#reopenamerica

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[sarcasticcynic]

Gun advocacy and conservative groups are responsible for astroturfing the reopen America campaign that has swept the US in recent days, according to research from cybersecurity experts.

Context

“Since April 15, protests against coronavirus lockdown measures have been sweeping across various American states. ... over 500 new domains related to the protests have been registered in the past month.”

“The largest number of them were created just hours after President Trump sent a series of all-caps tweets urging citizens to ‘liberate’ themselves from new gun control measures and state leaders who’ve enacted strict social distancing restrictions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Suspicion

“A number of the state-based reopenmn[.]com or reopenmd[.]com domains were all registered on GoDaddy at the same time and within seconds of each other. This led them to suspect that the reopen America protests were not a grassroots campaign, but actually a coordinated astroturfing—or fake grassroots—effort.”

Research and Confirmation

According to DNS-focused cybersecurity firm DomainTools:

“By gathering domain names that include the same words, and by analysing the domains for other similarities, DomainTools was able to determine that many of them ‘redirect to a state-based firearms coalition group.’ ... these groups tie back to Aaron Dorr, a registered lobbyist for the state of Iowa. ... the ‘reopen’ websites linked to Aaron Dorr bear various similarities, including the fact that they were built using nonpartisan advocacy platform One Click Politics and also WordPress. By looking at one of them, the Iowa Gun Owners website, DomainTools was able to find Dorr’s telephone number. DomainTools then examined the historical SSL certificates used for each of the firearms advocacy domains, finding Mr. Dorr’s personal domain and also numerous other domains associated with other firearm’s coalitions elsewhere in the US. ... this ‘raised the likelihood for us that Mr. Dorr was the one running these campaigns.’ In other words, a batch of the ‘reopen America’ domains are the work of a single gun advocacy network.”

The full analysis from DomainTools is here.

Who Is This Guy?

Aaron Dorr and his brothers Chris, Matt, and Ben are infamous for capitalizing on fearmongering to fundraise hundreds of thousands of dollars for themselves. Even the staunchest supporters of the Second Amendment despise the Dorrs:

“They are not motivated by a genuine appetite for advancement of Second Amendment virtues ... They are there to stir the pot and make as much animosity as they can, and then raise money off that animosity.”

The Dorr brothers are so blatant that the Minnesota GOP--hardly a group of anti-gun liberals--sponsored an official website exposing them as “Minnesota Scammers” for creating a fake gun-rights group, a fake pro-life group, and two fake pro-Trump groups.

Another website devoted to “Exposing the Dorr Brother Scams” explains how the Dorrs rake in the profits from all of their supposed non-profits:

“Rent or sell themselves their own mailing lists”;

“Have their multiple non-profits purchase their adverising, print and mailing materials from their for-profit company”; and

“Pay themselves management fees”

The sites make for very educational reading.

[blickcalleviewfromthestreet]

Using Parking Lot To Social Distance Customers by Blick Calle Via Flickr: Good job Brewer's and yeah I see you too. 3rd Avenue West Reading, Pennsylvania

[trumplerlaw-blog]

Trump’s Grand Reopening of America

I am first and foremost a patriot. I love this country in a way that I could never fully articulate in words. Every generation of Trumpler and Hlaudy (my mother's maiden name) that has lived in the United States have served our great nation in the armed forces and deployed.

 It is difficult for me to be critical of our government, particularly in times of crisis. These are the moments when, as a People, we are expected to and should be able to cohesively unify and stand together irrespective of age, race, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, religion, economic situation, cultural background, or political leanings. Yet as the days wane, my frustration at irresponsible and indecisive national leadership mounts. It is difficult to stand together when those steering the ship wish to tear us apart.

 Undoubtedly, there is an enormous tension between protecting our nations' public health and saving its faltering economy. It is a balancing act that the most brilliant political minds and tacticians who have ever lived would have a difficult time tackling. It is an unenviable task that I would not wish upon anyone.

