politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » For Iowa caucus punters the wait continues

TheScreamingEagles said:

I’ve had relationships that have lasted shorter than the Iowa count.

Philip_Thompson said:

I wonder which will happen first - people here realise there's no such thing as Leavers or Remainers anymore now that Brexit is done . . . or there is a payout on the Iowa caucus?

LostPassword said:

Philip_Thompson said:

I wonder which will happen first - people here realise there's no such thing as Leavers or Remainers anymore now that Brexit is done . . . or there is a payout on the Iowa caucus?

There are still Remainers and Leavers. Whether the two groups combined still make up a large majority of the country is uncertain.

I guess we'll see by the reaction to a trade deal, or lack of one, later this year.

Philip_Thompson said:

I wonder which will happen first - people here realise there's no such thing as Leavers or Remainers anymore now that Brexit is done . . . or there is a payout on the Iowa caucus?

Nigelb said:

(FPT)

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

edmundintokyo said:

brokenwheel said:

And no there have been no openly gay vice presidents.

You didn't specify openly.

No one can ever specify enough to stop a lefty trying to wriggle out of their own contradictions.

So why aren't you celebrating the first openly gay man getting this position?

Presumably because of his miserable character and utter unsuitability for the post ?

Yeah but you could say the same about Hillary...

With considerably less justification, of course you could.

The point is if only gays/women with the "right" opinions count then it's an attitude which is homophobic/sexist itself.

And mine that someone's gender status ought to be irrelevant when their appointment is being justifiably critiqued.

kinabalu said:

Philip_Thompson said:

I wonder which will happen first - people here realise there's no such thing as Leavers or Remainers anymore now that Brexit is done . . . or there is a payout on the Iowa caucus?

But it's a free country so you can still argue that Brexit was a massive mistake - although it's a bit cheeky to do so if you voted Tory on Dec 12th.

Now then, back to the important stuff. PT and schools reform. You and I have blended our opposite politics and a certain alchemy has taken place. We have a consensus that it is worth exploring the idea of ALL schools being private - with equalized fees but within that constraining caveat competing for pupils in a fair and open market. All parents to be equipped with a voucher (to the value of the fees) to invest in a school as they see fit.

I'm excited by this. We now need to get some serious work done. See if we can turn it from inspiring egalitarian yet libertarian vision to practical policy proposal. It's "wonk" time, in other words, detail detail detail, and I'm hoping you have the time and the inclination.

So, you up for it? You OK to wonk with me on this?

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

(FPT)

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

edmundintokyo said:

brokenwheel said:

And no there have been no openly gay vice presidents.

You didn't specify openly.

No one can ever specify enough to stop a lefty trying to wriggle out of their own contradictions.

So why aren't you celebrating the first openly gay man getting this position?

Presumably because of his miserable character and utter unsuitability for the post ?

Yeah but you could say the same about Hillary...

With considerably less justification, of course you could.

The point is if only gays/women with the "right" opinions count then it's an attitude which is homophobic/sexist itself.

And mine that someone's gender status ought to be irrelevant when their appointment is being justifiably critiqued.

But how do you know the criticism of Grenell isn't motivated by homophobia?

kinabalu said:

Philip_Thompson said:

I wonder which will happen first - people here realise there's no such thing as Leavers or Remainers anymore now that Brexit is done . . . or there is a payout on the Iowa caucus?

But it's a free country so you can still argue that Brexit was a massive mistake - although it's a bit cheeky to do so if you voted Tory on Dec 12th.

Now then, back to the important stuff. PT and schools reform. You and I have blended our opposite politics and a certain alchemy has taken place. We have a consensus that it is worth exploring the idea of ALL schools being private - with equalized fees but within that constraining caveat competing for pupils in a fair and open market. All parents to be equipped with a voucher (to the value of the fees) to invest in a school as they see fit.

I'm excited by this. We now need to get some serious work done. See if we can turn it from inspiring egalitarian yet libertarian vision to practical policy proposal. It's "wonk" time, in other words, detail detail detail, and I'm hoping you have the time and the inclination.

So, you up for it? You OK to wonk with me on this?

Nigelb said:

rottenborough said:

JP Morgan warns of end to human life in leaked climate report

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/02/21/jp-morgan-warns-end-human-life-leaked-climate-report/

Did they just take a large bear position ?

