Commenter Archive

This

But let’s also be real about the boundaries of what is today called Ukraine. Its been changing hands between different powers for 1000 years, and has multiple times in the last 100.

is probably the driver for this

They got a few decades to turn it into something more sustainable and coherent but have not been able to do it.

indeed you are - and those out there answer result in tax policies that favor the upper end of the spectrum but actually harm most Americans long run . . . as but one example.

Russia won't allow it to be demilitarized.

Yes I'd like to see the peer reviewed science. I know from extensive career history, however, that many parts of the federal apparatus are prohibited legally from sharing proprietary data, and I suspect that prohibition is playing a part here. Regeneron and Eli Lilly will make decisions about sharing science based on corporate policy. If there's university or independent clinic data we may yet see it.

I think this is more a case of be patient then "there's something nefarious going on."

I sit corrected.

Keep telling yourself that skippy.

The middle 60% of U.S. households by income -- a measure economists often use as a definition of the middle class -- saw their combined assets drop to 26.6% of national wealth as of June, the lowest in Federal Reserve data going back three decades. For the first time, the super rich had a bigger share, at 27%.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-08/top-1-earners-hold-more-wealth-than-the-u-s-middle-class

nearly 96.1 percent of the 1.2 million households in the top one percent by income were white, a total of about 1,150,000 households. In addition, these families were found to have a median net asset worth of $8.3 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States

No I don't think its particularly surprising. I do think is unethical at best to advocate for such a system, and then turn around and blame the people below you on the economic ladder for not climbing higher while you repeatedly kick them down.

And I think the rich folks need to be reminded periodically that history tells us that eventually the peasants come for them with pitchforks and torches.

Given the continued declines in unemployment in the US and the continued job growth we see - albeit sporadic these days - I'd say the leftists have noting to worry about. Of course, it needs to be noted that the Biden Administration - as economic neoliberals - isn't leftist by any definition. Just left of the ultra conservative GOP.

Somehow that comment got botched. Clearly I didn't have enough coffee in me when I wrote it.

The APA article I linked here pulls together a lot of peer reviewed research into socio-economic status and race. And it reinforces the notion that the Wharton kids - as one example - have misleading understandings of the link between race and class as much as anything else. Perpetuating those misleading understandings drives failed attempts to resolve socioeconomic inequality, which includes intergenerational wealth, educational opportunity and attainment, and the ability of a person to rise up the economic ladder.
Clearer?

This shouldn't surprise you if you have been following his other comments elsewhere.

I made no political statement about Wharton students. I didn't look at their politics. Their demographics suggest a good portion would at least be economic conservatives, wholeheartedly supporting lassiez faire capitalism.

And liberals generally support tax credits because we actually know what the median income is in the US, we read wealth statistics, and we see few other ways besides pitchforks to improve the economic conditions of the vast majority of Americans.

I am pointing at Wharton as an example, not as the only source of the problem. I suspect one could make the case about a great many Ivy's, as well as a lot of Research 1 universities elsewhere, like the University of Miami. Wharton, afterall, is a part of the University of Pennsylvania (which last I checked is a public research1 uni).

Equally importantly both manufacturers agree with the FDA assessment. So DeSantis is really out on a shakey limb here.

I find it maddening that the people screaming the loudest about the lack of a COVID plan form the Administration keep trying to hamstring the Administration by litigating rule making like this.

Indeed they can. The Administration chose to go the emergency route because we have an ongoing public health emergency. Now they may have to decide if they want to do the normal rulemaking - which would be a two year gig.

I will say I don’t get your point on the attendance rates.

But a lot of this post is the usual misleading whiff on the ‘racial wealth gap’ when really what we have is better characterized as a class gap.

Race, wealth, and class are inextricably linked in the US. Discussing failed understandings of wealth, earnings, and Socioeconomic status that ignore race are not likely to do much to get at the root of the problem.

https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/minorities#:~:text=The%20relationship%20between%20SES%2C%20race,SES%2C%20race%2C%20and%20ethnicity.