 Nevertheless, it is a time for strong, decisive leadership. It is not a time for politics, campaigning, and pandering. Our nations' need for a guiding hand goes out not only to our President but to Congress and state and local leaders and authorities, as well.

 My overwhelming desire for leadership in this time of crisis brings me to the point of my rant that came to me during Tuesday morning's "Rage Walk."

 For those of you that missed President Trump's daily briefing Monday night, I will give you some of the more alarming and questionable highlights.

 The President's responses to every question that the press asked, even those directed to others, were long-winded, rambling, politically motivated, frequently incoherent, and often, he said contradictory things. At times, he also randomly attacked the press and democrats for no reason. The above behavior was typical bluster from the President, and while annoying and not something you would want from a leader during a crisis, I expected it.

 Of note, during Monday's briefing, President Trump paraded out his new "expert witness," Dr. Deborah Birx. She is a member of President Trump's lauded "Coronavirus Task Force." If you are familiar with litigation strategy and data manipulation at all, President Trump is going to use the data projections that she, along with others, are coming up with to "reopen" the country.

 When Dr. Birx was speaking, lyrics from Don Henley's song, The Garden of Allah, came to mind:

 “Today I made an appearance downtown. I am an expert witness because I say I am. And I said gentlemen, and I use that word loosely. I will testify for you. I'm a gun for hire. I'm a saint. I'm a liar. Because there are no facts, there is no truth. Just data to be manipulated. I can get you any result you like. What's it worth to you? Because there is no wrong, there is no right. And I sleep very well at night. No shame, no solution, no remorse, no retribution. Just people selling t-shirts Just opportunity to participate in the pathetic little circus. And winning, winning, winning…” [This is very important to the President.]

 While she was talking, Dr. Birx mentioned that the mortality rate is lower than we expected. Dr. Birx then threw out a paltry figure. The President immediately interrupted her by rambling about how there were all of these incredibly sick people who just got well on their own without seeking medical help (perhaps by divine intervention) who may have had or may not have had the virus.

 After that prompt, Dr. Birx further explained that the mortality number could theoretically dramatically drop. The existing mortality number does not take into consideration a potentially large number of asymptomatic people who never got tested. It also did not account for those who had Coronavirus symptoms that medical professionals never treated or tested. It will remain a mystery, I suppose, however, how we are supposed to count those who never made themselves available to be counted or who never got counted for some other reason.

 Not surprisingly, Dr. Birx then talked about how the mortality curve increases for those who are elderly or have preexisting conditions. Dr. Birx indicated, however, that the data clearly showed that while the curve increases, the majority of the dead across the board as a result of COVID-19 worldwide were over the age of eighty. While tragic and sad, reading between the lines, she and President Trump seems to agree that this age group, at the mortality rates projected, is "acceptable loss" to "Keep America Great."

  Dr. Birx expects to have a full "incomplete" report to the American people by next week. Once the "incomplete" version is ready for dissemination, Dr. Birx, along with President Trump, will brief the American people on its conclusions. You should assume that the data in this report will be manipulated and spun to such a degree that it is acceptable for the President and Fox News to say "America is Safe to Reopen" again. At the very least, they will spin it to say that it will be safe to reopen within another week and change of the release of the report. Therefore, if your governor or local leaders still want to keep you and your family home or ask you to stay in your house after President Trump says it is okay to go out and play, they are assholes.

 The upcoming release of this report will only cause further division and resentment in an already fractured, frustrated, and frightened nation. Rather than come up with a cohesive, unified solution to a unique, never before seen, life-altering problem that is plaguing our entire country, the President appears to want to deal with this crisis municipality by municipality, county by county, and state by state. He seems to be trying to unburden himself with the responsibility of leading this magnificent country through this epidemic.

 It is a coward's move. Not the action of a daring, determined leader. It is not the move one would expect from the leader of the greatest nation this world has ever known. How a President handles him or herself in a crisis is what builds legacies, not how the stock market performed or your job numbers. 

The President's piecemeal approach to crisis problem-solving is also leaving governors holding the bag and the tab. States now have to compete for the minimal remaining resources and supplies devoted to combat the virus individually. This state by state competition is leading to artificially high prices on supplies and even price-gouging.