TheScreamingEagles said:

How do you all pronounce data?

Is it data or data?

ydoethur said:

Nigelb said:

rottenborough said:

JP Morgan warns of end to human life in leaked climate report

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/02/21/jp-morgan-warns-end-human-life-leaked-climate-report/

Did they just take a large bear position ?

No. They have no skin in this game.

eadric said:

Anyone who isn't now worried about coronavirus, as I was worried a week ago, is either stupid or already dead from coronavirus

TOPPING said:

I think you are holding your own in your conversation with Phil. Well done!

eadric said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Re COVID - 19 I should be worried at my age and with health issues but frankly I am not the least bit concerned, nor is my 80 year old wife, though we both have concerns for the likely economic outcomes across the globe

And we are not stupid or dead !!!

Coronavirus is unlikely to take you even if it scythes across the UK, it only kills about 15% of the over 80 year olds it infects. What should concern you is the intense and unforeseeable ripple effects: the potential economic slump, the cracking of health systems, the societal reaction to mass quarantine.

Who knows where this goes.

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

(FPT)

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

edmundintokyo said:

brokenwheel said:

And no there have been no openly gay vice presidents.

You didn't specify openly.

No one can ever specify enough to stop a lefty trying to wriggle out of their own contradictions.

So why aren't you celebrating the first openly gay man getting this position?

Presumably because of his miserable character and utter unsuitability for the post ?

Yeah but you could say the same about Hillary...

With considerably less justification, of course you could.

The point is if only gays/women with the "right" opinions count then it's an attitude which is homophobic/sexist itself.

And mine that someone's gender status ought to be irrelevant when their appointment is being justifiably critiqued.

But how do you know the criticism of Grenell isn't motivated by homophobia?

Now you're just being silly.
You were reacting to a post which was quite clear why he wasn't qualified.

The Wapo article? It's not even journalism, just partisan nonsense.

They despise Grenell because he harms the Democrat narrative.

Your mind reading skills are awesome.

The reason he's despised - a position shared by most German politicians, who won't even meet with him as ambassador for fear of damaging their electoral odds - is that he's a hardline Trump partisan.
Which would be quite understandable in many administration posts, but is a distinct drawback in adequately filling either of the two roles he now has simultaneously:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/20/senate-republicans-richard-grenell-acting-intelligence-chief-116327

Thankyou, I think so too.

Aren't you really just backing up my point? The real issue here is he's not a "real" gay because he's a Trump-supporter, that's why the vitriol is so high. Nothing else in that article justifies it.

eadric said:

Philip_Thompson said:

eadric said:

Anyone who isn't now worried about coronavirus, as I was worried a week ago, is either stupid or already dead from coronavirus


https://twitter.com/HelenBranswell/status/1230829831732023297?s=20

I'm not worried. More likely to be in a road traffic accident than struck down by coronavirus.

Your complacency is *interesting*

FrancisUrquhart said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

How do you all pronounce data?

Is it data or data?

Or as the Australians say darrrrrrrrr-ta.

eadric said:

That huffpost article on life inside locked down China


https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-covid19-life-china-precautions_n_5e4eaa73c5b6df1e8be3d4d7?psa&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvL082aXluOFZlM3g_YW1wPTE&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFht9A4pEhs4En__z_u1E_OtUayOPkm3HpVqgTH5bJec6NrNWneeeYQO0ZRSkazL0tzC1DAtOVxzjZKtacdWx06ODQ0ZmYpyRBwss16eeVhwIDXl0j3OJLlQaNx1SQbg1bF8v-qL5JY83rhnNg4_EjJSLUuDT9pjpIAtW-xlaZT1


Mods if you want me to stop adding tweets just tell me!

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

(FPT)

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

Nigelb said:

brokenwheel said:

edmundintokyo said:

brokenwheel said:

And no there have been no openly gay vice presidents.

You didn't specify openly.

No one can ever specify enough to stop a lefty trying to wriggle out of their own contradictions.

So why aren't you celebrating the first openly gay man getting this position?

Presumably because of his miserable character and utter unsuitability for the post ?

Yeah but you could say the same about Hillary...

With considerably less justification, of course you could.

The point is if only gays/women with the "right" opinions count then it's an attitude which is homophobic/sexist itself.

