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Senator Caswell Franklyn Speaks – Government Bungling Response to Coronavirus Crisis

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At the outset of the Coronavirus crisis in this country, the Hon. Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, hosted a consultation with members of the Social Partnership and me at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, to plan strategy for fighting this threat. I was impressed and congratulated her on the approach. I then went on to say to her that this was not a time for political controversy and that all sides must come together to defeat this scourge.

Rather than busy itself with measures to protect the people of this country, some twelve days after the consultation, Government rushed to Parliament and passed legislation that was already on the books, to manage the ensuing crisis. In essence, that legislation amended the Emergency Management Act by re-enacting certain provisions that already existed at section 28 of the same act; also at sections 2 and 3 of the 1939 Emergency Powers Act; and at section 25 of the Constitution. The amendment also went on to give powers to the Chief Medical Officer that he already had since 1969.

Needless to say, those initial steps did not give me any confidence that Government was capable of handling the situation, however I remained quiet hoping that somehow that they would get it right. I’ve tried to hold my peace but the situation has now reached a stage that I am compelled to speak-up before these bunglers unintentionally kill us all.

The handling of this crisis has been plagued with the bungling that is now characteristic of anything that this administration touches. So far, were are told that there is no evidence of any community spread of the virus. But it would seem that the end result of the Government’s initiatives would lead to what we fear most. What did the Government think would happen when it gave one day’s notice of a 24-hour curfew? As was reasonably foreseeable, people rushed to supermarkets in their thousands, ignoring any suggestion of physical or social distancing. Take some sobering time to imagine what could have happened if there were any carriers of the Coronavirus in those lines?

As if Government fails to learn from its mistakes, post offices were opened for a limited period in order to allow pensioners to cash their National Insurance pension cheques. The foreseeable result happened: hundreds of vulnerable persons throng the post offices thereby creating an incubator for the spread of the Coronavirus.

This virus is deadly and Government must come up with a series of measures that would protect the people of this country. These hit or miss initiatives just will not do.

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1,745 responses to “Senator Caswell Franklyn Speaks – Government Bungling Response to Coronavirus Crisis”

  1. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @robert lucas quoting Robert Beal of the Sun “Secret cables from American embassy officials – following 2018 visits to a lab in the Chinese city now at the centre of the world pandemic – were obtained by the Washington Post.They revealed fears that inadequate safety precautions by those conducting risky studies on coronaviruses from bats could result in a deadly new strain of the disease.One US official told the Washington Post: “The cable was a warning shot. They were begging people to pay attention to what was going on.”
    The cables reveal that in January 2018, the US Embassy in Beijing took the unusual step of repeatedly sending science diplomats to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

    The US delegation was led by Jamison Fouss, the consul general in Wuhan, and Rick Switzer, the embassy’s counselor of environment, science, technology and health.

    What the American officials learned concerned them so much that they dispatched two diplomatic cables – categorised as ‘Sensitive But Unclassified’ – back to Washington DC.
    The first cable warned that the lab’s work on bat coronaviruses and their potential human transmission represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic.

    It said: “During interactions with scientists at the WIV laboratory, they noted the new lab has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory.”
    The Chinese researchers at WIV were receiving help from the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch and other US organisations.

    The US cable stated: “Most importantly the researchers also showed that various SARS-like coronaviruses can interact with ACE2, the human receptor identified for SARS-coronavirus.
    “This finding strongly suggests that SARS-like coronaviruses from bats can be transmitted to humans to cause SARS-like diseases.”

    My response:
    Interesting.
    It seems that the U.S. Embassy sent fairly senior officials to visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology. After the cable, what happened? Since the officials were reporting to their seniors at the State Department was any action taken following this cable? If not why not? In addition since the American officials were given access to a high security lab and its staff it seems clear tome that the U.S. government /Galveston National Lab must have been working closely with the Wuhan lab in order for the Americans to gain access. After all countries do not open high security labs to just anybody and everybody. And since according to this article the Wuhan lab was receiving “help” from the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas, I would not be at all surprised if that “help” did not have the full blessing and serious funding from the U.S. government. It is highly unlikely that U.S. universities run off doing dangerous work with “enemy” universities without the tacit or implicit knowledge of the U.S. government. It seems to me that the diplomats were pleading with their government “look if we want this work done, we have to provide adequate funding and equipment and training to get it done. Who withheld th necessary funding and equipment and training?

    So Trump cannot now just talk now about the “Wuhan” virus as though the U.S. government is innocent in all of this. It seems clear to me that both China and the U.S.both superpowers were COOPERATING CLOSELY in this bat virus work and neither country has clean hands where COVID-19 is concerned.

  2. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @Vincent, I agree with you on @Tron ability as a ‘stand up comedian’ but when you speak about “The element of fear as a tool of control” I suggest you guys are mis-characterizing who is fearful.

    It’s the govt who is afraid of the numbers. They had that data for weeks now in my view and as they started to digest it I suspect they got harried and hurried their planning leading to the curfew/supt bungling.

