WHY DO S. KOREA, VIETNAM, TAIWAN & SINGAPORE HAVE SO FEW COVID-19 CASES AND EVEN FEWER DEATHS?
Because they were prepared and went into action instantly (in Dec. when the first info on this “Novel Coronavirus” started leaking out.) Asian nations: South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore, suffered terribly from the past years MERS & SARs virus outbreaks. It taught them a brutal and yet vitally important lesson about being ready, and taking immediate action on new virus outbreaks. FYI: Taiwan tried to sound the alarm in Dec. about a new “pneumonia-like” virus originating in Wuhan, China, but its voice was drowned out by China’s false denials. This article from The Week explains it quite well…I urge you to read it carefully... and share it.
TRUMP’S DEFENSIVENESS ABOUT HOW FAST AND DECISIVELY HE ACTED IS ROOTED IN TWO FACTS
1) He explains, over and over, that in late Jan. the US had not yet seen the virus cases, and the death, that came rapidly in the past 60 days. It was misled by China’s lies and deception.
2) The American democracy with its divisions of government power, and liberal media bias, plus the USA’s emphasis on individual and states’ rights, inhibits taking rapid, and Draconian actions.
When Trump realized the mess he was facing, he did take Draconian actions faster than most Presidents would have dared.
TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE IS DOING IT’S JOB (and without his gratuitous self-compliments.)
These “experts” Fauci, Birx, et. al., deserve a lot of credit. If you have watched the Briefings (daily) several things most viewers conclude—President Trump needs to quit patting himself on the back, over and over. What the US has done really is amazing—albeit sooner would have been better. Trump also needs to quit making excuses for why his rapid, decisive actions—which were a very good idea—were not started sooner. He started taking dramatic action, but due to America’s political polarization and biased anti-Trump media, and our powerful “individual/states rights,” the USA didn’t—and couldn’t—move as fast, or definitively as necessary. (Or as Asian countries who had felt the pain of such outbreaks, and were prepared to act.)
AS I WRITE THIS, WE ARE APPROACHING A VERY TOUGH, POSSIBLY “LOSE-LOSE” DECISION POINT
Victor Davis Hansen is a very bright fellow. He outlines the decision our country is facing, and how tenuous it will be for President Trump, the Medical Team, and the Governors who face the daunting task of translating broad generalities into concrete action steps—when life and death consequences can result. There is no right or wrong decision. Just a tradeoff of risk vs. reward, and uncertainty (virus continues or worsens) and certainty (economy can’t stay as is, but how to “restart” it locale by locale, slowly, carefully). A scary new side effect of Covid-19 seems to be neurological damage, and it’s uncertain whether this is temporary or longer lasting.
MOVING THE SHUTDOWN/RESTART GOAL POSTS AND POLITICIZING ANY OUTCOME?
Donald Trump is benefiting (somewhat) from his front and center prominence (too much of it, typical Trumpian bluster), but for decisive leadership on blocking entry to the US (from China & Europe), and for actually listening to Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx and others. No matter what happens with the “reopening” you can expect some additional virus cases and deaths. Americans are not good at following rules they don’t like, or agree with—even if it makes them sick or kills them!
THE BLAME GAME—THE DEMOCRATS' SPECIALTY
You can bet that the unconscionable Pelosi/Schumer duo will try to blame Trump for any and all of this—and also blame him if he doesn’t get the country reopened too. It will be either too soon or too late, and cause additional virus outbreaks and deaths. Those will all be his fault—even though his actions save many, many more Americans. Perfect doesn’t exist. Lose-lose is the way the Dems will play it because he’s IN and they are OUT. This will be one more way to get Trump out of office—blaming him for everything that doesn’t work out “perfectly.” Sad but true. The Democrats led by Pelosi and Schumer are irresponsible, relentless, malevolent, and have the “advantage” of having no better ideas except to vilify Trump and the Republicans for anything and everything that happens.
IS “SLEEPY JOE” JUST SUFFERING THE EFFECTS OF AGING?
Bernie Sanders came across as sharper, and quicker thinking that BidenThe real tragedy is that Joe Biden is now the likely nominee, and he is even more ill-prepared to lead America than ever. Trump is the youngest of the three septuagenarians, and is also quick, but prone to his own unique kind of misspeaking—or filibustering on issues. Of the three, Biden most often looks like “a deer caught in the headlights” and “at a loss for words—or at least the right words. Is this who we really want leading the country? Never Trumpers will say he’s not suitable either, but amidst his bluster, he usually gets to a better outcome/policy, after a few iterations.
🤪GO SEE THIS LINK (Disclaimer—It’s someone’s try at an anti-Biden campaign ad!) https://files.catbox.moe/o57xxa.mp4
I’ve tried to find “evaluations" of this video/ad on Snopes, TruthorFiction, and FactCheck.org to no avail. It’s hard to believe (and scary) IF it is all authentic. Yes, Trump may go on and on, but this is frightening...
DEFINE SUCCESS FIRST, PREEMPTIVELY...
The only solution for Trump, et. al. is to “define success” so firmly, clearly and rationally, that it is measured fairly and objectively, if achieved. Of course no politician (least of all Trump) wants to be pinned down to such hard measures—but those are his only “out’ on this one. Will he realize that? And do it? Time, and his future as president, will tell.
ULTIMATELY...
The key to opening up America is to find a vaccine, and a range of treatments, then follow the discipline to keep workers healthy while on the job!
