The press in the US has lost its mind. There are stories that the US exports of ventilators, surgical masks and garments spiked high to China in January and February of this year. So, we're selfishly stealing these items but then criticized for shipping them early on to the country where the virus originated.
Is it possible that it's true? Yes. Am I convinced that it is? Not by anything I have read so far, and the Politico story makes me think that it's not in the German case, based on the lack of ID of a supplier.
In Estonia, Siim Kallas, who used to be a EU Commissioner, charged in an opinion article in a local newspaper a couple weeks ago that Britain and Holland had swiped shipments of masks bound for Estonia. It turned out to be BS (and Estonia was able to get a large shipment of gear through China last week). But it's easier to blame a third party, and in the U.S. case, France and Germany.
The distrust runs both ways. The Europeans are not helping their case by making unsubstantiated accusations and expecting everyone to believe their bald claims just because, I suppose, they're political leaders and so are, somehow, special and above reproach.
The accusations also seem deliberately unsubstantiated on the part of Pecresse; her claims to LCI (link at the cited Bloomberg piece) were silent on who it was that "outbid" her for the masks. But we're supposed to believe these outbidders exist, and that they're Americans, solely because she says so.
"But Libération got on the phone and confirmed it with several sources. "
Name two. Don't name news outlets, name two original, on-the-record sources. Don't hide behind "it sure sounds as if Libération picked up the phone, called “an entourage”."
If real sources can't be named, they don't exist; it's just press disinformation, by a press that needs no help from Russia to spread their nonsense.
"Do you think anyone will be inclined to help us?"
Very few nations west of the eastern FRG border have ever been inclined to help us. We've always been alone, helping other nations. Even NATO nations won't honor their own voluntarily entered into commitments to fund NATO; their forces in Afghanistan have been tokens for political cover. The Spanish ran for cover begging to be left alone at the first time they got their toes stubbed at home. The Brits have been beside us in two Iraq wars, but few others. All of this long predates Trump. The French wanted our NATO-committed forces out of France (to which LBJ gave absolutely the wrong answer), French policy in our Revolutionary War had nothing to do with us beyond an opportunity to screw the British. The rest of western Europe have been nonentities beyond the occasional token.
That won't stop us from helping other nations, including setting up to send ventilators to Europe--which the NLMSM generally ignores--and increasing our military capabilities vis-a-vis NATO, which the press--and Germany--sneers at.
In your photos of the day, it's unfortunate that you don't print any of the myriad of images of Trump's daily Wuhan Virus update briefings wherein, not only are the numbers present with him greatly reduced in number, they are observing proper distancing, as are the members of the NLMSM.
Rottner and Muselier, for instance, are only quoted by RFI as making unsubstantiated claims; none of the three offer any actual evidence.
Where are the original sources and their evidence? It's easy enough to blame the hated, arrogant, ugly Americans, and the accusations may have a grain of truth.
So far, sadly, these are only rumors, though, for all that regional politicians have attached their names to them.
Buried in the RFI report are claims that the PRC-sourced items don't meet spec, PRC airport jam-ups, PRC government requisitions, etc. Are these also Evil American doings?
These existential threats you mention: I'm thinking more like some alien species that may lurk somewhere out in the unknowable, infinite universe and who may have both decidedly ill intent and the power to carry it out. Infinitesimal odds, it would seem, and that's not coincidental to the infinity just mentioned.
Fortunately, here on planet earth, there a finite and countable number of powerful (more or less) entities that can be assessed individually. Who among any of them really wants to invade an actively infected and highly contagious population? Particularly when they're dealing with their own suddenly growing outbreaks of disease themselves? Sorry, I love your writing, but I'm having a hard time finding your argument to be all that persuasive here.
Medical professionals in Russia, I read, are disturbed with Putin for sending that large plane load of medical supplies to the U.S., with the uneasy uncertainty of whether they'll have enough for themselves as the pandemic begins to spread there. Contrast that with U.S. behavior you mention in your opening paragraphs above. I mean, sure, there's likely always a propaganda component involved with unsolicited state gifts, but how many increments of cynicism do we dial in before we push that contrast level to where it becomes a negative image, like you could do with an old black and white video camera?
it's each man for himself, an echo of what people did in the nazi camps, stealing bread from each other. money is power, however, and might makes right
On CBC news in Canada last night, about protective supplies being increasingly hard to get on the market, even when you think you have a deal. The Health Minister of one province said there is a "whole saga behind the scenes of inventory that doesn't exist, of orders that disappear, and quite frankly, of deliveries being purchased from underneath us at the plane, by other jurisdictions outside of Canada." at 11:47 on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WloXtZa8MlM
It's time for the governments of the world to play hardball. First, if there was a Chinese company who is reneging on a contract, I would first threaten to cut them off from future business, and then use the government to pressure the Chinese government to intervene, threatening to stick tariffs on products. China is going back to work and needs customers or the party leadership faces a sacking at the very least.
I brought in experience in the private sector into financial management of medical research at the IU Medical Center in the early to mid 90's. I used my acumen to high ball drug studies, to get discounts on medical equipment (including exclusive equipment that the researcher insisted on using) and to manage the funds frugally. I throw nickles around like man hole covers.
The press in the US has lost its mind. There are stories that the US exports of ventilators, surgical masks and garments spiked high to China in January and February of this year. So, we're selfishly stealing these items but then criticized for shipping them early on to the country where the virus originated.
UPDATE: It's now a serious diplomatic issue: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-03/germany-and-france-blame-americans-for-playing-dirty-over-masks
Another story on the German accusations: https://www.politico.eu/article/berlin-lets-mask-slip-on-feelings-for-trumps-america/
Is it possible that it's true? Yes. Am I convinced that it is? Not by anything I have read so far, and the Politico story makes me think that it's not in the German case, based on the lack of ID of a supplier.