    Remember that it was the external epidemiologists and scientists like Dr Fauci who spoke of a case fatality rate around 0.1% In an exceptionally bad flu season and then went on to note that for this current coronavirus pandemic with the higher number of asymptomatic cases (and untested positives) causing more infection that the fatality rate should hover around 1%.

    Thus no one is predicting “400, 800 or 10,000 cases in Barbados by the end of the month”… but even at the more conservative 0.5% that still gets us roughly 3,000 deaths (.0005 X under65 and .05 X over65 of adult population) by the end of this phase of the pandemic (vaccine discovered).

    .. We hopefully get no where near that number!

    That’s what scared the gov’t in my view.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    @Dee Word

    We should all be scared especially seeing the body filled bags in your neck of the woods.

    Barbados has a high population density and the climate is ripe for rapid spread. Decisions taken by Barbados authorities will therefore factor unique considerations. We have to weigh the potential outcomes vs protocols. A one size fit all approach does not make sense.

    See what occurred in Jamaica?

  4. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    I should add that I have been scared for weeks now with all of the absolutely uninformed (due to inability to test, lacking kits) data presented by the admin….and the folly of the WH…. nothing either of them do now can increase that fear…

    At least I hope they don’t do anything further nonsensical to make it worst!

  5. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    DO BAJAN MINISTERS KNOW HOW TO MEASURE 6′ ?

    WERE THEY 6′ APART DURING THE TOUR.

    WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

    Nation Update: Acting PM tours supermarkets

  6. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @WURA-War-on-U April 16, 2020 9:14 AM ““I posted the extracts, because I am not surprised that a leak from a lab is being considered. ” It is noted that help was being sought to re-enforce the lab security in Wuhan…but US had already cut funding for certain projects so China was on their own…they should have used all those billions they manipulatively used to colonize Africa on lab security instead….hope they are SUED for many trillions of dollars and have to pay every dime to every country across the earth that they infected, since they got the unmitigated balls to now want to blame Africans FOR THEIR OWN PLAGUE that they themselves released on the earth..”

    I notice that you are harsh in your criticism of the Wuhan lab; but what was the role of the Galveston national Lab in all of this, and where is your criticism of that lab?

  7. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    I practically presaged your query/comment! 🙂 But to the other points :

    “Barbados has a high population density and the climate is ripe for rapid spread.” … A play on words there maybe re ‘climate ripe’. I may see it differently that the climate and environment (density apart) is ripe to forestall the worst ravages… get out and exercise in the warmth and hit the sea and beach—-alone!

    “Decisions taken by Barbados authorities will therefore factor unique considerations. We have to weigh the potential outcomes vs protocols. A one size fit all approach does not make sense.” …

    Partially True, true and true. Bim is really not that unique on the virus mitigation…they have to do the best practices of Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Germany to name four who are touted as having success in key areas.

    And those key areas were 1)wide spread testing, 2) aggressive ring fencing/quarantining, 3) excellent geo-tracing/tagging, 4) efficiently fast actions to address the oncoming issues to prevent problems rather then slow reactionary behaviour and 5) aggressively protecting the elders in the community. Nothing unique about those basics!

    And of course prepare for the worst. The Harrison’s Point Paragon and related actions show that they are capable of planning strategically and executing well… they need to effect that more!

  8. John A Avatar
    John A

    I am looking at it positively. If we can hold the cases close to where they are, in that no community spread has presented itself, then I believe by May 3rd we should be good to reopen based on the 14 day incubation period of the virus. Of course i can only say this based on the information we are being given. Remember so far all our cases were imported and are in isolation says the boss man.

  9. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Tron April 16, 2020 12:55 PM “…we will have defeated the virus by the end of the month.”

    My response: Unlikely

    @Tron April 16, 2020 12:55 PM It cannot spread so quickly in the tropics.

    My response: A dangerous myth

    @Tron April 16, 2020 12:55 PM “All those who predict 400, 800 or 10,000 cases in Barbados by the end of the month are totally wrong.”

    My response: Why don’t you stop telling lies. Nobody predicted 10,000 cases in Barbados by the end of April.

  10. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    @ Silly Woman April 16, 2020 4:37 PM

    Our government is doing everything right, even if you are once again doubting in favour of the opposition.

    In Jamaica the virus has spread in the telephone service only because the service staff work in a heavily cooled office.

    I therefore recommend our government to ban all air conditioning for the duration of the crisis. I’d rather people sweat than get Corona.

  11. john2 Avatar
    john2

    john a

    I don’t know about last update but for update before there were 3 unsure cases that were still being investigate.

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @John A

    So far so good. The next week or so will be critical to how protocols are affect3d for the country. One has to pay a price, one has to make a sacrifice to achieve outcomes other than many dead bodies.

  13. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ Silly Woman April 16, 2020 3:57 PM

    “I notice that you are harsh in your criticism of the Wuhan lab; but what was the role of the Galveston national Lab in all of this, and where is your criticism of that lab?”

    It has nothing to do with the Galveston Lab. The latter would have trained them and given them quality control guide lines They would also have had printed protocols in how to handle the research.;There are courses in lab quality control. you are dealing with PH.D’s who at this level would have done post doctoral research in Labs of renown researchers. At this level, one is expected to be up to date on the latest security precautions that need to be taken. Some of them might have supervised masters’ and other PH.D students.One is not dealing with first year University students.