And mine that someone's gender status ought to be irrelevant when their appointment is being justifiably critiqued.

But how do you know the criticism of Grenell isn't motivated by homophobia?

Now you're just being silly.
You were reacting to a post which was quite clear why he wasn't qualified.

The Wapo article? It's not even journalism, just partisan nonsense.

They despise Grenell because he harms the Democrat narrative.

Your mind reading skills are awesome.

The reason he's despised - a position shared by most German politicians, who won't even meet with him as ambassador for fear of damaging their electoral odds - is that he's a hardline Trump partisan.
Which would be quite understandable in many administration posts, but is a distinct drawback in adequately filling either of the two roles he now has simultaneously:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/20/senate-republicans-richard-grenell-acting-intelligence-chief-116327

Thankyou, I think so too.

Aren't you really just backing up my point? The real issue here is he's not a "real" gay because he's a Trump-supporter, that's why the vitriol is so high. Nothing else in that article justifies it.

The German reaction to him suggests otherwise.

Ha, this vitriol is all because he pissed off some Germans with a few home truths. Sure.

Nigelb said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

How do you all pronounce data?

Is it data or data?

Or as the Australians say darrrrrrrrr-ta.

I’m a daytah man, people who say dah-tah are monsters.

Quite.

Who would say dartabase ?

rottenborough said:

Have we any information on how long this recount will take?

Nigelb said:

Four coronavirus deaths in Iran would tend to imply well over a hundred existing infections, going back at least a couple of weeks - most of which have not been identified:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-51582186
...The virus has also spread in Iran, which reported two further deaths among 13 new cases, bringing the total number of deaths there to four.
Lebanon also announced its first confirmed case.
In Iran the outbreak is centred on the holy city of Qom, south of the capital Tehran, but health ministry official Minou Mohrez said the virus may already have spread to "all cities in Iran".
The case in Lebanon was a 45-year-old woman who had travelled from Qom, Lebanese Health Minister Hassan Hamad said.
World Health Organization (WHO) officials said both Iran and Lebanon had the basic capacity to detect the virus and the WHO was contacting them to offer further assistance.
"The measures China and others have taken have given us a fighting chance of containing the spread of the virus," WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
"Our window of opportunity is narrowing so we need to act quickly," he added.
What is the latest in South Korea?
The southern cities of Daegu and Cheongdo have been declared "special care zones". The streets of Daegu are now largely abandoned.
All military bases are in lockdown after three soldiers tested positive....

It's impossible to say what the extent of this particular virus will end up being, but it is certainly not now under control.

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Nigelb said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

How do you all pronounce data?

Is it data or data?

Or as the Australians say darrrrrrrrr-ta.

I’m a daytah man, people who say dah-tah are monsters.

Quite.

Who would say dartabase ?

Aussies and Kiwis say dahta (which they store in dahtabases). I can't remember if we used to, but certainly now we follow America with dayta (and daytabases). My French colleague pronounces data to rhyme with batter.

GideonWise said:

Slowly but surely those who are too cool for school about coronavirus will wake up. I just hope the civil service and the government are awake and have a damn good plan in place.

I've bought my own FFP3 masks. I'd suggest if people are worried they do the same, the stock, whatever is left, won't be around for too long.

2020 will make all the crying about Brexit look like decadent madness.

kinabalu said:

Philip_Thompson said:

I agree with a voucher but I disagree with the idea that all schools should have the same fee. I also don't see a difference between paying a premium for school fees, or paying a premium for out of school tuition or anything else. What difference is there?

Hang on. You're immediately wonking away from the core vision. If the schools are going to charge different fees, what we will get is some of them charging top dollar - e.g. ten times the voucher - which only rich people can afford. These schools will then use their consequently much greater resource to become vastly superior to the others, and we get the old vicious circle again, the few floating above the many. Big fee income from rich people creates the best schools that only rich people can afford. This is NOT open and fair competition. It's just ring-fencing the best for the richest. An educational gated community. It's the exact thing that we are wonking to get rid of.

No, same fees is integral. Our wonk is (sadly) over if this is not accepted.

Then your (good) question. The difference between out of school and in school is in the description. We will have a level playing field on schools (and cut throat competition leading to ever higher standards) and in addition to this parents will be able to do whatever they wish to improve the hearts and minds of their children in the (limited) time available outside of the school day and of term time. It's a lovely mix of egalitarian and libertarian.

