China's Assistance to the US

[Omega1982]

There's an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about how an airplane belonging to the New England Patriots was used to deliver 1.2 million masks from China to the US yesterday.  One of the interesting parts is how even the flight crew had to have Chinese visas.  None of them did and they had to scramble to get the visas asap.  It mentions how helpful the Chinese consul in New York was in even opening up the embassy over the weekend.  That's why I always tell people it's good to have a visa even if you don't have immediate plans to travel.  In cases such as this it gives you one leg up above the next person.  China offers Americans a ten year multiple entry visa which is an outstanding deal.  The most Russia gives us is 3 years.  The only caveat is that one must have purchased a ticket to China in order to apply for the visa and I think one must also show proof of accomodation. 

its also interesting that the owner of said airplane, which is the owner of the Patriots sports team, a gentleman by the name of Kraft was recently in legal trouble for procuring certain services at a massage parlor in Florida.  His name was dragged through the mud for no legitimate reason, he faced legal issues, lost money, and yet here he is a humanitarian.  For nonesense like this is why the US has more prisoners than China.  The article mentions how Kraft who studied in New York, donated 300,000 of the 1.2 million masks to the state of New York.  Well done. 

[Twinky]

Yes, but too late 330 000 infected at USA and few cured.
USA
Infections: 337 072
Recovery: 18 999
Death: 8 337
 

[Manny]

Yes, but too late 330 000 infected at USA and few cured.
USA
Infections: 337 072
Recovery: 18 999
Death: 8 337
 

That’s not accurate. That means 300k people aren’t better but aren’t dead. As it lasts 1-2 weeks, where are they?

The US seems to have done almost nothing. Looks like they want to let it run, kill off some oldies and weaker folks and move on afterwards.

[andrewfi]

Manny, different countries have different strategies for closing out cases. You can see that the UK has closed almost no cases, apart from those where the person dies.

Without checking, I can't be certain, but I recall seeing that South Korea, for example, closes cases very fast, they give a test to check for Covid-19, if negative, the case is closed. In the UK, that's not done. Most cases the patient stays at home for a couple of weeks and gets on with life without further testing and so the case will never be resolved.

It's not that people are hidden away, or numbers fudged, it's about resources, priorities and strategy.

There's also issues about counting. For example, in New York, about 250 people per day are dying out of hospital. Normally that would be about 40.
Those people are not tested before burial or cremation - there's no test kits or personnel to do it. Of course they all had Covid-19 that led to their demise but they will never be part of the covid-19 stats.

Something similar happens in the UK in respect of people who die outside of hospitals although PHE in England is now collating that data, unlike the USA. However that data will not be fully compiled and added to the overall stars until weeks or months from now because that data has a very different workflow to hospital data collection.

The same issues affected China. Apparently it is normal around the world that epidemic data is not fully compiled until well after the epidemic has ended.

[BillyB]

Trump got his friend Jack Ma from Alibaba to donate lots of supplies.

Yes, but too late 330 000 infected at USA and few cured.
USA
Infections: 337 072
Recovery: 18 999
Death: 8 337
 

Don't worry Twinky. Over 90 countries applied for financial help at the IMF which America has controlling shares since we have the most money to loan. Other nations are in trouble much more than us.

[Manny]

since we have the most money to loan. Other nations are in trouble much more than us.

Really? Is your currency backed by gold to the extent of the Russian Ruble or the Swiss Franc?

Your country has done almost nothing against the virus. Pretending it doesn't exist and that you will overcome it "bigly" using only witchcraft and MAGA hats isn't really a plan.

Your borders could be closed for a year or more.

[Contrarian]

Yes, but too late 330 000 infected at USA and few cured.
USA
Infections: 337 072
Recovery: 18 999
Death: 8 337
 

That’s not accurate. That means 300k people aren’t better but aren’t dead. As it lasts 1-2 weeks, where are they?

The US seems to have done almost nothing. Looks like they want to let it run, kill off some oldies and weaker folks and move on afterwards.

There isn’t a cure for the regular flu nor is there a cure for bad drivers.

Both kill enormous amounts of people yet not much fear-mongering and no wrecked economies.

