The wife and I were going to hike the fjords in Norway in a few weeks, but we didn’t buy airline tickets due to Covid concerns, not the virus itself, but the possibility of being stuck outside the country.
It’d be nice if this issue were purely a public health concern, rather than viewing everything through a political & conspiratorial lens......but we get the society that we deserve.
The upside is that perhaps the more intelligent of our species has seen the utility of keeping a stockpile of essential items on hand.
I agree with all you say, Constitutional Insurgent. To me, it is just common sense to have plenty dry foods, plenty of fuel, a very inclusive first aid kit, something to put into a firearm plenty of water and an excellent water filter. A relatively small investment for additional peace of mind. I do _not_ have additional toilet paper in my safe :-)
Though I’m often tarred with the “prepper” label, that term has been successfully caricatur-ized by the infotainment industry.......I just call myself ‘prepared’.
I counsel all of my family and friends to keep a 96 hour (minimum) stockage of food, water, batteries, meds and other essentials. That usually covers most common-ish impacts to normal life.
Personally, I plan for a more complete collapse (natural or man made), but not everybody has the funds and storage for that. Your generally itemized list is pretty spot on....and very common sense. Sadly, it seems that many people live day to day.....never considering a breakdown in supply or panic buying.
Thus, my posterior will be well looked after for the foreseeable future!
Not just drugs. When the San Onofre nuclear plant needed to replace the steam generators, they had to go to a firm in South Korea.
These are simple water tanks with tubes inside, the tubes carrying hot water to heat the water in the tank and produce steam. Very much like old fashioned steam locomotives. The heating medium for locomotives was fire, and for the nuclear plant it is super heated water, but the technology is the same. Primitive.
And not one company in the US could build the heat exchangers. No invention required, just duplicate the existing units. Not one company in this nation had the capability. So the new ones were made in South Korea.
The job was botched, but that's another story. Some American engineers changed the design, attempting to get another 3% power out of the plant by adding more tubes. They had to remove a brace to add the new tubes. Turns out the brace needed to be there. Who could have guessed that. The new heat exchangers busted and leaked and it was cheaper to just shut the plant down than to replace the heat exchangers again.
As I understand it, it’s the same case with our large electrical transformers. A CME or EMP occurs, and we can’t domestically replace the key ingredients to our power grid.
Probably the stupidest hing we ever did wa CEDE our INDEPENDENCE to foreign countries not known to love, honor, respect, obey, or be in any way loyal to us.
American LABOR too deserves a large share of the blame, because in pushing constantly to get MORE and MORE for doiing LESS and LESS, Amerian Labor virtally priced itself out of the market, and all-but FORCED business owners and executives to take advntage of availablel cheap labor in far flung places overseas.
Businesses exist PRIMARILY to MAKE MONEY. That's not "theory," it's REALITY. Businesses are NOT non-profit "Public Service" organizations, neither are they CHARITIES.
Ergo, I believe we must admit the fallacy of ever having allowed Big Labor's highly deleterious embrace of frankly MARXIAN tactics and resultant policies to develop back when they still could have –– and should have –– been nipped in the bud. The results of this lapse in the proper use of governmental authority has been disastrous for Amerian Business on all sides.
Silverfiddle, the lack of medicines made in America scares me. Even if I am prepared I cannot overcome some infections. Time to motivate big pharma. Unfortunately that would entail money, but well spent in my view.
And Mr. AOW has numerous maintenance medications to prevent another stroke.
I'm pretty lucky with regard to maintenance medications -- although I do take several. Only one life-threatening situation for me (hypertension), but neuro issues involving severe pain are also in play if I can't get my medications.
Today, the homeschool group with whom I work on Tuesdays made plans for online classes via Google Hangouts. We practiced using the option.
Our classes are held in a public library, and that library is already showing signs of sparsity of patrons -- as are other libraries in the same system. It occurs to me that the public library system here could close as early as next Monday.
What say I? -Stupid to give control of any item to one country. -Stupid to wait until the SHTF to Isolate. America is going to wait until the SHTF, then isolate. We could do it now and save a lot of suffering and death. We won't lose anything because we ARE going to islolate when The SHTF and the virus cases go exponential. How friggin hard is this. Still better than if the democrat vermin were in charge.
My guess is that most people, most consumers, do not give much thought to where the items they purchase are made. You see something on the shelf, and you think, “That’s neat; price is right ...” But it does matter where products are made. In 2007, China knowingly and intentionally coated children’s toys with lead paint, materials they knew were earmarked for sale in the United States. Ask Mattel and RC2 how much it cost them, or Marvel Toys and Dolgen Corpsation.. Whatever happened to Toys R’ Us?