 Concerning the forthcoming report mentioned above, I imagine that the White House is already leaking information regarding its contents to your favorite Fox News types to start setting up "President Trump’s Grand Reopening of America" like it is a shopping mall. If the President had it his way, this reopening would probably include much fanfare and a military parade.

 Again, this alienating approach is a narrow-sighted. America, collectively, is a robust and complex but loose connection of the souls and minds of the different types that I mentioned at the beginning of this piece. As the President, in times of crisis, you have to speak to all of us, not just your base.

 Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, was conspicuously absent at Monday's briefing. When asked if Dr. Anthony Fauci agreed that America should reopen sooner rather than later, President Trump glibly offered, "if it were up to the doctors, they may say let's keep it shut down -- let's shut down the entire world."

 To put Dr. Fauci's career in context, he has served every President since Ronald Reagan. Dr. Fauci is a man of science and public health, and he does not operate in a world of spin and political parties. He has assisted previous presidents with AIDS/HIV policy, SARS, MERS, various FLU epidemics, and, most recently, the EBOLA outbreak.

 Additionally, Dr. Fauci has developed therapies for formerly fatal diseases. These diseases included Polyarteritis Nodosa, Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, and Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis. His research has led to some of the most critical advances in patient management in Rheumatology (Arthritis) over the past 20 years. Moreover, Dr. Fauci has contributed to the understanding of how HIV destroys the body's defenses leading to the progression to AIDS.

 The scientific community regards Dr. Fauci as one of the world's foremost authorities on infectious disease. He has unparalleled academic and practical experience. Moreover, he has led a large governmental agency explicitly designed to combat infectious disease for going on four decades.

 As a youth, Dr. Fauci's parents raised him Catholic, and unlike the President, he grew up in a home with deeply held religious convictions. Somewhat paradoxically, while Dr. Fauci is a man of science, he has a Jesuit education and a Bachelor of Science in Classics from the College of Holy Cross.

 Dr. Fauci had previously acted as the voice of reason during this public health crisis. He had often contradicted the President's bold optimism. Dr. Fauci had gone on record and said, he had warned President Trump about some of his more careless and questionable remarks, but he can only tell him to, "be careful about this and don't say that." Ultimately, he stated when the President starts giving out inaccurate information, he "can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down."

 Dr. Fauci, throughout this extraordinary public health emergency, had been deeply concerned about misusing data and irresponsibly throwing around numbers and misleading information to justify a political position. He had to explain how medical trials work frequently. He also had to clarify how long it takes to get a vaccine or off label medical treatments approved for use, the risks associated with clinical trials, and anecdotal stories versus peer-reviewed scientific evidence backed up by reproducible data.

 In short, Dr. Fauci is an actual "stable genius," and possibly a wizard. The White House is muzzling him at a time when the American people need him most.

 If the most knowledgeable person in your administration about a subject will not assist you in getting the misinformation you want out there, you have to find someone else who will, in this case, enter Dr. Birx. I am not saying this to diminish Dr. Birx as a person or to reduce her impressive credentials. I am just telling you that you do not pinch-hit for Babe Ruth in the World Series.

 Sadly, I also assume as the President has done with everyone that has ever stood in his way, he is going to begin a misinformation campaign against Dr. Fauci. The President and his people will design this campaign to discredit Dr.Fauci and his impeccable qualifications and history of service.

 Since taking office, the President helped create a series of unfortunate events that assisted in our nation's inability to manage and combat this unprecedented public health crisis effectively. Despite numerous warnings, the President waited until the last possible minute to create any sort of haphazard plan to deal with the virus. When the COVID-19 crisis finally came to a head in the United States, President Trump appointed a man of faith, Vice President Pence, rather than a person of science, to lead his Coronavirus Task Force.

 Most alarmingly, during Monday's briefing, the evening after 100 Americans lost their lives to the virus in a single night, the President spoke of the crisis in the past tense. He kept referring to it as a learning experience.

