Authoritarian leaders prize loyalty over expertise, and part of the way such leaders determine loyalty is through demanding sycophantic praise from underlings, smoking out those unwilling to bend the knee.
Democracy can be thought of as a garden; if you don’t tend to it, it doesn’t take long to be overtaken by the weeds of alternative, less-preferred civic models.
“Trumpist media outlets, by contrast, have created a bubble of unreality where nothing but the most effusive praise of Trump is acceptable, where anyone who disagrees with or criticizes the president is part of a grand conspiracy to destroy him, and where the only facts that exist are those that reflect well on the president.”
Having denied that the coronavirus was a major issue for months, the president sought to recast himself as an oracle, and conservative media followed suit, shifting their tone from downplaying the severity of the pandemic to praising the heroic efforts of the president to address it.
I’m old fashioned in that I like my news to give me the news, not an opinion. Right-wing media is out of control - pretending to be news but actually delivering propaganda.
The president is a relentless scammer at heart, and even during a pandemic he will attempt to get what he wants while providing as little as possible in return, as though he were trying to save cash by stiffing a contractor.
This pretty much nails it. Everything is for personal gain; not for the collective good. In Trump’s world, everything is a zero-sum game.
🔗 Link Post: “Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve” - Washington Post”
If the number of cases were to continue to double every three days, there would be about a hundred million cases in the United States by May.
That is math, not prophecy.
The simulation diagrams in this story provide the best example of how social distancing can be beneficial.
I took my kid to the park and we met a lovely family who is new to the neighbourhood. We had a great conversation while our kids played together. We maintained appropriate social distance for a coronavirus world, and the social interaction has improved my mood.
If we are all going into quarantine - and potentially seeing reduced personal income - budgeting becomes even more important. I recommend YNAB - I’ve been a happy paying customer for years. 💵
If we arranged a global agreement whereby the entire world entered isolation for two weeks, essentially pausing everything, would that eliminate the virus and minimise the economic impact?
I’ve draped nine towels around my study. It sounds so much nicer in here now. I’m sure the appearance will not gain approval from my wife, however.
Like You is a mindfulness podcast for kids, exploring feelings & encouraging self-esteem through imagination-based exercises.
I’m supporting this podcast on Patreon. Both my boys enjoy the show.
Given societal concerns about COVID-19, I’ve turned to offering people I had scheduled face-to-face meetings with the option to meet via video conference instead.
Should I be more worried about COVID-19 than I am? I can’t help but think about statistically likelihoods and the probability still seems low compared with more mundane disasters. Also, I lived through a bout of swine flu which might be giving me false confidence in my immune system.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 30: Vision.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 29: Leap.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 28: Below.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 27: Together.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 26: Escape.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 25: Hurdle.
Now that’s more like it.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 24: Double. Two WD Red drives ready to join the array.
Productivity rating has been at 💯 today. I’ll probably crash tomorrow.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 23: Station. Going back in time for this one. A younger me excited to be riding the trains of Paris.
February Photoblogging Challenge, Day 22: Spectacle.
