Federal Agencies Have Spent Millions on KN95 Masks, Often Without Knowing Who Made Them | Talking Points Memo

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1314323

The contracts reflect the intense pressure federal agencies were under to procure protective equipment as the pandemic surfaced and rapidly spread

… and which doubled as a clarion call to grifters the world over.

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Not surprising, the Trump family operates on perception. As long as they are “seen” as having acquired N95 masks, they feel their job is done, doesn’t matter if the masks are legit, if they leak, if they’re made of sub-par materials or even if they get to the medical professionals and others who need them.

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Jared Kushner has carefully vetted every step of this process. Nothing to see here, move along.

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I suspect the vast majority of KN95 AND N95 masks that you can buy today are fake. Why? Because the United States of America can’t produce fucking masks! It’s a disgrace.

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And who is in charge of making sure that PPE is certified and ready to go for the second wave? What the fuck is FEMA doing/not doing?

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Exactly. Looking like you are doing something is more important than actually doing something.

Look “good” on TeeVee and then move on.

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The major failure is in the fact that every American does not have access to the best masks, the N95 masks.

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Jared Kushner has carefully vetted profited from every step of this process. Nothing to see here, move along.

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My crystal ball tells me that a demand for this wonder drug will greatly expand in northern Florida, say Jacksonville?

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I’d say the disgrace is not the US does not produce masks but rather the Chinese product is given preference.

I’ve used this example in the past but it still applies. I built a home and in all my contracts with suppliers and subs, it was specified that all products be sourced as close to the building site as possible. One product that some questioned the validity over was my request that US manufactured nails be used. Some subs balked and I passed on contracting their services. Some suppliers said no problem and others said no and/or tried to fake it. There was a simple test to check, pick up a US made nail and try to bend it with one hand, can’t. Do the same with a Chinese nail and easily could bend it. Simply the quality of the steel that was used in manufacturing. Kicker was the US nail in all cases was cheaper than the import. That made zero difference to many. For them, it was the fact that it was easier to acquire the import while they needed to ask for the US product, a matter of 30 seconds but what the hell.

The government is supposed to provide for the welfare of citizens. The patchwork of ignorance and wrong moves in the covid-19 pandemic is really shocking in the US case. One assumption is that the illness is short-lived, but now it seems to linger months in many people. One of the most astounding new consequences to emerge is cachexia, the wasting disease seen e.g. in patients with late-stage lung cancer. Maybe federal agencies need regular coordinated briefings. Now the stakes are more than about waste, it’s about wasting.

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Has anyone checked Trump’s pocket or bank account for the money to buy the masks.

That is do any of the masks have the Trump brand?

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They’ll be prepared for all of the malaria cases when Florida turns into a global warming-induced fever swamp.

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:+1::+1::+1: Agree 1,000%

@eggrollian

We do not have a functioning executive branch. Everything flows from that.

This ongoing mask shortage ought to be the biggest national scandal of all time. The Feds knew well enough in JANUARY where this pandemic was headed! Six months later, hospital workers are still cleaning and reusing the same mask every day until it falls apart. Police officers and grocery clerks who choose to wear a mask, have to sew their own because their employers sure aren’t providing any and not even the crappy Chinese knockoffs are widely available.

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Being made in China would be a nonissue if they were made well. My personal favorite go-to is the reason I quit shopping at Wal-Mart: a knockoff Leatherman multi-tool that I broke the pliers by the force of my own grip! It’s twice as funny if you know me, because I’m no Hercules!

I concur.

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