Indeed, that's why the US has failed in its COVID response. Too *much* planning.
Honestly, this argument gets worse the longer one stares at it. The US has had a markedly *de*centralised approach to the pandemic. A lot has been left to the states, and even different cities and counties in the *same* state may have different policies.
I won't stand here and pretend that central planning has no limitations, but the US has applied far too *little* of it in this crisis, and where power *was* centralised, it was not with the "bureaucratic elite" but in the hands of people like Jared Kushner and his pals.
Power was centralised at the White House and HHS, shifted away from the CDC where it ought to have been this whole time. This is less "central planning" and more Trump's mob boss mentality and scorn for those same "elites" leading us into this quagmire.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Katherine Cross

Katherine Cross Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @Quinnae_Moon

6 Jan
You're already hearing this a lot, I imagine, but those of us who have warned for years that what's said and done online is consequential, that people like this were not 'just trolling,' have known something like this was inevitable if nothing was done.
And I will add: this did not in any way start with GamerGate, as some are claiming. GG was an inflection point, a moment when the far-right online invaded a mainstream hobby for recruitment. But it should be blatantly obvious that today's events didn't *begin* there.
The alt-right predates GG, despite what you may commonly hear. And, as for the long arc of American history, there are deeply alarming analogues. It's all part of a long history of white supremacism in this country. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmingto…
Read 8 tweets
6 Jan
The Republican Party has proven its spinelessness many times over, but after tonight's election it looks even more pathetic. Trump was an actively *destructive influence* on the GOP's chances. Trump's fans/cult will never support them. Time to cut bait.
There will be many stories to come from this election. Black community organising, groups like Voto Latino causing a big bump in Latino votes for the Dems, Trump depressing GOP turnout, they're all factors.
But for Republicans who privately scorn Trump, the argument for their ongoing, grovelling support, was that he won them votes. He turns out his fanbase for them.

Except, clearly, he didn't. He weakened the GOP against a *strong* Dem challenge.
Read 5 tweets
5 Jan
The more mealy-mouthed GOP apologists for Trump's fraud claims treat the perception, the *feeling* that the election was fraudulent as prima facie evidence.

As always, the right does everything they falsely accuse the left of, and they pursue it to the hilt.
Like, of course the "facts don't care about your feelings" crowd would stoop to this, because what they really want is a world where *their* feelings ought not care about facts. And that's all its about: ego spiralling wildly out of control.
That's the unshakably attractive fantasy Trump has always sold them: a world that bends to their will, where they never have to hear a word they don't like, where what they say and feel is always true and determinative.
Read 4 tweets
2 Jan
This is why I've always vehemently disagreed with those who assert Trump is some kind of secret evil genius who only pantomimes his buffoonery. There are smart, progressive people who *still* believe this!
The buffoon who hides his sinister cunning behind a "wot, me guv?" panto act is definitely a type in politics (see: Johnson, Boris). But it's not Trump. He *is* actually as catastrophically incompetent as he appears to be, incapable of planning, much less executing one.
The pandemic was an issue no one had preconceptions about, because it was completely new. Most people knew what they thought about Trump re: immigration, say. But Trump and COVID was obviously novel. It was an opportunity for him to dramatically reset the story of his own gov't.
Read 12 tweets
30 Dec 20
Remember, this was the signature audit many of the right wing conspiracy theorists were screaming for. They'll either say nothing, or come up with some ridiculous argument that the audit was itself fraudulent. The goalposts will always move.
Some earnest reformers, as well as moderate Republicans speaking in bad faith because they're too cowardly to tell the truth, claim that the conspiracy-mongering can be cured through transparency, audits, and investigations.
This, of course, pretends that any of this was about *facts* in the first place, as opposed to power.

Nothing. Not. A. Thing. will persuade the average MAGA maniac that they're wrong. There'll always be another excuse, another bit of sophistry to paper over the latest loss.
Read 4 tweets
20 Dec 20
Imagine, if you will, a world where seatbelts did *not* come standard in every motor vehicle, where they were largely unregulated, there was a run on them leading to hiked prices, and everyone was suddenly asked to get one at once. You might see some gaps in compliance.
This is, and always has been, the problem with this argument. Instead of calling for police intervention, masks should be free, widely-available, and handed out at every opportunity. In front of stores, at bus stops and railway stations...
I've said it a thousand times already, but the way this pandemic has made nominal progressives clamour for cops, violence, and punishment is *deeply* alarming. In part because this is a crisis that should cater to the strengths of liberal and leftist policy alike.
Read 6 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!