  14. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “we should be good to reopen based on the 14 day incubation period of the virus.”

    still in doubt, they are saying i think it was now maybe a 37 day incubation or lingering infection period, it’s much longer than 14 days…

  15. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ Silly Woman April 16, 2020 3:32 PM

    “It is highly unlikely that U.S. universities run off doing dangerous work with “enemy” universities without the tacit or implicit knowledge of the U.S. government. It seems to me that the diplomats were pleading with their government “look if we want this work done, we have to provide adequate funding and equipment and training to get it done. Who withheld th necessary funding and equipment and training?”

    After a while the funding was halted . It was not considered of the utmost importance as other things on the world stage were considered more important and there was the Russia gate affair.

    REVEALED: U.S. government gave $3.7million grant to Wuhan lab at center of coronavirus leak scrutiny that was performing experiments on bats from the caves where the disease is believed to have originated
    The US National Institutes of Health, a government agency, awarded a $3.7million research grant to the Wuhan Institute of Virology
    The lab is the center of several conspiracy theories that suggest it is the original source of the coronavirus outbreak
    The institute experimented on bats from the source of the coronavirus
    They were captured more than 1,000 miles away in Yunnan
    Sequencing of the Covid-19 genome has traced it to bats to Yunnan’s caves
    The U.S. government funded research on coronavirus transmission in the lab over the past decade
    Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
    By FRANCES MULRANEY and GLENN OWEN FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

    PUBLISHED: 01:49 BST, 12 April 2020 | UPDATED: 05:21 BST, 12 April 2020

    American biosecurity expert Professor Richard Ebright, of Rutgers University’s Waksman Institute of Microbiology, New Jersey, said that while the evidence suggests COVID-19 was not created in one of the Wuhan laboratories, it could easily have escaped from there while it was being analyzed.

    Prof Ebright said he has seen evidence that scientists at the Centre for Disease Control and the Institute of Virology studied the viruses with only ‘level 2’ security – rather than the recommended level 4 – which ‘provides only minimal protections against infection of lab workers’.

    He added: ‘Virus collection, culture, isolation, or animal infection would pose a substantial risk of infection of a lab worker, and from the lab worker then the public.’

    He concluded that the evidence left ‘a basis to rule out [that coronavirus is] a lab construct, but no basis to rule out a lab accident’.

  16. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “I notice that you are harsh in your criticism of the Wuhan lab; but what was the role of the Galveston national Lab in all of this, and where is your criticism of that lab?”

    I never got any info on the Galveston Lab, from January we were seeing articles about the Wuhan Lab being close to the seafood market and it was always said that it was suspected that an accident happened there….all through the months that information was consistent..

    China needs to own their plague and pay out every country in the world for the infections and deaths THAT THEY CAUSED AND ARE STILL CAUSING.

  17. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    A classic case of…ya can hide and buy land….

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-coronavirus-tests-results?fbclid=IwAR2n4eRWtVSV_DqK2VJGetwkCgW-DJhJ9PAhE7wnQ9L53y3JqTJI341Ch0Y

    “Brazil’s congress has given President Jair Bolsonaro an ultimatum to release the results of his coronavirus tests within 30 days, amid widespread speculation that he has been infected with Covid-19.

    23 people who accompanied Bolsonaro on US trip tested positive

    “Brazil needs the truth! Was the president infected?” said the motion proposed by the leftist congressman Rogério Correa and agreed by leaders of the chamber of deputies.”

  18. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    More truths have to come out…this is a dangerous situation, then trying to stick Africans in the middle of it to evade responsibility…now how low is that….shut their businesses down..

    “China concealed coronavirus from the West and is ‘evading’ blame for the pandemic, a former head of MI6 said today.

    Sir John Sawers said Beijing was not honest when the disease first surfaced and faced ‘anger’ from the international community.

    He also insisted the World Health Organisation (WHO) faced ‘serious questions’ for failing to scrutinise China’s activities – although he suggested Donald Trump should direct his fury at the country rather than the UN agency.

    The comments came after ex-foreign secretary Lord Hague warned the UK cannot be dependent on the Asian superpower for technology after the crisis demonstrated it does not ‘play by our rules’.”

  19. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ David

    We could always go Grenada and shop!

  20. John A Avatar
    John A

    @David

    I think we need to let the supermarkets go 8 am to 8pm and give each group 5 hours each instead.

  21. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @robert lucas April 16, 2020 5:19 PM @ Silly Woman April 16, 2020 3:57 PM “It has nothing to do with the Galveston Lab.

    My response: how do you know this?

    @robert lucas April 16, 2020 5:19 PM “The latter would have trained them and given them quality control guide lines They would also have had printed protocols in how to handle the research.;There are courses in lab quality control. you are dealing with PH.D’s”

    My response: Understood. But in spite of the many Phd’s we still have have 143,725 DEAD bodies; and 2,151,199 people have been sick, so clearly something went very, very, wrong.

    I had an elderly friend, may she rest in peace, who did not go beyound elementary school and she used to say that there was no point saying after the fact, shoulda, woulda, coulda.

