Except that these models are used to set public policy.

Only where politicians have the arrogance to think they can dictate policy to us. Our constitution does not have an asterisk that nullifies it all just because a virus came along. The shutdown governors need some jail time to reflect on their misdeeds against the people.

 

Only where politicians have the arrogance to think they can dictate policy to us. Our constitution does not have an asterisk that nullifies it all just because a virus came along. The shutdown governors need some jail time to reflect on their misdeeds against the people.

Sorry I live in Europe,
very different to the US which I guess is where you are.

I have heard various Americans say similar.

Can I ask, and its an open question, no pre conceived ideas,
where does the ideas you elude to come from ? is it in the constitution or something ? ( we don't have one )

How is it decided what rules people should follow, like driving , and which ones are optional ?

 

Mainland considers Taiwan a "rogue province" but Taiwan more considers itself autonomous and independent. I'd say it's similar to North and South Korea, so not really similar at all. In China, they'll round up "law-breaking" citizens and shoot them if they want, no questions asked. I think Taiwan they are more like us and that would be rare.

Taiwan until late 80's was a military run state,
it was only in the early 2000's that the "prison" for dissenters was closed.

 

where does the ideas you elude to come from ? is it in the constitution or something ? ( we don't have one )

Yes, our constitution is a sort of contract between we the people, the states, and the federal government. It pointedly reserves all rights to the people and the states that are not specifically enumerated for the federal government in the document itself. It stipulates things the federal government cannot do. The bill of rights amends the original document to make it doubly clear that the government cannot interfere with free speech, religion, the right to bear arms, and others. The right to privacy and other rights are not enumerated, but that doesn't mean the government can legally violate our privacy willy nilly.

The important thing is that a civil society agrees to abide by the rule of law. The constitution provides a mechanism for making changes to that law as needed. What it does NOT provide for is ad hoc rejection or replacement, outside of the legal mechanism, for the convenience of politicians. Politicians of course hate the limits it places on their power. They forget that they work for us, not the other way around.

 

The shutdown governors need some jail time to reflect on their misdeeds against the people.

I agree. Here in MN the governor has exercised emergency power for months. I think the legislative body is just unwilling to explicitly delineate where the limit is, nor even get the judiciary to make clear what it is currently defined as. While I think some of the actions of the state made sense, the fact that they may have been illegal is troubling.

The bill of rights amends the original document to make it doubly clear that the government cannot interfere with free speech,....

I don't think it is said often enough that the Bill of Rights was an explicit limit on democracy (the framers weren't fans of it - their "enemy" Great Britain was a democracy then.)

Today I visited my doctor for blood work, including a vitamin D test; get results tomorrow. I want to make sure it isn't high since I take 5000 IU each day. He said he thinks I should be fine. He also made some comments on how we know really nothing about the virus, whether masks work or not. More than once he called the vaccine a miracle. He says I'll probably be able to get it in a month or so.

 

Yes, our constitution is a sort of contract between we the people, the states, and the federal government. It pointedly reserves all rights to the people and the states that are not specifically enumerated for the federal government in the document itself. It stipulates things the federal government cannot do. The bill of rights amends the original document to make it doubly clear that the government cannot interfere with free speech, religion, the right to bear arms, and others. The right to privacy and other rights are not enumerated, but that doesn't mean the government can legally violate our privacy willy nilly.

The important thing is that a civil society agrees to abide by the rule of law. The constitution provides a mechanism for making changes to that law as needed. What it does NOT provide for is ad hoc rejection or replacement, outside of the legal mechanism, for the convenience of politicians. Politicians of course hate the limits it places on their power. They forget that they work for us, not the other way around.

Most of these rules/mandates to personal behaviors were lightly enforced, at least out here. Law enforcement decided they were not the covid-19 foot soldiers for governors.

https://www.theolympian.com/news/coronavirus/article243791997.html

In a statement posted on social media Wednesday, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office says it recommends everyone exercise “safe and precautionary measures,” including “wearing masks around those in high-risk groups,” but that it won’t be criminally enforcing the order.

“Due to the minor nature of this offense, and the possibility for a negative outcome during an enforcement encounter and various ways in which the order may be violated, it would be inappropriate for deputies to criminally enforce this mandate,” the statement reads.

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/coronavirus/article249181355.html

The Supreme Court instead concluded Snaza had discretion in how to enforce the mandate and his exercise of that discretion was “not manifestly unreasonable.”

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...lds-worst-Covid-death-tolls-major-report.html

US obesity crisis to blame for it having one of the world's worst Covid death rates: Major report reveals 90% of ALL coronavirus fatalities have occurred in countries where HALF of people are overweight

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...lds-worst-Covid-death-tolls-major-report.html
View attachment 232084
US obesity crisis to blame for it having one of the world's worst Covid death rates: Major report reveals 90% of ALL coronavirus fatalities have occurred in countries where HALF of people are overweight

I've been on a sugar-free and alcohol-free (and fun-free) diet for two months now... and I've been losing weight quite fast. I'm not only abstaining from candies and chocolate, but also from sugary fruits... I don't want to be part of the aforementioned statistic...

