PLAYPEN: Covid-19 Everything Political

[Alan Klein]

Yes, available to those who "are more equal then others."

I have no problem with foreigners paying for medical insurance in non-native countries, and feel that should be the case.  But that is not what I was getting at.  I was getting at that since Cuba requires you to buy health coverage and what is provide in that coverage is a good deal, you would think many sick people would purposely fly to Cuba to get that amazing Cuban healthcare.  But you don't hear about this, because no person in their right mind would want it, unless you "are more equal then others" and get VIP treatment, like Chavez.

And there you go, lets blame the big old bad USA for Cuba's problems, yet ignore commerce for them is open in every other country.  And I am sure if we started talking about other Latin American countries (current or fallen) that are in shambles, I would hear the argument that well the USA is too involved.  This argument holds no water as far as I am concerned.  They are in a shit storm due to their own missteps. 

PS, I am against the embargo, even though it would drastically increase the price of Habanos. 

Cuba's broke because they're Communists.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...but I think your full of shit...

"you are"

[chez]

Cuba's broke because they're Communists.

And why is the US broke?

[Alan Klein]

l don't call for any specific timetable; that's silly because nobody knows how many people will become infected nor how long it will take for the infections to have stopped. Timetables are a nonsense; you hear about them all the time because reporters are no longer able to cover anything else and when  there is nothing to say they over-concentrate on the aspects that are able to be kicked around. When all you hear are timetables, they become important because they are ubiquitous. You can't escape them so you play variations on them, but that's all you do, play. Reality takes its own path.

Regarding guaranteed pensions: don't be so sure. I took a lot of things as guaranteed. I was wrong. It may be interesing asking the Greeks about that.

I agree about pensions.  States are broke, even NY where we get ours from.  Although protected by the NY constitution, you never know what a bunch of liberal state justices will conclude.  They could diminish them.  That's why NY Gov Cuomo is clamoring for the Congress to bail out the states.  He can't raise taxes anymore or his voters will throw him out of office.  So he's looking for the Feds to bail him out.  Of course, I agree with him.  After all, I want to protect my pension. But the truth is, NYS is a spendthrift state like most states and shouldn't be bailed out.  What's happening is the virus is causing all the chickens to come home to roost a lot earlier.  The tax base is shot.  All the cheese is gone and we're papering over it with funny money. 

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

China is running a dry run for world domination. They released the virus and sat back to watch just how fast the great Western democracies, beacons of freedom, will fall for tyrannical measures; testing how quickly the western population will clamour for fascism (90+% of Brits support forced house arrests???). How fast the sheeple will accept ankle bracelets, tracing, monitoring, forced extraction from homes, to "save lives." All good info for the Chinese. When the time comes. Soon in living rooms near you and inside your home.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

I agree about pensions...

Alan, you have a private pension scheme most likely. I was talking about Social Security.

[chez]

China is running a dry run for world domination. They released the virus and sat back to watch just how fast the great Western democracies, beacons of freedom, will fall for tyrannical measures; testing how quickly the western population will clamour for fascism (90+% of Brits support forced house arrests???). How fast the sheeple will accept ankle bracelets, tracing, monitoring, forced extraction from homes, to "save lives." All good info for the Chinese. When the time comes. Soon in living rooms near you and inside your home.

You sure this is a test by the Chinese?

[Alan Klein]

I have no experience or axe to grind, but even a quick look in Google came up with this link - and another stated that the average life-expectancy in Cuba is marginally higher than in the US - despite running on low resources.  https://theconversation.com/is-the-cuban-healthcare-system-really-as-great-as-people-claim-69526

Jim

So you get more time to spend in jail when you say bad things about the Castro family.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

You sure this is a test by the Chinese?

They started it. I will grant you that many others just saw that as an opportunity to piggyback on it and test for themselves, just how far they can go, like my current government.

[LesPalenik]

How does that justify losing your liberties and being punished or killed for opening your mouth?

where do you see a connection between cancer research and loss of liberties?

If anything, the current US president is interfering with the work of medical experts and researchers.

[Alan Klein]

How has Trump tried to do that?

Tariffs, tax incentives, and using his bully pulpit to encourage companies to build here. 

[LesPalenik]

So you get more time to spend in jail when you say bad things about the Castro family.

Similar to USA where you can get fired for saying bad things about the Trump family.

[JoeKitchen]

where do you see a connection between cancer research and loss of liberties?

If anything, the current US president is interfering with the work of medical experts and researchers.

Wait?  Where the hell do you get that? 

I mean certainly, Obama was, with his never ending list of regulations, but Trump has been reducing regulations.  He just whipped away the CDC and FDA regulations that  were screwing us here with testing. 

[JoeKitchen]

Similar to USA where you can get fired for saying bad things about the Trump family.

What? 

Are you making this up as you go now? 

Tell me what private companies do this. 

[Alan Klein]

Right...so now the greatest economy of the world will be competing with the likes of China and Vietnam in manufacturing $1 t-shirts. Yeh...that's progress...and the people working in these "sweat shops" will be paid...what $.50 / hour?

No, maybe not T shirts.  But what happens organically, is as wages drop, certain products become profitable to make domestically.  How does Mr. Pillow make them in Minnesota with American labor?  Ok, they're pillows, not T shirts.  But pillows?  I think T shirts are more difficult to make.

[Alan Klein]

So what has the USA done differently in Africa, compared to China? I am familar with the oil industry in Angola, for starters.

Has China started any wars like in the Middle East to control oil reserves?

So you'd give up American protection for Chinese authority?  I don't think so. 

[chez]

So you get more time to spend in jail when you say bad things about the Castro family.

In 2019, the USA had 2.3 million inmates.

[Jim Pascoe]

So you get more time to spend in jail when you say bad things about the Castro family.

I'm not sure what the relevance of that remark is.  I was responding to the question of the efficacy of Cuban medicine - I'm not planning on moving there........

[chez]

No, maybe not T shirts.  But what happens organically, is as wages drop, certain products become profitable to make domestically.  How does Mr. Pillow make them in Minnesota with American labor?  Ok, they're pillows, not T shirts.  But pillows?  I think T shirts are more difficult to make.

If you start making t-shirts and pillows in the USA...you'll see your average wage drop to compete with "3rd world" countries. Is that the direction the USA wants to take? Do they really want to compete with China and Vietnam?

[Alan Klein]

Come on Alan...do you really not think the US does not payoff foreign governments to aid their own interests. How many coups did the CIA fund to overthrow a government and put in place an American backed patsy.

As far as how much Trump cares about Africa...well they are just SHITHOLE countries.

So you'd rather partner with China than the USA?  Sure.