But plenty more to think about. Geographical aspects, for example.

Ready to move on in a warm and constructive spirit?

eadric said:

In all seriousness, the way our media is reacting to coronavirus is just BIZARRE

We have no idea where this is going, it COULD be a tragic global pandemic like Spanish flu, or it could fizzle out. The signs are not good, but nor are they desperate, yet.

However what we do know is this: one tenth of all humanity is in some kind of quarantine. 150m people, = the population of the UK and Germany, are in actual lockdown.

Several countries are declaring medical emergencies. Including Japan and South Korea, two huge and important economies. Business in China has basically stopped: car sales are down 90%. That's the world's biggest car market. The Olympics may be cancelled.

Air travel has almost ceased in parts of the planet. Tourism is tumbling worldwide. A billion people are wearing masks.

And so on, and so forth.

This is so very clearly THE most important news story of the day. It dwarfs everything else.

On the BBC it is hidden away as a third rank story, underneath "Dot Cotton's 10 most iconic Eastenders moments"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/

The Guardian is no better, squirrelling it away bottom right, with more emphasis on the Weinstein Trial and Bad British Weather.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Truly odd.

eadric said:

isam said:

.

eadric said:

In all seriousness, the way our media is reacting to coronavirus is just BIZARRE

We have no idea where this is going, it COULD be a tragic global pandemic like Spanish flu, or it could fizzle out. The signs are not good, but nor are they desperate, yet.

However what we do know is this: one tenth of all humanity is in some kind of quarantine. 150m people, = the population of the UK and Germany, are in actual lockdown.

Several countries are declaring medical emergencies. Including Japan and South Korea, two huge and important economies. Business in China has basically stopped: car sales are down 90%. That's the world's biggest car market. The Olympics may be cancelled.

Air travel has almost ceased in parts of the planet. Tourism is tumbling worldwide. A billion people are wearing masks.

And so on, and so forth.

This is so very clearly THE most important news story of the day. It dwarfs everything else.

On the BBC it is hidden away as a third rank story, underneath "Dot Cotton's 10 most iconic Eastenders moments"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/

The Guardian is no better, squirrelling it away bottom right, with more emphasis on the Weinstein Trial and Bad British Weather.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Truly odd.

I dont think any of the audience mentioned it on QT last night either

Some things are too big to discuss!

Is it possible British media have been told to underplay this, so as to prevent panic?

Otherwise I find it incomprehensible.

kinabalu said:

TOPPING said:

I think you are holding your own in your conversation with Phil. Well done!

I sense that someone is developing a little crush on me! Like a photo?

eadric said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

eadric said:

Is it possible British media have been told to underplay this, so as to prevent panic?

Otherwise I find it incomprehensible.

Why is it incomprehensible? It's last week's news. The media want novelty in their stories, not the same headline 'More cases found and a few more people die of coronavirus' every day.

For that matter they are right that it's not news. We now all know the virus is spreading, that it can occasionally be fatal, and that so far there are hardly any cases in Europe.

This comment is so peculiar is is pathological.

It reminds me strongly of Rogerdamus' infamous reaction to the first bank run in Britain at the start of the Great Recession - "this will all be forgotten by Monday morning".

That article by Jonathan in Nature (not known for panic) has the measure of this:


"The outbreak of a new coronavirus is wreaking havoc worldwide. In China, the epicentre of the epidemic, the virus has infected tens of thousands of people and killed more than 2,100. Unprecedented measures meant to contain the spread have brought millions of daily lives to a halt, and the effects have touched economies and global supply chains."

eadric said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

eadric said:

Is it possible British media have been told to underplay this, so as to prevent panic?

Otherwise I find it incomprehensible.

Why is it incomprehensible? It's last week's news. The media want novelty in their stories, not the same headline 'More cases found and a few more people die of coronavirus' every day.

For that matter they are right that it's not news. We now all know the virus is spreading, that it can occasionally be fatal, and that so far there are hardly any cases in Europe.

This comment is so peculiar is is pathological.

It reminds me strongly of Rogerdamus' infamous reaction to the first bank run in Britain at the start of the Great Recession - "this will all be forgotten by Monday morning".

