"The most irresponsible people would have ignored him anyhow, no? Therefore how can you be so sure that even had Biden said what you want, and certain people complied, that it would have made much of a difference in number of deaths?"
I don't mind so much if people choose to ignore good advice.
My problem is with the arrogant way Biden gave bad advice.
If he would have hedged even a little I'd be more okay with it. He could have said something like, "Though it's too early to tell for sure, we're hopeful that the vaccines prevent infection and spread and it's safe for the vaccinated, and only the vaccinated, to take off their masks in crowded indoor areas, and so we're lifting the recommendation that everyone wear masks for now but if it turns out we're overly optimistic about the effectiveness of the vaccines then just be aware that we may have to recommend them again."
I'm going back over what happened and when. In February Biden said it was premature to end masking. He was right.
Here's what he said later on during the great unmasking:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/05/13/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-covid-19-response-and-the-vaccination-program-3/Just going to snip and comment.
"As the press here knows, I carry a card in my pocket with the number of lives lost to COVID as of the close of business yesterday: 580,073 lost lives."
I wonder if he still carries such a card in his pocket now that the number has almost doubled since he said that. How do you lose as many people after your great victory speech as you did before it? Makes no sense unless there never was a victory.
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"You’ve endured all this. When your country asked you to get vaccinated, you did. The American people stepped up. You did what I consider to be your patriotic duty. That’s how we’ve gotten to this day.
As President, I can say I’m pleased, but — I’m sure the Vice President agrees with me — we’re not surprised. Pleased, but not surprised. Because the simple truth is this: the American people have never, ever, ever, ever let their country down. Never."
Wow. That's a powerful indictment of his own foolish orders. He's right though. The American people didn't let their country down. He did. The American people were stepping up and we were winning. And if he wouldn't have led us down the wrong path we'd be winning still. It wouldn't be over by a long shot but we'd almost certainly have hundreds of thousands more Americans alive right now.
"Now, I want to be clear about what the CD- — CDC is saying and what the CDC is not saying. The CDC is saying they have concluded that fully vaccinated people are at a very, very low risk of getting COVID-19. Therefore, if you’ve been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Let me repeat: If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask."
Very, very low risk. That turned out not to be true. If he would have said a significantly lower risk that would at least have been a tenable position. He way oversold it. And the part about you no longer need to wear a mask if you're vaccinated? For every vaccinated person who took off their mask and died of covid, not true at all. They did need to keep wearing their mask. Would it have saved them? Not necessarily, but it's definite that when they didn't wear it they died so a mask wouldn't have hurt them and might have helped, if only they hadn't listened to Joe Biden.
"But if you’ve not been vaccinated, or if you’re getting a two-shot rou- — vaccine, and you’ve not gotten your — you’ve only had your first shot but not your second or you haven’t waited two full two weeks after your second shot, you still need to wear a mask."
Not quite true either. You still SHOULD wear a mask but you don't NEED to wear a mask anymore because nobody can tell who is vaccinated and who isn't. More ridiculousness.
"If you’re vaccinated, you can be around the vaccinated or unvaccinated people."
So not true either. The vaccinated can still spread it so if you've got vaccinated healthcare providers seeing people who can't be vaccinated or who just aren't and are maskless because they are in their own private rooms then you're going to be spreading covid, a lot like the people testing for covid were spreading it around on the cruise ships at the beginning. Biden let everyone's guard down with his misinformation.
"Q Mr. President, how do you enforce unvaccinated Americans to still use their masks?
THE PRESIDENT: I don’t — we don’t enforce it. We, in fact, if you don’t — if you haven’t been vaccinated, wear your mask for your own protection and the protection of the people who are — also have not been vaccinated yet.
It’s not an enforcement thing. We’re not going to go out and arrest people. But the fact of the matter is, I still believe the vast majority of the American people care about the safety of their neighbors and care about the safety of their families."
Well we all know how that turned out. Kind of puts a damper on the optimistic appraisal of the American people after all.
"You know, some may say, “I just feel more comfortable continuing to wear a mask.” They may feel that way. So if you’re someone with a mask — you see them, please treat them with kindness and respect. We’ve had too much conflict, too much bitterness, too much anger, too much polarization of this issue about wearing masks. Let’s put it to rest."
This part I liked and give him credit for.
