The Senator and The Doctor

No, we did not book Rand Paul on this supersized edition of The Big Show (90 minutes of clever and civil conversation!), we booked Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to discuss the stimulus packages (speaking of super-sized), the federal  government’s response to the crisis, and a boots-on-ground report from Ohio. And our good friend and go to authority on all things medical, Dr. George Savage checks up on us and gives an update on the models (no, not those kind of models), the research, and whether sheltering at home and shutting down the economy is actually working. This week’s Lileks Post of The Week (we’ll get that jingle timed correctly one of these days — promise) asks us not to mock Joe Biden (eh, maybe…), and Rob Long saunters around a deserted Manhattan and has some thoughts.

Music from this week’s show: Taking A Walk by John Prine

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There are 40 comments.

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  1. Matt Bartle Member
    Matt Bartle
    @MattBartle

    I, for one, will continue to mock Joe Biden as long as he is trying to gain power.

    • #1
  2. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Matt Bartle (View Comment):

    I, for one, will continue to mock Joe Biden as long as he is trying to gain power.

    I like your spirit, Matt.

    • #2
  3. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    How does one buy Proteus Discover?

     

    • #3
  4. JuliaBlaschke Lincoln
    JuliaBlaschke
    @JuliaBlaschke

    This poor guy was just trying to ride a bus. 

     

    • #4
  5. JuliaBlaschke Lincoln
    JuliaBlaschke
    @JuliaBlaschke

    Matt Bartle (View Comment):

    I, for one, will continue to mock Joe Biden as long as he is trying to gain power.

    As indeed you should.

    • #5
  6. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Ricochet Audio Network: Ricochet Podcast #489

    This is actually #491.

    • #6
  7. Max Ledoux Coolidge
    Max Ledoux
    @Max

    A priest, a rabbi, and Joe Biden walk into a bar. 

     

    Just kidding, only Joe Biden walked into a bar, the other two ducked.

    • #7
  8. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Max Ledoux (View Comment):

    A priest, a rabbi, and Joe Biden walk into a bar.

     

    Just kidding, only Joe Biden walked into a bar, the other two ducked.

    But he didn’t feel anything, because it hit his HEAD.

    • #8
  9. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Even when this is all over, it will still be impossible to know if it was an over-reaction, etc.  Because there is no “control group,” just for starters.  Then add in that different countries, states, counties, and even CITIES, are counting things differently.

    • #9
  10. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ricochet Audio Network: Ricochet Podcast #489

    This is actually #491.

    Typo — fixed. 

    • #10
  11. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Our government’s response to the unfamiliar contagion would seem more egregious or even nefarious if lockdowns were not the response on every continent. The global uniformity shocks me. First, countless nations agreed that the threat was potentially terrible. Second, all those nations —  not just in the West, but even in Africa and Asia — agreed on the general response.

    That seems to mark something new in world history. Maybe it just shows how interconnected nations have become and culturally blended as a consequence. Or maybe organizations like the World Health Organization merit a serious review.

    • #11
  12. JuliaBlaschke Lincoln
    JuliaBlaschke
    @JuliaBlaschke

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Max Ledoux (View Comment):

    A priest, a rabbi, and Joe Biden walk into a bar.

     

    Just kidding, only Joe Biden walked into a bar, the other two ducked.

    But he didn’t feel anything, because it hit his HEAD.

    Might have messed with his plugs though.

    • #12
  13. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Aaron Miller (View Comment):

    Our government’s response to the unfamiliar contagion would seem more egregious or even nefarious if lockdowns were not the response on every continent. The global uniformity shocks me. First, countless nations agreed that the threat was potentialy terrible. Second, all those nations — not just in the West, but even in Africa and Asia — agreed on the general response.

    That seems to mark something new in world history. Maybe it just shows how interconnected nations have become and culturally blended as a consequence. Or maybe organizations like the World Health Organization merit a serious review.