In 2008, Chinese company Sanlu sold baby formula containing melamine to domestic markets and Vietnam, resulting in numerous deaths with as many as 300,000 children affected. Three people were put to death for this heinous crime, but it hasn’t changed the way China manufactures goods.
The Chinese intentionally tainted toothpaste sold in the USA with diethylene glycol (DEG) in dangerous amounts, tainted pet food, poison discovered in foods at Cracker Barrel and McDonald’s. More recently, the US warned people against buying cosmetics online, as those made in China are dangerous to human health are counterfeit knockdowns mimicking Chanel and Max Factor. Excessive amounts of lead have been found in lipsticks, mercury in skin cream.
So, the question is, why would anyone with an ounce of common-sense purchase prescription medications from China? Why would the US government allow Chinese pharmaceuticals into our country to begin with?
Mustang & AOW Why would the US government allow Chinese pharmaceuticals into our country to begin with?
Because they are not "Chinese pharmaceuticals." They are American pharmaceuticals manufactured in China. Like pretty much everything else we use, this country no longer has the capacity to produce them.
Progressivism (I.e. crypto-Marxism) created then emboldened Big Labor to such an extent that Unionism eneded up virtually pricing American Labor out of existence.
Business exists –– NOT as a series of benevolent PUBLIC SERVICE organizations. –– but to MAKE MONEY.
When "LABOR" (i.e. the "INMATES") take over running the "CORPORATION" (I.e. the "ASYLUM"), we get CHAOS, RUINATION, POVERTY and DECAY.
If we fail to understand the ROOT CAUSE of the destructive things that beset us, we will never be able to find SOLUTIONS to end the misery.
But no one seems to want to believe that, so we continue to suffer as we doggedly persist in "straining out gnats, while swallowing camels."
Good point, Jayhawk. Although I seem to remember reading that Chinese manufactured drugs are being regularly marketed on the internet, and some of these through Canada. I could be mistaken, though.
I do not rule out the reasons you cite, Franco, they are certainly part of the cause. But I think you omit one that is just as significant, if not more so, which is the American consumer's desire for low prices. When imports first began to impact American manufacturing there was a major advertising campaign to "buy American," with the explanation that buying imports caused a loss of American jobs. The consumer didn't care, and went big for the lower pricing.
Everybody's life must end. Acknowledge that; it's not a trend. Though prophylaxis may be stringent Existence still remains contingent. When suffering we cannot mend Then Death becomes our greatest friend.
@ Franco. A few years back, an acquaintance who works in pharmaceuticals told me that the reason US citizens pay so much for their prescription medications is that (a) R&D and manufacturing costs are sky high, (b) the US made a deal with the WHO to provide expensive, life-savings medications free of charge to people living in fourth-world crap holes, paid for at a significantly reduced rate by the government (e.g., taxpayers), which means that the government forces pharmaceutical companies to operate at or under the break-even point. The justification for this travesty is that “Americans can afford the high cost of drugs.”
The truth of this appears self-evident. In McAllen, Texas, a life-saving medication of 30 doses may well cost above $450. That very same medication can be purchased across the border in Reynosa, Mexico for pennies on the dollar. WHO represents the kind of globalization we all resent, particularly when it comes to compassion for others, because the truth is that the Americans and British are among the most charitable people in the world ... no reason to coerce them through taxation into taking care of others, is there? You’re right to say that progressivism is a plague upon the earth.
The Chinese have stated that they may withhold shipments of live-saving drugs.
Given life saving drugs are used to keep us old Conservatives alive, no doubt the left is having orgasms at the prospect of having many of us off the voting rolls.
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The wife and I were going to hike the fjords in Norway in a few weeks, but we didn’t buy airline tickets due to Covid concerns, not the virus itself, but the possibility of being stuck outside the country.
ReplyDeleteIt’d be nice if this issue were purely a public health concern, rather than viewing everything through a political & conspiratorial lens......but we get the society that we deserve.
The upside is that perhaps the more intelligent of our species has seen the utility of keeping a stockpile of essential items on hand.
"It’d be nice if this issue were purely a public health concern, rather than viewing everything through a political & conspiratorial lens...."
DeleteAmen!
I agree with all you say, Constitutional Insurgent. To me, it is just common sense to have plenty dry foods, plenty of fuel, a very inclusive first aid kit, something to put into a firearm plenty of water and an excellent water filter. A relatively small investment for additional peace of mind. I do _not_ have additional toilet paper in my safe :-)
DeleteThough I’m often tarred with the “prepper” label, that term has been successfully caricatur-ized by the infotainment industry.......I just call myself ‘prepared’.
