COVID is making medical care more expensive – A new idea for themes of political parties – The U.K. showing signs of disunity – Cracks in Kim Jong-Un’s regime – Dominion Voting Systems vs. Giuliani – Evening statistics
I was at the dentist’s office this morning to get my teeth cleaned and while I was there I noticed how the coronavirus is making our medical care system more expensive. My dentist had a significant amount of new equipment, such as a blower to disperse the air and render infection from droplets less likely, and also some pieces with disposable parts that must be replaced continually. Thus instead of expectorating into a porcelain bowl with a continual drainer, as was done previously, one uses a sort of plastic cup attached to a hose, and this cup will be disposed of after a single patient makes use of it. All of these methods of minimizing the chance of infection mean that operating costs have gone up significantly, and these costs of course must be passed on to the patients. And this is merely in a dentist’s office. I have no idea what sort of upgrades have been implemented in facilities that test for respiratory ailments, but I have no doubt testing for them has become much more expensive.
The Proud Boys have been declared a terrorist group in Canada. I have not mentioned this organization specifically before, but it played a prominent role in the assault upon the Capitol nearly three weeks ago and its adherents were among the most vehement in denying the validity of the election. I will admit that their frankness in naming themselves after one of the Seven Deadly Sins rather pleases me than otherwise. Perhaps other political organizations could follow suit. Thus if, as is rumored, the Trump supporters are contemplating breaking away from the Republicans and forming a faction of their own, they could designate themselves as the Avarice Party or the Greedy Party, in honor of its founder. Sloth, again, I am certain could win a large number of partisans. (Come to think of it, though, since anyone who runs for office must by the very nature of his position display some degree of energy, it may be difficult to find a suitable candidate to represent this group.) I myself would gladly subscribe to a party that promotes Gluttony. Oh, and let’s not forget Lust. That’s a favorite one of mine too.
Scotland is now contemplating leaving the United Kingdom. Brexit was much less popular in Scotland than in England, and in addition the Scots almost to a man detest Boris Johnson. The poor handling of the virus in the U.K. (its death rate is now the highest worldwide) is also a factor. Johnson is not in a good position to resist such a movement if it gains momentum, since he himself acted as the spearhead for the U.K.’s break with the EU.
Ryu Hyun-woo, a North Korean diplomat to Kuwait, has been revealed to have defected from the country in September, 2019. He resurfaced with his family in South Korea but his defection has been kept secret until now. This news item may be more significant than it appears at first glance. Ambassadorship to Kuwait is a position of power in North Korea, since Kuwait is a major source of foreign currency for the country and employs thousands of North Korean construction workers. The fact that such a high-ranking politician fled the country, with the professed intention of doing so in order for his children to have a better life, indicates that Kim Jong-Un’s hold on his position may be weakening.
Dominion Voting Systems has filed a lawsuit against Rudolph Giuliani for defamation. It is demanding $1.3 billion in restitution (and yes, that is $1.3 billion, not $1.3 million). The lawsuit is similar to the one filed against Sidney Powell on the 8th. I’m in two minds about this. Both Giuliani and Powell should be penalized – and heavily – for their wildly irresponsible claims that did much to prolong voting counts needlessly in numerous states during the Presidential election and thereby to stoke the agitators who besieged the Capitol. I would rather see the lawsuit issued by the federal government, though, than by a private company and my wish is to see both of them disbarred. That may happen in Giuliani’s case, if the New York State Bar Association decides to proceed with their case against him, although such an outcome seems increasingly unlikely. There are not any new developments since the possibility was brought up two weeks ago.
At any rate, these lawsuits, along with the pending impeachment motion, will keep Trump and two of his major allies pre-occupied for a while and possibly make a dent in their resources in addition. It may sound vindictive on my part, but money is power; and I want to see these serpents defanged. Also, since I am old-fashioned enough to believe that treason should be soundly punished, a prison sentence seems to me not misplaced.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 100,257,803; # of deaths worldwide: 2,148,467; # of cases U.S.: 25,851,035; # of deaths; U.S.: 431,297.