 "Our country was not built to be shut down," the President warned during the briefing.

 I certainly concur with this sentiment. My business probably will not survive the short-term shutdowns already ordered without substantial assistance. Most small businesses won't.

 While there is tension between saving jobs, moving our economy forward, and saving lives, statements like the following are propaganda, misinformation, and messaging designed to create a false narrative:

 "You look at automobile accidents, which are far greater than any numbers we're talking about. That doesn't mean we're going to tell everybody no more driving of cars. So we have to do things to get our country open."

 The above statements are reminiscent of the initial messaging the President ran with when he was trying to stave off panic by irresponsibly comparing COVID-19 to the flu. These are the types of reckless comments that drive Dr. Fauci and cautious, thoughtful, scientific minds nuts.

  No one disagrees with the President about wanting to reopen the county. We would all love that. And it is not whether people are recovering from the virus or dying. The figure on the overall mortality rate is the red herring here. It has always been about the tax the virus will put on our health care system as a whole.

 The fact remains that our health care system cannot sustain massive and exponential increases in the number of cases of COVID-19. We simply do not have the qualified personnel, equipment, or beds.

 At last count, we had in the neighborhood of 2.77 beds per 1,000 people. The lack of adequate care, necessary supplies, and the genuine fear that our entire health care system will collapse is real. This fear is one of the primary reasons physicians, infectious disease experts, and scientists across the board are calling for aggressive social distancing measures to at least attempt to slow the spread.

 Remember, when knowledgable people talk about the lack of hospital beds, supplies, resources, and personnel, and the toll that the exponential spread of COVID-19 will take on our health care system, the epidemic is compounding an already overwhelming problem. If we do not get the rate of exposure under control, doctors and nurses will not be able to treat or see people who are gravely ill with unrelated illnesses or who suffered other kinds of life-threatening injuries.

 I am not a politician, nor would I ever want to be one. Like most people who comment or judge, it is easy for me to be an armchair quarterback. I just find the current ineptitude even more remarkable and disheartening than usual.

 It must be difficult for the President to watch the stock market tumble and the job losses mount since his inflated sense of self-worth seems to be directly and inextricably tied to an artificially high market and strong job numbers. These numbers were and are the entire basis of his reelection strategy. He and his team apparently have no backup plan. Rather than pivot to becoming a reassuring leader during a crisis to a country in dire need of one like Lincoln, Roosevelt, and even George W. Bush after 9/11, he is choosing to continue to go on the divisive partisan offensive. As they always have when he attacks, his rabid fan base is loving it. Like many things about his presidency and everything about this crisis, the President's insistence on his brand of "Politics As Usual," makes me incredibly sad.

 ............................................................................

 In contrast to the President's distorted myopic view of this global pandemic, watch New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's factual, analytical problem-solving approach in his daily briefings. Unlike the President, he is not the Governor of Fantasyland. And if you want to see and hear leadership in action, Governor Cuomo had this say - off the cuff and from the heart - Tuesday before taking questions:

 “And we're going to get through it because we are New York and because we've dealt with a lot of things, and because we are smart. You have to be smart to make it in New York. And we are resourceful, and we are showing how resourceful we are. And because we are united, and when you are united, there is nothing you can't do. And because we are New York tough. We are tough. You have to be tough. This place makes you tough. But it makes you tough in a good way. We're going to make it because I love New York, and I love New York because New York loves you.

 New York loves all of you. Black and white and brown and Asian and short and tall and gay and straight. New York loves everyone. That's why I love New York. It always has, it always will. And at the end of the day, my friends, even if it is a long day, and this is a long day, love wins. Always. And it will win again through this virus. Thank you.”

 The above statement by Governor Cuomo is a stark contradiction to our President, who previously referred to the Coronavirus as the "China Virus." His feigned disingenuous outrage during Monday's briefing about violence and hatred toward Asian Americans, mainly by those who support him, as a result of the Coronavirus, was, at the very least, awkward and uncomfortable, and more accurately and tragically, laughable.

[comtedemoney]

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