Thread: Pandemic Positives - good things to come out of it

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Caveat: not looking for this thread to descend to a political or ideological shight fight, nor a tussle about whether or not there has been an overreaction on the part of our various governments, or whether or not any restrictions should ever have been put in place.

Even if you don't know anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone with the virus.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

I don't like your chances of that Moby. I reckon these good ole boys would sooner point a weapon at you (safety OFF) than give any consideration to consideration.

How many of these rednecks would there be in the USA I wonder? Probably a reasonable sized army's worth I suspect.

This excellent pic bears repeating too. This is the result of being told to stay indoors for a few weeks. They are baying for the Governor's blood at the State Capitol.

And off we go again down the slippery slope.

Originally Posted by Beardy

I think any of those ACCC warnings are not worth the breath spoken. We has seen it all before about fuel prices, gas prices, electricity prices. The truth is they are powerless to act and are just a toothless tiger.

How is do you successfully argue that an airline ticket is too expensive? It is easy to have your account team show spreadsheets of numbers justifying the price to their outgoings. You can even just argue the current pricing was unsustainable and hence the demise of Virgin.

Seems to me that there more positive results when Alan Fels was running the show.

Justifying airfare costs - company profits over a period of years, and the associated fares would be some sort of indicator. If Australia can only sustain one airline (or indeed, one whatever) wouldn't that suggest that it should be owned, or controlling-interest owned, by the Federal Govt? There was much criticism for Govts at different levels (Fed, State) selling off the farm over the last decade or so. Is it time to reverse some of that?

I can think of a few good things that MAY come of this:

-- The environment... We are clearly seeing how humans have impacted this planet. Us going away for a few weeks and things are dramatically improving (pollution, animals, plants)

-- Population... People may think about having 13 kids.

-- Debt... Its... everywhere. Staggering debt. There is no savings, no fat, nothing for a rainy day

-- Work... enslavement with part-time casual no-commitment employemnt has shown itself for what it is "Slavery with extra steps".

-- Ethos... employers cut employees off instantly. Absolutely instantly. Loyalty? Complete rubbish.

-- Time. People are finding time to be with family. Using cameras, tech, doing new things and seeing people more.

-- House prices. Let them collapse. Utterly. Let the farce end.


Revolution? --> Coronavirus risks widening intergenerational wealth divide - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Is it time to have a good old fashioned revolution? Take over the hideous institutions that have bloated our society and smash them?

Originally Posted by woodPixel

-- Population... People may think about having 13 kids.

WP

What are you suggesting?

Mum Did You Want a Daughter or a Son.jpg



Regards
Paul

PS: I do have some comment following on from FF's post #9, but I need preparation time

Ah! I may have worked something out, wrt this pic

Only in America.jpg

In "the other thread" I noted that they were almost exclusively overweight middle-aged white males with goatees.

Not only that, but they all LOOK the same.

They are clearly all brothers. (I've got banjo music going through my head)

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

I wonder. There has never yet been a vaccine made for any Coronavirus (is my understanding), which includes the common cold (NeilS might have access to good info on that). So if a vaccine is invented it may have excellent flow-through benefits for limiting common colds?

My reply to this has to (of necessity) sound a bit pessimistic to draw out the positive.

"No vaccines are currently licensed for any of the human CoVs." Source. There are however some vaccines produced for a number of CoVs for use in chickens, cattle, dogs, cats and pigs, but "vaccinated animals still display significant disease upon" being infected. So far, nobody has volunteered to line up with the animals to see if any of those are effective in humans.

Nobody knows if an effective and safe vaccine for humans will be found for SARS CoV2. The other unknown is whether any immunity acquired from a vaccine (if that can be found) or from surviving an infection will protect the individual in the future.

The immunologist in my family has been talking about the risks from these zoonotic viruses for over two decades. According to him, this pandemic is just a practice run for a big one.

For example, he sites Avian flu (H5N1), which has a high fatality rate in humans with up to 60% of those infected dying from it, with the highest fatality rate being in the teenage and 20s year old cohorts. Currently that virus is primarily transmitted between birds and humans and there have only been a limited number of human to human transmissions. However, scientists have shown in laboratory test that it can become more infectious between mammals. The concern among virologist is that this virus could mutate to become more infectious between humans and it, or another novel virus, will cause not an unprecedented pandemic but a catastrophic one.

SARS Cov2 still has some way to go before we know the full extent of what it is going to do to us as a species, one way and another, but to the extent that it has given us a rehearsal for a very big one is both timely and invaluable.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

In "the other thread" I noted that they were almost exclusively overweight middle-aged white males with goatees.

Not only that, but they all LOOK the same.

They are clearly all brothers. (I've got banjo music going through my head)

And we take another step down that slippery slope.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

WP

What are you suggesting?

Reminds me of this one I sent to my kids last night

IMG_20200423_000545.jpg

So if I have a goatee and I’m white and overweight I’m a redneck?

I want another thread like the last one like this that turned into a shightfight every two or three days. That was some interesting reading.

Yes you are a redneck. I would tell you more but I have to go and load some ammo.

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

I want another thread like the last one like this that turned into a shightfight every two or three days. That was some interesting reading.

I reckon you will get your wish

Put some oil on that slippery slope

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Are there any other industries or companies that might be better to be nationalised? The power industry? (come on Paul, that's just for you....)

Brett

Back at the end of last century I was vocal about how utilities should not be in private hands. (electricy, gas, water etc). At the time I worked in the NSW electricity system and it had just corporatised, which was the precursor to privatisation. However, a succession of gvernments then sat on that idea until fve or so years ago when the sell off commenced in earnest. The Labour party put the process in place and eventualy the Liberal party took up the option.

I have not really changed my view on this subject despite now working for a privately owned elctricity company (in QLD). Would the government consider a buy back? Realisticaly? NO. They don't have the money for that type of project or the inclination. They talk up how this or that should be done, but unless an investor comes along it doesn't happen. They are short on investors because they will not establish firm ground rules.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Slave

So if I have a goatee and I’m white and overweight I’m a redneck?

Only if you are prone to posing on the steps of Parliament with your assault rifle as a protest, which is not possible in Australia, so I guess the answer must be no.