General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsdigby: A disgrace in the richest country in the world
https://digbysblog.net/2020/03/a-disgrace-in-the-richest-country-in-the-world/?fbclid=IwAR2n_7nGqlvt_VgaIcBkc84pzOKL0ysHCgrxfU39q_M_bH0b1yyWF3m52B0A disgrace in the richest country in the world
Published by digby on March 26, 2020
Because this administration refused to listen to the experts and decided they didnt need to prepare we are now letting people die for lack of protective gear for medical personnel:
snip//
The strategies are among hundreds of tactics and key policy decisions laid out in a 69-page National Security Council playbook on fighting pandemics, which POLITICO is detailing for the first time. Other recommendations include that the government move swiftly to fully detect potential outbreaks, secure supplemental funding and consider invoking the Defense Production Act all steps in which the Trump administration lagged behind the timeline laid out in the playbook.
Each section of this playbook includes specific questions that should be asked and decisions that should be made at multiple levels within the national security apparatus, the playbook urges, repeatedly advising officials to question the numbers on viral spread, ensure appropriate diagnostic capacity and check on the U.S. stockpile of emergency resources.
The playbook also stresses the significant responsibility facing the White House to contain risks of potential pandemics, a stark contrast with the Trump administrations delays in deploying an all-of-government response and President Donald Trumps recent signals that he might roll back public health recommendations.
The U.S. government will use all powers at its disposal to prevent, slow or mitigate the spread of an emerging infectious disease threat, according to the playbooks built-in assumptions about fighting future threats. The American public will look to the U.S. government for action when multi-state or other significant events occur.
The guide further calls for a unified message on the federal response, in order to best manage the American publics questions and concerns. Early coordination of risk communications through a single federal spokesperson is critical, the playbook urges. However, the U.S. response to coronavirus has featured a rotating cast of spokespeople and conflicting messages; Trump already is discussing loosening government recommendations on coronavirus in order to open the economy by Easter, despite the objections of public health advisers.
The NSC devised the guide officially called the Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents, but known colloquially as the pandemic playbook across 2016. The project was driven by career civil servants as well as political appointees, aware that global leaders had initially fumbled their response to the 2014-2015 spread of Ebola and wanting to be sure that the next response to an epidemic was better handled.
The Trump administration was briefed on the playbooks existence in 2017, said four former officials, but two cautioned that it never went through a full, National Security Council-led interagency process to be approved as Trump administration strategy. Tom Bossert, who was then Trumps homeland security adviser, expressed enthusiasm about its potential as part of the administrations broader strategy to fight pandemics, two former officials said.
Trumps only real method of decision-making when he came into office was to ignore or reverse anything the previous administration did. He was so unprepared and unfit that he didnt know anything else to do.
Now we are in a crisis and he is totally at sea. And Americans are dying.
Stuart G
(38,439 posts)Instead of acting like a fool, and making fun of the virus, he should have been a leader, & not a fool
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)was obvious for years, long before he was even a candidate. He's not making informed, logical decisions based on the known facts and the expert advice of experienced professionals in science and medicine.
Real people are dying in hospitals that are barely keeping up with 3rd world capabilities. There's no federal leadership to take charge of this nationwide disaster, cities and states hit the hardest by the virus aren't even getting the level of federal assistance they would get after a hurricane or tornado damage.
Trump's failed leadership is only focused on the demands of the wealthy, rich people like himself, who are concerned about making money during this unprecedented medical disaster.