    I’m not sure what your point is.  Are you equally suspicious that people all over the world, use wood for fires?  Is that another conspiracy or something?  Because if it wasn’t being organized by the Bilderbergers or whatever, then people in different countries would burn… what?  Or maybe it wouldn’t matter, as long as everyone wasn’t burning wood?  Am I a victim too, because I wear eyeglasses, just like people all over the world?

    • #13
  14. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I’m not sure what your point is.

    Of course, people everywhere fear disease. But.. 

    Poor people in 3rd-world countries and non-Western peoples in Asia do not normally assess risk exactly as Americans do. Where death by disease is more common and living standards are poor, people tend to be more fatalistic and accepting of threats. And the priorities of governments vary widely, especially from region to region. 

    Furthermore, Trump is not the only “rightwing” leader of his kind recently empowered by populist revolt. That any one of them should determine that the mystery of a new virus merits the extreme measure of inflicting severe economic damage, thereby calling a cornerstone of one’s political platform into doubt, is remarkable. That they all agree on the vague estimations of medical advisors and all agree on the general balance of pandemic protection versus economic freedom is more significant. 

    One might expect governments and peoples of all kinds to respond similarly after having already been devastated by a plague. But for all parties to respond the same before mass casualties have been inflicted seems like something new.

    • #14
  15. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Lileks’ Post of the Week is Fibber McGee’s closet. You know he’s going to do it, and you know what is going to happen.

    • #15
  16. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    Peter Robinson (View Comment):

    Matt Bartle (View Comment):

    I, for one, will continue to mock Joe Biden as long as he is trying to gain power.

    I like your spirit, Matt.

    https://www.thecollegefix.com/epidemiologist-coronavirus-could-be-exterminated-if-lockdowns-were-lifted/

    ‘Going outdoors is what stops every respiratory disease’

     

    • #16
  17. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    Percival (View Comment):

    Lileks’ Post of the Week is Fibber McGee’s closet. You know he’s going to do it, and you know what is going to happen.

     

    • #17
  18. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    Bishop Wash (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):

    Lileks’ Post of the Week is Fibber McGee’s closet. You know he’s going to do it, and you know what is going to happen.

     

    What happened to the sentence I wrote?

    I have never listened to an episode of the show, but my parents had a junk drawer that they called the Fibber McGee drawer. 

    • #18
  19. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Bishop Wash (View Comment):

    Bishop Wash (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):

    Lileks’ Post of the Week is Fibber McGee’s closet. You know he’s going to do it, and you know what is going to happen.

     

    What happened to the sentence I wrote?

    I have never listened to an episode of the show, but my parents had a junk drawer that they called the Fibber McGee drawer.

    • #19
  20. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ricochet Audio Network: Ricochet Podcast #489

    This is actually #491.

    Typo — fixed.

    I think the count for Law Talk is also wrong

     

    • #20
  21. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    Aaron Miller (View Comment):

    Our government’s response to the unfamiliar contagion would seem more egregious or even nefarious if lockdowns were not the response on every continent. The global uniformity shocks me. First, countless nations agreed that the threat was potentially terrible. Second, all those nations — not just in the West, but even in Africa and Asia — agreed on the general response.

    That seems to mark something new in world history. Maybe it just shows how interconnected nations have become and culturally blended as a consequence. Or maybe organizations like the World Health Organization merit a serious review.

    Group think

    none of us is as dumb as all of us

    progressive elitism is a global pandemic

     

    • #21
  22. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    Aaron Miller (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I’m not sure what your point is.

    Of course, people everywhere fear disease. But..

    Poor people in 3rd-world countries and non-Western peoples in Asia do not normally assess risk exactly as Americans do. Where death by disease is more common and living standards are poor, people tend to be more fatalistic and accepting of threats. And the priorities of governments vary widely, especially from region to region.

    Furthermore, Trump is not the only “rightwing” leader of his kind recently empowered by populist revolt. That any one of them should determine that the mystery of a new virus merits the extreme measure of inflicting severe economic damage, thereby calling a cornerstone of one’s political platform into doubt, is remarkable. That they all agree on the vague estimations of medical advisors and all agree on the general balance of pandemic protection versus economic freedom is more significant.

