The Biden administration has declared monkeypox a public health emergency. But is it treating it like one? Glenn and Stu review just how different the Left's response to monkeypox has been from its draconian response to COVID-19, despite this time actually having the tools and knowledge needed to stop the spread...
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: So, Stu, the Biden administration has declared monkey pox a public health emergency. Now, is this a public health emergency? I mean, are we all -- aren't we clear? I mean, it's really simple. And it has nothing to do with gay people at all. Nothing. Seriously, nothing. I think we could make a really clear rule. You can comment in a second. I think we can make a really clear rule. Don't have sex, or actively cuddle with anyone who has open weepy sores.
Now, I never thought I would have to say that, but I guess we do. Don't just roll around naked with somebody, with sores. Don't snuggle up to someone's face, who has open, weepy, pussy sores. Don't do it. That's the way we solve this, and it's not really that hard of a problem. Is it?
STU: You are really demeaning the OS community, the open sore community, Glenn. Where is their fun in all of this is this? Yes. Very sad.
GLENN: I know. All those people -- who are -- who are really downtrodden people. People who have been ignored. The open sore society. I -- I do apologize to you. But you are the problem. You know, that say, I have open weepy sores. And yet, I'm going to rub them all over somebody else. That's a problem.
STU: Yeah. There are these questions that are going on. Is this an issue that is specific to the LGBTQIA2+ community. And the answer to that is yes and no.
No, it's not the only way you can pass it. Right? You can have other -- like, you can have intimate contact. You can have skin-to-skin contact, over long periods of time. You can touch an open sore, put it in your eye. There's other -- there's other ways you can pass it.
However, and this is the important part. The other side of it too, which is the yes side of it. 98 percent of cases, are in the community of men having sex with men.
GLENN: With men.
STU: With men. Uh-huh.
GLENN: Now, I do want to -- I guess you could say that you're bisexual. So that makes you not gay. But it doesn't make you heterosexual.
STU: Right. So this has been a thing. Because I've been fascinated by this terminology. Because what we typically do, Glenn. In the English language, let's say. Is we have something like a hamburger. And a hamburger is a word that is used to symbolize a definition of something else. A piece of cow, fry it up on a griddle. Put on a -- a couple of buns, with lettuce, tomato, and other toppings. We don't say it like that. Because if we talk like that. It would take six months to get through anything. So instead, we come up with a word that summarizes all of that. Called a hamburger. Now, in every news story in America, about monkey pox, the -- the story is men having sex with men. Which is fascinating, because that -- we have words that would define sexual activity. If we actually even have abbreviations, right? Like we have LGBTQQIA+. We all understand that sort of behavior. To have to describe it every single time, is a bit arduous, linguistically, I would say. Yeah. And it's -- you know, it's also something that I don't want -- if I have very young children. I don't want to be in in the car. Like you may be right now, with your child. And they look up and say, what do they mean, men having sex with men, mommy?
STU: I will say, if you made it through the open source conversation. And you're still here with your little kids. That's on you, okay? That's on you, as a parent.
GLENN: Kids can have open sores. And it's not monkey pox. Of course, anyone I see with a cold sore or anything. My first response is, it could be monkey pox. It could be cancer. But probably monkey pox.
STU: Can I bring up one other part of this? And I don't think it's getting nearly enough attention right now. Which is how badly Joe Biden has screwed this up.
I -- it's -- it's -- yeah. I know. It's hard to believe. But, first of all, you know, this isn't saying it's a pandemic. It's saying it's a public health emergency, which the LGBTQIA2+ community is upset about it. And they're upset about it for one reason. Because they waited so long to declare a public health emergency. This just helps direct funds, and all the things that it does. But the interesting part about that, it appears that Joe Biden and his administration did not make it a public health emergency, earlier. Because they did not want to add stigma to the virus. And to gay people, who might be getting it. Or excuse me, men having sex with men, who might be getting it. So they for woke purposes, do not stigmatize. They didn't make it a public health emergency. Didn't make it into a bigger deal within the communities affected. And that has made the problem worse.
STU: There's more.
GLENN: I have to make sure I have this right. I know. I just want to make sure I have this right. So when Reagan was slow on AIDS, because he said, it's only a gay disease.
STU: He didn't say.
GLENN: Right. Right. But they claimed that he was -- he hesitated because it was only a gay disease. And -- and then, when he saw Rock Hudson, who was gay, but a friend. They say, that's when he was interested.
