What Grade Would You Give Americans in Handling the COVID-19 Crisis?

[DanOregon]

There have been some strong efforts by some - but seriously, if we responded this way in WWII, we would have written off Pearl Harbor and allowed Europe to fight their own battles.

 

[Moderator1]

F

 

[FileNotFound]

Solid F. We've essentially been left to fend for ourselves. Complete failure of leadership at almost every level.

 

[TowelWaver]

 

[Pilot]

F-

It seemed like a choice between keeping the economy humming or stopping the virus and we somehow did neither. We took enough steps at the state and local levels to torpedo the economy for years, and we did it all so halfassed we didn’t even come close to stopping the damn bug.

It’s hard to imagine a worse outcome.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

D for

 

[hondo]

Solid F. We've essentially been left to fend for ourselves. Complete failure of leadership at almost every level.

Yeah but when the MAGA assholes somehow think wearing a mask for five minutes in a grocery store is some kind of assault on civil liberties and their spoiled-ass kids are jammed butt cheek to butt cheek in pools and bars, the public also gets and F.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

F

 

[DanOregon]

Just to be clear, I'm asking about the grade you'd give the average American. This isn't a referendum on Trump.
I think of the efforts on-line by the Dropkick Murphys, John Krasinski, et. al, the local groups making masks, supporting graduating seniors, hardworking healthcare workers etc. We sometimes forget that there IS a lot of good going on. But damn, I agree with the sentiment that we are an embarrassment to earlier generations that grew "victory gardens", collected scrap metal and bought war bonds.

 

[Spartan Squad]

 

[Starman]

Country overall: D+

The Fat**** ruling junta: F-Minus Minus Minus. Zero Point Zero.

 

[Della9250]

 

[bigpern23]

Just to be clear, I'm asking about the grade you'd give the average American. This isn't a referendum on Trump.
I think of the efforts on-line by the Dropkick Murphys, John Krasinski, et. al, the local groups making masks, supporting graduating seniors, hardworking healthcare workers etc. We sometimes forget that there IS a lot of good going on. But damn, I agree with the sentiment that we are an embarrassment to earlier generations that grew "victory gardens", collected scrap metal and bought war bonds.

Just to be clear, the numbers show the average American has failed to take this seriously enough. That starts at the top, obviously, but the average American has failed miserably at this test.

This thing could have been taken care of in a ****ing MONTH if the average American simply stayed the **** home, wore the damn masks and didn't post on social media about how the "the media isn't telling you this is no worse than your average flu and it's going to magically disappear very, very soon."

Instead, we're five months in, we've already wasted two months of lockdown, and somehow things are getting worse. Why? Because the idiot at the top has convinced MILLIONS of people that his ample ****ing gut is more accurate than actual scientific experts and research.

**** the President. He's got more American blood on his hands than Osama Bin Laden* ever ****ing dreamed.

*I specifically mention Bin Laden because 9/11 is what made all this possible because conservatives are the biggest pussies on Earth and got scared into believing an authoritarian, fake-ass strongman could protect them from the browns.

 

[SpiritedDebate]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the conservative community I live in. We have been wearing masks for months now, and I have seen very few situations where people weren't. Even so, most schools in my state will be virtual in the fall -- and that's one of the many failures in this process.

Some (most?) students in this country may go a full calendar year without being in a physical classroom.

I told my buddy in June that whether we would have school or not in the fall was entirely dependent upon the behavior of the community. Wasn't good enough.

 

[WriteThinking]

Instead, we're five months in, we've already wasted two months of lockdown, and somehow things are getting worse. Why? Because the idiot at the top has convinced MILLIONS of people that his ample ****ing gut is more accurate than actual scientific experts and research.

**** the President. He's got more American blood on his hands than Osama Bin Laden* ever ****ing dreamed.

*I specifically mention Bin Laden because 9/11 is what made all this possible because conservatives are the biggest pussies on Earth and got scared into believing an authoritarian, fake-ass strongman could protect them from the browns.

I understand the sentiment against Trump, but I don't think he convinced anybody of anything. Millions of people made up their own minds not to worry too much about this, or else just weren't sure how much they should do so, and went the wrong way. They decided not to wear masks, not to social-distance, etc. In other words, they were stupid. The fact of the matter is, people really are stupid if, at a certain point, they can't think for themselves and make up their own minds about things.

We have a lot of people in this country -- a lot of smart people. But also, a lot of stupid people, too. We need a vaccine. That's all there is to it.

 

[Spartan Squad]

I understand the sentiment against Trump, but I don't think he convinced anybody of anything. Millions of people made up their own minds not to worry too much about this, or else just weren't sure how much they should do so, and went the wrong way. They decided not to wear masks, not to social-distance, etc. In other words, they were stupid. The fact of the matter is, people really are stupid if, at a certain point, they can't think for themselves and make up their own minds about things.

We have a lot of people in this country -- a lot of smart people. But also, a lot of stupid people, too. We need a vaccine. That's all there is to it.

He did two things: One convince certain governors to not take the same measures as other states that needed to "be liberated." And two not work against the sentiments you talk about. That isn't even going into the lack of guidance and coordination from the federal government to get supplies and free up manufacturing to meet the need. For sure we have plenty of stupid running around, but he did jack to mitigate some of the stupid.

And yes, we need a vaccine. We also need a president who will tell people this is in their best interest to take it rather than encouraging conspiracy theories.

 

[WriteThinking]

He did two things: One convince certain governors to not take the same measures as other states that needed to "be liberated." And two not work against the sentiments you talk about. That isn't even going into the lack of guidance and coordination from the federal government to get supplies and free up manufacturing to meet the need. For sure we have plenty of stupid running around, but he did jack to mitigate some of the stupid.

And yes, we need a vaccine. We also need a president who will tell people this is in their best interest to take it rather than encouraging conspiracy theories.

I can agree with that last sentence in particular.

I just meant that I've kind of seen Trump as persona non gratus in all this -- it's horrible that he has been so, and the total abdication of leadership by him has become more and more pronounced as time has gone on. But I don't still don't think he, himself, said or did much to convince anybody of anything. I think anybody who's a governor ought to be able to make a decision -- any decision -- on his or her own, regardless of what Trump says or does, and I think that's what happened.

It's kind of a take on my constant refrain that, ultimately, people are responsible for themselves and what they do.

 

[Shelbyville Manhattan]

F isn’t low enough.

Z-minus.

 

[Noholesinone]

D-

Lots of lazy and stupid Americans with an attitude like, “Someone else can help, but not me.” Obviously it hasn’t helped that we have no leadership at various levels of government.

 

[Spartan Squad]

I can agree with that last sentence in particular.

I just meant that I've kind of seen Trump as persona non gratus in all this -- it's horrible that he has been so, and the total abdication of leadership by him has become more and more pronounced as time has gone on. But I don't still don't think he, himself, said or did much to convince anybody of anything. I think anybody who's a governor ought to be able to make a decision -- any decision -- on his or her own, regardless of what Trump says or does, and I think that's what happened.

It's kind of a take on my constant refrain that, ultimately, people are responsible for themselves and what they do.

You're right it isn't just Trump but Trump didn't do is any favors. His rhetoric early on of this being a bad flu, it will go away, this is a hoax by China or the Democrats was repeated by quite a few people to justify their behavior

Now the morans with guns who protested at the capitols probably didn't get any ideas from Trump, but they certainly got an ally after the fact. Your theory probably explains more of it, but my point is Trump sure gave it life.

We often give credit and blame to a president too much and putting the general attitude of morans completely at his feet is probably too much. He just isn't completely blameless in all of this either.