Woodward has Trump on tape in February, lucidly recounting basic facts, including severity & airborne transmission, that he was told by Xi. People who say it wouldn't have mattered: you don't know that. Savvy cynicism isn't politics; it's self-justification for paralysis.
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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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zeynep tufekci Retweeted permabullshitter
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 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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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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Replying to @zeynep
Ugh this reply-guy is delusional/major revisionist. De Blasio was telling people to go out to bars and enjoy themselves on March 10. I went to packed intnl art fairs in early March. NO-ONE was warning us of anything! In early Feb corona was a mildly concerning story out of China
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I know, but he is far from the only one making such a claim.
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Replying to @zeynep @evmolesworth
When would you say that most people became aware that airborne itransmission, especially indoors, was the big risk? Middle of May? Or is it even the case that people now understand that's more of a risk than surface contamination?
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What’s missing from the puzzle of „20/20“ is the widespread confirmation of asymptotic transmission as a major factor. Combine that with aerosols and you are in the scary place we are in now. W/o asymptotic „airborne“ alone was still „like flu“.
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