THE RACE FOR A VACCINE FOR COVID-19 IS UNDERWAY, IN THE ENTIRE USA AND GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY
The likelihood of finding one, making sure it works, and eliminating the risk of deadly side effects takes time, and tests…on real people. Innovio, a San Diego based company, is starting human tests this week, but that is simply the first of multiple steps to find one that works and doesn’t do more harm than good. (FYI—Flu shots used widely now are often only 60-70% effective, depending on which strain of the Flu virus they are targeting). Read more from The Week.com:
VOTING MY MAIL AND OTHER EASY TO DE-FRAUD METHODS
Years ago, when the Democrats ruled Illinois and Chicago where I was growing up, the motto was “Vote early and vote often!” Voter fraud was rampant. People literally rose from the dead to vote, more than once. Because no one in America has the wisdom and guts to insist on Secure Photo ID’s to record votes (because the poor minorities will be disenfranchised—although they figure out how to get their SNAP-Food Stamps and Welfare debit cards just fine!)
THE CASE FOR VOTING PHOTO ID'S
In America you need a photo ID to drive, open accounts, check into hotels, board airplanes, see doctors, and countless other essentials of life—but not to Vote? Really? That’s just insane. One byproduct of this Pandemic is likely to be doing a lot more things digitally…so why not voting…or at least requiring an ID. If one was needed to get the huge coronavirus checks being issued, you can bet those poor, disenfranchised folks would figure out how to get a photo ID. (Obama gave most of them free cell phones already.) Voting by mail should be easy and secure—but it’s too easy to get someone else to fill out your ballot application, and then fill it in with whoever they are "rewarded for choosing." (Democrats—always.)
SPEAKING OF OBAMA—HE’S BAAACK…HERE’S ONE TO WORRY ABOUT—THE VP CHOICE
Don’t be surprised if the final choice is actually a “dark horse” (pun intended), and a female, because there are several from which to choose. The scariest prospect is if old sleepy Joe Biden, who is clearly "not quite all there” makes the most dramatic choice to beat Trump and reclaim the White House for another 8 years: Michelle Obama! Scary? You bet. Possible? Why not? Biden recently joked about it! If Biden were to be elected, and followed his Obama-lite platform, America’s recovery will be as slow and stunted as the one following the financial “Depression” was. It took Trump’s action to get America growing again!
NOT RACISM: WHY ARE BLACKS HIT SO MUCH HARDER BY COVID-19? (CLUE, IT’S NOT TRUMP’S FAULT!)
Vitamin D is one of these lesser known vitamins that we get largely from sunlight.Many Americans are low in Vitamin D in northern climates because we get less direct rays of the sun. (I take a supplement on Dr. advice.) It turns out that darker skinned people have more melatonin which inhibits vitamin D production from sunlight, leaving a D-deficiency. There are other consequences, which you can read about in more detail here:
YES, THE WHO (World Health Organization) IS CROOKED. SO IS CHINA’S STATUS IN THE WTO (World Trade Organization) AS A “DEVELOPING COUNTRY” (compared to the USA)
Cutting funds to the WHO (USA’s $400MM vs. China’s paltry $44MM), hold the WTO’s feet to the fire about it’s misclassification of China’s for Most Favored Nation trade status with the USA, and cut discretionary funding ($7+B of the $20B the US puts into the UN ("Useless Nations?"). Its Human Rights Committee alone is a travesty. (Google who the members are.)
It’s time for China to suffer the consequences of its selfish, foolish and ill-advised actions.
HERE NOW, COMING UP NEXT
—Oil prices are negative. There’s nowhere to store it or use it do instead of paying to by oil, oil producers must pay people to take it! Wow. Negative prices!
—Bankruptcies are coming…starting with retailers who have been limping along—large and small—but are unlikely to survive being shutdown. Some may make it, but again—in a very different, smaller form: JCPenney is top of the list to falter. Macy’s is in trouble, as are Neiman-Marcus, and maybe even Nordstrom. The list is much longer…and the uncertainties discussed above…will influence who makes it and who doesn’t.
—Tragic that big banks gave too much of the $300B+ PPP (payroll protection) money to their large clients who didn’t need it nearly as bad and the thousands of small businesses. Hopefully, the flagrantly bad decisions are coming to light and the money will be reallocated, along with the next tranche of $500B.
—How do Scandinavian countries pay for their generous government funded benefits that Bernie Sanders used as examples of what the USA should have—and what Biden is now choosing to support large parts. They, like most European countries levy a VAT (Value Added Tax). If you’ve travelled and shopped abroad, this is the big tax which you pay and then can save receipts and request refunds. Typical European VATs are 25%+/-…yes, that is 25% on top of the other taxes. The top total tax rates in such countries runs about 50-60%! Welcome to Socialism-Lite.
—Finally…how do Restaurants and other similar US businesses get back into business? They had to lay off almost all of their workers, and some are staying alive on takeout and delivery…BUT…a big source of revenue and profit in such places are cocktails, wine and beer, and desserts…few of which are part of a typical takeout or delivery order.
OK…that’s it for now.
Wash your hands often. Wear your mask when you are out and about. And wonder, with me, how, or if, or when we’ll ever see 100,000 people in a football stadium, or 20,000 at a concert or a hockey or basketball game or 40,000 in a baseball stadium.
Answer: when a Coronavirus vaccine and a Covid-19 treatment are found with a means to distribute tens of millions of doses, really fast! And hope they last and work. Otherwise, the “new normal” wont’ be as much fun as we might hope.
Meanwhile, stay well, enjoy your family, find things to smile and feel good about, and above all, be kind to each other.
JOHN
IF you are emailing me on [email protected], I will be terminating that email
Please email me on [email protected]
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Have you read ROCKETSHIPS & PARACHUTES ?
It can change your life, and the lives of everyone you share it with. https://tinyurl.com/mariottiR-P
It can change your life, and the lives of everyone you share it with. https://tinyurl.com/mariottiR-P
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