    One might expect governments and peoples of all kinds to respond similarly after having already been devastated by a plague. But for all parties to respond the same before mass casualties have been inflicted seems like something new.

    not singapore, taiwan, south korea

    They were heavily affected by SARS, MERS, H1N1, etc. and were prepared for the next pandemic.

    Singapore built a public pandemic hospital after SARS.

     

    • #22
  23. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/bernie-campaigns-on-11586473405?mod=MorningEditorialReport&mod=djemMER_h

    Bernie

     

    • #23
  24. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Aaron Miller (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I’m not sure what your point is.

    Of course, people everywhere fear disease. But..

    Poor people in 3rd-world countries and non-Western peoples in Asia do not normally assess risk exactly as Americans do. Where death by disease is more common and living standards are poor, people tend to be more fatalistic and accepting of threats. And the priorities of governments vary widely, especially from region to region.

    Furthermore, Trump is not the only “rightwing” leader of his kind recently empowered by populist revolt. That any one of them should determine that the mystery of a new virus merits the extreme measure of inflicting severe economic damage, thereby calling a cornerstone of one’s political platform into doubt, is remarkable. That they all agree on the vague estimations of medical advisors and all agree on the general balance of pandemic protection versus economic freedom is more significant.

    One might expect governments and peoples of all kinds to respond similarly after having already been devastated by a plague. But for all parties to respond the same before mass casualties have been inflicted seems like something new.

    Maybe it’s a sign of progress?  That places that used to take more casual view of death especially because of some disease, are now – along with better sanitation etc – valuing life more too?

    • #24
  25. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    I am honored to even be mentioned by @jameslileks.

    What I always think about when I hear the Member Post Of The Week fanfare thing, is that it sounds artificial because the “voices” are all perfectly pitched.

    • #25
  26. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    There at the end, @peterrobinson sounded like he was doing a Bernie Sanders impression.

    “I’m cranky, my hair is long and unkempt, and young people won’t help me!”

    • #26
  27. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Supposedly, this is less lethal than the 1958 flu and the Hong Kong flu. The other thing I heard was some people think the R0 is above 5.

    • #27
  28. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    I would not describe the economy as “un-leveraged”. The debt to GDP in all areas is higher than ever. I think the difference is individual banks etc. aren’t running on 43 to 1 capital etc.

    This is another bubble. Trump needs to spend like crazy to get past the next election. The Federal Reserve always caves. The same thing happened when Valerie Jarrett ragged on Janet Yellen to not raise rates before 2012.

    I forget all of the details,  but the Federal Reserve is illegally buying commercial debt now. Every single year the central planning from the Fed and Congress gets worse and worse. The Soviets already tried this. The whole thing is a Ponzi scheme that requires constant credit growth.  It’s a feedback loop because you can’t quit without it falling apart. What that really means is DEBT growth. You can’t run in economy without a better equity cushion and more well distributed.

    Fiat money also has to get some interest. You can’t run a civilization without safe and risk free savings that don’t shrink

    #GOSPLAN

    • #28
  29. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    The concept of public health is a disgrace. It’s a complete joke under emergency pressure. All of those guys in New York City should be thrown in jail. Decades to get ready for a pandemic. The trade-offs between the medical system being overwhelmed and the economy, they are just doing it by the seat of their pants. The communication in Minnesota has been unbelievably bad.

    The consolidation of hospitals and the medical system is an outrage. 

    It’s just laughable that the left wants to force centralization into cities with a public health system like this.

    David Frum. lol People paid $10 to watch him speak recently among a panel of dozens. 

    The only way to deal with a pandemic is to pre-make tons of supplies and then print money and stuff it in the right places. It helps if you don’t have an insane debt to GDP level. 

    The media are all statists. They will do anything to support statism. I love that racialist question in the pandemic press conference, yesterday. Every single person and entity involved in the story behaved honorably except the reporter.

    • #29
  30. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    This is really excellent. The cow guy just nailed the economics. Daniel Hanninger was excellent on the politics and how to look at how well prepared we were.

     

     

     

    • #30
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