DeleteI counsel all of my family and friends to keep a 96 hour (minimum) stockage of food, water, batteries, meds and other essentials. That usually covers most common-ish impacts to normal life.
Personally, I plan for a more complete collapse (natural or man made), but not everybody has the funds and storage for that. Your generally itemized list is pretty spot on....and very common sense. Sadly, it seems that many people live day to day.....never considering a breakdown in supply or panic buying.
Thus, my posterior will be well looked after for the foreseeable future!
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNot just drugs. When the San Onofre nuclear plant needed to replace the steam generators, they had to go to a firm in South Korea.
ReplyDeleteThese are simple water tanks with tubes inside, the tubes carrying hot water to heat the water in the tank and produce steam. Very much like old fashioned steam locomotives. The heating medium for locomotives was fire, and for the nuclear plant it is super heated water, but the technology is the same. Primitive.
And not one company in the US could build the heat exchangers. No invention required, just duplicate the existing units. Not one company in this nation had the capability. So the new ones were made in South Korea.
The job was botched, but that's another story. Some American engineers changed the design, attempting to get another 3% power out of the plant by adding more tubes. They had to remove a brace to add the new tubes. Turns out the brace needed to be there. Who could have guessed that. The new heat exchangers busted and leaked and it was cheaper to just shut the plant down than to replace the heat exchangers again.
As I understand it, it’s the same case with our large electrical transformers. A CME or EMP occurs, and we can’t domestically replace the key ingredients to our power grid.
DeleteCI,
Deletewe can’t domestically replace the key ingredients to our power grid
That's bad news!
What fools we Mercans have been! Outsourcing our mans of national security is about as asinine as we could get.
DeleteAt the moment, I'm concerned about the supply chain for medications and medical devices.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that I've suddenly developed another kidney problem, which may require surgery. What about the supply chain for surgical robots?
Dismissing the NSC Global Health Security team in 2018, may not have been the best idea ever.......
ReplyDeleteProbably the stupidest hing we ever did wa CEDE our INDEPENDENCE to foreign countries not known to love, honor, respect, obey, or be in any way loyal to us.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid we have to blame President Nixon –– NOT for Watergate, which was a coup d'état generated by the WaPo, Wicked Queen of the Enemedia –– but for Nixon'snaiveté, short sightedness, and lack of perspicacity in "OPENING CHINA" to the West.
In being stupidly overgenerous to potential enemies, "we" shot ourselves in our metaporical foot, and now we ar REAPING wha we have SOWN.
American LABOR too deserves a large share of the blame, because in pushing constantly to get MORE and MORE for doiing LESS and LESS, Amerian Labor virtally priced itself out of the market, and all-but FORCED business owners and executives to take advntage of availablel cheap labor in far flung places overseas.
DeleteBusinesses exist PRIMARILY to MAKE MONEY. That's not "theory," it's REALITY. Businesses are NOT non-profit "Public Service" organizations, neither are they CHARITIES.
Ergo, I believe we must admit the fallacy of ever having allowed Big Labor's highly deleterious embrace of frankly MARXIAN tactics and resultant policies to develop back when they still could have –– and should have –– been nipped in the bud. The results of this lapse in the proper use of governmental authority has been disastrous for Amerian Business on all sides.
Silverfiddle, the lack of medicines made in America scares me. Even if I am prepared I cannot overcome some infections. Time to motivate big pharma. Unfortunately that would entail money, but well spent in my view.
ReplyDeleteKP,
DeleteI hear ya!
And Mr. AOW has numerous maintenance medications to prevent another stroke.
I'm pretty lucky with regard to maintenance medications -- although I do take several. Only one life-threatening situation for me (hypertension), but neuro issues involving severe pain are also in play if I can't get my medications.
Maturing can be a challenge. It's sure humbled me.
DeleteKP,
DeleteBoth humbling and frustrating.
Today, the homeschool group with whom I work on Tuesdays made plans for online classes via Google Hangouts. We practiced using the option.
ReplyDeleteOur classes are held in a public library, and that library is already showing signs of sparsity of patrons -- as are other libraries in the same system. It occurs to me that the public library system here could close as early as next Monday.
What say I?
ReplyDelete-Stupid to give control of any item to one country.
-Stupid to wait until the SHTF to Isolate. America is going to wait until the SHTF, then isolate. We could do it now and save a lot of suffering and death. We won't lose anything because we ARE going to islolate when The SHTF and the virus cases go exponential. How friggin hard is this.
Still better than if the democrat vermin were in charge.