 

I've been on a sugar-free and alcohol-free (and fun-free) diet for two months now... and I've been losing weight quite fast. I'm not only abstaining from candies and chocolate, but also from sugary fruits... I don't want to be part of the aforementioned statistic...

I like Dark Chocolate from Trader Joe’s this one is less than 1gram sugar or = to 1/4 teaspoon sugar with almonds %100 Cocoa Dark Chocolate. Dark Chocolate has huge benefits, I can have 1 ounce a day, sometimes it’s all I need, I like the bottom one with a palm of Almonds together with some Almond Milk for a snack early afternoon. Satisfies my chocolate crave.



This one is also %85 Dark chocolate but 6 grams sugar which equals 1teaspoon sugar



kv

Edit: Can‘t beat the price $1.65 for the bottom one.

 

Yes, our constitution is a sort of contract between we the people, the states, and the federal government. It pointedly reserves all rights to the people and the states that are not specifically enumerated for the federal government in the document itself. It stipulates things the federal government cannot do. The bill of rights amends the original document to make it doubly clear that the government cannot interfere with free speech, religion, the right to bear arms, and others. The right to privacy and other rights are not enumerated, but that doesn't mean the government can legally violate our privacy willy nilly.

The important thing is that a civil society agrees to abide by the rule of law. The constitution provides a mechanism for making changes to that law as needed. What it does NOT provide for is ad hoc rejection or replacement, outside of the legal mechanism, for the convenience of politicians. Politicians of course hate the limits it places on their power. They forget that they work for us, not the other way around.

Thank you
very interesting difference between the countries.

 

 

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news...s-03-04-21/h_bb974209993d90ed6fde0eb9571a1945

There’s more evidence the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant first noticed in the UK poses little threat to the efficacy of vaccines.

Research published Thursday shows while that variant can hide a little bit from the immune system, it’s not enough to decrease the value of vaccines significantly – and it doesn’t threaten to re-infect people who have recovered from the previous dominant variant of the virus.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...le-help-preventing-viral-spread-idUKL3N2L30ZA
Japan supercomputer shows doubling masks offers little help preventing viral spread

https://ktla.com/news/california/ca...sk-to-better-protect-from-coronavirus-spread/

California now encouraging residents to ‘double mask’ to better protect from coronavirus spread

 

https://www.foxnews.com/health/covid-19-pill-preliminary-testing-dr-marc-siegel

"It may be the holy grail on this because it was just studied in phase two trials and it literally stopped the virus in its tracks," he explained. "And there wasn't any virus found in the patients that were studied."

 

https://static.nytimes.com/email-content/NN_sample.html

‘Finally, slowly, starting to run out’​

Public discussion of “herd immunity” often treats it like an on-off switch: When the U.S. reaches herd immunity, the crisis will be over; until then, the country has little immunity from Covid-19.​

But that’s not right.​

Herd immunity is more like a light dimmer. The more people develop immunity — either from having been infected or from being vaccinated — the less easily the virus will spread.​

 

This got bigger headlines than it deserves, in my opinion. I have not yet read the underlying studies but the descriptions are not remotely convincing.

https://www.rt.com/news/517699-covid-vitamind-supplements-debunked/

Two separate studies debunk theory that vitamin D supplements offer greater protection against Covid-19

As Yahoo News summarized it:

Despite the new doubts about the merits of vitamin D for coronavirus treatment, there's still a large body of research that suggests the nutrient is crucial for a healthy immune system. There's good evidence it plays a role in fighting off viral infection, which could extend to COVID-19.

 

This got bigger headlines than it deserves, in my opinion. I have not yet read the underlying studies but the descriptions are not remotely convincing.

https://www.rt.com/news/517699-covid-vitamind-supplements-debunked/


As Yahoo News summarized it:

Exactly. I don't think that anyone, including Dr. Fauci said it directly targets Covid-19 specifically but they still take it as a preventative for general viral immunity.

 

This got bigger headlines than it deserves, in my opinion. I have not yet read the underlying studies but the descriptions are not remotely convincing.

https://www.rt.com/news/517699-covid-vitamind-supplements-debunked/


As Yahoo News summarized it:

My wife needs an increase of vitamin D she is always low, she’s black and take blood pressure meds, a friend of mine said his boy got COVID and was hospitalized, feeling really poor which continued till the next day when they suggested he should IV drip vitamin D, B Complex, Zinc, he was already connected to IV drip, the only thing that changed was the addition of Vitamin’s, they believe it was what helped him out of possible danger early on.

kv

 

I just received my vitamin D results, 82.1 ng/mL, which is just over reference high value of 80. My doctor said "This is actually an excellent result." I take 5000 IU per day and wanted to make sure I wasn't taking too much.

 

Strange, mine was around 93 and was told it was in the toxic level (>80) and to discontinue...