Shot in the Dark

Orders!

Governor Walz [last Tuesday] announced a new Executive Order intended to save Minnesotan lives from the deadliest virus ever known, Covid-19.

“More than 100 people died of Covid-19 the day after Thanksgiving.  It’s sad, but it’s their own fault.  They failed to follow my instructions to cancel Thanksgiving and they paid the price for it.  I’m only sorry the scofflaws took so many of their aged neighbors with them.  This blatant disregard of my Executive Orders cannot continue.   Effective immediately, all Christmas parties are banned during the month of December.  And since we now know I cannot depend on people to voluntarily obey the arbitrary rules, I’m announcing a new compliance program.  You’ve heard of Toys for Tots?  Well, this is Cash for Christians.  Report your neighbor’s holiday gathering and receive a check from the state.  The more violators, the bigger the reward.”

In response to Republican claims that such an order would somehow violate the “Constitution,” a spokesman for Attorney General Ellison stated, “Since the Governor’s order is authorized by statute and has not been overturned by the Legislature, it is presumptively valid. There is ample legal precedent to take action against people who threaten public peace under pretext of religion, particularly Executive Order 44 issued by the Governor Lilburn Boggs of Missouri in 1838. The notion that the Governor lacks the authority to suspend people’s so-called “Constitutional rights” during the time of state-wide emergency is absurd on its face.”

Local ministers called a press conference to protest the order but were summarily arrested and have not been heard from since.  An aide to the Governor confirmed he has reserved the Xcel Center for several events in coming weeks and also has instructed the Minnesota Zoo to stop feeding the big cats, but rumors of plans to feed Christians to the lions on pay-per-view were denied.

In Saint Paul, Joe Doakes, reporting.

Given that the state owns a freezer morgue that is empty (since Ken Martin let John Thompson out after the election), I suppose it brings new meaning to “putting suspects on ice”….

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32 responses to “Orders!”

  1. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    This week I told that THE ICU’s ARE filling up!
    Newsom issued his tyrannical social isolation orders when the ICU’s in Cali reached 85% capacity.
    Y’know what? In the winter months, ICU usage routinely hits 90% in Minnesota. It turns out that ICU usage is pretty elastic, the beds tend to fill up even during good times based on our old economic friend ‘marginal utility.’
    Crippling Minnesota’s economy to save the costs of doubling the ICU bed count seems . . . foolish.
    So does crippling Minnesota’s economy to keep ICU workers healthy. ICU beds can be created, people can be trained to work in an ICU.

  2. shakingmyhead Avatar
    shakingmyhead

    Max: Add in that one of the big things that “they” thought was needed – ventilators – was part of the whole ICU panic.

    Now, they’ve figured out that ventilators were killing people. So, again, less need to focus on the ICU situation.

    Also, didn’t Rudy just get the COVID? Dudes 70+ years old and is out of the hospital in 2 days? Yeah, this is scary stuff that’s going to kill everyone.

  3. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    Adding to MaxO’s comment about elasticity:

    During his April 8, 2020 press conference explaining the need to extend the Stay Home order, Governor Walz said we had 3,000 ICU beds available within 72 hours.

    https://ccxmedia.org/news/covid-19-update-mn-governor-to-issue-update-on-stay-at-home-order/

    starting at 17:30 of the video. The reason given for the extension was not lack of ICU beds, it was lack of ventilators which were on back-order at the time, and which are in ready supply today.

    Is this information on ICU beds no longer accurate? What changed, when, why, and to what number? Because if we still have plenty of ICU beds open, then medical facilities are not being overwhelmed so draconian measures are not warranted. What’s going on here, Governor?

  4. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    This is like the old Soviet Union, you have to rely on samizdata and guesswork based on what the media does NOT tell you.
    For example, we are told that California’s ICU occupancy rate is > 85%.
    But we are not told how much of that occupancy is due to patients who are in the ICU for covid.
    So it is fair to assume that number is low.
    We are also not told how many of the hospitalized patients contracted covid while in the hospital for something else.
    So we can assume that number is high.
    If I am wrong, I am willing to admit it. But to show that I am wrong we would need politicians who are willing to be honest and not “spin” numbers to justify the decisions that they have made, and a media class eager to ask these politicians hard questions (that is their job, after all).

  5. Night Writer Avatar
    Night Writer

    We are rapidly approaching the time in the U.S. where everybody knows, but nobody can say.

  6. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    If you really are interested, this link (a twitter thread) should help you understand the hospital situation.

    https://twitter.com/boriquagato/status/1335956092833161218

  7. Emery Incognito Avatar
    Emery Incognito

    And yet Rudy Giuliani is taking up a bed when he obviously feels well enough to give phone interviews. Send him home to recover and allow someone will a real need for that bed to get the care they need to survive.