    And I am wondering if the U.S. government had paid attention to their OWN officials in January 2018. If additional funding/training had been provided, how much would it have cost? $5, $50, $500, $5,000, $50,000, $500,000? 5 million. $50 million, $500 million?

    And beside the loss of human life and human health how much have we [humanity] lost, how many jobs, how much economic loss to every single country on the face of the earth?

    And yet in the face of this Trump’s response is to cut funding to WHO.

    How can the solution to every complex problem be to spend less money?

    Help me to understand.

  22. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @WURA-War-on-U April 16, 2020 6:23 PM “I never got any info on the Galveston Lab.”

    But the informationis in the public domain now.

    What say you?

  23. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ Silly Woman April 16, 2020 7:27 PM

    “@robert lucas April 16, 2020 5:19 PM @ Silly Woman April 16, 2020 3:57 PM “It has nothing to do with the Galveston Lab.
    My response: how do you know this?”

    As I said at this particular level one is expected to do or learn things independently. That is why the gulf between the master’s and the doctorate is so wide. For example, if the handbooks alone had been given to them without any further inputs by the Americans, at this level one is expected to read, comprehend and execute the safety instructions. At the doctoral level one gets help from no one ,your supervisor discuss with you but the final choice is yours.

    ” saying after the fact, shoulda, woulda, coulda.”
    The quality of the PH.D’s and workers and the fact that in the Chinese system initiative is frown. All PH.D’s in the same discipline are not of the same quality.

    The onus was on the Chinese after the American became disinterested ,to get alternative help. (UK, France, Germany or Australia)

    “And beside the loss of human life and human health how much have we [humanity] lost, how many jobs, how much economic loss to every single country on the face of the earth?”

    Well, it just shows that humans aren’t all that important in the scheme of things. Humans like to think how important they are. Better than animals ( humans are animals): It has taken this virus to shake up things. It is just like hurricanes ,earth quakes or volcanoes.
    ”
    “And yet in the face of this Trump’s response is to cut funding to WHO”

    The money has not been really stopped. It is Trump way of exerting pressure to get the reform of the WHO. The money has already been paid out as far as I can ascertain. If you follow the news closely, you will see that the G7 countries today are calling for WHO reforms. Any how. why should the rest of the world be concerned? The USA is always being bashed. Let some of the countries which holler all the time about the misdeeds of the USA come to the rescue. The Americans and the west will come up with the solutions. They are not being helped by China who has refused to release the genomic structure of the Wuhan virus recovered from the first person who became infected. Having that would allow the researchers to determine how the leap was made from animal to man more easily.

    I can see that you have become panic-prone. Things will work out themselves.

  24. john2 Avatar
    john2

    BAJE

    instead of always trying to pull down Barbados in in way your think possible.

    The following figures for Jamaica is what you should be comparing and not that foolish comparson that you made earlier>

    JAMAICA TODAY:
    The National Influenza centre has also advised that to date, 1 391 samples have been tested including those for Severe Respiratory Infections, resulting in 1 258 negative and 125 positive, with eight samples pending. (CMC)

    BARBADOS YESTERDAY:The total number of persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 16 is 75 – 38 females and 37 males. Their ages range from seven to 95.
    Five deaths have occurred and 15 persons have recovered and have been released from isolation. There are 55 persons currently in isolation.
    The number of tests done by the public health laboratory to date is 900. (BGIS)

    You got nuff nuff degrees a big head full of shit (especially for the place where ur navel string is buried and the people that live on it) – I aSSUME that you can do the calculation and will see that the infection rates ere comparable with Jamaica slightly ahead

  25. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ Donna

    You said and I quote

    “…And I thought the 30:0 embarrassment the last government suffered would have awakened the new government to its limitations.

    But maybe they are more than willing to take turns with their brothers and sisters of the political class.”

    As you continue to read the blog comment that has been submitted by Senator Franklyn, there is a key sentence that he has written that all should contemplate

    Senator Franklyn says and de ole man quotes

    “…The handling of this crisis has been plagued with the bungling that is now characteristic of anything that this administration touches…”

    You are customarily kind and when you use the word “limitations” de ole man would encourage you to be less charitable with that term but that would go against your nature.

    But nonetheless, do examine that word with greater judiciousness

    With each passing day of this crisis, what Bajans are starting to see is the bungling incompetents that this crisis has bubbled to the top of excrement in piss.

    Forgive de ole man language but the truth cant be subdued here.

    De ole man has eased up on the writing because it is time for others to come to the forefrunt and grab the baton

    When the deaths start to increase, as they will, what it will do is that it will reflect solely on the BLP and their 30 to zero government.

    Coupled with the dive that the economy is continuing to experience, with the Cessation of the Mono economy Tourism failure much hardship is going to come to the island.

    That will herald in a matrix of dissent where the people, STILL VEXED BY THE RECENT RAPE by the DLP, and in the throes of even worse suffering and death at the hands to the BLP, this will give easement for the PDP and Senator Franklyn.

