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posted by martyb on Thursday May 21 2020, @02:53AM   Printer-friendly
from the WORLD-health-organization dept.

Trump threatens to take US out of WHO entirely and stop all funding:

In a letter to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump alleged that "the repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world" and that the WHO must "demonstrate independence from China."

"[I]f the World Health Organization does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization," Trump wrote. "I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America's interests."

Trump posted the letter on Twitter, writing, "It is self-explanatory!"

Trump has repeatedly denied any responsibility for COVID-19 spreading in America and said on April 14 that the US would temporarily halt funding the WHO until his administration completed a review of the group's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump's letter yesterday said that "review has confirmed many of the serious concerns I raised last month and identified others that the World Health Organization should have addressed, especially the World Health Organization's alarming lack of independence from the People's Republic of China."

[...] Trump's letter then lists a series of claims, the first being that the WHO "consistently ignored credible reports of the virus spreading in Wuhan in early December 2019 or even earlier, including reports from the Lancet medical journal."

The Lancet quickly issued a response explaining that Trump is wrong. "This statement is factually incorrect," The Lancet said. "The Lancet published no report in December, 2019, referring to a virus or outbreak in Wuhan or anywhere else in China." The Lancet's first reports on the topic were published on January 24, 2020 the statement said.

[...] Trump's letter yesterday said, "Throughout this crisis, the World Health Organization has been curiously insistent on praising China for its alleged 'transparency.'" Trump's letter did not mention that Trump himself praised China for its "transparency" on January 24 or that Trump repeatedly praised China for its coronavirus response throughout February.

[...] Health experts say Trump's travel ban had little effect on the pandemic's spread. Trump continued to downplay the virus's severity by comparing it to the flu as late as March 24, nearly two months after the WHO declared a global health emergency. Trump has also fought state governors over their cautious approaches to reopening the economy.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @01:02PM (22 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @01:02PM (#997354)

    I've been trying to explain that about him to people for years here and apparently not getting anywhere. The guy's a high-functioning (debateably...) sociopath. There is only one actual human in the mind of a sociopath, and that is the self. Everyone else is just as much of an object, a means to an end, as every*thing* else.

  • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday May 21 2020, @01:02PM (12 children)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Thursday May 21 2020, @01:02PM (#997355) Journal

    Damn it, misclicked again. That was me.

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday May 21 2020, @02:18PM (11 children)

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Thursday May 21 2020, @02:18PM (#997383) Journal
      I knew that...,.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @03:48PM (7 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @03:48PM (#997419)

        Because of the message or your abikity to see the IP hash?

        • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday May 21 2020, @04:06PM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Thursday May 21 2020, @04:06PM (#997425) Journal

          Because of her writing style and the fact that it is a view that she has expressed numerous times elsewhere.

        • (Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Thursday May 21 2020, @04:25PM (5 children)

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Thursday May 21 2020, @04:25PM (#997430) Journal

          The IP hashes change frequently for some people - sometimes for each internet session. They are useful for tying 2 comments made by an AC together over a short period of time. There is no way that I can get the IP from the hash and simply changing the proxy or vpn that is in use defeats even linking comments together.

          But so many of our community have very distinctive writing styles, identifiable political views, or specific interests and expertise, and other natural traits so, for some, any post that they make that contains a reasonable amount of content gives enough information to make a guess at their identity with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

          • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @05:41PM (3 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @05:41PM (#997457)

            The IP hashes change frequently for some people - sometimes for each internet session. They are useful for tying 2 comments made by an AC together over a short period of time.

            You mean people using VPNs or TOR. For everyone else you get a nice reliable hash that doesn't change. You may not store the hashed IP for each comment for more than 2 weeks(?) but that hash doesn't change. So if someone's ISP doesn't change their IP in a year then you can identify that IP if you recognize or copy down the hash.

            Basically editors and admins can tie messages to a specific IP, and if users aren't on VPNs or TOR then admins/eds can track them. I do love how every time this stuff comes up you and TMB try to minimize the tracking advantages you have over users. The way you attempt to describe the IP hasing makes it sound a lot more anonymous than it actually is.

            All that said, yes writing style and repeated arguments are also a thing so I doubt you had to check Azuma's IP hash even though it is sitting right in front of you. No need to dig or anything :P

            • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday May 21 2020, @07:07PM (2 children)

              by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Thursday May 21 2020, @07:07PM (#997511) Journal

              Basically editors and admins can tie messages to a specific IP, and if users aren't on VPNs or TOR then admins/eds can track them.

              No - read what I said. I cannot convert the hash to an IP. I have no access to any IP addresses. Whether they change or not - I CANNOT SEE IP ADDRESSES EVER. I do NOT have direct access to the database. I do NOT have access to server logs. I do NOT have access to any personally identifiable information that you might have provided, unless you have put your email on a submission for the whole world to see. That is something that far exceeds the privileges granted to an editor. There may be sysadmins who can see more than that, but as an Editor I cannot.

              Currently you are AC "e546c182ae" - but that could change at any time you choose to change it. I haven't got Azuma's IP, nor your IP nor anyone else's IP. Nor do I want it. All I need to be able to do is help maintain the site's operation - and I don't need IP addresses to do that task. I do need to be able to identify site abuse, but that doesn't require me to have anyone's IP address. Now, smart-ass, rather than come here and start stirring the pot over something which is entirely off-topic, you show me a way of converting that hash into your IP.

