30 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – September 29 2021”

      1. All the more reason to get EVERYONE vaccinated.
        Every day this virus is out there, increases the chance
        that it could mutate once again. And we do NOT want
        a more transmissible and possibly more deadly virus
        on the loose.

        1. Absolute agree. I don’t know how or who can enforce mandates, but I’m thinking they are the only way to circumvent the governors who are deliberately putting their citizens at risk for political gain.

    1. Very interesting indeed. Thanks Vicki!

      I feel a bit better about this now. Let’s see what ultimately happens.

    1. Hard to believe that we were at one time “the greatest nation in the world”. Now we are a worldwide disgrace. 🙁

  1. Vicki, global numbers are improving. But, we’re a long way from victory, as I’m sure you’re aware. A divide is taking shape in Europe between West (mostly good, except UK) and East (getting worse, and I think that will be the next epicenter – Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, and others). Also, South America hasn’t had a full-blown Delta wave yet. That’s going to happen. While natural immunity numbers are quite high in South America (from other variants), we know what Delta can do in spite of that.

    Alaska’s numbers are really bad. Neighboring provinces in Canada are doing MUCH better. Main reason: Alaskan vaccination rate is MUCH lower than the vaccination rate in the Northwest Territories and British Colombia.
    https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1443043885312184320

    1. Thanks again. I had noticed the slight uptick at the end of several lines……and pretended I didn’t see it 😉

  2. Thanks for sharing the WSJ article on France. There is a strong anti-vax movement in France. But, central government in France is an even more powerful force. No other democracy in the world has a more centralized and powerful presidency (executive branch). Is Macron a dictator? No. He is not. But, can he do things that the U.S. President simply cannot. Yes. First, practically all major decisions on healthcare are made centrally. Provincial autonomy is minimal. Second, the President and legislators (in the Assemblee Nationale) work hand in hand to craft bills and measures which can be rammed through quickly, so long as the President’s party and/or coalition members have a majority. Party discipline ensures that there is little or no fracturing among party members. If you want to vote against the party’s wishes, fine, but then you’re asked to leave the party and join another one or form your own. Third, the President can threaten to and/or disband parliament at ANY time of his or her choosing, and call for new elections. Try to imagine that scenario in the U.S. Whoever is in office can catch the opposition flat-footed by calling an election, say, in 5 weeks time, giving the opposition little or no time to adequately prepare. Our founders wanted to ensure stability and set terms. So, our elections follow the most scripted, regular path of any in the free world.

    1. Another thing is French courts. They rarely get involved in legislative matters, unless it’s blatantly obvious that something is unconstitutional or violates existing law. There’s almost no suing done between branches of government. On the other hand, here, lawsuits, of course, are as American as apple pie and Chevrolet.

    2. Thanks Joshua. As messed up as we can get, I think I prefer our government. Or I did until almost five years ago. But we have been in messes before. Hopefully, we survive this.

  3. Vicki, yes, we do have a very stable democracy despite what the media says. Trump tried to derail it, and may continue to do so. But, our institutions held up. Not only that, the power sharing among the three branches is unique.

    This said, we have practical issues that other democracies don’t face. Shutdowns, for example. Unheard of outside the U.S. And, frankly, not something our government should ever be doing. Further, we don’t have a very functional government when it comes to solving actual problems on the ground, like Covid-19. Some of the dysfunction is purposeful – eg, states’ autonomy.

    1. Absolutely. I’m not thrilled with either party at the moment. The left is acting like a group of children who want to take their ball and go home unless they get their way. The right? Well, that imploded several years ago.

      1. I 100% AGREE! Sorry for the all caps. The “all or nothing” approach on the left is driving me nuts. Almost everyone agrees we need the infrastructure included in the bipartisan bill. But, many progressives are saying they won’t vote for it unless they get their way with a much larger bill which doesn’t have the same level of consensus. That should never be the way a democracy works. Vote for what’s right for the country, and which is sure to pass if everyone would just be rational about it. After that, take a deep breath, debate the budget reconciliation bill and you’ll get a chance to vote on it, but it may not pass. Tough pill to swallow. Sure. But, don’t blame the dissenters. Be happy we have a country with many different opinions, and not everything you want you get. As the Stones said so eloquently (and my daughter now sings in choir in London): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv9sDn_2XkI

        1. Word for word I absolutely agree.

          ….try some times and you might find younger what you need.

          How simply perfect

            1. Sure is. Wasn’t joking when I said my daughter is singing this in choir in London. She’s the only American in the choir, so her “can’t” won’t sound the same as with the others’ “can’t.” In the Stones version, Mick sings with an American accent. His “can’t” is meant to sound American. But, the choir’s “can’t” in the intro to the song is very British-sounding. And it’s the choir that my daughter is now part of.

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