More developments in Ukraine – The truck convoy as anti-climax – Evening statistics
The fears that radiation would be released after the Russian forces set fire to one of the reactors of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have been put to rest. But the plant remains under Russian control, which is a severe blow to the Ukrainians. It supplies about a fifth of Ukraine’s power. As President Zelensky has pointed out, the very fact Russia is launching attacks in the vicinity of Ukrainian nuclear plants is extremely dangerous, especially in light of that country’s incompetent response to the meltdown of Chernobyl in 1986. “There are 15 nuclear reactors in Ukraine. If one of them blows, that’s the end for everyone, that’s the end of Europe. All of Europe will have to evacuate,” he said. Indeed, the Russians may use the threat of deliberately releasing radiation to intimidate the European nations currently lending aid to Ukraine.
The Russian stock market has been closed for four consecutive days, the longest period it has done so since that nations’ economic crisis of 1998. Equity index provider MSCI Inc. called Russia’s equity markets “uninvestable” after the U.S. and other western countries imposed their sanctions. “The reclassification decision will be implemented in one step across all MSCI Indexes, including standard, custom and derived indexes, at a price that is effectively zero and as of the close of March 9,” MSCI said in its statement.
Lindsay Graham has urged Russians to assassinate Putin, and for once I agree with him. It was injudicious for someone in his position to say as much aloud, I suppose, but undoubtedly the world at large would breathe much more easily once Putin was out of the way. There is little chance of that happening, however; reckless as he may be about the safety of his fellow-Russians, the Ukrainians, and the inhabitants of other European nations, he takes good care that his own skin is well-protected.
At the moment he is ensuring that not the tiniest breath of criticism may be heard within the borders of the country. He has just signed a bill that threatens up to 15 years in prison for what the Russian government deems to be “fake” reports about the war. He has also blocked Facebook, Twitter, and five foreign media organizations (the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and Latvia-based website Meduza) that publish news in Russian.
There is a fable about a mountain that went into labor, emitting a great deal of smoke and causing quakes that sent trees crashing to the ground and rocks tumbling, only to produce a single mouse at the end of its upheaval. That story is no inapt analogy of the truckers’ convoy currently on its way to Washington. Presumably its intention is to protest various mandates, but what mandates are left to protest? More than 90% of the population is no longer required to wear masks anywhere. Then, too, public attention has been diverted from them. Their grievances seem somewhat trivial alongside with those of the Ukrainians whose country is being invaded. They are scheduled to arrive in the DC metro by Sunday, and we shall see whether people will greet them with any enthusiasm or indeed even notice them at all.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 443,703,298; # of deaths worldwide: 6,009,162; # of cases U.S.: 80,894,257; # of deaths; U.S.: 983,440. The death rate is not slowing as it should be: there were more than 1400 COVID-related deaths today. This figure is lower than it has been earlier and it is of course to be expected that there is a certain lag time between the deceleration of the infection rate and of the death rate. Still – of the world’s new COVID cases today, the U.S. accounted for less than 3% of them. But it accounted for more than 18% of today’s deaths from COVID worldwide. I had expected the two rates to show more parity by now. No one among the CDC or the various other medical experts appears to be particularly concerned, and it may be that I’m fretting too much and that the rates will even out in time. But I would feel a bit easier in my mind if someone addressed this issue.