That comports with this selection that there's a possible prophylactic effect BFORE getting COVID. I agree the numbers are not great, and I agree that people seem to have this weird motivated reasoning - as you rightly note - to avoid the thing that works. You and I very much agree on this.

At the same time, on of my longstanding criticisms is that a lot of this voodoo lacks peer review. Which it does. SO when we see what appears to be solid peer review I think its worth noting positively.

Anything is possible - very little is probable.

Nevermind that there are solid, reliable remediations for airborne viruses, that do not rely upon individual compliance of citizens. You build them into the building codes, and you have building inspectors use the banhammer.

Sure, but that takes years since it requires hundreds to thousands of governing agencies at all levels to approve and disseminate. With almost 900K Americans dead in two years I don't know that we can wait that long.

Anyone with a lick of physics knew that masks were ultimately going to be ineffective (big air holes on the sides, dudes. Big air holes in the mask itself so you can breathe. Humans can’t breathe through HEPA filters.)

Again, No:

Masks and respirators are effective at reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, when worn consistently and correctly.
Some masks and respirators offer higher levels of protection than others, and some may be harder to tolerate or wear consistently than others. It is most important to wear a well-fitted mask or respirator correctly that is comfortable for you and that provides good protection.
While all masks and respirators provide some level of protection, properly fitted respirators provide the highest level of protection. Wearing a highly protective mask or respirator may be most important for certain higher risk situations, or by some people at increased risk for severe disease.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/types-of-masks.html

The manufacturers disagree with Florida:

https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1486036940638019584?s=20

Like I said - it may work as a prophylactic. May. But one study with high correlation doesn't a strong case make. I hope we get further peer reviewed science on many of these questions.

I think your analysis is shrewd and likely right, but it doesn't mean Putin can't get what he wants domestically out of this:

In Moscow's view, repeated in nearly every newscast and talk show, Ukraine is a failed state entirely controlled by the "puppet master" -- the United States. Europe is a weak and divided collection of lap dogs taking orders from Washington. Even the US, as frighteningly threatening as it is, is weak and divided too, torn apart by political division and racial unrest.
But wait. How can those powers be a threat -- and be weak at the same time? That's one of the conundrums of Russian state propaganda. Thinking things through isn't what they're trying to encourage. Rather they're trying to raise the blood pressure of their viewers -- and to make them very afraid.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/25/europe/ukraine-nato-russia-coverage-tv-media-cmd-intl/index.html

Putin is a strongman who takes what he wants. Conservative white men admire that because its all they have left in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural world.

You need to get out more:

They believe Democrats can better handle climate change (+22 points), racism (+20), health care (+16), bringing the country together (+9), coronavirus (+9) and education (+7).

By a one-point margin, voters favor the Republican candidate in their congressional district over the Democratic candidate (44-43%). Last month, Republicans were favored by four points.

https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/01/Fox_January-16-19-2022_Complete_National_Topline_January-23-Release.pdf

What's really interesting is that Mr. Biden's approval rating is coming back up in that poll. As well as on each of the issues where Fox is measuring his approval. That's not a sign of a nation souring on the president or his party.

Nice try though.

Then you have to build the industry to do the non-science bit. (Industrial Engineering is its own discipline).

This is where the reported slow downs/bottle necks exist and where the Administration can provide various incentives.

I'm also not sure what you mean by less effective:

During both delta and omicron periods, receipt of a third vaccine dose was highly effective (94 percent and 82 percent, respectively) at preventing COVID-19 emergency department and urgent care encounters and preventing hospitalizations (94 percent and 90 percent).

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/covid-19-vaccine-booster-effectiveness-against-omicron-12-cdc-findings.html#:~:text=During%20both%20delta%20and%20omicron,94%20percent%20and%2090%20percent).