Gadolhadorah

It seems like some of our posters are obsessed with denial of any mainstream medical and public health guidance on what measure have been shown to have material benefits in viral transmission and lowering of infection rates. No one is saying that masks or social distancing eliminate risk or are 100 percent effective but until we have proven vaccines and therapeutics, they are better than injecting chlorine or using any of the other unproven remedies being pushed by right-wing zealots.

Coffee Addict: NO ONE says that yidden are the only non-compliant segment of the population that are the primary source of viral transmission. However, at least in the short term, they are the most visible non-compliant group in the neighborhoods with infection rates 3x to 4x higher than City averages. The shutdown restrictions apply equally to ALL religious institutions in those neighborhoods, Jewish and otherwise. Tonight, we read on the YWN news page that the City had to preemptively block a planned Satmar wedding in Willy where potentially up to ten thousand chassidim planned to attend. I have no way of knowing whether the story is true but if so, it reinforces the narrative that there is an arrogance that the “rules don’t apply to us” and Yidden are entitled to act like a bunch of college students at Spring Break with no consequences.

Its great for the Mods to tolerate some really bizarre political conspiracy theories on an open forum but at some point. promoting unproven and potentially dangerous “cures” for the Corona Virus is pushing the envelope. While most YWN readers are smart enough to ignore such hype of cures with “100 percent success rates”, there are sadly some with family members who are desperately ill or lack access to medical care who might c’v take some of this garbage seriously.

1: That “communist” judge (Merit Garland) is about as consdervative as you are intelligent. He is universally respected across the political spectrum. Even the few Republicans who voted against his nomination to the D.C> Circuit claimed at the time they thought the D.C. Circuit had too many judges relative to its caseload and were not voting against him based on any concern over his qualifications.
Would you occasionally post something substantive rather than relying upon your limited Trumpian thesaurus..

Orech Din: Thanks for one of the best summaries of a complex and controversial topic I’ve seen. There have been “irregularities” at elections forever and given that tens of millions are voting at hundreds of thousands sites administered independently by tens of thousands of local and state election boards, the miniscule numbers of such glitches is really amazing. Obviously, the Trumpkopf’s desparate rants about problems with absentee/universal voting are a diversion, just like his rants about everything from busloads of voters being brought into New Hampshire, Antifa thugs threatening voters in Republican precincts etc. are about as phony as his hair and IQ. The real issue we should be focusing on is the rampant voter suppression going on, much of it in coordination with the RNC, now that they are freed from the restrictions previously imposed under the voting rights act.

“Their indignation is the height of hypocrisy….”
I am constantly amazed at those who express surprise at politicians acting politically versus taking principled, consistent positions rooted in what is best for the public interest. Its just that the spineless Repubicans under Trump who have lost any iota of principle seem to now do it so frequently and flagrantly, it no longer seems to register on the hypocrisy meter. Romney tried today to summon his “inner Republican” voice but couldn’t go that far and seemed to say “a plague on both your houses” (although he seem to wish a bigger magafah on his Republican colleagues who he claimed were the worst offenders on his political toxicity meter.

Sam Klein: Vote republican and remember who really runs the UNITED STATES AND THE ENTIRE WORLD

Sam….do you mean George Soros and his chevrah??

Mazel tov. So now the public face of covid denial in the United States has morphed to include armed white supremacist militias dressed in camouflage vests claiming that mask and distancing laws violate their right to get infected and infect others along along with the Tischler wing of the Chareidi tzibur in the NYC metro area dressed in yeshivish lvush who burn masks and dumpsters and scream Naziiiis at local police and first responders.

“The crown heights website(as well as others) won’t quit publishing cute photos of jews preparing for yom tov while not wearing masks and gathering in masses…”

Did they also publish “cute photos” of the overwhelmed members of the Crown Heights and Willy chevrah kadishahs or feature headlines like that currently running on the YWN news site regarding the morgue in EY where there are so many bodies piled up, they can no longer “close the doors”

zip codes such as 10023 and 10471 with high percentages of frum yidden in Manhattan and the Bronx are actually testing below city average positivity rates and are not subject to any special restrictions. Clearly they are doing something right in terms of complying with public health guidelines versus the Brooklyn and Queens zip codes with much higher positivity rates and much lower compliance with mask and social distancing rules. Not too late to begin making a real effort to comply before the flu season begins and potentially serious hospitalization issues emerge. Yes, both Cuomo and deBlasio are inept in terms of how they have communicated with the frum tzibur but for now, their guidance is the same as our own rabbonin and askanim have been providing for months, apparently to no avail.

“Do we really think Hashem won’t help us and only Tiachler et al will?
Apparently so, since so many ehrliche yidden in these neighborhoods prefer to ignore the pleas of local rabbonim and askanim and prefer to stand out on the streets at midnight with this obnoxious “activist” and yell gevalt and naziiiii and start dumpster fires. So much more effective….

Rava: Brilliant idea. Only those who know they are covid-free should be allowed to take the test so yidden can “flatten the curve” and all the others who might have been exposed or show symptoms should follow the President’s advice and just “get on with their lives” and not be afraid to be infected. All those news photos of refrigerated trucks with body bags outside hospitals from several months ago were fake news. If you do get sick, the President has promised to send helicopters to Willy, BP etc and fly you to his hospital suite in Maryland where you will be treated by his personal physicians. If by some chance you are not the only one needing medical attention, you will get an overnight mail package including hydroxychloroquine (with azithromycin and zinc) and a hand written note wishing you a refuah shelamah.
Perhaps it would be easier for yidden to wear a mask and stand vuv amos apart per the guidance of public health experts, rabbonim and askanim.