My guess is that most people, most consumers, do not give much thought to where the items they purchase are made. You see something on the shelf, and you think, “That’s neat; price is right ...” But it does matter where products are made. In 2007, China knowingly and intentionally coated children’s toys with lead paint, materials they knew were earmarked for sale in the United States. Ask Mattel and RC2 how much it cost them, or Marvel Toys and Dolgen Corpsation.. Whatever happened to Toys R’ Us?
ReplyDeleteIn 2008, Chinese company Sanlu sold baby formula containing melamine to domestic markets and Vietnam, resulting in numerous deaths with as many as 300,000 children affected. Three people were put to death for this heinous crime, but it hasn’t changed the way China manufactures goods.
The Chinese intentionally tainted toothpaste sold in the USA with diethylene glycol (DEG) in dangerous amounts, tainted pet food, poison discovered in foods at Cracker Barrel and McDonald’s. More recently, the US warned people against buying cosmetics online, as those made in China are dangerous to human health are counterfeit knockdowns mimicking Chanel and Max Factor. Excessive amounts of lead have been found in lipsticks, mercury in skin cream.
So, the question is, why would anyone with an ounce of common-sense purchase prescription medications from China? Why would the US government allow Chinese pharmaceuticals into our country to begin with?
Mustang,
DeleteWhy would the US government allow Chinese pharmaceuticals into our country to begin with?
Somebody getting a rake-off?
Mustang & AOW
ReplyDeleteWhy would the US government allow Chinese pharmaceuticals into our country to begin with?
Because they are not "Chinese pharmaceuticals." They are American pharmaceuticals manufactured in China. Like pretty much everything else we use, this country no longer has the capacity to produce them.
And why is THAT, Jayhawk?
DeleteI think I know. Try this on for size:
Progressivism (I.e. crypto-Marxism) created then emboldened Big Labor to such an extent that Unionism eneded up virtually pricing American Labor out of existence.
Business exists –– NOT as a series of benevolent PUBLIC SERVICE organizations. –– but to MAKE MONEY.
When "LABOR" (i.e. the "INMATES") take over running the "CORPORATION" (I.e. the "ASYLUM"), we get CHAOS, RUINATION, POVERTY and DECAY.
If we fail to understand the ROOT CAUSE of the destructive things that beset us, we will never be able to find SOLUTIONS to end the misery.
But no one seems to want to believe that, so we continue to suffer as we doggedly persist in "straining out gnats, while swallowing camels."
Good point, Jayhawk. Although I seem to remember reading that Chinese manufactured drugs are being regularly marketed on the internet, and some of these through Canada. I could be mistaken, though.
DeleteI do not rule out the reasons you cite, Franco, they are certainly part of the cause. But I think you omit one that is just as significant, if not more so, which is the American consumer's desire for low prices. When imports first began to impact American manufacturing there was a major advertising campaign to "buy American," with the explanation that buying imports caused a loss of American jobs. The consumer didn't care, and went big for the lower pricing.
DeleteSensible...
ReplyDeleteWhat Families Can Do To Protect Themselves Against Flu And Coronavirus: Families can do several things to safeguard themselves, especially good handwashing, keeping a distance from sick people, and having some basic supplies on hand at home.
___ A HOME TRUTH ____
ReplyDeleteEverybody's life must end.
Acknowledge that; it's not a trend.
Though prophylaxis may be stringent
Existence still remains contingent.
When suffering we cannot mend
Then Death becomes our greatest friend.
~ Solonoscopy
@ Franco. A few years back, an acquaintance who works in pharmaceuticals told me that the reason US citizens pay so much for their prescription medications is that (a) R&D and manufacturing costs are sky high, (b) the US made a deal with the WHO to provide expensive, life-savings medications free of charge to people living in fourth-world crap holes, paid for at a significantly reduced rate by the government (e.g., taxpayers), which means that the government forces pharmaceutical companies to operate at or under the break-even point. The justification for this travesty is that “Americans can afford the high cost of drugs.”
ReplyDeleteThe truth of this appears self-evident. In McAllen, Texas, a life-saving medication of 30 doses may well cost above $450. That very same medication can be purchased across the border in Reynosa, Mexico for pennies on the dollar. WHO represents the kind of globalization we all resent, particularly when it comes to compassion for others, because the truth is that the Americans and British are among the most charitable people in the world ... no reason to coerce them through taxation into taking care of others, is there? You’re right to say that progressivism is a plague upon the earth.
It's insane to let any single country to control any given market. I'm sure the defecrats are salivating.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese have stated that they may withhold shipments of live-saving drugs.
DeleteGiven life saving drugs are used to keep us old Conservatives alive, no doubt the left is having orgasms at the prospect of having many of us off the voting rolls.