The Politics of COVID

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Submitted by Paula Sealy

A two-week circuit-breaker lockdown could be introduced in England after Christmas to combat the rise of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Following the advice of scientific advisers, The Times has reported, government officials had prepared draft regulations that would reintroduce restrictions similar to those in step two of that country’s roadmap out of lockdown last spring.

The number of daily COVID-19 cases recorded in the UK hit a new record high on Thursday with 88,376 reported new infections (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-covid-daily-cases-latest-record-omicron-variant-pandemic-b972434.html). That record was surpassed within hours. On Friday there were a further 93,045 lab-confirmed cases recorded in the UK (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-covid-daily-cases-latest-record-omicron-variant-pandemic-b972434.html). This was a third consecutive record daily total. Meanwhile, six fixtures in the latest round of the English Premier League have been postponed due to COVID positives.

The UK is one of Barbados’ primary tourist markets. The tourism and hospitality sector is greeting the Brits and their pound with open arms after the island’s tourist season officially began on Wednesday, December 15.  This week also saw news of striking nurses, members of the UWU, become the centre of national attention. What is the genesis of the impasse?

A former Minister of Health (a Government Senator) has chided the head of the Unity Workers Union (an Opposition Senator) but … how many of the nurses’ longstanding issues were allowed to fester under his ministerial stewardship? What insight of the genesis of the impasse would Dr. Walcott have?

What we will lament is the inevitable importation of the Omicron variant – in exchange for foreign exchange. Thirty pieces of silver?

What the government should do is spell out the condition of the nation’s finances and explain how desperately we are in need of the tourist arrivals.

Not the IMF.

Not the BERT Monitoring Committee.

Not the “Social Partnership”.

The Prime Minister recently chastised industrialised countries for their role in climate change. The PM lamented their lack of consultation with small island developing states. Climate justice is needed but the PM has to appreciate her government’s failings where consultation and social dialogue matter. How much dialogue was there before an agreement was brokered for a bail-out for the manufacturers of school uniforms? The private sector seems to have greater access and success with dialogue. 

So is the Social Partnership one of George Orwell’s lost works? Or is the new republic sans Constitution?

73 thoughts on “The Politics of COVID”


  1. The UK is one of Barbados’ primary tourist markets. The tourism and hospitality sector is greeting the Brits and their pound with open arms after the island’s tourist season officially began on Wednesday, December 15.

    What we will lament is the inevitable importation of the Omicron variant – in exchange for foreign exchange. Thirty pieces of silver?

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Still not here?

    It will be interesting to see if we actually do get the Omigod strain.

    Were I a betting man I would bet it may not matter.

    In the absence of floods, its spread will be curtailed and limited to airborne spread which is small.

    We should soon know.

    In fact, if we haven’t got it already given our close contact with the UK I would suggest we will not be bothered by it.

    Time will tell.

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  3. Constitutional reform and access to the law