That article by Jonathan in Nature (not known for panic) has the measure of this:


"The outbreak of a new coronavirus is wreaking havoc worldwide. In China, the epicentre of the epidemic, the virus has infected tens of thousands of people and killed more than 2,100. Unprecedented measures meant to contain the spread have brought millions of daily lives to a halt, and the effects have touched economies and global supply chains."

eek said:

TOPPING said:

Nigelb said:

eadric said:

isam said:

.

eadric said:

In all seriousness, the way our media is reacting to coronavirus is just BIZARRE

We have no idea where this is going, it COULD be a tragic global pandemic like Spanish flu, or it could fizzle out. The signs are not good, but nor are they desperate, yet.

However what we do know is this: one tenth of all humanity is in some kind of quarantine. 150m people, = the population of the UK and Germany, are in actual lockdown.

Several countries are declaring medical emergencies. Including Japan and South Korea, two huge and important economies. Business in China has basically stopped: car sales are down 90%. That's the world's biggest car market. The Olympics may be cancelled.

Air travel has almost ceased in parts of the planet. Tourism is tumbling worldwide. A billion people are wearing masks.

And so on, and so forth.

This is so very clearly THE most important news story of the day. It dwarfs everything else.

On the BBC it is hidden away as a third rank story, underneath "Dot Cotton's 10 most iconic Eastenders moments"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/

The Guardian is no better, squirrelling it away bottom right, with more emphasis on the Weinstein Trial and Bad British Weather.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Truly odd.

I dont think any of the audience mentioned it on QT last night either

Some things are too big to discuss!

Is it possible British media have been told to underplay this, so as to prevent panic?

Otherwise I find it incomprehensible.

Well the Guardian have been maintaining pretty well continuous live reporting on it, as have the BBC.

If the Mail were to go all eadric, with "WE"RE ALL GOING TO DIE" in 72pt bold, it wouldn't do all that much to help.

I find it very strange. It is either "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE ABANDON HOPE" or "JUST A TEENSY BIT WORSE THAN THE EVERYDAY COMMON COLD".

Frankly, aside from the measured and sensible reporting we are seeing on most of our media, I am amazed that they seem to be playing this crazy waiting game.

Why? At the moment it's a waiting game because even though it looks like it's going to break out worldwide it hasn't yet. And even when it does it will take a while before it hits everyone.

Now whether it hibernates through the summer or everything kicks off in April we don't know but it's still a waiting game and you can't spend weeks reporting on people waiting.

eadric said:

eek said:

TOPPING said:

Nigelb said:

eadric said:

isam said:

.

eadric said:

In all seriousness, the way our media is reacting to coronavirus is just BIZARRE

We have no idea where this is going, it COULD be a tragic global pandemic like Spanish flu, or it could fizzle out. The signs are not good, but nor are they desperate, yet.

However what we do know is this: one tenth of all humanity is in some kind of quarantine. 150m people, = the population of the UK and Germany, are in actual lockdown.

Several countries are declaring medical emergencies. Including Japan and South Korea, two huge and img masks.

And so on, and so forth.

This is so very clearly THE most important news story of the day. It dwarfs everything else.

On the BBC it is hidden away as a third rank story, underneath "Dot Cotton's 10 most iconic Eastenders moments"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/

The Guardian is no better, squirrelling it away bottom right, with more emphasis on the Weinstein Trial and Bad British Weather.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Truly odd.

I dont think any of the audience mentioned it on QT last night either

Some things are too big to discuss!

Is it possible British media have been told to underplay this, so as to prevent panic?

Otherwise I find it incomprehensible.

Well the Guardian have been maintaining pretty well continuous live reporting on it, as have the BBC.

If the Mail were to go all eadric, with "WE"RE ALL GOING TO DIE" in 72pt bold, it wouldn't do all that much to help.

I find it very strange. It is either "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE ABANDON HOPE" or "JUST A TEENSY BIT WORSE THAN THE EVERYDAY COMMON COLD".

Frankly, aside from the measured and sensible reporting we are seeing on most of our media, I am amazed that they seem to be playing this crazy waiting game.

Why? At the moment it's a waiting game because even though it looks like it's going to break out worldwide it hasn't yet. And even when it does it will take a while before it hits everyone.

