There has to be the first canary down the mine shaft.
When it comes to providing a how-to on moving from lockdowns to opening public spaces and economies, it’s the United States which will make the most fascinating viewing. With the end of the presidential stay at home order ending last week, states are now allowed to make their own decisions.
No one could say the US has handled the pandemic well thus far. It has broadened the already vast political divide in the country with gun-toting protesters in the Michigan Capitol building in Detroit all the way to shoulder to shoulder rallies in the US homes of progressivism, California and Massachusetts.
It is in these weird times one has to look for satire wherever it comes.
Brent Terhune is an American comedian who sports a MAGA hat and among other things demands his constitutional right to open carry an AR-15 assault rifle at a Build-A-Bear down at the mall.
“It’s what the founding fathers would have wanted,” he says deadpan.
The best satire is barely distinguishable from reality and so it is with the short videos Terhune routinely posts on social media.
Amusingly, many of those on the left think Terhune’s southern drawl, ferocious demeanour and ersatz COVID-19 dry cough that he intersperses throughout his rants, are a fervent call to arms against the stay at home orders. Terhune gleefully reposts his many progressive critics whose sense of humour left them long before the pandemic struck.
To those who have misplaced their capacity to laugh, here’s a hint: when someone kicks off a sentence, “The Constitution of these United States, which I haven’t read …” or “It got me to thinkin’ which I very rarely do …” he is probably not being serious.
Meanwhile, that most seismic of shock jocks, Alex Jones, is battling with the nutritional shortcomings from stay at home orders.
As far as I can tell Jones isn’t a satirist but might have a real talent for the caper. He has been eyeing off his neighbours to see which one he will eat first. His superpower is truth telling or so he says, and so Alex went off tap last week, pondering how he was going to gut, slice and dice his neighbours none of whom, unsurprisingly, were invited to comment.
I get the sense that Jones is comfortable in front of the broiler and may be only looking at choice cuts. At least Wisconsin serial killer, Ed Gein knew how to make a stew.
In the midst of this craziness, the US has begun to do away with state-based stay at home orders with 24 of the fifty states opening businesses including restaurants, entertainment and retail centres, generally with some form of mandated social distancing in place.
President Trump has signalled the Coronavirus Task Force headed by Vice-President Mike Pence will soon be shut down and replaced with “something in a different form”.
Some in the US refer to this as preparation for a second wave of infection but that is erroneous. The US remains deeply immersed in a first wave of COVID-19 infection that continues to spread across the continent.
Take New York State out of the statistics — where there has been a plateau in deaths and a decline in recorded cases — and there is growth in infection and death rates across the US.
Most alarming is epidemiological analysis that infection and death rates are rising more in rural America than in its urban centres.
The Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit, apolitical reporter on health care issues in the US determined that in rural counties in the US, “both cases and deaths are growing at a faster rate compared to metro counties. In the two-week period between April 13 and April 27, non-metro counties saw a 125 per cent increase in coronavirus cases (from 51 cases per 100,000 people to 115), on average, and a 169 per cent increase in deaths (from 1.6 deaths per 100,000 people to 4.4). Meanwhile, metro counties saw a 68 per cent increase in cases (from 195 cases per 100,000 people to 328) and a 113 per cent increase in deaths (from 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people to 17.0).”
The county with the highest death rate per capita in the US is Terrell County, Georgia a rural county 300 kilometres from Atlanta.
While areas of small population and low population density won’t provide the appalling death tolls seen in New York City, the lack of health care resources and logistics in rural areas mean higher death rates per capita.
Meanwhile Metro Atlanta continues to report sharp increases in recorded cases.
The real impact of opening up economies in terms of infection rates and deaths won’t be properly understood for four to six weeks. Those who scan the statistics now looking for evidence will not find much at present. It is later this month and into June when the data and then judgment will come.
One thing we should not expect is wholesale infection. There is something very odd about the way infections occur with SARS-COV-2. The Italian example is instructive. The south of the country has barely been touched by COVID-19 while infection and death rates in the north have exploded. We might put this down to population density but overall deaths due to respiratory illness which include influenza and COVID-19 and pneumonia unrelated to COVID-19 infection, have increased in Rome by only two per cent. Rome has a greater population density than that of Italy’s COVID-19 ground zero, Milan.