    De ole man has spoken and as usual it does come to pass heheheheheheh

    De ole man tinking bout changing me handle to Piece de Prophet but dat gine give dem heart attacks so I gine reserve dat till later

    I going ask Tron for he opinion cause he too love a good joke

  26. Dame Bajans Avatar
    Dame Bajans

    @Silly Woman:

    I am behind you on this subject. It was reported in the on-line Australian news that The US had a joint study of bats going on at the Wuhan Lab and had injected some $6 million.

    First thing I do every morning at breakfast is to read all the international papers. When yuh old and can’t garden there is only so much house work one can do.

  27. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ DpD,

    de ole man see dat you holding de fort like a good gatekeeper.

    And you have moved from the shadows of “dribbling” right into the spotlight of licks like peas from all your erstwhile friends heheheheheheheheheh

    You said and de ole man quotes

    “…Thus no one is predicting “400, 800 or 10,000 cases in Barbados by the end of the month”… but even at the more conservative 0.5% that still gets us roughly 3,000 deaths (.0005 X under65 and .05 X over65 of adult population) by the end of this phase of the pandemic (vaccine discovered).

    .. We hopefully get no where near that number!

    That’s what scared the gov’t in my view…”

    3,000 deaths!!!

    You have said it De Ingrunt Word! and with those deaths will come such dread but it will also bring awareness!

    Awareness of the bungling incompetence of the Mugabe Regime.

    You see as these deaths outstrip the murders what will happen is that people will start to know fear and will become more rational in their choices for themselves AND FOR THEIR COUNTRY.

    This disease is the best thing that could ever have happened really.

    It is a wakeup call for everyone, even the dull and stoopid sheep are waking up.

    Without a vaccine, we are going to experience a new type of introspection

    De ole man has been watching the writings of Dr. GP, my fellow myope and apostate and attribute this practice of reverting to the Word from time to time

    “… In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death….”

    You are a man who also reads the Word of God and what we are seeing being played out here is that a people and sheeple WHO NORMALLY DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING BUT KADOOMENT & PARTIES are very much afraid for life and limb.

    It is this grumbling that will afford bajans a self introspection and a time to pause and say WE CANT AFFORD TO BE RECKLESS WITH OUR VOTE!

    We have to choose responsible people LIKE PIECE THE LEGEND BEEN CRYING LONG IN THE WILDERNESS for them to do.

    So go now and like them does do in the movies, in proson, you need to mark strokes on the wall and cross dem off when them get to 5!

    I hope you wall big cause you got 600 of them to do if Fauci is right!

  28. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Brother Hants,

    How are you ?

    You asked and de ole man quotes

    “…DO BAJAN MINISTERS KNOW HOW TO MEASURE 6′ ?

    WERE THEY 6′ APART DURING THE TOUR…”

    Do they look like if they got sense to you?

    De simpletons are all trying to be seen by the camera in one shot during CBC Reporting Lies!

  29. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    @ Piece the Legend April 16, 2020 9:39 PM

    Thank you for calling Rasputin.

    You cite two factors to vote out the current government:

    One, many Corona deaths. This is highly unlikely, although even our “Tsar” throws around the number 1000. The fact is, so far the virus has only spread in a low-threshold, linear fashion. Thus the reproduction rate is constantly decreasing. It is already below a factor of 1.0 (i.e. one person infects 1.0 other people). In other words, the virus will soon become extinct on the island.

    Secondly, a disastrous economic collapse. If our leader can create a narrative here that this was some kind of natural disaster, the citizens will not blame her and her government. Our leader could also use Charles Jong as a scapegoat. The reasons are obvious. – As you know, I have been working for some time on the counter-narrative that the DLP is to blame for everything due to the visa waiver agreement with China. At some point, the ministers read it too and the people start to buy into my story. I only have to repeat my accusation often enough.

    So a so-called third party has no real chance in the next elections.

    Of course, this does not mean that I see the economic development with rose-coloured glasses. We will see the same scenario as in 2008, but only twice as strong. In other words, GDP will be permanently lower and will settle at a level similar to 20 or 30 years ago.

  30. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ Tron

    I can be guaranteed that when de ole man comes here you going mek me wet my depends!

    “…If our leader can create a narrative here that this was some kind of natural disaster, the citizens will not blame her and her government.

    Our leader could also use Charles Jong as a scapegoat. The reasons are obvious.

    – As you know, I have been working for some time on the counter-narrative that the DLP is to blame for everything due to the visa waiver agreement with China.

    At some point, the ministers read it too and the people start to buy into my story. I only have to repeat my accusation often enough.”

    Honorouble Blogmaster, this is not fair

    Please to ban Tron.

    I laugh so hard my back bone “cracked” with my contortions!

  31. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ Tron

    heheheheheheheheheheh

    I now read the story bout Rasputin.

    heheheheheheheheheh

    “…Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Emperor Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia, and gained considerable influence in late imperial Russia…”

    heheheheheheheheheh

    De ole man ask you whether to change my name to Prophet and instead of you answering me with a straight answer YOU CALL ME RASPUTIN?

    “A self proclaimed Holy man?”

    Which family de ole man befriend?

    De Mugabe Regime or de DLP?

    Indeed Fumbles was the last monarch of the DLP but the way that story end does not match back CAUSE I ENT HAD NOT INFLUENCE WITH DEM.