In Estonia, Siim Kallas, who used to be a EU Commissioner, charged in an opinion article in a local newspaper a couple weeks ago that Britain and Holland had swiped shipments of masks bound for Estonia. It turned out to be BS (and Estonia was able to get a large shipment of gear through China last week). But it's easier to blame a third party, and in the U.S. case, France and Germany.
The distrust runs both ways. The Europeans are not helping their case by making unsubstantiated accusations and expecting everyone to believe their bald claims just because, I suppose, they're political leaders and so are, somehow, special and above reproach.
The accusations also seem deliberately unsubstantiated on the part of Pecresse; her claims to LCI (link at the cited Bloomberg piece) were silent on who it was that "outbid" her for the masks. But we're supposed to believe these outbidders exist, and that they're Americans, solely because she says so.
Eric Hines
"But Libération got on the phone and confirmed it with several sources. "
Name two. Don't name news outlets, name two original, on-the-record sources. Don't hide behind "it sure sounds as if Libération picked up the phone, called “an entourage”."
If real sources can't be named, they don't exist; it's just press disinformation, by a press that needs no help from Russia to spread their nonsense.
"Do you think anyone will be inclined to help us?"
Very few nations west of the eastern FRG border have ever been inclined to help us. We've always been alone, helping other nations. Even NATO nations won't honor their own voluntarily entered into commitments to fund NATO; their forces in Afghanistan have been tokens for political cover. The Spanish ran for cover begging to be left alone at the first time they got their toes stubbed at home. The Brits have been beside us in two Iraq wars, but few others. All of this long predates Trump. The French wanted our NATO-committed forces out of France (to which LBJ gave absolutely the wrong answer), French policy in our Revolutionary War had nothing to do with us beyond an opportunity to screw the British. The rest of western Europe have been nonentities beyond the occasional token.
That won't stop us from helping other nations, including setting up to send ventilators to Europe--which the NLMSM generally ignores--and increasing our military capabilities vis-a-vis NATO, which the press--and Germany--sneers at.
In your photos of the day, it's unfortunate that you don't print any of the myriad of images of Trump's daily Wuhan Virus update briefings wherein, not only are the numbers present with him greatly reduced in number, they are observing proper distancing, as are the members of the NLMSM.
It's sourced, by name, to officials throughout France. Jean Rottner, Renaud Muselier, Gilles Simeoni--that's more than two, but I can keep going. And it's now being reported in the English-language press, so you can read for yourself: http://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20200402-china-coronavirus-face-mask-france-stolen-us
Rottner and Muselier, for instance, are only quoted by RFI as making unsubstantiated claims; none of the three offer any actual evidence.
Where are the original sources and their evidence? It's easy enough to blame the hated, arrogant, ugly Americans, and the accusations may have a grain of truth.
So far, sadly, these are only rumors, though, for all that regional politicians have attached their names to them.
Buried in the RFI report are claims that the PRC-sourced items don't meet spec, PRC airport jam-ups, PRC government requisitions, etc. Are these also Evil American doings?
Eric Hines
I also dispute that this is an extinction level event, as your subhead suggests.
Eric Hines
These existential threats you mention: I'm thinking more like some alien species that may lurk somewhere out in the unknowable, infinite universe and who may have both decidedly ill intent and the power to carry it out. Infinitesimal odds, it would seem, and that's not coincidental to the infinity just mentioned.
Fortunately, here on planet earth, there a finite and countable number of powerful (more or less) entities that can be assessed individually. Who among any of them really wants to invade an actively infected and highly contagious population? Particularly when they're dealing with their own suddenly growing outbreaks of disease themselves? Sorry, I love your writing, but I'm having a hard time finding your argument to be all that persuasive here.
Medical professionals in Russia, I read, are disturbed with Putin for sending that large plane load of medical supplies to the U.S., with the uneasy uncertainty of whether they'll have enough for themselves as the pandemic begins to spread there. Contrast that with U.S. behavior you mention in your opening paragraphs above. I mean, sure, there's likely always a propaganda component involved with unsolicited state gifts, but how many increments of cynicism do we dial in before we push that contrast level to where it becomes a negative image, like you could do with an old black and white video camera?
it's each man for himself, an echo of what people did in the nazi camps, stealing bread from each other. money is power, however, and might makes right
Would that be possible famous world controlling Bilderberg group invention Crono 19. Controlling economy with virus war . How about that????
I miss having adults in charge.
On CBC news in Canada last night, about protective supplies being increasingly hard to get on the market, even when you think you have a deal. The Health Minister of one province said there is a "whole saga behind the scenes of inventory that doesn't exist, of orders that disappear, and quite frankly, of deliveries being purchased from underneath us at the plane, by other jurisdictions outside of Canada." at 11:47 on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WloXtZa8MlM
It's time for the governments of the world to play hardball. First, if there was a Chinese company who is reneging on a contract, I would first threaten to cut them off from future business, and then use the government to pressure the Chinese government to intervene, threatening to stick tariffs on products. China is going back to work and needs customers or the party leadership faces a sacking at the very least.
I brought in experience in the private sector into financial management of medical research at the IU Medical Center in the early to mid 90's. I used my acumen to high ball drug studies, to get discounts on medical equipment (including exclusive equipment that the researcher insisted on using) and to manage the funds frugally. I throw nickles around like man hole covers.
I wonder if this is the basis of the story. If it is, it does not sound like the masks were "stolen on the tarmac" https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-million-n95-masks-are-coming-from-chinaon-board-the-new-england-patriots-plane-11585821600?shareToken=st0063a1e74ba141ee95f0255d61d15cb5
It isn't.