Stupidity Explained in Two Graphs
This week the NY Times published an excellent analysis of US response to the COVID 19 epidemic by compiling data from Johns Hopkins, the World Bank, and the US Census Bureau. What the data show is a stark picture of just how badly the US responded to the pandemic compared to other developed countries. The stupidity of the response is well illustrated in just two graphs:
The left graph is cumulative deaths per 100,000 since the pandemic began. The right graph is cumulative deaths from only the Omicron wave. Notice that the US “wins” the death race over other wealthy countries by a LOT, and that failure stems from stupid public policy that is engrained in the US; the failure is worsened as a result of the stupidity of millions of Americans who chose to believe bullshit and have participated in politicizing science, vilifying of scientists and doctors, and spreading nonsensical conspiracy theories about vaccines.
At the beginning of the pandemic, most wealthy countries locked down quickly, including the US. The difference, though, was how the US did that compared to other countries. Unlike the US, other wealthy countries, especially in Europe, took over the paychecks of their citizens, keeping them financially secure, which encouraged them to stay home and safe. Characteristically, the US did it wrong. First the US government stupidly poured a TRILLION dollars into companies with the stated goal of keeping people on the payroll, but the program was botched, and much of that money went into the pockets of the wealthy with little reaching those who actually needed the money. Second, GOP lead states like Texas started the misinformation campaign that developed into what is now a death cult among conservatives. Recall that during this time, Dan Patrick, retired talk show host and bar owner, actually suggested that we should sacrifice the old and weak in favor of saving the economy.
Red states like Texas did extend unemployment benefits for a time, but that support was nowhere near livable, forcing millions of people to choose between risking the lives of themselves and their families and putting food on the table. We all know how that turned out. Add that to bullshit coming out of TFG’s mouth, his shutdown of all pandemic response that Bush II and Obama had put in place, and putting PPE response into the hands of that idiot Jared Kushner, and the perfect storm of stupidity flooded the entire country driving the US to the highest case and death rate in the developed world.
And it continues. Playing to their base in an election year, Republicans all over the country are trying to out crazy one another doubling down on anti-vaxxer fears, goofy conspiracy theories, and trying to to distract them with wild rhetoric about critical race theory and banning books. And while they’re doing everything but their damn jobs, people continue to die.
Stupid is fatal…. Does this prove Darwin was right?
1OT, but…I see abbutt’s decision to send the NG to the border didn’t help with the Texas power grid he promised to improve. I read 70K are without out power with the current cold weather. Sorry Texans.
2El J, thank you for being one of the few remaining people who know “data” is plural. (The singular is datum.)
3Q: What borders on stupidity?
4A: Canada and Mexico.
I’ve been encouraging people to see the graphs developed by Charles Gaba on his blog that mostly pushes for the ACA sign-ups.
Most recently, he provided data to show
“an updated analysis which attempted to estimate a grim but vitally important number: Just how many Trump voters vs. Biden voters have become fatal victims of the GOP/FOX News coordinated anti-vaxx/anti-mask campaign to date, and what sort of impact might this end up having on the midterm elections this November?”
https://acasignups.net/22/02/03/challenge-accepted-elephant-room-now-age-adjusted
He posts weekly updates on links between COVID deaths, vaccinations, and 2020 Trump vote proportion, creating informative graphs: the most recent is
5Six weeks into #Omicron, it’s still a whole new ballgame…but case rates are already reverting to form. Mon, 01/31/2022 – 12:20pm
https://acasignups.net/22/01/31/weekly-update-six-weeks-omicron-its-still-whole-new-ballgamebut-case-rates-are-already
Don’t forget the HUGE difference between the U.S. and other developed countries: we don’t have universal healthcare. That’s been a major factor in why we’ve had so many more deaths per capita.
6Several thousands die daily in the US from Covid, most are unvaccinated. Many assumedly are the “base” of the GQP, as the data john in denver cited.
More data about killing off your base:
“Thanks to a massive historical database of the social and genetic particulars of a hundred traditional societies spread over a sixth of the planet… ‘Ritual human sacrifice played a central role in helping those at the top of the social hierarchy maintain power over those at the bottom.’ ”
Source: The Anti-vaccine Right Literally Brought Human Sacrifice to America | Since last summer, the conservative campaign against vaccination has claimed thousands of lives for no ethically justifiable purpose.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/human-sacrifice-ritual-mass-vaccination/621355/
7Mr. B @3 – Right you are and hopefully El Jefe also knows that both words are pronounced with a long A as in day tuh. It’s one of my major pet peeves.
8Mr. B and Halsted, I thought Data was that pasty lookin dude on Star Trek.
9Halster not Halsted. Sorry I wasn’t paying attention.
10My damn phone consistently tries to make me look stupid.
Damn thing’s purty good at it too.
john in denver @ 5: thanks for those links. I would not have run across them otherwise.
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