We could also examine Sweden’s attempts at fighting COVID-19 transmission which include no mandated lockdown. Sweden’s death rates are high, much more so than their other Scandinavian neighbours. In sheer number of deaths, Sweden sits between Turkey and Mexico.
Nevertheless, Sweden has a better idea of community infection rates than most other countries. It will be worth watching and offer lessons to policy makers in Australia.
But it is the US which will provide the most compelling case for how other countries, including this one, should go about the how and most critically the when on opening up their economies. It may very well be that what the US offers the rest of the world is a comprehensive template on how not to go about it.
This column was first published in The Australian on 6 May 2020
Jeez I miss Henry.
Alas, we did not meet his expectations, Triv. Need to lift our game……
Why did he get the hump? Bored without his sparring partner JB?
So do I TV
I had booked a trip to Uluru in April, my first – which, sadly, had to be cancelled. I was looking forward to it as the ”yahoo” element intent on climbing the rock were a thing of the past and I was going to enjoy the area as it should be enjoyed – at ground level on foot. I planned to return when this pandemic is over.
However, today I read that a business lobby group has made a call to reopen the Uluru climb to kickstart the NT tourism industry – a ”grand reopening of the climb” reckons Dave Batic, chairman of the Alice Springs Major Business group. ”Bold thinking” is needed he reckons.
I hope the traditional owners stand firm. Do they really want the type of tourist who is unable to respect the significance of Uluru to the nation’s first people? If this happens I will not return to Uluru as I had planned.
This brought chills down my spine. I just hope that this sort of thing will not start up in Tasmania – where, prior to the pandemic, our national parks were in danger of being over-touristed and trashed – the wilderness being ‘sanitised’ to cater for tourists unwilling to tackle the wilderness as it should be; viz in all weathers, on simple challenging tracks and adequately dressed. But try telling that to developers intent on making big bucks out of the wilderness.
Here endeth my rant. Apologies – I feel strongly about this issue!
Good luck in Tassie Boa. Developer spivs are always out for a buck and they don’t for a moment understand the attraction of wilderness. ‘Saving’ wild places only lasts until the next change of government or the next spiv comes along with a plan to make themselves rich.
I would be surprised if the traditional owners backed away from this one Boa. This Dave fella from the Alice Springs Major Business group has obviously not spoken to many people from either Alice Springs or other parts of the Territory…..simply put most Northern Territorians both indigenous and non-indigenous don’t want it to happen. Don’t forget they took away the chain link that assisted people to get half way up…….making it almost impossible to even start the climb.
One of the funniest things I have ever seen was Pauline Hanson trying to get herself down on her backside because her shoes were “too old”. The truth was she didn’t realise just how perilous the climb really is
The moment people are allowed to climb cathedrals for fun then it should be opened up. Until then let’s keep it shut!
St Pauls Cathedral, London
Westminster Cathedral Tower, London
Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
St. Peter’s Basilica Dome, Vatican
St James’ Church Bell Tower, Sydney
There are more..
Not going to do it, but rock-climbing boots would get you up the steep bits easily.
Yes, Pauline’s effort was hilarious.
My instructor, many, many years ago, said to buy the boots or just go to K-Mart and buy a pair of cheap tennis shoes–and bin them after the climb.
There I was, lying on top of a cliff face in Colorado, panting, staring at the sky, and my question to myself was: what did you leave up here that was so important? 😝
Of interest was my nom de plume of Razor was hijacked on the Courier Mail site today on an anti federal government corruption rant. I suspect it was a dismal performance.
Seriously Razor? I’m surprised that can happen. 😞
I’m with Bella, not sure that can be done. Maybe his name is Gillette Proglide Razor Mach II but the Courier Mail edited it for being too long!
Love it Mack!
Interestingly Boa had a similar experience……
https://www.qoctor.com.au/medical-certificate/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsZaT7OSt6QIVDcWPCh1wwAABEAEYASAAEgKjAvD_BwE
Now there are some enterprising Doctors – I wonder how they take one’s temperature or do other standard Medical Procedures.
While I am aware that Henry has set sail from what, in his view, are these pink tinged shores, I could not help but think that both Troy Bramston and Alan Kohler have been crossed off his Christmas card list in the last 24 hours. Their recent articles almost make JTI’s comments about Trump rather kind.
Poor Henry……not sure that he and his lovely Princess will be going to the US very soon to see one of his beloved Trump’s inspiring rallies.
