Vaccines, Infrastructure, and Kids In Cages: US Politics April 2021

there's not much a democratic administration can do about a subset of people, but money isn't real and i'd like to see them start trying asap.

I may be reading it wrong, but the chart here seems to indicate the 7 day average hitting a high Sunday after 6 days in a row over 3M.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/01/28/960901166/how-is-the-covid-19-vaccination-campaign-going-in-your-state

This may well be where it tops out, but it doesn't look like rates have plummeted by a massive amount yet. Again, I am not saying we won't have to do more to get more people vaxxed, just that it is a bit premature to call it a failure and think nothing more will be done to get more holdouts to change their minds.

in caek's defense, there's absolutely no reason to believe that an overwhelming Americans are smart enough to do something for the common good

like, 60%? sure. 85-90%? not a chance in hell

Like I said, if we hit 60%, it would shock me.

this is absolutely true. Is it a failure of the administration and the vaccination program or is it simply that a lot of Americans are extremely stupid?

I believe the point being made is that the administration should be bribing people to increase numbers, not that Biden is responsible for Facebook essential oils MLMers not getting vaxxed.

lol I meant "overwhelming number of Americans"

*shakes fist at clock* thanks, Chauvin

xp: milo otm, it's a failure of the program not to take that into consideration and build in some offsetting incentives to widen the net

Some people who would be more than happy to bring their neighbor a casserole during an illness wouldn't cross the street to get a free, safe vaccine that could save their own or their neighbor's life. Even if you gave them a free donut, too. It's maddening.

I absolutely think the administration should be doing more to encourage the holdouts, without a doubt. I don't think anyone is arguing the opposite. I just don't think every single post about the good progress we've made so far needs a "but but the holdouts, we're fucked" immediate response.

And believe me, I'm well aware of the irony of me of all posters saying so, but I just get discouraged by how quick we all are to undercut any positive movement.

jon, last month you were the one lamenting how deeply we were doomed!

lol I'm not picking on you, just commenting.

"get a vaccine and receive this special certificate with the name of an illegal immigrant you have personally selected for deportation"*

* for entertainment purposes only; no immigration policy will be set by vaccinating your dumb ass

You don’t have to be bummed out because other people are more pessimistic than you (now). If you’re feeling poz vibes, enjoy them.

No, it's fair! My doomposting was more of a personal doom though, tbh. I'm not saying we don't have significant hurdles to overcome, maybe we can also acknowledge what's going right without throwing everything out the window is all.

this is absolutely true. Is it a failure of the administration and the vaccination program or is it simply that a lot of Americans are extremely stupid?

the general thrust of all right-wing media, along with the actual President of the United States for 4 years, was "anything you don't understand is bullshit, everyone smarter than you is trying to trick you, all these complex issues are actually very simple". it's going to take a lot of work to undo that.

My workplace has stopped for the day...everyone seems to be watching with bated breath...nervous though hopeful.

god this is unbearable

I believe the point being made is that the administration should be bribing people to increase numbers

#2 person in the admin had a good, specific number iirc

jon I am happy to see your positivity and I think it's warranted, who could have predicted where we are now six months ago?

also tho, we should absolutely bribe people to get vaccinated. but NOT DAN'S IDEA

tbf if Josh hadn't used a tweet from Biden's COS to communicate the info it might not have been received as an opportunity to complain about what the Biden admin isn't doing right

how about free health care if you get a vaccine
how about we put this guy behind bars and start working through the caseload behind him
how about how about

crowds gathered outside the government center and george floyd square

Today, White House @PressSec Jen Psaki stated that the President does not support congressional efforts to legalize marijuana.

Biden's position "isn't the same as what the House and Senate have proposed," she said. pic.twitter.com/wqWtbP4fwO

— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) April 20, 2021

completely unfathomable if they fuck this up.

so my read is this is probably a yes on manslaughter and a yes on third degree but no on second degree? that one seems very difficult to prove.

really couldn't care less about pot right now so I will file that away and come back to it when I have capacity

I may be reading it wrong, but the chart here seems to indicate the 7 day average hitting a high Sunday after 6 days in a row over 3M.

for total numbers i'm going by bloomberg. but sure, whether we're at the peak or declining depends on how you count.

my concern is more that the groups that have had long enough that supply and their own schedules should not be issues are dropping before they get high enough. and those are the groups that personally benefit from it the most. there is no disagreement on the numbers for this afaict.

and yes, thanks everyone for explaining my point better than me, which is not: it is biden's job to solve epistimic collapse or that "this is a failure". it's: they have some moves they could make about this extremely obvious problem, and when they they make them i'll be fine with them patting themselves for doing well graded on curve that includes the trump administration.

this had got to go the right way

so my read is this is probably a yes on manslaughter and a yes on third degree but no on second degree? that one seems very difficult to prove.

― frogbs, Tuesday, April 20, 2021 3:40 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

it was my impression the second degree is a stretch, i think they dropped that charge then added it back in later?

yeah I believe you'd have to prove his intention from the start was to murder him which I don't think is gonna stick. the other two charges should be slam dunks though. if there weren't a cop involved.

ny times says: Second-degree murder, also called unintentional murder or felony murder, is killing someone in the course of committing another felony — in this case, the prosecutors will argue that Mr. Chauvin was assaulting Mr. Floyd. This charge does not require the prosecution to prove that Mr. Chauvin had any intent to kill.

The three charges each interpret Chauvin's intent last May in a slightly different way.

The second-degree unintentional murder charge is what's known as felony murder, or when a person commits an underlying felony and someone unintentionally dies. This charge requires the jury to find that Chauvin intended to assault Floyd and inflict substantial bodily harm.

The third-degree murder charge alleges that Chauvin had a "depraved mind, without regard for human life." The basic gist of depraved mind is "extreme recklessness," according to Richard Frase, Professor of Criminal Law at University of Minnesota Law School.

The charge is generally used in cases where a person drives a vehicle the wrong way or fires a weapon into a crowd. This murder charge was dismissed by the judge last year but reinstated in March after an appeals case involving the murder conviction of former Minneapolis Police officer Mohamed Noor.

Finally, the second-degree manslaughter charge relies on "culpable negligence," which has been interpreted to mean gross negligence combined with recklessness.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/us/derek-chauvin-charges-explain/index.html

yeah by that definition it should be all 3

GUILTY!!! FUCK YOU!!!!!

all counts guilty

YES!!!!

thank fuck

Guilty, guilty, guilty.

it's a fukken party tonight

FUCK YES

Hell yeah.

We've finally discovered what a cop has to do to get convicted for something

sentencing in eight weeks

i shouldn't be relieved or surprised but this is america

Dan, I know this doesn't go anywhere near far enough in repairing all of the pain for you and your community, but I was thinking of you when the verdict was read, and I'm just very happy for you that the right verdict was reached.

That goes for any of our BIPOC on this thread.

Now my initial euphoria has passed, I can't get past the fact that George Floyd is still dead.

Also a good moment to remember how fucking many unarmed black men and women have been killed by police in the USA in the year since Officer Chauvin murdered Mr. Floyd. And how few charges have been filed in their cases.

thank god, but also this ^ (xp to DJP)

saw his girlfriend break down at George Floyd square, just gutting

Also a good moment to remember how fucking many unarmed black men and women have been killed by police in the USA in the year since Officer Chauvin murdered Mr. Floyd. And how few charges have been filed in their cases.

― sharpening the contraindications (Aimless), Tuesday, April 20, 2021 5:14 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

And that if it weren't for one video, nothing would have happened.

Still, I hope this comes as a relief to many.