The simplest rebuttal in human history!

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

What are the chances you'll see it?:
Speaking with Jonathan Swan of Axios, Donald J. Trump went on and on about his success at controlling the virus.

No, it won't make any difference. But here's the main thing Trump said:
TRUMP (8/3/20): Under the circumstances right now, I think [the virus] is under control. I’ll tell you what—

SWAN: How? A thousand Americans are dying a day.

TRUMP: They are dying. That’s true. And it is what it is. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t doing everything we can. It’s under control as much as you can control it. This is a horrible plague that beset us.
"It’s under control as much as you can control it." Thus spake Donald J. Trump!

Almost surely, that was Trump's most remarkable statement about the virus during his session with Swan. It's also the simplest statement to rebut in the whole of human history.

Do we have the virus under control as much as you can control it? All a journalist or news org has to do—and they ought to do it—is respond with this:
Deaths from coronavirus in the past seven days,
as of August 5:

United States: 7,550

Germany: 40
Japan: 22
South Korea: 2
Germany's population is one-fourth of ours, Japan's a bit more than one-third.

That's a blindingly simple rebuttal. For that reason, you'll never see an upper-end journalist make it. In most cases, they've spent their whole day in wardrobe, make-up and hair, not to mention the showmanship lessons.

Our species' upper-end braynes donnt reely werk reel gudd! Anthropologists say that basic fact is undeniably true, but it's so counterintuitive that there's really no point in stating it.

It's true, these despondent experts all say. But we humans aren't built to believe it!

You'll never see that rebuttal made. We flounder ahead in the dark.

Responses to tear your hair by: For Linda Qiu's fact-check, just click here. Be sure to dress for high weeds.

As for Swan, his next statement was this:
SWAN: You really think this is as much as we can control it? A thousand deaths a day?
The bafflegab continued from there. As we've told you many times, it's all anthropology now!

16 comments:

  1. The purpose of an interview the The President of the United States of America is not to pin him down and embarrass him. It is to present to the public what and how the president thinks about important issues. Swan did follow up on Trump's remark. Somerby quotes him: "You really think this is as much as we can control it?" It is a question that invites Trump to evaluate his own progress, not one that tries to contradict him with another statistic. Somerby calls what Trump said next "bafflegab" but so would be any statistics that Swan or Trump batted around. Taking Swan's approach, the public got to see Trump flounder around and say nothing about how we can decrease those deaths, actually control the virus. The public got to see that Trump has given up on controlling it. Somerby's way, the public hears different sets of numbers without knowing which are correct. In real life, the public chooses who to believe -- they aren't convinced by Swan's competing numbers if they already support Trump.

    This has nothing to do with anthropology. It has to do with real people dying horrible deaths each day. Some of us know someone who is dying or who has died. That makes this very real to us, and that is the reason why a substantial portion of Trump's base (8% out of about 38%) has abandoned him (more or fewer in different parts of the country). It has taken this pandemic to get people to shake loose from him. But it isn't the statistics -- it is because of the people we know who are sick and dying.

    ReplyDelete
  2. When something is blindingly obvious and yet a trained, experienced interviewer chooses not to do it, that suggests that it isn't a good idea to do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Who considers that under control? I have never heard any public health official call it that. Smallpox is under control.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "As we've told you many times, it's all anthropology now!"

    Way, way, WAY too many times.

    ReplyDelete
  5. In fact, Swan said:
    “Well, look at South Korea, for example. 51 million population, 300 deaths. It’s like, it’s crazy compared to-“

    Trump interrupted him.

    Here’s what Trump said:

    “You don’t know that.”

    (Swan was right.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you think "South Korea: 2" constitutes a rebuttal, then your condition is worse than I thought, dear Bob. It's not just stupid, it's mental.

    Without understanding all the variables: genetics, mandatory childhood vaccinations, cultural, political, patterns of international and domestic travels, migrations, and who knows what else - your comparisons ain't worth a dime, dear Bob.

    It's rantings of a grumpy old man at best; dembottery at worst. Sad.

    ...incidentally, if we were to follow your logic, what's the meaning of these stats:

    Deaths/1M pop
    New Jersey: 1,793
    Hawaii: 19

    ReplyDelete
  7. “The simplest rebuttal in human history!”

    Does Somerby believe there is anything any reporter can say that will get Trump to say “Oh, damn, you're right. My bad.?”

    That is delusional.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Straw man argument.