I notice an arrest has been made in a cold case dating back to 1988. ( Scott Johnson)
I know nothing about the case but wonder how one could mount a defence for something that happened 30 years ago.
How do you answer “Where were you at 8:00pm on February 24th 1989?” or whatever the date was.
Hell, I would not even know what country I was in, where I was working and who my immediate circle of friends were.
(Considering I would have the same problem with last week is irrelevant but I guess the lock-down restricts quite a few options – like I was at home with my wife – but if it was a 3:00 pm I would be hard pressed to remember what bush track I was on 🙂 )
The reward for information was $1 million which is also kind of interesting for something that happened long ago.
There obviously has to be some pretty solid evidence that will slowly emerge.
JTI , this is right up your alley – why the continued interest and the cost expended?
13th of May 30 years ago? Odds are I was in my office the University of Iowa.
And in a brightly lit room with three chairs, you in one sitting across from two determined coppers investigating the cold-case of the missing paper clips, the resounding question is asked “prove it!”
“I has a long chat to Doris the cleaning lady about the ball game of that day. She will vouch for me”
“She is no longer with us – she died 10 years ago ”
🙂
Your turn to finish the story Dwight
My office mate, Lynn would have been at the next desk. She’s not a professor at the University of Nebraska.
Not? Sheesh. Now. And associate Dean.
John,
There are numerous reasons cold cases are solved or, as in this instance, a reported suicide was reopened and an arrest for Murder has eventuated. It may be the offender, accomplices or other witnesses have had an attack of the guilts and want to unburden their souls. It could be further evidence has been discovered or old evidence re-examined using new technology. A more thorough investigation has taken place as the original police were not infallible or were incompetent or worse still corrupt. Again Coroner Michael Barnes has his fingerprints all over this. He is the best Coroner I have seen, is a good bloke to boot with an excellent taste in red wine!
I remember it well JL, at least from the ensuing attempts to get the police to take it seriously. Seems to have been an organised case of old-fashioned pooftah -bashing. It would be great for the family to get it resolved.
I think his brother doubled the reward to two million, JL. Which would be tempting for someone who knew something. No doubt the police will remind him what he was doing on the 24th Feb, 1989!!
Poor Gladys found herself under the pump last night.
An interesting question on ethics was raised though – when discussing the Newmarch Aged Care disaster.
The dear old folk that succumbed to the virus were mainly all in their 80-90’s and were probably happy enough to bow out – and requested, apparently, that they just stay where they were and see it out. Which, with a normal end of life, is no doubt a good scenario.
However, this undoubtedly put a lot of others at risk – both other highly vulnerable inmates as well as health workers.
Should not the very first case have been moved out immediately and into another facility equipped to deal with a highly infectious disease – and the subsequent cases?
When does the request from a dying person get overriden by practical, and vital in this instance, measures? I would have thought that in a pandemic situation this would have overridden any sentimentality – as sad as that may be.
How many lives could have been saved I wonder.
The trouble is Boa a person is contagious 24hrs before being symptomatic. The virus can then lay dormant for 14 days. Once the first person was diagnosed it would have been too late.
I see that Alan Jones is about to retire. Which sparked the thought of just how influential are ‘shock jocks’ in reality. I am sure others on this site will have a better idea than me. I have only ever heard him once in my life. This is not because I have deliberately avoided him, although I am sure I would generally disagree with him. It’s called work. You know, the thing that I do when he is on the radio. The only time I did hear him was on a taxi ride from Sydney Airport to Manly about five years ago and on that morning he was not talking politics. And with apologies to followers of rugby, I am aware that he is involved with rugby, but the only thing I know about rugby is that it comes in several different forms. So just how influential are such people, and who is it that they are influencing?
NFY, any ‘shock jock’ pulling well over a seven figure remuneration pa plus perks is fairly influential, I’d say.
What is interesting about Jones is that it is mooted a lot of advertisers responded to a very active social media campaign and pulled their advertising – there was also an attempt to do the same to Fox.
Coles was very up front about it and very publicly pulled their advertising.
I rarely listened to Jones. When I did, I disagreed with a lot of he said. I disagreed more with the executives of a public company publicly expressing their woke, left wing beliefs and using the Company’s money to attempt to enforce them. They can do it with their own money on their own time.
I had my own little rebellion and stopped shopping at Coles – I have not set a foot in their shop since.
Coles execs left-wing JL? Really?