And they were really upset, because obviously, inaction kills people. So they said, he was an evil, evil dude for that. Are they going to say the same thing about Joe Biden? Because while he did it for the opposite reasons, I don't want to bring stigma, to the disease. I mean, if it's a disease, I think it's already got as much stigma on it, as --
STU: Sores are the stigma.
GLENN: The stigma. Yeah. Yeah.
STU: When you have open sores, there's stigma attached to that.
GLENN: Unless you've been harpooned. Then that open sore should be something that you should check anyway, but may not be monkey pox. But now that he has had people die from it. No, not anyone died from it. Because it generally doesn't kill people.
But, anyway, now that he's hesitated, are they going to hate him?
STU: I don't know. That's a good point.
And you're correct. Zero people in the United States have died. I think it's nine worldwide have died from monkey pox.
Now, look, you could say it's going to get worse. That may happen. And it's something serious.
It's scary. It's apparently very, very painful, and terrible to deal with. But there's more to this story.
Which the thing is -- and this is unlike covid, right?
This is not like, we have a new virus. And we're like holy crap. What do we do? We better get operation warped speed. We better get all these medicines in the pipeline. All these things going on. We already have a vaccine for this, already ready.
It was something that we had already gone through, for smallpox. And the smallpox vaccine works on monkey pox. Now, not too long ago, Glenn, we had 20 million doses of this vaccine, which we just let expire.
Now, that -- so now, when we need it, we don't have it. And that's not all Joe Biden's fault. But the second part of it is. Which is he -- let me give you this. This is from the New York Times. By the time the federal government had placed its orders. Because we waited too long.
The vaccine's Denmark-based manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, had booked other clients, and was unable to do the work for months, officials said. Even though the federal government had invested well over $1 billion into the vaccine's development. So we helped make the vaccine. Then we had 20 million doses that we let expire. And it was so bad, that Health and Human Services so miscalculated the need, that on May 23rd -- this is not like two years ago. Five years ago. When you might understand, we don't think monkey pox is coming. On May 23rd of this year, they allowed Bavarian Nordic, the vaccine manufacturer, to deliver 215,000 fully finished doses that the federal government had already bought. To European countries, instead of holding them for the United States.
GLENN: Well, I think it's another fine decision by the Biden administration. I mean, it fits right in.
STU: Of course, it is.
GLENN: Can I ask you this: Listen to this. There's a new guide out. Okay. A new guide, how to protect yourself. And it says, if you discover a bump on your skin, but you still want to -- and I'm not making this up. Share in the fun of a gay fetish festival.
STU: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
GLENN: But you have a bump on your skin, that might be monkey pox, you should, quote, cover it up with a Band-Aid or clothing before you go out.
Now, that's interesting. That's really interesting.
STU: That's fascinating.
GLENN: So I'm going to add -- I'm going to add open weepy sores to Band-Aids now, okay?
So the San Francisco -- San Francisco had their annual Up Your Alley street fair.
Hmm? Yeah.
And the -- the California senator, Scott Wiener. Which is -- which is --
STU: His name.
GLENN: He's a senator.
And they told potential attendees of the fetish festival. How to remain safe. Wiener -- I'm sorry. The senator, shared a guide from the organization on Core Alley, without fear of monkey pox. Core Alley, is the Up Your Alley street fest. And they said it was really great guidance on monkey pox. So we can continue to have fun, while reducing risk. Well, now, wait a minute. I'm not sure that going ahead, with the up your alley fetish festival, is necessarily the best idea. Now, remember, this is coming from California. But remember, our own government, as soon as the Biden administration got in. One of the first things they did, was put out advice on how you can safely attend orgies.
STU: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
GLENN: So now they're doing this. Now, I just -- you know, this -- wiener says, you know -- you know, that we have to -- we have to, you know -- you know, just go out there and have fun. But, you know, put a Band-Aid on. You know, and -- and, but just go -- just go out and have fun. You know what I mean?
But here's what he said in 2020 about covid.
We need a national mask mandate, period. That's how we'll beat this virus. He went on to say, here recently, about the monkey pox. That we don't need any top-down rules. People should decide what -- what is right for them. When it comes to their health.
STU: Hmm. Fascinating.
GLENN: And -- and, you know, I just -- before I take a quick break, I was thinking of this. And I want a response that is intellectual and accurate.
STU: Sure.
GLENN: And accurate on how I feel. So I would -- so I would -- I would just to senator wiener, up your alley. No, it sounds like a great time. Anyway, let me tell you about blinds-dot -- hmm?
STU: Not up your alley. Up yours.