Wait, what? Woodward had Trump on tape that the coronavirus was airborne BACK IN FEBRUARY (seems he learned this from Xi) and sat on it, presumably to release his book closer to the election? As we've been saying, the US crisis is elite failure *across* the political spectrum. https://twitter.com/mshelton/status/1303747254314962944 …
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I find this argument baffling. This isn't politics. This is giving up. "Nothing would work, they would spin, no point in releasing information, he'd claim a hoax" etc. etc. Yes, nothing will work if people think and act like nothing will work. https://twitter.com/Alagai/status/1303751365076942848 …pic.twitter.com/y6rvtgCIdI
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People have forgotten the media environment in February. I was begging journalists to take this seriously, being lectured that we should worry about the flu instead—and top newspapers were publishing articles saying we should continue traveling and masks were just superstition.
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People are telling me that everyone knew all this in February. I wish! After much frustration, I wrote an article at the end of February on the need to get ready for the coming pandemic. As far as I can tell, it's the first mainstream mention of the need for "flatting the curve."
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So, no, it's just not true that "everyone knew" in February. It was a month of complacency and/or false messaging. Do people forget what happened this quickly? Yes, I'm frustrated that Woodward had Trump on tape, lucidly stating correct and crucial information, and sat on it.
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Again: this isn't absolving the administration. But it's possible to *also* say that this was crucial information about a once-in-a-century pandemic, and informing the public quickly is a noble way to end a career that started spectacularly—much better than the 14th bestseller.
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I agree that this is possible and the kindest interpretation. I think we're having amnesia here, folks. In February, the common message *across media* wasn't that we were about to get hit hard, but this wasn't that big a deal, and what about the flu, etc.https://twitter.com/_DJ_DC_/status/1303805939187879945 …
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I dropped everything else and started writing about the pandemic in long-form at the *end* of February because I was desperately trying to convince smart, educated people in my broad circles to stop conferences & traveling, or at least to get their parents protected, and failing.
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A good number of people in my mentions making similar claims... That airborne transmission was obvious as early as February! Along with people saying "everyone" knew of severity of the situation. It's *September* 2020, and the CDC *still* doesn't have guidelines for ventilation.pic.twitter.com/9eNyjNQWJh
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I would like to banish "oh, you're surprised"; "everyone knows/knew this"; "it wouldn't make a difference" from our vocabulary. That savvy, cynical stance is, in effect, paralysis posing as sophistication.
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End of conversation
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Capitalism at its finest. Profits over people, always.
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