BTW you sound like some buffoons on CNN. 

[BillyB]

Really? Is your currency backed by gold to the extent of the Russian Ruble or the Swiss Franc?

America has the most money to loan so it has controlling shares of the World Bank and IMF. Last week Russia changed the rules on borrowing so they can borrow more this year. Switzerland pound for pound, is one of the hardest virus hit European nations.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-budget/russia-ditches-2020-borrowing-limits-as-coronavirus-outbreak-weighs-idUSKBN21I1XL

America has more gold than the next three countries combined.

http://www.usfunds.com/investor-library/frank-talk/top-10-countries-with-largest-gold-reserves/#.Xov4YIhKiUk

Your country has done almost nothing against the virus. Pretending it doesn’t exist and that you will overcome it "bigly" using only witchcraft and MAGA hats isn’t really a plan.

Spain, France, Germany, UK, Italy and Switzerland combined has the same population as America. As a group they have much more cases and deaths than America. Could it be that Trump actually did something to keep our death toll and cases lower than those nations?

[B.B.]

It mentions how helpful the Chinese consul in New York was in even opening up the embassy over the weekend.   

Considering that this was a colossal fcukup on their part, it's the least they can do.  If they had not lied, covered up, destroyed evidence, etc., and simply acted 3 weeks earlier, the # of COVID19 cases would have been cut by 95%.  So nice work, guys!  Thanks  for bringing us the virus version of Chernobyl!

its also interesting that the owner of said airplane, which is the owner of the Patriots sports team, a gentleman by the name of Kraft was recently in legal trouble for procuring certain services at a massage parlor in Florida.  His name was dragged through the mud for no legitimate reason, he faced legal issues, lost money, and yet here he is a humanitarian.  For nonesense like this is why the US has more prisoners than China.  The article mentions how Kraft who studied in New York, donated 300,000 of the 1.2 million masks to the state of New York.  Well done.

Kraft is worth $6.9B; money isn't the issue.  His wife died 9 years ago, and, at 77 years of age, he started going to a "rub n' tug" joint in a strip mall.  Not my thing, but I don't have a beef with it, provided the girls are all there on a voluntary basis (which, in this case, they evidently were,surprisingly enough.)

So non-issue, but OTOH, if I was 77 and still a horndog (Go, Bob!), and I had $6.9B, I'd bee floating around the W. Med on my yacht with a variety of hot, young willing babes - kind of like my life now, minus not being 77, not having a yacht and not being worth $6.9B. 

B/B

[Twinky]

I hear information that now some homeholders cant pay for homeloans and cant buy even any pills untivirus or so at USA  And most live bill to bill and cant stand medicine bills with COVID when it would need emergency help.
Its bad situation.

[Manny]

I hear information that now some homeholders cant pay for homeloans and cant buy even any pills untivirus or so at USA  And most live bill to bill and cant stand medicine bills with COVID when it would need emergency help.
Its bad situation.

As a nation, Americans live on credit - bill to bill as you say (we say hand to mouth). Few have significant savings. It's a very fragile way to live.

[LoyalMan]

I hear information that now some homeholders cant pay for homeloans and cant buy even any pills untivirus or so at USA  And most live bill to bill and cant stand medicine bills with COVID when it would need emergency help.
Its bad situation.

It is their style of living.  When the economics grew as those ages during 1950's to 1990's, it was fine.

[AvHdB]

I hear information that now some homeholders cant pay for homeloans and cant buy even any pills untivirus or so at USA  And most live bill to bill and cant stand medicine bills with COVID when it would need emergency help.
Its bad situation.

As a nation, Americans live on credit - bill to bill as you say (we say hand to mouth). Few have significant savings. It's a very fragile way to live.

Some in the United States have way to much debt others are more prudent.

There is another large segment of the US population that do indeed live 'hand to mouth'. This is not by choice. A while back I saw a statistic that almost 5% of the population have no banking access.

[Texan77]

We have a lot of people from southern climates who just simply will not save. Those who have steady jobs borrow all they can. No body has to live like this if they so choose not to. Most people who are poor either have some type of handicap or choose not to develop a career. If you can not do anything that pays money you will likely be poor.

