China is in quarantine. As you know
the coronvirus shut down much of the travel for Lunar New Year that
millions of Chinese take part in every year. This mass migration of
people wasn't something I had really heard much about. Nor did I
ever really understand the ramifications of millions of people
migrating into the cities to work.
But in my YouTube wandering I came
across a story that brings home how this current viral outbreak may
be impacting millions of people. It is the sad story of the millions
of children left behind when their parents seek work in far away cities. These videos are a few years old now, but I suspect this situation has not eased.
Children are left in some cases to fend
for themselves. Or, perhaps just as bad, in the care of relatives
who don't really care. Although there are caring people who are attempting to help, the system isn't always supportive.
And another family's story.
I am not sure how I will feel wearing
something with the made in China label in the future.
Over the past week there has occurred
three things that for me seem to be turning points in some way shape
or form. I will touch on each in no particular order of importance.
As you are aware, or should be aware,
there has been an impeachment trial occurring in the United States
Senate. One might be forgiven if the word “trial” seems a little
overblown in this case. Because it seems there is already a foregone
conclusion. To that end it appears that some are quite willing to
dispense with something that is usually an integral part of a trial,
witnesses. And that to me is a slide away from the rule of law into
something else entirely. Listen to the statement made by one of our
Senators on why he reasons witnesses are not needed.
First off I don't think that admitting
the defendant's guilt is a good reason to deny further witnesses.
Secondly, if the articles of impeachment were written into the
Constitution then I am sure the writer's intent was for them to be a
recourse for removing a President who has shown his willingness to
abuse the powers of his office and undermine the rule of law.
The lack of will by the Republican led
Senate to rein in a President who abuses the office does not bode
well for the continuation of a democratic country.
Moving on we have what appears to be a
burgeoning global viral outbreak, which has sickened thousands,
killed hundreds, and left millions quarantined. China has been put
on lock down with many countries imposing flight bans in an effort to
contain the contagion. The effects are starting to ripple through
the global economy, tanking stock markets along the way, as many
businesses shutdown.
What we will see is whether or not the
global community can handle this in such a way as to minimize the
damage to people and their livelihoods. This should be a wake up
call for China to clean up the incubators of its markets and for
other countries to put in place plans to deal with a true global
pandemic before it happens.
And last, but certainly not least, we
have Brexit. The UK has now officially broken from the EU, leaving a
still divided populace. We may not see for a year what this has
wrought, but I suspect that it will slowly sink in. Good or bad?
The UK is an integral part of the world
community and this will touch not just them but us as well.
Is it any wonder we want to tune out?
A beach sounds good right about now.