Now whether it hibernates through the summer or everything kicks off in April we don't know but it's still a waiting game and you can't spend weeks reporting on people waiting.

OK, look at it another way. Think of the videos of people being welded into their homes in China. And all the other terrifying videos from China.

They make brilliant TV (in a terrible, shocking way) yet NONE of this is reaching mainstream media. I cannot be alone in finding this a tiny bit weird?

eadric said:

eek said:

TOPPING said:

Nigelb said:

eadric said:

isam said:

.

eadric said:

In all seriousness, the way our media is reacting to coronavirus is just BIZARRE

We have no idea where this is going, it COULD be a tragic global pandemic like Spanish flu, or it could fizzle out. The signs are not good, but nor are they desperate, yet.

However what we do know is this: one tenth of all humanity is in some kind of quarantine. 150m people, = the population of the UK and Germany, are in actual lockdown.

Several countries are declaring medical emergencies. Including Japan and South Korea, two huge and img masks.

And so on, and so forth.

This is so very clearly THE most important news story of the day. It dwarfs everything else.

On the BBC it is hidden away as a third rank story, underneath "Dot Cotton's 10 most iconic Eastenders moments"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/

The Guardian is no better, squirrelling it away bottom right, with more emphasis on the Weinstein Trial and Bad British Weather.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Truly odd.

I dont think any of the audience mentioned it on QT last night either

Some things are too big to discuss!

Is it possible British media have been told to underplay this, so as to prevent panic?

Otherwise I find it incomprehensible.

Well the Guardian have been maintaining pretty well continuous live reporting on it, as have the BBC.

If the Mail were to go all eadric, with "WE"RE ALL GOING TO DIE" in 72pt bold, it wouldn't do all that much to help.

I find it very strange. It is either "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE ABANDON HOPE" or "JUST A TEENSY BIT WORSE THAN THE EVERYDAY COMMON COLD".

Frankly, aside from the measured and sensible reporting we are seeing on most of our media, I am amazed that they seem to be playing this crazy waiting game.

Why? At the moment it's a waiting game because even though it looks like it's going to break out worldwide it hasn't yet. And even when it does it will take a while before it hits everyone.

Now whether it hibernates through the summer or everything kicks off in April we don't know but it's still a waiting game and you can't spend weeks reporting on people waiting.

OK, look at it another way. Think of the videos of people being welded into their homes in China. And all the other terrifying videos from China.

They make brilliant TV (in a terrible, shocking way) yet NONE of this is reaching mainstream media. I cannot be alone in finding this a tiny bit weird?

eadric said:

GideonWise said:

eadric said:

In all seriousness, the way our media is reacting to coronavirus is just BIZARRE

We have no idea where this is going, it COULD be a tragic global pandemic like Spanish flu, or it could fizzle out. The signs are not good, but nor are they desperate, yet.

However what we do know is this: one tenth of all humanity is in some kind of quarantine. 150m people, = the population of the UK and Germany, are in actual lockdown.

Several countries are declaring medical emergencies. Including Japan and South Korea, two huge and important economies. Business in China has basically stopped: car sales are down 90%. That's the world's biggest car market. The Olympics may be cancelled.

Air travel has almost ceased in parts of the planet. Tourism is tumbling worldwide. A billion people are wearing masks.

And so on, and so forth.

This is so very clearly THE most important news story of the day. It dwarfs everything else.

On the BBC it is hidden away as a third rank story, underneath "Dot Cotton's 10 most iconic Eastenders moments"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/

The Guardian is no better, squirrelling it away bottom right, with more emphasis on the Weinstein Trial and Bad British Weather.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Truly odd.

Odd or calculated?

It's quite likely that people are just not very good at judging risk. This is a betting site so it should be better here than most places. But there is a willful blindness to this issue. It can't be that bad etc..

I remember when 9/11 happened - I coincidentally had my TV on and saw the second plane hit, live. I was bewildered (like many). Then I realised how appalling this was, an obvious attack, and I rushed upstairs to tell my flatmate.

She turned on the TV, looked at the footage (which was being constantly replayed). Then she went silent, and turned the TV off, and went back to her knitting.

It was so momentous she couldn't compute it and didn't want to think about it.