    In fact you should recall

    https://i.imgur.com/WX9aTU5.png

  32. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    your assistance please

  33. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    @ John A April 16, 2020 4:12 PM

    This is the economist. We need more such rational voices to counter the opposition’s panic-mongering on BU.

    @ David

    One more word about the call center in Jamaica: I guess, somebody probably set the A/C too cold. Didn’t you know that the test kits for the Wuhan plague sometimes mix up the Wuhan corona virus with other corona viruses causing just sniffles?

  34. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ Dame Bajans.April 16, 2020 9:52 PM

    In science you have joint studies a lot of times. However, the onus is on site location to provide adequate quality control. In this case the joint study only consisted of American money not American personnel.. The latter kind of joint study happens all the time. The facility was new and it was reasonable to expect strict safety guide lines. The people running all had PH.D..

  35. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/14/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses/

    @Washington Post “No extra assistance to the labs was provided by the U.S. government in response to these cables…”

    My response: WHY NOT? What is the point of putting diplomats expensively on the ground and then ignoring their advice?

    @Washington Post “The Chinese government, meanwhile, has put a total lockdown on information related to the virus origins. Beijing has yet to provide U.S. experts with samples of the novel coronavirus collected from the earliest cases. The Shanghai lab that published the novel coronavirus genome on Jan. 11 was quickly shut down by authorities for “rectification.” Several of the doctors and journalists who reported on the spread early on have disappeared.
    On Feb. 14, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a new biosecurity law to be accelerated. On Wednesday, CNN reported the Chinese government has placed severe restrictions requiring approval before any research institution publishes anything on the origin of the novel coronavirus.”

    My question: Why is the Chinese government refusing to release information?

  36. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    The extract below should be of interest to some readers. Considering that the out break was going on at the time of The Chinese new year (with all those people returning home from the city), the death toll given out by China is very difficult to accept. I have not even factored the natural reticent of a totalitarian: state.

    China increases Wuhan’s Covid-19 death toll by 50 PER CENT to 3,869, raising suspicions that Beijing has hidden true scale of its coronavirus crisis
    The global coronavirus pandemic originally emerged in a Wuhan food market
    Officials from the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally in the area
    Said some deaths were missed entirely in the latest admission from officials
    Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
    By TERRI-ANN WILLIAMS FOR MAILONLINE

    PUBLISHED: 05:40 BST, 17 April 2020 | UPDATED: 07:17 BST, 17 April 2020

    China has revised the death toll in coronavirus ground-zero Wuhan, revealing that nearly 4,000 people have died from the illness in the area.

    In a social media post, the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally in Wuhan, bringing the toll to 3,869.

    Officials said many fatal cases were ‘mistakenly reported’ or missed entirely in an admission that comes amid growing global doubts about Chinese transparency.

  37. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @robert lucas at 8:15 p.m. “I can see that you have become panic-prone.”

    You completely misjudge me. I am not at all panicked.

    IJust asking questions, and expecting sensible, reasonable, logical answers.

  38. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Piece the Legend April 16, 2020 9:59 PM “You see as these deaths outstrip the murders what will happen is that people will start to know fear and will become more rational…”

    My response: You are wrong. Fearful people are almost never rational.

    @Piece the Legend April 16, 2020 9:59 PM “This disease is the best thing that could ever have happened really.”

    No this disease is NOT, repeat NOT the best thing that could ever have happened . You are only saying that because it is not you struggling to breathe, and it is not your elderly spouse, sister or brother struggling to breathe, it is not your 30 something son or daughter who is a doctor or a nurse being cut down in the their youth. You may wish for your favoured people to achieve political victory, but rejoicing in the deaths of others is not the way to go.

    People like you who rejoice in the sickness and deaths of others are truly despicable.

    I have warned you, that rejoicing in the sickness and deaths of others WILL NOT WORK, it will not earn you political “brownie points.”

  39. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Tron April 16, 2020 5:08 PM Silly Woman Our government is doing everything right, even if you are once again doubting in favour of the opposition.”

    Stupid man. Where have I ever said that i am in favor of the government or in favor of the opposition; or apposed to the government or opposed to the opposition?

    i am glad that from the age of 4 onwards i have earned my own bread by the sweat of my own brow, and I have NEVER had to be a political prostitute rejoicing in the misfortunes of others.

  40. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “Why is the Chinese government refusing to release information?”

    Had to lie from Day 1 because the money they took to manipulate dumb, greedy corrupt African leaders into selling out so they can rob Africa of its resources and enslave African people, should have instead been spent of securing their bio-labs….a gigantic cockup that they will pay for dearly now.

    a cockup that saved many African lives, freedoms and their resources.

    every lie will not turn into a blowback…the international community will have to act since millions of lives in their countries can be lost to this deliberate hiding of information and outright lying about the plague that belongs to China..

    Now we know why Hong Kong does not trust Beijing.

  41. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    every lie will NOW turn into a blowback..

  42. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Tron April 16, 2020 10:14 PM “I have been working for some time on the counter-narrative that the DLP is to blame for everything due to the visa waiver agreement with China. At some point, the ministers read it too and the people start to buy into my story. I only have to repeat my accusation often enough.”

