This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
In an unfettered and unregulated capitalist society like ours, it seems like the truth is almost always so much worse than we imagined. I always think about the investors rubbing their hands together in gleeful anticipation of the Iraq war and the telephone traders of Enron laughing about taking power away from grannies. Yet here we are again. I am getting unsolicited bids for my house every week - exactly what was happening in 2007.
While you’re at it ProPublica, could you look into the disinfecting wipe situation. Its now August and I haven’t seen that product on any grocery store, drugstore, or hardware store shelves since early March…and that’s no exaggeration. When I’ve asked a person that works in the grocery store if they’ve gotten any they sometimes say they only got a small handful of those items at a time and they’re gone in a jiffy.
What the fuck is Lysol and Clorox been up to? I saw a Clorox commercial about a month ago that promised they were aware of the shortage and were ramping up production because of how much they cared about their customers. Yeah, riiight. How hard could that be to do what they’ve always done only more so now? Its not like that company is inventing the wheel? Its what they do. I don’t get it.
Didn’t read the article yet, almost afraid to, but anyone involved in black-marketing PPE should be prosecuted with extreme prejudice and given the maximum punishment possible. In some countries they’d be executed, and perhaps not entirely unjustifiably, because their actions are arguably causing people to die. There is a special place in hell for people who black market health care products and services upon which peoples’ lives depend (but I say why wait and risk the chance that it doesn’t exist, and let’s give it to them while they’re alive). Harry Lime is the devil and should be treated as such.
When there is NO leadership on Covid response or if the leadership is about letting the people in blue states die…it’s the Gold Rush Pandemic Edition and people who only wants to help or profit a just little will be caught in the web of the Pandemic Vultures even if they:
“I don’t want to get caught up in the ripping people off,” she added. “That’s blood money to me.”
I wish they wouldn’t use pics of vented masks as stock photos.
Vented masks do nothing to protect those around the mask wearer. They only protect themselves.
I’ve only used 70% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. I put it into a small 3 or 4 ounce spray bottle when I go shopping and carry a folded up paper towel along. My sister uses an old pump perfume bottle. Stuff evaporates so fast I usually don’t need to dry my hands. I lightly mist my hands when I get back to my vehicle as well as the shopping cart before I use it. Never have worn gloves, too much plastic waste already.
How do we get the news media to stop carelessly using the first stock image of “face mask” they find on the internet?
Do TPM and Pro Publica not know that the vented mask chosen as an illustration of “face mask” is not what anyone should be using in this pandemic?
Or is no one supervising the 20-something intern who made that choice?
What else is being carelessly passed on as factual merely because no one bothered to check?
Question - if one uses a vented mask to do a bong hit, does it retain the smoke for repeated inhalations or is it wasted?
Asking for a friend.
While you’re at it ProPublica, could you look into the disinfecting wipe situation. Its now August and I haven’t seen that product on any grocery store, drugstore, or hardware store shelves since early March…and that’s no exaggeration.
Occasionally you can find them at restaurant supply stores. I found a 120 count Clorox knockoffs for $16.99 at https://www.hydrowipes.com/
bought a bunch to share with others that can’t find it either.
This is exactly the situation the Defense Production Act is supposed to avoid. Instead, we have a morass of black market entrepreneurs jacking up prices and playing keep-away like a bunch of middle-school bullies with a gym shirt.
Instead of FEMA coordinating distribution, it’s another mobster getting into the scam. The whole situation is disgusting. This, folks, is what anarchy really looks like.