Obviously coronavirus is nowhere near as serious as 9/11, and hopefully never will be, but I wonder if there is a human reaction to mighty tragedy, to simply avert one's face and pretend it isn't there.

eadric said:

GideonWise said:

eadric said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

eadric said:

Is it possible British media have been told to underplay this, so as to prevent panic?

Otherwise I find it incomprehensible.

Why is it incomprehensible? It's last week's news. The media want novelty in their stories, not the same headline 'More cases found and a few more people die of coronavirus' every day.

For that matter they are right that it's not news. We now all know the virus is spreading, that it can occasionally be fatal, and that so far there are hardly any cases in Europe.

This comment is so peculiar is is pathological.

It reminds me strongly of Rogerdamus' infamous reaction to the first bank run in Britain at the start of the Great Recession - "this will all be forgotten by Monday morning".

That article by Jonathan in Nature (not known for panic) has the measure of this:


"The outbreak of a new coronavirus is wreaking havoc worldwide. In China, the epicentre of the epidemic, the virus has infected tens of thousands of people and killed more than 2,100. Unprecedented measures meant to contain the spread have brought millions of daily lives to a halt, and the effects have touched economies and global supply chains."

To a certain degree you are a bit the boy who cried wolf on this. But those mocking you need to remember the story.

I am with you 100% on this and putting my own affairs in order as a consequence of my own research.

Well to be fair I have never hidden the fact that I am excitable idiot that gets high on risk, so I am obviously gonna be the sort that sees wolves everywhere, because dogs are boring.

But I REALLY see a wolf here. Loping. Towards us,

eadric said:

Casino_Royale said:

eadric said:

Nigelb said:

eadric said:

Philip_Thompson said:

eadric said:

Anyone who isn't now worried about coronavirus, as I was worried a week ago, is either stupid or already dead from coronavirus


https://twitter.com/HelenBranswell/status/1230829831732023297?s=20

I'm not worried. More likely to be in a road traffic accident than struck down by coronavirus.

Your complacency is *interesting*

While sober analysis of the outbreak suggests serious concern is warranted, if everyone were to react like you, the economy would already have crashed, and doctors wouldn't be turning up for work...

Yeah, but when the real emergency strikes, it will be bipolar drunken fear-mongerers like me who get out alive, because we panicked FIRST. Meanwhile all the boring sane sober people like you will be dead.

So there's that.

But, you didn’t just panic first. You come on here several times a day to publicly shit your pants - repeatedly.

You’re the guy who’d be put out of his misery or sent to the rear in a straight-jacket, if you’d been in the trenches: no-one wants to hear, “OH MY GOD, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!” several times a day.

It does no-one any good.

Well you are free to ignore my prognostications.

Though anyone who wants to protect their money or assets might perhaps be less complacent.

And also GLOBAL DEATH is just more interesting than the wage structure of care homes, or the government's plans for wood burning stoves, to anyone "normal". A category which clearly excludes you and others on PB.

eadric said:

Casino_Royale said:

eadric said:

Nigelb said:

eadric said:

Philip_Thompson said:

eadric said:

Anyone who isn't now worried about coronavirus, as I was worried a week ago, is either stupid or already dead from coronavirus


https://twitter.com/HelenBranswell/status/1230829831732023297?s=20

I'm not worried. More likely to be in a road traffic accident than struck down by coronavirus.

Your complacency is *interesting*

While sober analysis of the outbreak suggests serious concern is warranted, if everyone were to react like you, the economy would already have crashed, and doctors wouldn't be turning up for work...

Yeah, but when the real emergency strikes, it will be bipolar drunken fear-mongerers like me who get out alive, because we panicked FIRST. Meanwhile all the boring sane sober people like you will be dead.

So there's that.

But, you didn’t just panic first. You come on here several times a day to publicly shit your pants - repeatedly.

You’re the guy who’d be put out of his misery or sent to the rear in a straight-jacket, if you’d been in the trenches: no-one wants to hear, “OH MY GOD, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!” several times a day.

It does no-one any good.

Well you are free to ignore my prognostications.

Though anyone who wants to protect their money or assets might perhaps be less complacent.

And also GLOBAL DEATH is just more interesting than the wage structure of care homes, or the government's plans for wood burning stoves, to anyone "normal". A category which clearly excludes you and others on PB.

TOPPING said:

Zing