    By Garth Patterson     “… what has been created and shaped, not only by the formal written document (the Constitution as supreme law), but also by the lived experiences of people existing in an intended civic republican, representative, participatory and responsible tradition of governance, is a culture in which citizens were intended, are expected and so should be permitted to achieve social and political meaning and fulfilment by participating legitimately in issues of governance”: Jamadar, JA. in Attorney General v Dumas (T& T).
    A constitution represents the embodiment, in a written document, of the overarching, guiding principles, values and socio-political philosophies by which a collection of people, connected by common geographical, ideological, familial, and historical ties, agree to organise themselves in a civilised society. It is underpinned by the universal acceptance of, and commitment to adhere to, the rule of law. It is the ultimate expression of the free will of the governed people and of their willingness to submit to an organised form of government.
    It sets out the parameters of the fundamental rights, liberties, and freedoms to which all citizens are naturally entitled – and reasonably expect to enjoy – while delineating the restrictions and limits on those fundamental rights and freedoms that they universally accept as necessary impositions in the interest of the common good.
    Constitutional framework
    It provides the legal and constitutional framework on which the branches of government (legislative, judicial, and executive) are constituted and organised and within which they operate; and it imposes necessary limits on the powers conferred of those persons and institutions that are charged with the responsibility of good governance of, and for, the people. The Constitution is not just a set of abstract laws – it is the people’s document, the declaration of their sovereignty, the foundation on which the state is built. It is their Supreme Law.
    It is, therefore, a fundamental tenet of any civilised society, which has as its lodestar or compass an immutable commitment to the rule of law, that the law, especially its Supreme Law, must be accessible to those whom it is intended to bind. In a lecture entitled, The Rule Of Law, Lord Bingham emphasised the importance of the law being “accessible, and so far as possible intelligible, clear and predictable”. For the citizenry to meaningfully participate in the experiment of governance, access to the law necessarily implies effective access – where the ability to discover what the law is requires nothing more than functional literacy. However, when the law is accessible only to the professional elite or requires the erudition of those learned in the language and traditions of statutory interpretation and judicial precedent to plumb its depths; when its scope, import and meaning are discernable only through opaque and esoteric legal analysis by scholars, who are more often than not divided in their conclusions as to what it is – then the law has failed in one of its primary, fundamental, imperatives.
    My recent article on the constitutional reforms that were adopted for Barbados to become a republic, and the subsequent legal memoranda that I sent to the Government (which highlighted the serious constitutional crisis that may now exist in the wake of our Parliament’s less-than-satisfactory attempt at patriating the 1966 Independence Constitution, by replacing it with a 2021 Republican Constitution, which is riddled with inconsistencies, ambiguity and glaring omissions), have been received with a somewhat muted response from the Government.
    I anticipate that, in due course, my analysis will be subjected to intense scrutiny and critique by our most brilliant legal luminaries, whose sage wisdom, gravitas, learning and eminence will doubtless be beyond reproach. The predictable outcome is a constitutional thesis that vigorously defends and vindicates the “impeccable” work of our constitutional draftsmen, and whose provenance will be of such academic and juristic authority and renown that its conclusion will be both irrefutable and incontrovertible. The verdict: that Patterson boy talking bare foolishness.
    In my defence, my views as to the correct approach to constitutional patriation are neither novel nor without precedent. For some guidance, our constitutional drafters needed to look no further than our neighbours to the south, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, who long before us traveled the same yellow brick road to republicanism. In both cases, the approach to the same issue was an exercise in clarity and simplicity, and the end product was a single, comprehensive, constitutional document that was readily accessible to all its citizens; a document that even a first-former could comfortably navigate.
    The twin-islands became a republic by the passage of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Act, 1976, whose preamble declared that its purpose was “to establish the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and to enact the Constitution thereof in lieu of the former Constitution”. The business end of the enactment, which was the
    means by which the old, colonial, independence Constitution was retired, and the Constitution patriated, read simply: “On the appointed day all the provisions of the former Constitution are repealed and the Order-in-Council of 1962 is revoked and thereupon the Constitution [set out in the Schedule] shall have effect as the supreme law of the State in place of the former Constitution.”
    There was then set out in the Schedule to that Trinidad enactment the full, complete, new, Republican Constitution, chapter and verse, top to bottom, in plain view for all to read.
    Identical approach
    Guyana followed an almost identical approach, enacting in 1980 the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Act, the purpose of which was declared, unequivocally, as an “Act to enact a new Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, to repeal the Guyana Independence Act 1966, the Guyana Independence Order 1966 and the existing Constitution . . .”. There also, was set out in the schedule the entire new Republican Constitution, chapter and verse.
    Contrast the Barbados approach, which represented a significant departure from that tried and proven model. The preamble to the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2021 states that the purpose of the Act is “to alter the Constitution in order to provide for Barbados to become a republic with a President who shall be Head of State of Barbados . . .”. No statement of intent to repeal the old, colonial, independence document, and to replace it with a new, republican constitution.
    In fact, subsection (1) of section 4 revokes the 1966 Independence Order but expressly preserves the validity of the1966 Independence Constitution. If the framers intended to repeal that 1966 Independence Constitution and to replace it with a new Constitution, they had a funny way of doing it. The subsection bears no hint of constitutional patriation.
    Then follows the problematic language in subsection (2), which is to the effect that the 1966 Independence Constitution, as altered by the 2021 Act, “shall become the Constitution and supreme law of Barbados.” There is considerable disagreement as to what that means. Is the 1966 Independence Constitution still valid and in effect (in which case, the vaunted patriation has not occurred); or has it been repealed (despite having been saved by the preceding subsection) and replaced by a new Republican Constitution? The Government’s oft-promised patriation of the Constitution, coupled with the language used (‘shall become’) in that subsection and later references in the 2021 Act to “the Constitution in force before” November 30, 2021, all seem to point to the latter conclusion; although the exact content of this new, post-November 29, 2021, Republican Constitution remains mysterious to any lay reader (and, likely, most lawyers) because of manifest deficiencies in the drafting of the 2021 Act.
    Unlike our neighbours who preceded us in this republican endeavor, the drafters of our new Republican Constitution, in their wisdom, elected not to set out in a schedule to the 2021 Act the full text of what has now apparently become the new Republican Constitution.
    But for the citizens of our new Barbados Republic to meaningfully participate in issues of governance and selfdetermination, by the scrupulous insistence on strict adherence, by those who traverse the corridors of power and to whom are entrusted the awesome responsibility of administering the instruments and institutions of government, to the rule of law and to the faithful discharge of their functions within the parameters of our Constitution and Supreme Law, it is not unreasonable to expect that Law to be accessible to every citizen, and to be formulated with sufficient precision, comprehensiveness, predictability and clarity for Joe Blow to know what it is and to articulate it.
    Sadly, after 55 years of debate, two commissions of enquiry, countless advisory reports and the hurried deliberations of the republican transition committee, the hodgepodge that supposedly now represents our new Republican Constitution completely misses that mark and is, objectively speaking, untenable.
    Garth Patterson is a senior counsel.