    Its becoming increasingly difficult to articulate my feelings of disbelief at how so many citizens refused to do their small part to prevent this catastrophe. To all the healthcare workers: my heartfelt apologies on behalf of the willfully blind who refused to tolerate minor inconveniences to benefit the greater good.

  8. shakingmyhead Avatar
    shakingmyhead

    THE GREATER GOOD! Give up everything for THE GREATER GOOD!

  9. Emery Incognito Avatar
    Emery Incognito

    👆OK I can’t make fun of this, it’s more sad than funny. Bless this guy and people who need help.

  10. Pig Bodine Avatar
    Pig Bodine

    EI
    while your arrogance usually passes without comment, in this case it is necessary to slap you back. You do not have the right or authority or privilege to speak on behalf of anyone but yourself!
    Your moral preening is particularly risible given that you cheerfully support and advocate for murderers like Cuomo, Whitmer, Newsome, Walz, et al.

  11. Emery Incognito Avatar
    Emery Incognito

    We are forever indebted to the men and women who work in healthcare industries for their willingness to continue to work and save lives during a pandemic when so many people refused to take easy actions like wearing a mask, socially distancing, and staying home.

    They will be remembered as the true front line heroes that performed their jobs without proper PPE, equipment and governmental support. Their actions define what being an American is all about.

    The actions of those that accelerated and made this pandemic much worse than it needed to be will rightfully be remembered as unkind, unjust and abhorrent.

    We have a country full of nihilists, interested in only their personal agendas and not caring a whit about their neighbors and fellow citizens.

  12. Pig Bodine Avatar
    Pig Bodine

    More moral preening from EI a creature(s) who cheerfully aids and abets murderers on a daily basis!

  13. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    I’ve said it often before and I’ll say it now; ever since the Ebola scare of 2016, we have had a need to have a way of actually quarantining the sick during an epidemic. Specifically, let’s have hospitals and such set aside for use during epidemics, to be staffed first by volunteers and medical personnel in the National Guard, who are obligated by contract to report for duty.

    And let’s leave the big teaching hospitals alone, and then let’s have targeted shutdowns instead of general ones. Let’s follow the science as it’s been known for a mere….half millenium or so.

  14. shakingmyhead Avatar
    shakingmyhead

    BB – I think that one of the big issues (going back well before 2016) is that plans are too often created in a vacuum.

    As an example: A large city in Minnesota develops plans to deal with a weather event, like a tornado. The emergency planners are in on it, and maybe a few others. They decide the Minneapolis Armory (not the concert venue, the actual armory) is the place to put everyone. Except, someone elses plan was to stage responders there. And, no one can get in, since they haven’t spoken to the National Guard about it. So, they BREAK IN to the Armory, since their plans say it’s the place to use.

    That actually happened.

    Now, to your statement that hospitals need to be set aside for an epidemic. I agree. But, which hospital? Who determines that? Does that hospital get funding for when anyone refuses to go there after things are over? Also, Guard providers are also civilian providers who can’t be ordered onto State Active Duty. They could be ordered to Title 10 (Active Duty), but that would really cut into the civilian medical community.

  15. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    Emery Incognito on December 9, 2020 at 12:42 pm said:

    We are forever indebted to the men and women who work in healthcare industries for their willingness to continue to work and save lives during a pandemic when so many people refused to take easy actions like wearing a mask, socially distancing, and staying home.
    . . .
    Pay your own “debts,” pal.
    You are just flinging slogans at this point. Brain is completely turned off.

  16. Emery Incognito Avatar
    Emery Incognito

    You remind me of a neighbor down in the cities who told me that “no one thought it would be this bad.”

    When I laughed and asked if they were being serious I was told “this is why no one wants to talk politics to you because you get sarcastic and act like everyone is dumb.”

    How do you reason with brainwashed people?

  17. Pig Bodine Avatar
    Pig Bodine

    more condescension from EI, lickspittle to a murderous cadre!

  18. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    SMH; good points. Agreed that National Guard staff are also civilian providers, but on the flip side, a lot of them around me (in Rochester) were out of work due to COVID anyways. My thought is that if we had dedicated wards for infectious disease, we’d at least have more jobs than we did this spring for providers. No?

    Regarding where they’d be, I don’t even think they’d have to be permanent hospitals. You could simply repurpose an old Kmart building that’s currently empty, like the one in Rochester that Mayo owns. (or fairground buildings, or abandoned Wal-Mart buildings, or empty schools, or….)

    Big obstacle; the tendency for doctors to say “we’ve got this” (when they won’t in an epidemic or other disaster) and politicians who will run with the doctors’ tendencies until the cows come home.

  19. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    How do you reason with brainwashed people?
    Incredible lack of self awareness.
    Emery was wrong about Brexit (both the vote and the results), wrong about Hillary winning the 2016 election in a landslide (she didn’t), and, of course, woefully, pitifully wrong about Trump & “Russian collusion.”
    The people who read SITD and who believe Trump will prevail in the electoral college are probably encouraged because Emery believes that he will not.