It is this same group of people that have the most Coronavirus infections. They simple will not follow the recommendations and get exposed then take it home to there grandparents. Black people in the USA have a three time infection rates as whites. There are many blacks that are responsible and save money. It is just a large segment that are not. In Albany Georgia there were two black churches that held a large funerals. There was lots of crying and hugging and two weeks latter a new Virus hot spot. I have a friend who has a relative there that is infected and it is like the whole street of neighbors are all infected. They are very social and friendly people so the give it to one another fast. It is there cultural and there way of life.

Often the people who live like this do not mind it. They are completely happy living from pay to pay check. They have a lot of fun and social events and they do not save because it is not something they desire. People from northern climates often save because it is their cultural as their ancestors had to save in the summer to survive the winter. So when you start putting your standards on their way of life it is easy to not understand someone else's cultural why they might be happy with their life when maybe you would not be. Is it really a fault of the country or an indication that life in the USA is bad?

[BillyB]

I hear information that now some homeholders cant pay for homeloans and cant buy even any pills untivirus or so at USA  And most live bill to bill and cant stand medicine bills with COVID when it would need emergency help.
Its bad situation.

There are government programs that push back having to pay the mortgage bill many months without late penalty or interest. Evictions have been outlawed so if somebody doesn't pay mortgage or rent, the banks or homeowners can't kick them out. COVID testing is free to all. If someone has COVID and can't work, they get paid to stay home. If a person doesn't work and has COVID, they are probably covered by Obamacare for free. Some people who have to stay home and collect unemployment will get up to $1390 per week in my State plus an additional $1200 per adult and $500 per child. Life isn't bad in American during this pandemic compared to most countries regardless of what you read.

[Twinky]

It is their style of living.  When the economics grew as those ages during 1950's to 1990's, it was fine.

Its huge stress to whom can be involving at such circumstance it can lead to some economic collapse and recession.

[Twinky]

I hear information that now some homeholders cant pay for homeloans and cant buy even any pills untivirus or so at USA  And most live bill to bill and cant stand medicine bills with COVID when it would need emergency help.
Its bad situation.

There are government programs that push back having to pay the mortgage bill many months without late penalty or interest. Evictions have been outlawed so if somebody doesn't pay mortgage or rent, the banks or homeowners can't kick them out. COVID testing is free to all. If someone has COVID and can't work, they get paid to stay home. If a person doesn't work and has COVID, they are probably covered by Obamacare for free. Some people who have to stay home and collect unemployment will get up to $1390 per week in my State plus an additional $1200 per adult and $500 per child. Life isn't bad in American during this pandemic compared to most countries regardless of what you read.

Aga, so good

[Texan77]

How are people doing in Russia? Are many of them not working because the business they work for is closed? How much help does the Russian government give unemployed people in Russia. I understand that many Russian live from pay check to pay check It that true?

[BillyB]

Twinky, how do you and other Russians around you feel about Putin sending medical supplies to America and Italy?

[Twinky]

How are people doing in Russia? Are many of them not working because the business they work for is closed? How much help does the Russian government give unemployed people in Russia. I understand that many Russian live from pay check to pay check It that true?

Yes, now more simple procedure to have unemployed aid but salary ratings quite low so at least something more then nothing. But most business payed at this period, some stores find time to work as internet-shops or so. Today was walking quite lot of peoples despite carantine. So quite interesting time.

Twinky, how do you and other Russians around you feel about Putin sending medical supplies to America and Italy?

I think its good. Russia always trying to help others if possible. Quite proud feel.

[BillyB]

I think its good. Russia always trying to help others if possible. Quite proud feel.

Wonderful! I'm sure you have a charitable heart for you to feel that way. Now, will you give away your heart to a Western man in need of your love?

[Twinky]

Wonderful! I'm sure you have a charitable heart for you to feel that way. Now, will you give away your heart to a Western man in need of your love?

Only for best one if he really need love , but mostly they need something like
 

[msmoby]

Only for best one if he really need love , but mostly they need something like
 

Do you say this because it's mostly old Americans that write to you or because of the Coronavirus, Twinky ?