              Put up or shut up time.

              I do love how every time this stuff comes up you and TMB try to minimize the tracking advantages you have

              Simple - I haven't got them and I'll bet that the majority of people working on this site haven't got them either. And of those that might have them no-one has ever given any information to me. Now, tell me again about the 'advantages' that I have...

              • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2020, @03:46AM (1 child)

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2020, @03:46AM (#997709)

                Sheesh, I never once said you could see the actual IP, just that the hash remains the same. I guess you got lost when I said "tracking", which actually just meant you can tell if any set of comments come from the same person. Well, the likely same person, people using IP anonymizing services could occasionally post from the same IP.

                I just like to remind people around here what a certain privileged segment of the users around here are privy to ;)

                • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday May 22 2020, @06:07AM

                  by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 22 2020, @06:07AM (#997743) Journal

                  Sheesh, I never once said you could see the actual IP

                  Read the very first quote of your statement in my previous comment. You DID say IP. You also said that we do tracking - NO we don't. Perhaps you should choose your words more carefully.

                  You know very well that every server you contact has to know your IP address in order to return the data you have requested. However, we immediately hash it and work entirely with the hash. Very few people on this site have access to the IP address. We protect it. If you think that every server in the world is actually tracking you then perhaps you should always stay behind a VPN/proxy or simply avoid using the internet at all.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @07:55PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2020, @07:55PM (#997542)

            This is indubitably untrue! ACs are all known to the admins, and the eds. SN is a trap!

            #Freearistarchus!!!!

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday May 23 2020, @01:26AM (2 children)

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Saturday May 23 2020, @01:26AM (#998041) Journal

        I never post AC, except by accident like this, and always reply with a "derp-a-derr, that was me." It's cowardly (hell, it's even in the name!), low, dishonorable, and a sign of someone's arguments and ideas being weak. Were I able to set policy here, AC posts would be at -1 by default.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2020, @09:13AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2020, @09:13AM (#998107)

          Or it is a sign that they can stand on their own without the extra attention or moderation boost they get from being tied to an explicit identity.

          • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday May 24 2020, @04:32PM

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Sunday May 24 2020, @04:32PM (#998456) Journal

            ...have you *seen* most of the AC posts? The ones that aren't outright trolling tend to be pretty damn low on the signal-to-noise ratio.

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 24 2020, @07:04AM (8 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday May 24 2020, @07:04AM (#998383) Journal

    I've been trying to explain that about him to people for years here and apparently not getting anywhere.

    Your "trying" remains deeply flawed - for example, not providing any evidence for the above assertions and fabricating straw men. But maybe repeatedly trying in the same broken way will eventually work? It supposedly works for Russian Facebook trolls so why not you?

    • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday May 24 2020, @04:33PM (7 children)

      by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Sunday May 24 2020, @04:33PM (#998457) Journal

      It's never going to get anywhere with you because you're one of the said sociopaths. There are about half a dozen serious offenders on this site, I'd say, and you have a place on the list.

      --
      I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
      • (Score: 0, Troll) by khallow on Sunday May 24 2020, @05:32PM (6 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday May 24 2020, @05:32PM (#998478) Journal

        It's never going to get anywhere with you because you're one of the said sociopaths.

        This is far from the first time that you've claimed that you have to abandon your pretense to rational argument by throwing [soylentnews.org] a [soylentnews.org] label [soylentnews.org] on [soylentnews.org] someone [soylentnews.org] else [soylentnews.org].

        In order, the labels were "lost cause", "RWNJs, the kind of sociopath", "demon in a skin suit" (more labels in that one), "demented psychopathic God-concept", "social Dunning-Krugeritis", and "tired old misogyny". Basically, the pattern is label someone, insinuating or as in your above post explicitly stating that the label means the target is unworthy of a rational response, and then ad hominem away.

        Well, there's a difference between bald statements never backed by fact and a long established pattern of dysfunctional reasoning going back years.

        • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday May 24 2020, @05:44PM (5 children)

          by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Sunday May 24 2020, @05:44PM (#998484) Journal

          Your post history is all the proof we need. You make my argument for me better than I ever could. And the best part? *You never know when to shut the fuck up.* I find that's a common failing with others of your kind as well; you're convinced you're correct and no one else is even human, so why bother showing even a modicum of self-restraint or careful consideration before speaking?

          Keep yapping, Hallow. You do more damage to yourself than anything I could ever say about or do to you on this forum.

          --
          I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 24 2020, @05:57PM (4 children)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday May 24 2020, @05:57PM (#998491) Journal

            Your post history is all the proof we need.

            I notice that you never ever go through my post history for examples. Another pattern you exhibit - unfounded assertions.

            • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday May 24 2020, @10:46PM (3 children)

              by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Sunday May 24 2020, @10:46PM (#998603) Journal

              Same reason fish never go through the ocean looking for an example of water...

              --
              I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
              • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday May 25 2020, @07:44PM (2 children)

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 25 2020, @07:44PM (#998916) Journal
                Now if there was some way we could tell whether you were a fish in or out of water.
                • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday May 25 2020, @08:41PM (1 child)

                  by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday May 25 2020, @08:41PM (#998941) Journal

                  False choice. I am not a fish of any sort, in this metaphor.

                  --
                  I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...