Bless their vim and vigor
While schools and college campuses around the country remain closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Liberty University is set to allow the return this week of up to 5,000 students. The plan was announced by the private evangelical university’s scandal–plagued president, Jerry Falwell Jr., an ally of President Donald Trump. Trump in recent days has dismayed public health experts by announcing he may push for the lifting of restrictions on businesses to reduce economic damage as soon as next week.
In an interview last week with Fox News Radio’s Todd Starnes, Falwell said it is fortunate that COVID-19 “doesn’t have a high mortality rate for young people because they’re the ones that are not worried about it. And I’m not worried about it.” Falwell said healthy people should stay away from those “who are high risk” and elderly people. But he accused the media of overhyping the disease. “Thank God we have the best president we could possibly have to deal with a crisis like this,” he said. “Shame on the media for trying to fan it up and destroy the American economy. They’re willing to destroy the economy just to hurt Trump.”
If Trump is the best president we could possibly have to deal with a crisis like this, what would the worst one be like?
Stupid, ignorant bastards like this should be arrested. It’s not just for yourself that you’re willingliy, negligently accepting this “risk.” You’re risking the lives of everyone with whom you come into contact, and everyone they come into contact in turn. You’re not playing with fire, you’re playing with fire on board the Hindenburg. You’re not the top of a pyramid, you’re the first domino. People who think they’re healthy but actually have it can spread it around to lots of people before they become symptomatic. People who only get a mild version might not know they’ve got it and spread it around without getting very “sick” at all. Some young people do get sick. It’s still a non-zero chance of mortality for young people, is it? Stupid, evil fucker.
He’s got to be ingesting some real weapons grade hallucinogens.
Yes, the whole fucking world is on lockdown “to hurt Trump.” Well, if he has his way, getting people back to work too soon will destroy the American ecomomy because of the horrible death toll and the reimposition of an even longer lockdown. You’re willing to sacrifice thousands of your fellow citizens to gratify the insatiable ego of Donald Trump. What kind of monster does that make you? If you’re so eager for people to die for Trump, you first.
These fools are under the illusion that *they* won’t sicken and die. Being a rich fuck is no guarantee that there’ll be a ventilator waiting for you and even then it’s no guarantee that it’ll save you. And that’s just if you get COVID-19… surely you have other ailments that might send you into a crowded hospital with insufficient staff and grim conditions?
Falwell’s pissed off a lot of his students, along with their parents. And they’re not exactly Bernie bros.
The interesting thing to me about this pandemic is that it seems to be striking the middle- and upper-classes first – probably because they are more likely to travel. If we shut down well enough, we could spare the working classes a lot of the horrors. Of course, we won’t do that, because our rich assholes “need” their services.
Praise them for their vim and vigour
While their grandad’s in distress,
Praise them for their lack of pity
As their granma chokes to death.
Falwell! Falwell!
Falwell! Falwell!
Sickening in his emptiness!
*applause*
I may be over-interpreting here, but I have the suspicion that this is due to their “christian” mindset. In the bible (and other stories), suffering, plague, illness etc. is always a prop, a backdrop, a challenge for the hero to overcome, but not something the hero themselves is supposed to be killed by.
It is similar to religious people claiming “god’s miracle” when there is a plane crash and a few people survive.
I always have the suspicion that many people see others as NPCs in a role-playing game; they are not “real people”, just the supporting cast/redshirts.
Just saw this:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/08/liberty-university-falwell-reporters-warrants-176346
“Jerry Falwell Jr. says warrants are out for 2 journalists after critical stories on coronavirus decision”
One each from the New York Times and PoliticusUSA.