      Delete
    2. 9:25
      I made no argument. I asked a question.

      Delete
    3. You asked and responded to it as if it were true, forming an argument, a straw man argument. No shame in it. At least be honest with yourself.

      Delete
  8. Influenza deaths have ranged from 12,000-61,000 over the last decade.

    Except they haven't, influenza deaths are estimates, only children deaths are actually counted, which range from 0-100.

    Influenza deaths, whatever they are, occur without masks, social distancing, or lockdowns. Covid 19 deaths, if counted with the same methodology and without masks, social distancing, and lockdowns would likely be over a million already, in only half a year.

    Democrats want to help those in need. Republicans do not care about anybody but themselves, they are so wrapped up in their tiny lives.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think it means NJ got hit bad first and Hawaii looking at what was going on shutdown, you know like different from Texas. its a pretty simple or did I miss the trick question?

    ReplyDelete
  10. SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE IF YOU LOVE YOUR HUSBAND OR YOUR EX LOVER  . if I refuse to share this testimony it means I am selfish to myself and to the people I love so much whom might have similar problems, my husband left after a little misunderstanding and never came back home at first I thought it was a joke he left me for his mistress outside, all this happened September I am sharing this testimony because Christmas is around the corner and will be a very bad celebration if you don't spend it with your loved one's, so many men will live their wife and celebrate Christmas with their girlfriend, I complained to my very good friend she told me she had such problem in her marriage until she was introduce to DR PADMAN a specialist doctor who specializes in bringing back broken homes and broken marriages DR PADMAN  website: https://padmanspell.com/index-3.html  cast a spell for me in December 2nd surprisingly my husband came home December 6th apologizing that I should forgive him that this will never happen again. With this I will never forget DR PADMAN who saved my marriage. His contact address is padmanlovespell@yahoo.com , https://twitter.com/padman_dr.  WhatsApp +19492293867 you can still save your marriage if you really love your husband  Website: http://padmanspell.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Having herpes is not the end of life there many treatment to cure herpes infection with the help of  Dr Alika herbal product.  I was positive to the deadly virus called HERPES and i lost hope because i was out casted and rejected even by my closet friends.
    i searched on-line to know and enquirer about cure for HERPES VIRUS  and i read someone testimony on how he was cured from Herpes virus so i decided to contact the same herbalist Call Dr Alika because i know that nature has the power to heal everything.
    i contacted him to know how he can help me and he told me never to worry that he will help me with the natural herbs from God!
    after 2 days of contacting him, he told me that the cure has been ready and he sent it to me via UPS SPEED POST and it got to me after 3 days!
    i used the medicine as he instructed me (MORNING and EVENING) and i was cured!
    its really like a dream but i am so happy!
    and if you need his help, you can email him on dralikaherbalhome@gmail.com or whatsapp +2348116570358

    ReplyDelete
  12. Am Laura Mildred by name, i was diagnosed with Herpes 4 years ago i lived in pain with the knowledge that i wasn't going to ever be well again i contacted so many herbal doctors on this issue and wasted a large sum of money but my condition never got better i was determined to get my life back so one day i saw Mr. Morrison Hansen post on how Dr. Emu saved him from Herpes with herbal medicine i contacted Dr. Emu on his Email: Emutemple@gmail.com we spoke on the issue i told him all that i went through and he told me not to worry that everything will be fine again so he prepared the medicine and send it to me and told me how to use it, after 14 days of usage I went to see the doctor for test,then the result was negative, am the happiest woman on earth now thanks to Dr. Emu God bless you. Email him at: Emutemple@gmail.com Call or Whats-app him: +2347012841542 

    ReplyDelete

  13. LOTTO, lottery,jackpot.
    Hello all my viewers, I am very happy for sharing this great testimonies,The best thing that has ever happened in my life is how I win the lottery euro million mega jackpot. I am a Woman who believe that one day I will win the lottery. finally my dreams came through when I email believelovespelltemple@gmail.com and tell him I need the lottery numbers. I have spend so much money on ticket just to make sure I win. But I never know that winning was so easy until the day I meant the spell caster online which so many people has talked about that he is very great in casting lottery spell, . so I decide to give it a try.I contacted this great Dr Believe and he did a spell and he gave me the winning lottery numbers. But believe me when the draws were out I was among winners. I win 30,000 million Dollar. Dr Believe truly you are the best, all thanks to you forever

    ReplyDelete