When you start calling Cuomo etc. “Nazis”, you immediately lose lots of folks, including many prominent rabbonim and askanim in New York State who strongly disagree with how they have managed the virus from the beginning and are frustrated by their inability to communicate with the frum tzibur but wouldn’t ever adopt your hyperbole.

In fairness to the proud Repubican, he didn’t tear off the mask until he was upstairs on the veranda overlooking the south lawn. Thus, the only ones within 6 feet were the two videographers (who were wearing masks) and the SS agents inside where he then went to tape a tweet/video. Tearing off the mask at the first opportunity is the Trumpkopf’s way of demonstrating his political virility and manifesting strength. After all, only wimps wear masks and he has now “dominated” the virus. I’ll leave it to Reb Eliezer as to whether its a b’racha l’vatalah to keep davening for a fool who deliberately and repeatedly seeks to risk the health of himself and others .

HIE: Great advice. As the President tweeted today, its survival of the fittest (like him). Just remain strong, don’t fear the virus and don’t allow it to ‘dominate your life”. I guess the 210,000 Americans who have died from the virus in the past 6 months, including thousands of young and middle aged individuals without compromised immune systems or other serious co-morbidities, simply succumbed to fear. As the Trumpkopf noted in an interview a few weeks ago when confronted with the number of deaths, “it is what it is” but then added “of course every death is a tragedy” when reminded by a friendly Fox news reporter how callous his comments sounded. I guess if you have a hospital suite with your name on it on standby, a helicopter to get your there in 5 minutes, a team of 10 doctors ready to attend to you 24×7 and access to therapeutic drugs no one else can yet obtain, maybe you don’t have as much to fear.

Syag: I grant you mechilah and I share your warm feelings for other posters who candidly express contrarian views. However, I have no apologies for the contempt I hold for the way the President and this administration have put the country at risk by their reckless approach to the virus. If that “delusional”, so be it.

Mod: Probably so, but with all respect to the “Office” of the presidency, there are literally hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been put at risk by the actions of the incumbent. Per my comment on another thread, I wish that he, the First lady and all of his Staff infected have a refuah shelamah but I cannot have any expectation that his actions will now suddenly shift towards setting an example for millions of his followers who have disregarded the guidance of public health and medical experts, whether it be masks, social distancing or therapeutics. Rather, I fear he will cite his quick recovery and mild symptoms as affirmation of his reckless behavior.

Even with the new “conservative” justice, there is zero likelihood that the court would reverse the gay marriage rulings. Roe v. Wade is definitely at risk, along with possible prohibitions against late term procedures but again zero liklihood of the Feds over-riding the states and trying to impose a Federal ban on all abortions.

Sad that these times have brought out a proliferation of really bad trolls who mindlessly spout the Trumkopf tweets. Wwhere is Reb Yosef when we desperately need some enlightened trolling and uplifting humor???

When some of the local Trumpkopf groupies still are posting nutcase conspiracy theories already disclaimed by Fox, NY Post, and taken down by all the social media sites, it highlights the importance of making sure you are tuned in to the most current Russian troll farms and getting the new theories on a real time basis. Nothing as bad as reposting and old troll when there are so many new ones.

Sam: Hopefully, this is not one of your dumb trolling posts. Why would any yid risk the lives of himself/herself and others who are inside a shul during these times by NOT sanitizing their hands. Perhaps you should make asher yatzer than rush into the beis medrash and give a hearty g’mar tov handshake to all the daveners but remember to first remove your mask, in the unlikely event you are wearing one.

“A Jewish “meet at a bar” system isn’t for everyone
During these times, I don’t think meeting or drinking at bars is for anyone. There are multiple “safe” places for initial meetings and “getting to know one another” sessions, whether on zoom, socially distanced at a park, walking through one of the many recently opened museums with spatial limitations etc. etc. First think about WHO best fits your criteria, than the logistics of meeting will come easier.

Syag: You articulate one of the most tragic side-effects of the various efforts to slow the spread of the virus with protocols that we really aren’t sure how effective they are although we know they do slow the spread. Until a vaccine is widely available and used, there would be a real solution but by using masks and social distancing, the timeline may be shortened and the adverse mental health effects will be mitigated more rapidly

1: All??? I guess I’ve said a dozen times how frustrating it is that BOTH parties seem to end up with such terrible candidates. Why we get such mediocrity every 4 years is a mystery considering that there are some really outstanding you leaders in both parties with great ideas and much less partisanship. The Dems, who I clearly favor, seem to revert to their dysfunctional circular firing squad positions every time the Trumpkopf gives them an opportunity to stake out rational policy alternatives. On Masks, yes I do think that Dems generally are more prone to wear masks at their gathering than the MAGA rallies, where mask-wearing is akin to showing up with a Hillary Clinton in 2024 T-shirt.

Unhealthy: Turn on your TV now to OAN or Fox. They have live coverage of the Trumpkopf’s Harrisburg PA rally. The 40 or so props (aka people) behind him are Allwearing masks. Then watch as the cameras rotate 180 degreess occasionally and show the audience in front of the podium.. Several thousand packed together. No distancing and virtually no masks. But don’t believe your own eyes. The deep staters at OAN and FOX are photo-shopping out all the masks to make them invisible.