There are reasons to boycott the lot of them when it comes down to it. Underpaying staff for starters, hello Woollies? I’d boycott Coles merely over their annoying Curtis Stone ads but the fact is, they have what I need once or twice a week. Dancing with the devil!
Have to be TV otherwise they would have loved Mr Jones all the way to the proverbial bank rather than boycotting him.
Few leaps of logic but ….
Watching QandA. An Olympic standard ducking and diving performance from Gladys. “We’ll do better next time” is not much consolation for those who lost loved ones in a completely avoidable situation.
Hey Boa
All this is uncharted territory for us.
Mistakes will be made but often a mistake is just a view of another person. Nothing in this area is black and white.
If we expect no mistakes, nothing happens.
My method for staying sane in all of this is to watch no news and no current affairs on TV – they all bang away at their pet theories and prejudices and pander to their audiences – all are the same Fox, Channel 9, ABC.
One can get the same news in a tenth of the time by scanning through various web pages and digital editions of papers.
Since the Manly Daily has stopped publication, I now subscribe to three The Oz, SMH and Daily Telegraph.
Parallel universes are real in the area of the print media – especially when it comes to opinion pieces . Also what is interesting is what is reported and what is not.
The talking egotistical heads on TV are among the worst.
So I have my little bubble and hope soon that I can pop it.
John L. When it all gets to be too much, which is any time a news item is repeated twice in 24 hours, I turn to the Betoota Advocate. I’ve been turning to the Advocate for relief from the burdensome news cycle for years. Their reportage is similar in style to our goodly host here when he’s on song, funny, pointed and never tiresome. A good grain of salt helps their believability. I’ll include a link to the BA for you to investigate their reportage. I’m sure you will only require a glance at their headline page to quickly become an avid fan.
DISCLAIMER: I do not have any commercial interest in this publication, and do not receive payment, royalties or commissions from them. My only claim is to have busted a gut several times reading their exposes.
https://www.betootaadvocate.com/
Forgot about the Advocate. Thanks. Haven’t been to the NT News lately either to see what they’re up to. The bars just reopened in Darwin–and I can’t get there to sleep on my friend’s couch. The Babylon Bee also has an interesting sense of humor.
Got an email flyer from Pichotta’s on North Branch and it also has re-opened Dwight. I also got an email from the Wooden Nickel in Appleton. Had a great piece of bass at Pichottta’s and went to the Sunday all-you can eat wings pig out there. Wooden Nickel was the best sports bar I’ve been to in the USA. The only downside at the Nickel was there wasn’t a Bills fan in the place. I went in on a Saturday and it was wall to wall Cheeseheads. LOL. Something to do with the geography I guess.
Pichottta’s? I haven’t done the family tree, but I would wager we’re cousins!
I have had a shortcut to them on my desktop for a long time Wiss.
They are really good.
Another person who nails it every time is Johannes Leak in the Oz.
My view of the “News” on TV is that it is entertainment. I can do without the atmosphere of some reporter standing out in the middle of a crime scene in the pouring rain trying to put a spin on it.
As for the glamorous news readers – I have heard a bit about them from an insider and they are pretty well programmed down to the last lacquered lock on their coiffured pretty little head.
Surprising that only now is Britain introducing quarantine for incoming flights. Bit late isn’t it? No wonder they have a problem.
And just removed it from flights from France.
The French are in a mess too Dwight. The yellow vesters are gearing up again and as soon as restrictions are lifted they’ll be at it. What a CUFU. French Revolution v.2 ? Some think that the French may not tolerate more rioting in the streets though. And who could blame them after what they’ve lived through (or not survived through, sadly) with the pandemic.
The French take their freedoms as seriously as Americans. I can imagine them out in the streets. Back home, the Wisconsin legislature just won their lawsuit against the governor over his extension of the lockdown.
i understand the protests. If I was back home, I might be with them. I would imagine that when the Supreme Court starts its new term in October that there will be many cases of violations by states of the First, Second and Fifth amendments.
What will they do about it they’ve had enough. Riot?
Talking to a Scotsman from near Perth, Scotland today. Says the UK just let in ~800 Romanian berry pickers without any screening or health checks. Something like 18 million people have passed through UK customs without checks so far.
Correction, I think. That should be 8 million people into the UK.
Madness MTK just sheer madness.
Not taking Brexit too seriously then!!