Opinions and thoughts please

[MrMango 671]

4 hours ago, awesum4 said:

We were there to attend our Chinese students wedding to a Japanese guy she met here. Father was a very wealthy guy from Hong Kong. Flew 16 people from Hong Kong, 16 from Japan and us from New Zealand. Put us up in the Moana Surfrider which is definitely not the cheapest hotel in the world.

Bloody lavish wedding in a chapel on the beach. Seafood dinners in the Hilton.  I said to her "this must have cost a fortune". Her reply "way cheaper than Hong Kong, there we would have 2,000 guests".

Father swam to Hong Kong from the mainland when he was 15. Started as a worker in a sweatshop and built his own massive fortune. Hated the communists with a vengeance. 

Understand. My lifelong friend and business partner in Hong did the same thing in 1968 I think - swam the Pearl river with the Chinese guards shooting at him and a few years later, worth millions of US$.

[garytheanimal 4]

I’m hoping that now the UK has gone into full lockdown it will mean me getting a refund for both hotels and flights?

Though as someone said I wouldn’t even be looking at going back until at least November, due to reduced numbers there.

[BigusDicus 9,878]

8 hours ago, awesum4 said:

In most countries the strategy is to flatten the curve so health systems aren't overloaded.

But here we are trying to eliminate it. All but 2 of the cases are linked to people arriving from overseas, so little or no community transfer. If people isolate the virus cant spread and therefore dies. So as long as no new cases come from overseas we would be free from it.

Hawaii is even further from its neighbours than we are, so could try the same strategy. 

But it requires an almost complete shutdown and everyone following the rules. Kiwis are more likely to do that than Americans.

Eliminate it?  That would require baring entry to the country until an effective vaccine is developed.  And the praying the virus does not mutate into something the vaccine does not protect against. The costs would be extraordinary...

[awesum4 2,332]

21 hours ago, BigusDicus said:

Eliminate it?  That would require baring entry to the country until an effective vaccine is developed.  And the praying the virus does not mutate into something the vaccine does not protect against. The costs would be extraordinary...

The costs are extraordinary but that's what we are trying.

What would be the costs of thousands dying and tens of thousands being very very sick like Italy?  What is the cost of the 12 doctors there that have died so far?

We have a fairly low national debt,  so the government has decided it worth increasing that to cover some of the costs.

Maybe it wont work, but it's worth a go. 

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

On 3/24/2020 at 2:38 AM, BigusDicus said:

Eliminate it?  That would require baring entry to the country until an effective vaccine is developed.  And the praying the virus does not mutate into something the vaccine does not protect against. The costs would be extraordinary...

Amen. 

What if...?

1. We have no vaccine for MERS or SARS. What if we are unable to develope a vaccine for Covid-19?

2. What if we don't develope immunity to this virus and run the risk of reinfection?

3. Are we to stop our economies for ever?

Our ancestors accepted death. They didn't stop commerce or living their lives. In 1918, the Spanish Flu infected roughly 1/3 of the world's population (500 million) and killed roughly 10% of those infected. People went on living. There is no evidence that this virus will be any worse than the yearly max of flu deaths worldwide (under 700,000).

I'm in a higher risk group. I take reasonable precautions. Many are in a low risk for death group. They need to go to work but people like me need to stay away from them or wear protective gear.

I was having groceries and sundries delivered to my house. Now, with so many staying home, I can't get a delivery time. That forces me and others in a higher risk group to go to the store.

I have faced death. I won't be cowed by hand wringers. No one gets out of here alive. I don't want to hasten death but I won't live in fear of it.

Get back to work or even more will die in poverty/homelessness when the worldwide depression hits.

Finally, these pandemics of undiscovered viruses are happening more frequently. Are we supposed to shutdown for every one? We need to learn to live with these since it is obvious we can't prevent them from happening...yet.

 

[awesum4 2,332]

3 hours ago, midlifecrisis said:

Our ancestors accepted death. They didn't stop commerce or living their lives. In 1918, the Spanish Flu infected roughly 1/3 of the world's population (500 million)

They accepted it because they had no choice. 

But these days we have a choice and people and governments are having to make difficult choices everyday. Some are choosing to prioritise old peoples lives over keeping their economies going. Some are choosing to keep economies going over old peoples lives. Some are trying to do a bit of both.

Each country (and city and region and state) is having to wrestle with that problem. Despite the tinhat brigade on here there is no overwhelming deepstate that's running things. 

[LAMF 136]

1 hour ago, awesum4 said:

Each country (and city and region and state) is having to wrestle with that problem. Despite the tinhat brigade on here there is no overwhelming deepstate that's running things. 

The tinfoil hat crown shifted after Russiagate from Alex Jones to the entire left wing circus. Russiagate will never be surpassed. You can keep the tinhat forever. 

Check this hilarious clip of Rachel Maddow. ( sorry it's on the left wing young turks channel, but youtubes algo always promotes left wing channels when searching!)

 

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

While never mentioning China, China, China.

[Olded 243]

On China, Fox&Friends 3/25/20, we are making our own face mask now the 3M mask that only make in China we were buying before for $.70 each but now they want $70 each and the fibers that go into making them was $600 a ton before but now it's $600,000 a ton. Is China really trying to help the spread of this virus or want it to spread more in the US.

[jacko 8,814]

8 hours ago, Olded said:

On China, Fox&Friends 3/25/20, we are making our own face mask now the 3M mask that only make in China we were buying before for $.70 each but now they want $70 each and the fibers that go into making them was $600 a ton before but now it's $600,000 a ton. Is China really trying to help the spread of this virus or want it to spread more in the US.

When Apple bring production of the Iphone back to the USA, I say progress has been made. 

[awesum4 2,332]

17 hours ago, Olded said:

On China, Fox&Friends 3/25/20, we are making our own face mask now the 3M mask that only make in China we were buying before for $.70 each but now they want $70 each and the fibers that go into making them was $600 a ton before but now it's $600,000 a ton. Is China really trying to help the spread of this virus or want it to spread more in the US.

They dont need to help spread it more. The USA now has the most cases in the world.  

 

[JONPAT 222]

23 hours ago, awesum4 said:

They dont need to help spread it more. The USA now has the most cases in the world.  

 

The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Those states with the most cases get the most 'assistance' from DC. It's all about the dollar.

[awesum4 2,332]

2 hours ago, JONPAT said:

The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Those states with the most cases get the most 'assistance' from DC. It's all about the dollar.

Do they?  I've just seen a clip where the Governors of Washington and Michigan and several other states and the mayor of New York were complaining they cant get the help they need from the federal government. 

91% of health workers cant get the masks they need.

In the same clip President Trump clearly said " I tell Mike Pence not to call the governors of Washington and Michigan". He cant even remember their names. 

Some leadership in a time of crisis.

[jacko 8,814]

OP has been answered and we have gone off that topic.