Coronavirus Update

This morning the Governor of New York spoke to the citizens of his state. It's long, but I thought it was worth posting for anyone to listen to.

Life is a series of choices. How we make those choices matters, to us and to others. I know many of you have probably noticed the missing items in your grocery store, like toilet paper or bottled water. Hoarding is a horrible byproduct of this crisis. Filling your basement with a truckload of toilet paper at the expense of others is not a good choice.

But we are not all like that. Tough times can also bring out the best in many people and businesses. We have those who are converting their Little Free Libraries to Little Free Pantries, stocking them with food for whoever needs it. We have restaurants in downtown Minneapolis that are donating food they can't use to anyone who can. We have the volunteers who are reaching out via the internet to senior citizens who are shut in. We have people working on making their own ventilators, not waiting for supplies from outside. And we have some very intelligent scientists from various nations and states working on drugs that may help.

This restaurant in St. Paul is providing free meals and hope to those who are now unemployed.

This crisis will pass. We will survive. 

How do you want to remember your behavior during it?

Virus

A couple posts ago I wrote about three events that I believed in some way shape or form were going to be important, not just in the present, but in the future. I also felt that they were going to be connected in a way that will impact all of us.

As you are all aware the coronavirus, or Covid-19, has now spread over much of the planet, touching many countries and the people who live there. For most who are infected it will be a mild version, but for some it will mean hospitalization and, sadly, death. Whether you want to call it a pandemic or not it is a very serious happening that will take a serious effort to control.

We have seen how the Chinese government responded to the outbreak of Covid-19 in their country, the mass quarantine of millions of people. An extreme measure that we might have thought would be out of the question for those in the West to emulate. However, just overnight Italy has imposed a partial quarantine of their own.

Obviously, we don't want to overreact, but as is demonstrated by the Italian government official, as well as the Pope himself, it is up to those of us who have limited health risks to try to protect others who will be more seriously affected by Covid-19.  Because we could be carriers.

Contrast these responses to the response of Donald Trump, the current President of the United States.

Trump's response

Just in case that link disappears, it was pertaining to Trump's response to a reporter's question about a person who attended a CPAC rally for Trump who tested positive for coronavirus.  While I may disagree with the people who attend those rallies, unlike Donald Trump I certainly would not encourage them to expose themselves to an illness like Covid-19.

An overview of what is happening and what we can do ourselves to fight the coronavirus.

And, lastly, a prediction of what could be. I stress could, because perhaps if we all work together we can mitigate some of the seriousness of this outbreak.

Take care all and be sure to wash your hands!

Left Behind

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.

Turning Points

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.

Or maybe a Super Bowl party...

What Goes up Comes Down

I've been wanting to put up a new post for some time now, but I've been swamped at work and with family issues. But at the moment I am watching the snow blow around outside my window contemplating clearing my driveway. Since I am not too enthusiastic about doing that I thought now would be a good time to write about something. I know there are many topics out there, the fires in Australia, the killing of Soleimani, the downing of the civilian aircraft by Iran and, of course, the impeachment of Donald Trump. But a friend had suggested a topic a little while back that maybe it is time we looked a little more closely at, population decline.

Recently here in Minnesota we have started talking about our declining population and what that will mean to our future well being. I know there are those who worry about population increase, but in reality we are actually looking at just the opposite. Years ago in the 50's and 60's we had what everyone called a “baby boom” leading to what was later called the “Boomer generation”. Nowadays being designated a “Boomer” has become somewhat of an insult in certain quarters. There seems to be a growing rift between generations. But I digress.

I ran across this rather neat video showing the changing population rates in various countries. They run it over a large span of years showing what has happened and what they believe will happen in the future. Some of the numbers in various countries may surprise you.

In Minnesota we speculate on whether or not we will lose a seat in the House because of population decline, but perhaps that is a minor consequence compared to other things. I remember a trip I took some years ago out to the western states of the US. I visited a ghost town up in the mountains. Sometimes it is good to visit the past. It may be a foreshadowing of things to come.

Others have dealt with their own population declines in other ways. You may want to visit a town in Japan that has tried a different approach. Well, one resident has, anyway.

Yes, it's a little sad, I know. So I will end this post with a little upbeat news. At least for one city in Japan.

Now, my driveway awaits...and the sun has come out...

Can we still see the Star?

Merry Christmas!

Partisans and Patriots

Yesterday was December 7. It was a day that many older Americans remember and many younger ones should learn about. Some may feel it was a more innocent time, where events were black and white, where Americans could stand up as one people and respond to an attack on their country with one voice.

In case many of you have missed it, there is currently just as serious an attack on the future of our democracy. It was one that was envisioned by those who created the United States of America. This isn't about party affiliation, or shouldn't be. This is about standing up as one people and doing what is right. Even if it means standing against those in our country who seek to tear it apart for their own agenda.

Partisans or Patriots? Listen and you shall hear.