Rob Streeper - a USA member here - got the C19 virus

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Originally Posted by rob streeper

The ineluctable truth of this epidemic is that those closer to the bottom of the various social hierarchies are suffering disproportionately and will in the end likely bear the majority of the brunt of the scourge. This situation is disgusting.

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Hi Rob, not good to hear you have been through this, but great that you are now in recovery and hopefully helping to build the "herd immunity." I too have suspected that CV-19 has been about in the wider population, especially in areas with high international tourist visitor numbers, for a while before WHO and other authorities responded. My 93 yo father-in-law passed whilst in hospital for a heart issue in late Feb with very similar symptoms to CV-19. We are yet to be tested, but medical authorities familiar with his case say it was not CV-19.

As for the situation in the USA it is a very sad situation to see so many avoidable deaths occurring. Yes the situation is disgusting, and a very sad indictment on federal leadership, but also a strong correlation to "unequal" access to health care. Sadly the US's obsession with "freedom" also places your population at huge risk. With freedom comes responsibilities and obligations to the welfare of the wider community.

Rob, thanks for your informative posts, not just about your first hand experience of the disease, but your commentary on the social factors.
Talking to my daughter in Boulder, CO, it seems that the actions of the various governors early on have had a large effect on the seriousness or otherwise of the outbreaks in each state. Would you care to comment please?

Hi Alex,

The loosening of strictures on social movement will increase both the number of cases and the number of deaths. There have been comparisons of the dynamics of spread in Kentucky and Tennessee showing that early quarantine measures suppress spread of the virus. https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...essee-kentucky
As municipalities around the country and world relax these rules the numbers will increase. It is possible that the increasing temperatures as summer comes on will tend to limit transmission but the rate of infections will catch up in the fall.
At this point each person needs to make their own choices, government has abandoned us to our fates.

Reading about the endless troubles within the USA Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) seems like the USA is a failed state.

The actions of every level of governance are unbelievable. The reactions of the population are mind boggling. The way companies are fleecing both government and employees is scandalous. The absurd unfairness dished out to the people is incredible.

Have to admit - I think there is a collective insanity.

It's like watching a huge 5000-car train wreck.... it keeps going and going and going.

.... and going....

Can it be that the people actually think this is good? Its like watching those videos of North Korea where everyone is smiling while Glorious Leader is present, but they are emaciated and sweating with fear.... except the people of the USA actually have True Believerism... they actually believe this fraud? They can't see the reality of what is about to hit them?

Here I know one person that has had his rent go up by 35% and the goverment do nothing.

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

seems like the USA is a failed state.

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I wouldn't call the US a failed state. In my estimation the elements of state power rest on three legs.

The first and most important is possession of 'the bomb' and the means to deliver it. Going along with this of course is a powerful military as a necessary but not sufficient condition.

Next is financial power. The US dollar is still the default currency of the world and will likely remain so for some time due to the size of the US economy.

Finally is the technological base. In this area the US still is supreme but the competitors are much closer and are surpassing the US in many important areas. Since the 80's the US has disinvested in support of broader higher education with the result that there is now a notable shortage of technical people in many areas of science and technology.

As US superiority in the intellectual areas is surpassed the power of the state will depend more and more on 'the bomb' and the money sector. Recent events have shown the money markets have numerous weak points - black swans have been showing up with increasing frequency in recent decades, many foreseeable but some not. The military arm depends critically on science and technology and as the scientific capability of the nation erodes due to under-investment the competitors will eventually surpass the US.

Ultimately though demographics will win and the new focus of world power will be in the East, can't say when but it will be a while.

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Originally Posted by rob streeper

Ultimately though demographics will win and the new focus of world power will be in the East, can't say when but it will be a while.

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That is exactly what we have to be wary of.

The other thing I can't believe, woodPixel, is their gun culture.

They really have come to believe that their gun culture is their effective guarantee against tyranny. There seems to be fond imaginings of some scenario where the US military will be persuaded to turn against its citizens (what?) but beaten back by civilian militias.

