How Fauci Fooled America

[timothyu]

The most intelligent are able to see beyond what most accept. They don't follow tradition but start from scratch. Unlike these, the majority of mankind are data parrots.

 

[muichimotsu]

What you said didn't have anything to do with what I said.

So...if Fauci admits he's wrong, you'll change your tone? Did you not get that from the first thing I inquired about? Pretty sure that's reading comprehension they teach for SATs and such, even if it's been easily a decade for me at this point

 

[muichimotsu]

The most intelligent are able to see beyond what most accept. They don't follow tradition but start from scratch. Unlike these, the majority of mankind are data parrots.

Data parrots /=/ people using data, but to act like you start from scratch is naive, because tabula rasa is not how we work in terms of social conditioning, education, etc.

 

[muichimotsu]

No. I disagree. Intelligence isn't a variable 'concept'. It's a definition: The ability to absorb and understand facts about the world and then to make logical predictions based on those facts. Intelligence is useless in itself. It has to be utilsed. Intelligence is: There is this, there is that, therefore...X.

Why can't so many people do that these days?

The logical connections: to compare it to electrical circuits and such might be more apt than I realize, but I'm neither an expert in electronics or electrical engineering, so..unsure.

 

[timothyu]

because tabula rasa is not how we work in terms of social conditioning, education, etc.

The point is that true intelligence does not allow itself to be conditioned.

 

[stevil]

He hasn't ended well, and now there are additional serious issues such as his involvement with likely gain of function experiments at Wuhan. I don't believe Fauci was involved in such work, but I do think the Chinese scientists at Wuhan were, and Fauci has damaged his own trustworthiness.

Only partisan hacks think Fauci has damaged his own trustworthiness.

Rand Paul for example, made a fool of himself trying to paint a narrative of Fauci doing political theatre by wearing masks even though he was vaccinated.

Right now we have the right wing anti-vaxxers trying hard to spread the misinformation that vaccinated people spread the disease just as easily as vaccinated people.
It is true that vaccinated people can spread the disease but the fact is that vaccinated people are less likely to spread the disease.
It is also a fact that people wearing masks are less likely to spread the disease.
And also a fact that a vaccinated person reduces the chances of spreading the disease if they also wear a mask.

With regards to the fiasco of Rand Paul accusing Fauci of funding Gain of Function research. It is clear that either Paul has no idea about what "gain of function" means or he is doing political theatre by making out "gain of function" is something different to what it is. Either way Rand is making a fool of himself while Fauci is being accurate.

When President Trump was up on stage promoting Hydroxi Chorloraquin, Fauci reiterated that HCQ was at that time unproven to be effective. It turns out that HCQ doesn't help at all with Covid-19.

But of course Right wing media lap this stuff up, and run with whatever narrative is the rightwing flavour of the day. They have no interest in truth and unfortunately many of their audience falls for it.

 

[RDKirk]

Only partisan hacks think Fauci has damaged his own trustworthiness.

"Trustworthiness" isn't merely a matter of honesty but also a matter of reliable knowledge. I do not at this point believe Fauci knows as much about what the Chinese scientists at Wuhan have been doing as he thinks he does, so his opinion about them is not particularly trustworthy in my opinion.

 

[stevil]

"Trustworthiness" isn't merely a matter of honesty but also a matter of reliable knowledge. I do not at this point believe Fauci knows as much about what the Chinese scientists at Wuhan have been doing as he thinks he does, so his opinion about them is not particularly trustworthy in my opinion.

Sure, he is an international expert on infectious diseases, he isn't an expert on Chinese scientists at Wuhan. He doesn't work there and Chinese Wuhan scientists don't report to him.

 

[muichimotsu]

The point is that true intelligence does not allow itself to be conditioned.

Conditioning can be an unconscious thing, I'm almost certain. You can recognize it after it happens, you don't necessarily recognize it AS it happens, our brains don't work in such a way that we can be that immediately aware of how it acts, since our brain supposedly decides some things before we're even conscious

Intelligence is not a capacity to resist conditioning, that'd be a function of the brain's more fundamental processing, and not something that we can train our brains for in regards to intelligence and learning (which isn't a monolithic thing, neurodivergence is a valuable contribution to how we understand such things and shouldn't be othered and dismissed by ableism)

 

[RDKirk]

Sure, he is an international expert on infectious diseases, he isn't an expert on Chinese scientists at Wuhan. He doesn't work there and Chinese Wuhan scientists don't report to him.

Yet he made decisions and gave advice based on his faith and trust in what those Chinese scientists told him they were doing. He didn't seem to realize that his Chinese colleagues were Chinese nationalists first and scientists second.

 

[stevil]

He didn't seem to realize that his Chinese colleagues were Chinese nationalists first and scientists second.

I don't know what that means. Are you caught up in some kind of conspiracy theory?

 

[RDKirk]

RDKirk said: ↑
He didn't seem to realize that his Chinese colleagues were Chinese nationalists first and scientists second.

I don't know what that means. Are you caught up in some kind of conspiracy theory?

What that means is that the Chinese scientists are going to operate first and foremost for the benefit of the Chinese government and would lie to him in that pursuit.

They would lie to him about any other work they were doing "off the books," and they would lie to him about any accidents they may have had.

 

[stevil]

What that means is that the Chinese scientists are going to operate first and foremost for the benefit of the Chinese government and would lie to him in that pursuit.

They would lie to him about any other work they were doing "off the books," and they would lie to him about any accidents they may have had.

I have no idea.

Hey, my wife is Chinese.
Does that mean she is loyal first and foremost to the Chinese government.
Is she a spy? doing stuff "off the books", is she manipulating me for those dastardly Chinese communists??? <shock><horror>

 

[RDKirk]

I have no idea.

Hey, my wife is Chinese.
Does that mean she is loyal first and foremost to the Chinese government.
Is she a spy? doing stuff "off the books", is she manipulating me for those dastardly Chinese communists??? <shock><horror>

That's an absurd comment and a strawman...unless your wife is actually an employee of the Chinese government as those scientists are.

 

[Bradskii]

I have no idea.

Hey, my wife is Chinese.
Does that mean she is loyal first and foremost to the Chinese government.
Is she a spy? doing stuff "off the books", is she manipulating me for those dastardly Chinese communists??? <shock><horror>

My wife used to work for the British government in the foreign office. The lies she must have told me...

Actually, there were times when I asked her about something specific and she'd say 'I'm not allowed to discuss that...' Not sure if she had a double O classification. Wouldn't tell me.

 

[stevil]

That's an absurd comment and a strawman...unless your wife is actually an employee of the Chinese government as those scientists are.

Dude, many people work for the government, doesn't mean they are spies. Teachers work for the government, doctors and nurses work for the government, postal workers etc. Many people in USA blew the whistle on Trump even though they technically worked for the government.

 

[RDKirk]

Dude, many people work for the government, doesn't mean they are spies..

I didn't say anything about "spies." That's more of your strawmanning.

The scientists at Wuhan are not "spies." But they are employees of the Chinese government and citizens of China. China's government police is not to reveal accidents to foreigners--this is something already well known. They also would not reveal to foreigners any work being done for their government outside of the compartment of work that was associated with the foreign scientists.

 

[timothyu]

Not sure if she had a double O classification. Wouldn't tell me.

You still alive? That might be a clue.

 

[Bradskii]

You still alive? That might be a clue.

But she doesn't like martinis, shaken or stirred. And wouldn't know a straight flush is it bit her on the butt.

And who shakes a martini anyway? Those who want it cloudy I guess.

 

[stevil]

And wouldn't know a straight flush is it bit her on the butt.

Don't bet on it. It's called a hustle.