    Under cover of darkness the political whores, political prostitutes like bats at nightfall, have all emerged from their dank caves.

    The DLP, and I did nor vote for them in the last election, nor the one before that, but the DLP had NOTHING to do with COVID-19 entering Barbados, and had NOTHING to do with with any Chinese visa waiver program.

    Is it even possible for you to stop lying?

    COVID-19 entered Barbados when our own elderly Bajan people returned from visiting their children and grandchildren abroad.

    How sad that you feel the need to lie to keep your favored party in office.

  43. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “But the informationis in the public domain now.

    What say you?”

    “Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) in Galveston, Texas, United States, is a high security National Biocontainment Laboratory housing several Biosafety level 4 research laboratories. The lab is run by the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) for exotic disease diagnosis and research

    Sep 01, 2017 · Article: Worries about a Galveston Bio-Lab – The flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey has left thousands homeless in the greater Houston area but there also is rising concern about a biological lab.”

    Silly…this is all am getting about the Galveston bio-lab and the fact they were at some point doing research on the bubonic plague, and also the fact that they wear space suits in that lab because the viruses they handle are so deadly…high level security.

    if you have more info please post.

  44. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @robert lucas April 17, 2020 2:40 AM “In science you have joint studies a lot of times. However, the onus is on site location to provide adequate quality control.”

    You are wrong robert.

    If i am spending your money, you have both the right and RESPONSIBILITY to monitor how it is spent. That is is being spent in the way that we have both agreed in WRITING how it should be spent.

    Why do you think that the Beijing based diplomat traveled 1150 KM to Wuhan, and another 1150 km back to his post if not to monitor that the U.S. TAX PAYERS MONEY was being spent as agreed to by BOTH governments?

    Why do you think that the diplomat reported back to Washington that he was clearly distressed at what he witnessed in Wuhan? Why did he not shrug of his observations with a “the onus is on site location to provide adequate quality control.”

    Why do you think that he asked for more money?

    Why was his request ignored?

    How much in lives and money is this costing us all?

    In my books those diplomats are heroes. Heroes ignored by the SUPREMELY IGNORANT POLITICAL CLASS.

  45. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Saw a clip i believe it was in Uganda where Chinese nationals were caught by police stealing thousands of cell phones and hooking up to the We Chat in China to commit endless financial crimes in Africa, they were also running an illegal cigarette racket on the population

    ….all Chinese must be removed from Africa ASAP…they are a danger to African people..

    this can be seen as a concerted and vicious effort to further destabilize African economies and render the populations helpless.

    All visas to Africa should be cancelled.

    China was more concerned with destroying Africans than securing their bio-labs and ended up causing death and destruction on the earth.

  46. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    At least the genieasses are still at it and continue to show consistency, no need to waste anymore of our advice on them, they are doing just fine without us. we spent years and years trying to expose them and it took a plague for them to expose everything we have been saying AND MORE about themselves IN MONTHS…

    can’t stop the genieasses.

    “A new system of shopping aimed at reducing numbers at supermarkets, fish markets, banks, and hardware stores appears to have yielded the same results that policymakers were hoping to avoid.

    Although Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw and managers at various establishments reported vast improvements, anxious customers in long, spiralling lines told a different story.

    On Wednesday morning, shoppers whose surnames begin with the letters C through F arrived at supermarkets from as early as 6:30 in anticipation of the allotted 8 to 11 a.m. shopping period. Supermarkets in central areas like Warrens and in the south of the island appeared to be hit hardest by the rush of customers on the first day of shopping since Friday, April 3.

    Some reported that after waiting as many as three hours in the blistering heat, they just barely made it inside before 11 and are hoping Government adjusts the system to allow one full shopping day, instead of two three-hour periods per week”

  47. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    At least the upside to the SWEEPING POWERS is that it thoroughly succeeded in exposing to the sheep and dimwitted fowls, and also to the whole wide world, how utterly dumb and incompetent these fraud leaders are…….the sweeping powers also did the direct opposite to what they were hoping to accomplish…

    no one else could have done a better job..

    so who says there is no Karma…ha..

    and that muslim group rushing around with charity because they already know thaat a LAND GRAB that they already started for some time on the island, is easier done under the pretense of delivering food…yes, a well coordinated LAND GRAB by second generation muslims is alive and well on the island….do not accept any food or charity from any of them….GROW YOUR OWN FOOD.

  48. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Piece the Legend April 16, 2020 10:50 PM

    Masterpiece, we are so glad to have you back.

    We other prophets- both of the siren Cassandra and Pollyana brew- were deadly worried about your whereabouts.

    We, too, can appreciate Tron’s acerbic wit with his tongue-in-cheek political satire full of double entendre.

    You just need to learn to read, seriously, between his lines of tragicomedy.

    Clearly, Tron is a ‘man of letters’ on the global scale.

    But we glad to see your absence from BU has not dulled your sharpness of prophecy as far as “Quo Vadis, Barbados” is concerned.