Really, if you got to the scenario where the military or police were willing to enforce a dictatorship, how much of a resistance do you think your average crowd of civilians with AR-15s would last against tanks, helicopters, trained snipers, drones, and generally a modern military. Look what they did to the Iraqi insurgents. IEDs were the only thing that were effective in that scenario. Firing a firearm just identified your location. The gap is getting greater all the time between what a modern military can do and your average civilian.

Although I would like to see much in America, their gun culture just terrifies me on an intellectual level. I can't see myself ever travelling there. After Sandy Hook, geezus, mass shootings of toddlers and primary school kids, it became clear the USA will not change for at least a generation.

I communicate with my sister in California regularly and it appears the Governor is doing a great job - ignoring Trump and keeping the restrictions in place.

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Originally Posted by Cgcc

...... There seems to be fond imaginings of some scenario where the US military will be persuaded to turn against its citizens (what?) but beaten back by civilian militias.
.....

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Now let me see. A government led by Donald. What could possibly go wrong?

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Originally Posted by rob streeper

I wouldn't call the US a failed state. In my estimation the elements of state power rest on three legs.

The first and most important is possession of 'the bomb' and the means to deliver it. Going along with this of course is a powerful military as a necessary but not sufficient condition.

Next is financial power. The US dollar is still the default currency of the world and will likely remain so for some time due to the size of the US economy.

Finally is the technological base. In this area the US still is supreme but the competitors are much closer and are surpassing the US in many important areas. Since the 80's the US has disinvested in support of broader higher education with the result that there is now a notable shortage of technical people in many areas of science and technology.

As US superiority in the intellectual areas is surpassed the power of the state will depend more and more on 'the bomb' and the money sector. Recent events have shown the money markets have numerous weak points - black swans have been showing up with increasing frequency in recent decades, many foreseeable but some not. The military arm depends critically on science and technology and as the scientific capability of the nation erodes due to under-investment the competitors will eventually surpass the US.

Ultimately though demographics will win and the new focus of world power will be in the East, can't say when but it will be a while.

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Rob

That sums it up exactly: It is also a shocking reality. The style may have subtly changed, but otherwise not much has changed since previous dominant empires sought to dictate to the world. Some were successful for a while such as the British Empire, the Roman Empire, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Chinese (they are positioning for a second bite of the apple) and some not so successful including France under Napoleon and Germany under Hitler. However I draw your and other readers attention to my long time signature and the words of Lord Acton or was William Pitt, the elder?

Regards
Paul

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Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Some were successful for a while such as the British Empire, the Roman Empire, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Chinese (they are positioning for a second bite of the apple) and some not so successful including France under Napoleon and Germany under Hitler.

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So if we call the USA a dominant "empire", and acknowledge that they have actually been quite successful in dictating to the world (Chinese nationals who learn to speak English do so with an American accent - impact of the WWWeb), we also have to acknowledge that out of the countries your list, they have only outlasted Hitler's Chermany :D (France has colonised much of Africa and the South Pacific).

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Originally Posted by Cgcc

their gun culture.

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The problem of gun violence is rooted in economic disenfranchisement. Resistance to tyranny is invoked, in most cases, speciously. The motivator IMO is atomization of the society and an 'Every man for himself' type of thinking. Most of the people in this category are disgruntled white guys holding on to the bottom rung of the economic ladder who use their guns as a kind of psychological security blanket. Look at the videos, most are in such poor physical shape that they struggle to pull themselves up off of the couch and are by no means fit enough to fight any battles.
The US has become a collection of individuals at the instigation of decades of poor government policy. Every rat is fighting with every other rat for the scraps from our masters table and some of these rats are armed and angry.

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Originally Posted by rob streeper

Most of the people in this category are disgruntled white guys holding on to the bottom rung of the economic ladder who use their guns as a kind of psychological security blanket. Look at the videos, most are in such poor physical shape that they struggle to pull themselves up off of the couch and are by no means fit enough to fight any battles.

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Hmmm. You must mean these boys.

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Summer weather apparently offers little protection. Impact of climate and public health interventions on the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study | CMAJ