"Dithering" -- piss or get off the pot!
In my daily perusal of media, I just saw a word that's rather infrequently used -- dithering! ("Infrequentlly" because most people most of the time DON'T.)
In the coronavirus era, it's been usefully applied to both politicos and senior bureaucrats -- a case in point being yesterday's Hill testimony by Rick Bright. Dr. Bright -- fired as head of CDC's epidemic-control agency, essentially for NOT dithering -- reported that he had been harassed by the HHS Secretary, then removed from his vital job while the WORLD faces the worst epidemic in a few centuries.
The evident reason was Bright trying in vain, early in the outbreak (January), to obtain top-level support to fix the awful atate of equipment/drug stockpiles, as the epidemic headed for the U.S.
I suggest we identify and sanction "ditherers" responsible for the slowness of Federal reaction to the obvious needs of the moment.
To start with, Congress -- both houses account for literally hundreds of ditherers. Vote against ANY eleected official who isn't concretely idetified as a NON-ditherer. This certainly includes Congressmen (AND women -- I think of Susan Collins!), but there are others (the whole Republican Party, with one or two exceptions). The late Senator McCain was exemplary, but there are damned few others -- which proves my point.
We should also punish the staff of relevant committees in both Congress and the agencies (HHS, CDC -- who, let it be noted, fucked up the production of COVID tests) must also go. Some of them might even choose to return to the medical profession -- Dr. Fauci would be an excellent public-health professor.
Let's add "dithering" to the seven desdly sins. "No loitering" could be our watchword. Ahem, don't just stand there, DO something!
So, go ahead, you LJ pals, and object to me tarring such players with my trusty brush.Though, note, actively playing one's vocational "game" is the opposite of dithering).
In the coronavirus era, it's been usefully applied to both politicos and senior bureaucrats -- a case in point being yesterday's Hill testimony by Rick Bright. Dr. Bright -- fired as head of CDC's epidemic-control agency, essentially for NOT dithering -- reported that he had been harassed by the HHS Secretary, then removed from his vital job while the WORLD faces the worst epidemic in a few centuries.
The evident reason was Bright trying in vain, early in the outbreak (January), to obtain top-level support to fix the awful atate of equipment/drug stockpiles, as the epidemic headed for the U.S.
I suggest we identify and sanction "ditherers" responsible for the slowness of Federal reaction to the obvious needs of the moment.
To start with, Congress -- both houses account for literally hundreds of ditherers. Vote against ANY eleected official who isn't concretely idetified as a NON-ditherer. This certainly includes Congressmen (AND women -- I think of Susan Collins!), but there are others (the whole Republican Party, with one or two exceptions). The late Senator McCain was exemplary, but there are damned few others -- which proves my point.
We should also punish the staff of relevant committees in both Congress and the agencies (HHS, CDC -- who, let it be noted, fucked up the production of COVID tests) must also go. Some of them might even choose to return to the medical profession -- Dr. Fauci would be an excellent public-health professor.
Let's add "dithering" to the seven desdly sins. "No loitering" could be our watchword. Ahem, don't just stand there, DO something!
So, go ahead, you LJ pals, and object to me tarring such players with my trusty brush.Though, note, actively playing one's vocational "game" is the opposite of dithering).