases at the absolute max that the healthcare system can actually handle without collapsing. Right now, it feels like the goal is to drive infection numbers down to zero, which is just impossible no matter what restrictions they slap on us—just look at what happened over in Mexico. So, my question is: what happens in a month or two? The task force really needs to step up and tell us exactly what the game plan is.

I honestly have no clue what the plan even is. I actually stopped following those pressers after those last few restrictions hit me personally. It started getting really grating how they act like they're high-and-mighty elites lecturing shepherds without any basic common sense.

I'm not saying you shouldn't treat everyone that way, but most people would appreciate an approach where they actually explain *why* certain rules are being introduced, how it'll work, how it'll be implemented, etc.

Larry Walker24 said:If you ask me, there’s no way they lift the travel ban between cities before June 1st. If we're lucky, maybe around May 15th

The folks in charge said they’re going to follow Austria's lead and try to match whatever they do.

Did they actually say that out loud? 🤣
Grace Jones86 said:That’s the very first measure they’ll scrap by the end of April, because it’s the one that most brutally insults the basic civil rights of citizens. They know it too. The economy is secondary here; this is about fundamental human dignity and people's actual lives, their property, etc.

Look, from the moment this measure was implemented and the pandemic hit, causing growth to stall, I predicted they’d pull the plug in the last week of April when the general "easing" begins.
Since the number of cases hasn't actually started dropping yet, maybe this gets pushed to the first week of May, but I simply cannot hold out longer than that.
If they drag this out any further, the public is going to start getting seriously agitated, and they don't need that... it would be completely counterproductive for them.

Then again... our leadership structures and our people are trash. They could easily keep this in place for months. Fortunately, we have the examples of Germany and Austria, which will be lifting movement restrictions by early May at the latest, so we'll be forced to follow suit.

Good grief, they haven't given a damn about this for the last 20 years or so, so I have no clue why they’d suddenly start caring now. If things went according to their playbook, this would probably drag on forever since they finally have the power and control they couldn't even dream of before. But hey, if nothing else, elections are coming up soon, so they can't afford to overplay their hand if they want to keep pretending to be the nation's saviors.

I haven't been obsessively stalking the stats the last few days, but I think I saw a day where there were only 39 new cases. If it keeps going like this, we won't need this rule past the end of April—and even then, that feels like a stretch. Sure, those nursing homes messed up the numbers a bit, but those aren't people who got sick from wandering through grocery stores or hanging out outside or being at work.

They could easily lift this ban today. I mean, the people who don't *need* to travel aren't going anywhere, and anyone who actually *has* to go somewhere will get their pass anyway, so the whole thing is totally pointless. It’d be way more effective to take all those cops sitting at checkpoints and send them to actually check on people in quarantine to make sure they’re staying put.
casualskipper30 said:It’s a complete mess. I live on a street that falls under one township's jurisdiction, yet just a hundred yards from my front door, you hit the city limits—a full-blown city with all the shops, nice dining, government offices, a hospital, a pharmacy, the works. And despite the fact that my township is covered by that city's police department, I can't get anything done without a physical permit. To make matters worse, that e-Wallet system they promised isn't even functional yet.
By the way, does the Department of Justice actually issue citations, or do they just send you back on your way?

This is such a textbook example of how things work here. Instead of merging these units to streamline the public sector and cut down on waste, they just splinter everything into tiny little pieces so every local sheriff can have their own little slice of power.

The measure itself is halfway decent, but you can't apply it the same way everywhere. Like, if you're out in some deep woods in rural Montana where there isn't an infected soul within 31 miles miles, it doesn't matter. Even if there were, you wouldn't see a single soul on the road. But in NYC? You have no idea who’s carrying the virus, and you can wander wherever you want right through crowds of hundreds of people passing by every day.

If you don't have the e-Wallet, they just send you back.