    So here goes a question to you, the BU Oracle of Delphi (who foretold of the 30: 0 electoral red-washing):

    What do you think will be the outcome (political fallout) from the Mugabe-style selection of the Chris Decimal Bond 0.007 Sinliar to the Supreme Council appointed to ‘handle’ a Sisyphus-type job of resuscitating the Bajan one-lung tourism economy infected with Covid?

    Isn’t this an obvious act of succumbing to the Fate called “Moirai” sent by Karma to seek justice for the soul of Abijah Holder?

    Or to put it in your more familiar Judeo-Christian esotericism:
    ‘Let the politically dead (Chris the satanic prince of lies) bury the Covid-infected, and soon emaciated, body of the severely-wounded Bajan economy addicted to imported trinkets and the fattening drug of conspicuous consumption’.

  49. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    @Robert Lucas,

    you always find excuses for Trump’s buffoonery. the head of WHO has been there for 2 plus years and he is only now becoming an issue becos of Trump’s lack of leadership and trying to find a place to locate blame that Trump so love- it wasnt me it was the Democrats, no it was the Chinese, no it was really WHO.

    again i will point out the timelines. lets juxtapose what WHO said and did against Trump-

    On Tuesday, President Trump said he’s suspending U.S. funding for the World Health Organization. He said the agency has “mismanaged” the pandemic, has been slow to respond to the crisis and is “China-centric.”

    We looked at the public record to see what Trump and the WHO had to say over the past 15 weeks about the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s a timeline highlighting key quotes.

    Jan. 5

    The WHO reported a “pneumonia of unknown cause” in Wuhan, China.

    The health organization advised against restrictions to China: “WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the current information available on this event.”

    Jan. 9

    The WHO released a statement announcing the source of the disease: “Chinese authorities have made a preliminary determination of a novel (or new) coronavirus, identified in a hospitalized person with pneumonia in Wuhan.”

    It added: “In the coming weeks, more comprehensive information is required to understand the current status and epidemiology of the outbreak, and the clinical picture.”

    Jan. 14

    The World Health Organization tweeted: “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China.”

    Jan. 22

    Asked by CNBC whether there were any concerns about the virus spreading to the U.S., Trump responded: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”

    Jan. 23

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that it was too early to declare the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. “Make no mistake. This is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one.”

    Jan. 24

    In a tweet, Trump praised China for its efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”

    Jan. 29

    Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said, “The whole world needs to be on alert now. The whole world needs to take action and be ready for any cases that come from the epicenter or other epicenter that becomes established.”

    Jan. 30

    At a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump talked about the U.S. partnership with China to control the disease. “We only have five people. Hopefully, everything’s going to be great. They have somewhat of a problem, but hopefully, it’s all going to be great. But we’re working with China, just so you know, and other countries very, very closely. So it doesn’t get out of hand.”

    Tedros announced that the outbreak had become a “public health emergency of international concern over the global outbreak of novel coronavirus.”

    Feb. 2

    In an interview with Sean Hannity, Trump said, “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.” His executive order banning anyone who has been in China in the previous 14 days — with exceptions, including for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their close family members — went into effect.

    Feb. 4

    At a WHO briefing, Tedros urged that there be no travel bans. “We reiterate our call to all countries not to impose restrictions that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade. Such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit. … Where such measures have been implemented, we urge that they are short in duration, proportionate to the public health risks and are reconsidered regularly as the situation evolves.”

    Feb. 10

    At a campaign rally in Manchester, N.H., Trump said: “Looks like by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away. I hope that’s true. But we’re doing great in our country. China, I spoke with President Xi, and they’re working very, very hard. And I think it’s going to all work out fine.”

    Feb. 11

    At a WHO briefing, Tedros urged world leaders to give priority to containing the virus: “To be honest, a virus is more powerful in creating political, economic and social upheaval than any terrorist attack. A virus can have more powerful consequences than any terrorist action, and that’s true. If the world doesn’t want to wake up and consider this enemy virus as Public Enemy Number 1, I don’t think we will learn our lessons.”

    Feb. 13

    In an interview with Geraldo Rivera, Trump characterized the threat of the virus in the U.S. by saying: “In our country, we only have, basically, 12 cases, and most of those people are recovering and some cases fully recovered. So it’s actually less.”

    Feb. 24

    In a tweet, Trump wrote, “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”

    you can read the rest of it here. i know you wont becos it is not favourable to Trump- https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/15/835011346/a-timeline-of-coronavirus-comments-from-president-trump-and-who

  50. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    The domino effect that the genieasses are unable and incapable of wrapping their heads around, these long lines will continue for WEEKS unless the supermarkets have normal opening hours…in case the fowls want to know why…IT’S BECAUSE THE SUPERMARKETS WERE CLOSED FOR TWO WEEKS….STUPID…ya still have the SAME NUMBER OF SUPERMARKETS….lol…too late to build one now..ha

    “We just went to Massy Warrens and Costuless at 7.30 am… queues round the entire shop and wrapped around in multiple lines in the carparks to the point you can’t even tell where the queue ends.. carparks full.. we didn’t even stop. This is just madness and Santia has the audacity to tour a couple of supermarkets INSIDE and say she’s happy how it’s progressing – please join the back of the queue and then tell me how you think it’s working.”

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