Quoted from elcolonel:Lock down is not the main point of my comment, it is just the factor dujour, in a population that is quite well conditioned to various and sundry taxation. Hardly nonsense. That the US is now becoming quite like the very status, that the Revolutionary War sought to repel, is distressing to many here.
It's total nonsense and almost gaslighting and the second part is even more nonsense given the hugely wide and different taxation approaches across Europe and the EU, and more so the folly that the US is a low tax economy; Since the banking crisis all of your administrations have fooled you into believing that you are a low tax economy when your debt has more than doubled in the last ten years - who is paying that back? - The US taxpayer! But the biggest tax folly is the medical system and the education system in the US with the biggest waste in healthcare in the world in the US and most folks who go to university with a crippling $250K debt hanging around their neck. Taxation is the same ultimately it's just in the US someone makes a margin out of health and education whereas in Europe we're looking for way to be more efficient and get more value.
China is laughing because your current administration has conned you all into thinking China is paying tariffs when they've paid almost nothing and the US is paying on both sides: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trade-china-tariffs-explainer/explainer-trumps-china-tariffs-paid-by-u-s-importers-not-by-china-idUKKCN1US003
Quoted from elcolonel:The indicator is, the population on both sides of the Atlantic are letting it happen, without so much as a collective wimper. As far as shut downs go, in the US alone on a yearly basis there are a minimum of 71000 drug overdose related deaths, and 38000 automobile deaths(and 4.4 million injuries that require hospitalization). I would imagine the numbers are around the same, per 100000 people, in most industrialized nations. You cannot shut down life because of death, and what about Sweden, look at their Covid statistics with virtually no shut downs or mandates. I myself prefer a dangerous freedom to a safe captivity.
Sweden is a disaster they've got one of highest rates and the reality is that they have voluntarily gone into lockdown because their health administrator has a serious confidence problem in their own country, history will tell us more in the coming years. Note here in the UK we've totally mishandled Covid, we have the biggest clown on the planet running our track and trace system that has been a dismal failure and smart people in our parliament not able to participate in the administration because of the stupid farce that our political system caused over mishandling our vote to leave the EU, so politicians have gone tribal and only allow their most trusted yes men in the cabinet.
on Covid - here in the UK we are in as much mess as the US perhaps even more, my point isn't about who is better my point for clarity is that government is failing us all, all around the western world. I believe in smaller government and the private sector leading on core things but with a set of KPI's that aren't only_ about margin and stock price I also believe governments need stronger smarter people because right now we just don't have that. Instead we have bumbling fools allowing power to be given to other bumbling fools where we have no say in what they do, the UK said, "hell no", to that and we've left the EU because of it, now if Boris puts a tariff on something, I can go hold him account. with the EU, its faceless idiots who have zero_ accountabilty and I have no way to influence the policy of that part of our government. The rest of the EU counties are going to realise this soon enough.
Regards,
Neil.
London