  20. Emery Incognito Avatar
    Emery Incognito

    👆The people who believe the virus is a hoax are the same people who believe the election was stolen from Trump. One might say that the nation would be better off with fewer such people. One might wonder if natural selection is at work.

  21. Pig Bodine Avatar
    Pig Bodine

    One might say that the nation would be better off with fewer such people.

    And there it is, Emery displays his true agenda, this lickspittle to murderers who believes he can hide behind the passive voice, is looking for a Final Solution™.

    Despite, or because, of his pronounced intellectual deficit, his arrogance, and his profound ignorance EI is a critter to watch, when his masters began to cull the herd he plans to partake in that orgy of death.

  22. shakingmyhead Avatar
    shakingmyhead

    BB – we are in agreement. So satisfying to have happen!

    Your big obstacle is true though. Which is where a tabletop exercise with all concerned parties is vital, but rarely happens.

  23. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    Piggy, alas the trollbots will not be partaking in the orgy. They are useful idiots and will be sacrificed first.

  24. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    I have never said the virus was a hoax.
    Emery basically has snark and lies.
    Not a winning hand.
    Do not forget that Emery was miserably wrong about the Brexit vote, the results of the brexit vote, that he predicted Hillary would win in landslide of historic proportions in 2016, and that the Mueller investigation would present evidence that trump had colluded with Putin to steal the 2016 election.
    In all of these these things he was completely wrong. He did the dumb person’s thing — because he wanted a thing to be true, he assumed it must be true.

  25. Night Writer Avatar
    Night Writer

    Those who appeal to authority don’t like those who question authority. And once they are in authority they won’t tolerate the questions.

    A friend of mine from Kiev who was taken in the middle of the night and put in an insane asylum for three years because he reported that the man supervising the construction project he was working on was misappropriating materials for his own dacha. Clearly, in the minds of those in authority, my friend had to have been insane to make such a report.

  26. Emery Incognito Avatar
    Emery Incognito

    Woolly wrote: :The people who read SITD and who believe Trump will prevail in the electoral college are probably encouraged because Emery believes that he will not.”

    The point of Trump lying to the country regarding his stolen election isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to destroy truth. If nothing else, Trump’s provided a big boost for the 6-3 conservative court who now get to show off their independence by setting the bar at “won’t overturn election”.

    Trump and his allies are now 1-54 in post-election litigation.

  27. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    “The point of Trump lying to the country regarding his stolen election isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda.”

    Sez the goon who was wrong about the Brexit votes, wrong about its economic effect, wrong about Hillary winning in a landslide in 2016, and, of course, wrong about Russian collusion.
    I bet Emery can’t even see that the last paragraph spends not one word defending Trump, or that I make no claims about election fraud or who “really” won the 2020 presidential election, or who will be sworn in as president in January.
    Critical thinking is not a thing that Emery does.

  28. Pig Bodine Avatar
    Pig Bodine

    obviously for emery critical thinking is an easily exhausted resource, one only has to scan through his posts to grasp that particular truth.

    emery: “it hurts, it hurts, make it stop…” [lapses into inconsolable sobs]

  29. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    Here is an enlightening (tho short) piece on ICU covid utilization in North Central Wisconsin:
    https://waow.com/2020/11/11/explained-the-status-of-hospital-beds-in-wisconsin-north-central-region/
    I love data, can’t get enough of it. I’ve spent half my life collecting & archiving data to achieve scientific goals.
    According to the article (datelined Nov. 11), about 20% of all the hospital beds in Wisco are filled with covid patients. There are a little over 11,000 beds available state wide.
    The missing data is how many of those patients were admitted with covid.
    It is a mystery to me why, with nine months lead time, WDH couldn’t add 2,000 hospital beds.

  30. Emery Incognito Avatar
    Emery Incognito

    The Trump Coronavirus Disaster of 2020 —that is the spread of a deadly virus and a high and rising level of daily deaths as a consequence of one man’s cynicism, narcissism, and lack of care for anyone but himself — will be a major theme of future history books.

    The management of the Covid-19 pandemic pictures to perfection the US today, America is indeed self inflicted “carnage”.

  31. Pig Bodine Avatar
    Pig Bodine

    once again Emery, who joyfully coddles murderers, parades his monumental ignorance of how our republic works.

  32. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    MO; after my interaction with SMH, it occurred to me that the reason government isn’t opening up COVID wards is because if you expand medical care opportunities without disaster now, people will start asking why we can’t have more slots for new doctors, nurses, and hospitals when there is not an epidemic. That would in turn reduce wages, opposed by the AMA, and would reduce government control, opposed by politicians.

    One almost wants to see if we could open something like this up and dare the government to shut it down when ICUs are filling up.

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