Friday, June 05, 2020

Coronavirus News (131)

 

 




 

How things could go very wrong in America The chances of Donald Trump being re-elected are falling. That is a source of danger ......   It Can’t Happen Here was the title of a 1930s novel about America. Fascism never came to America — nor is it likely to. But martial law, or something close to the militarisation of America’s cities, is plausible. In the past few days, residents of Washington DC have become familiar with the low-flying helicopters, sand-coloured Humvees, nightly curfews and uniformed men that go with military control. ................    Were these scenes unfolding in Hong Kong every think-tank in America’s capital would be scheduling emergency webinars. As it is, people are too dazed by the novelty to gauge the risk. ............  The Pentagon has no interest in breaking a 233-year habit to not interfere in US politics. ........   As has been said before, Mr Trump is a weak man posing as a strong one. .............    Mr Trump wants Americans to believe that the White House is threatened by domestic terrorists, arsonists, thugs, looters and killers — words he has used frequently in the past few days. US stability is under threat, he claims. The president’s life, and those of decent law-abiding Americans, are threatened by the extremists on the streets. That is the gist of Mr Trump’s message. But it requires a visual backdrop. Hence the hyped-up situation in Washington. ................   Mr Trump’s poll numbers are dropping. He is faced with the triple cocktail of a badly-managed pandemic, the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression and an inability to quell the legitimate anger behind America’s demonstrations. .............   Most of those protests are peaceful. .........   most of the looting appears to have been carried out by criminals under cover of the chaos. ....... I have lived in enough democracies, including America, to know a doom-laden government when I see one. .......  Mr Trump was fortunate to have avoided a real crisis in his first three years. Now he has three on his hands. His instincts are mostly optical. He is threatening to use powers that he does not have, such as sending the army into the streets. But he is refusing to use powers he does have, such as marshalling a national response to coronavirus..............   These are the actions and inactions of someone with little interest in governing. But Mr Trump does have a burning desire to be re-elected. In his mind defeat would lead to the dismantlement of the Trump Organization and his prosecution and possible imprisonment.



What Will It Take to Reopen the World to Travel? Above all, it’s trust. Countries are rebuilding relationships under enormous economic pressure, while keeping a wary eye on a virus that’s not going away soon. ...........  In Cyprus, tourists can get in only if they carry health certificates proving they tested negative for Covid-19. ..........  International travel has always been a proxy for trust among nations and people, but the pandemic has poisoned the air. Now, relationships are being rebuilt under enormous economic pressure, with a wary eye on a pathogen that is not going away anytime soon. ........ The challenge for every country involves both epidemiology and psychology. Trips for business and pleasure must have enough restrictions to make travelers feel safe, but not so many that no one wants to bother. ............ “This is a global shock to the aviation and tourism industry, the likes of which we’ve never seen.” .........  A reduction in flights will mean more connections and longer journeys, testing travelers’ patience. ..........  With every phase of reopening, officials said, more movement means more risk and more work, for governments but also travelers. .........  At many of the world’s busiest airports, which are just starting to see upticks in traffic after declines of 90 percent or more, all employees now wear masks and gloves. In Dubai’s giant mall of an airport, all arriving passengers are now scanned for fevers with thermal imaging technology, which is also being rolled out at transport hubs in Europe and the United States. ............ some being “fast-tracked” with proof of a negative test and an abbreviated quarantine. .............  analysts expect international travel to recover with the speed of a casual stroll. ..........   the white-collar crowd — in finance, in consulting — that once traveled without much thought has discovered that it can get the job done without being away from home for 100 or more days a year. .........  “Until there’s certainty, you’ll have people saying, ‘I’ll do the Zoom call, or instead of six trips a year, maybe I’ll do two.’” .........  some regular travelers have learned that they can be perfectly happy not traveling at all. ..........  during World War II, when travel was severely constricted, great discoveries occurred as the world’s sharpest minds stayed home and mulled the universe. ...........  “Many of us have been saying for years that we have too many committees, far too many meetings and not nearly enough quiet thinking time”     

Temperature checks at the airport in Manila.


Don't write off China yet, warns GV Prasad of Dr Reddy's While Prasad argues that there is much that stands out about the US as a "leader of the free world, an amazing nation in terms of innovation capabilities and a great democracy", there are concerns today ............... I do believe that China is going to be one of the strongest countries of the world, if not the strongest," said Prasad. Drawing a comparison between China and the US, "the two dominant economies of the world," he asked: "where would you lay your bet today?" ............  China shows "a certain level within the government is a pure meritocracy with best talent going to government. There is a level of competence in the government you will not see anywhere in the world. If you want to start a business, the level of enablement is superb, the way they protect their industry is unparalleled" ............  They have overtaken US last year on the number of patents they have filed. They are leaders in artificial intelligence, renewable energy and biotech. They have identified eight sunrise industries where they will overinvest in .  


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