    Source: Nation

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  4. Wanted: An adult in the room

    By Ralph Jemmott It seems looking back as a young adult, I had access to a number of older wiser heads who could be relied on to provide intelligent council on a number of subjects. These engaged intellectuals included the likes of Gladstone Holder, Dr Richard Allsopp, Dr Keith Hunte, Dr Leonard Shorey, Leonard ‘Lenny’ St Hill and Mrs Kathleen Drayton.
    In the arenas of public discourse, through their writings and speeches, they could be relied on to provide knowledgeable, critically objective, balanced and rational discourse. You might not always have agreed with what they said, but you had to admire the breadth of their knowledge and the quality of their intellects. In a tribute to Leonard St Hill, a eulogist noted that if you got into an argument with Lenny, you always had to bring your ‘A’ game.
    Why does one get the impression that today, few such persons exist and if they do they can’t be bothered or are too timid to speak out? Why should one have to rely on the likes of Polly Toynbee or Janet Daley of Dateline London or Zanny Milton Beddoes or A Bernard Henri Levy of Fared Zakaria GPS to hear serious intellectual discussion?
    Public debate
    Is it that talk shows like Brass Tacks with its motley crew of regular callers have obviated intelligent thought and expression? Is there a Gresham Law of public debate where nonsensical chatter drives out intelligent discourse? Could it be that as with West Indian cricket we just don’t have the talent, the discipline, the application or the commitment to the game? Has Caribbean education at all levels become so qualitatively poor?
    With all the talk about the excellence of our regional university and the number of graduates it is producing, do you get the impression that they lack a broad grasp of issues and an incapacity for really critical, in-depth thinking? They all seem to think the same way and say very much the same things. Catch phrases, platitudes, happy-talk and bad analogies abound. We are told that we need to adopt a ‘holistic’ approach and ‘build out’ a ‘platform,’ as a ‘mechanism’ for change.
    Complex issue
    As Gladstone Holder used to say: ‘These are fine words, but what do they really mean.’ What exactly are you planning to do to move object A from position B to position C to achieve objective D? Too often what is obviously a very complex issue often involving competing legitimacies, is reduced to a simplicity. This is particularly true of issues relating to race, class and gender where the discourse quickly becomes emotive, where it is hardly ever thought out with a regard to finding a workable solution. Instead, a battle ensues, fought
    to the death as each side defends its constituency ‘to the death.’ One of the deficits in our public discourse is that increasingly the pundits appear to have a blatant disregard for the truth. In some cases this is occasioned by a mandatory ideology either of the right or the left. In other cases it springs from political partisanship. Many educated middle class Barbadians tend to stay away from controversial issues of a political nature often out of an unwarranted fear that their status position will be jeopardised one way or another.
    In this post-Republican era, Barbados is facing some critical challenges. There are untold economic difficulties, issues of law and order and let me add ‘spiritual’ concerns. Let us face it. A war is on for the soul of this country . . . a culture war about ‘the kind of people we are’ and the kind of people we really want to be. The idols and antics of escapism will not endure. Happy-talk, show and symbolism will not suffice.
    On the night when Barbados became a republic, Barbadians were introduced to its tenth National Hero. It was a total surprise to those who thought the issue was still under consideration.
    Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a national treasure, the most famous Bajan on the planet who has so far made a tremendous name for herself and her country. She is also now a billionaire in a world in which money counts. Philanthropy-wise and personally she has committed to her country. However, her exaltation to the status of National Hero at such a young age is highly questionable. It reflects a certain immaturity and lack of discernment in our national consciousness and in our leadership.
    Fifty-five years is not a long time in the history of any country. If we are to make a success of this new endeavour, serious thought must be given to every step we take. In terms of historical time, we are at the stage of adolescence with what Erma Bombeck once called its ‘hormonal overload.’ We need to stop and think and not rush headlong into decisions that could prove disastrous.

    Ralph Jemmott is a social commentator and retired educator.

    Source: Nation

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  5. Parents told: Prepare for back-to-school

    One day after thousands of public nursery, primary and secondary school students started their Christmas vacation, Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw is urging their parents to be prepared for their return to physical classroom next year, albeit in a phased way.
    And in encouraging them to ensure their children, especially those 12- to 17-year-olds are inoculated, she said the Ministry of Health and Wellness was “dealing with the regulations as it relates” to vaccinations.
    From the start of this academic year in September until Thursday, classes were totally virtual for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started.
    The minister, who was speaking during a $51.6 million money resolution, or Supplementary Estimates No 6, in the House of Assembly 2021-2022 Friday of which Government is seeking $4.4 million for the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, said that once the Ministry of Health and Wellness gives the green light, students will go back.
    “We have been preparing for January of next year . . . . We have been preparing and I always say we prepare with a plan A, a plan B, a plan C for the readiness for school, simply because we have been in this situation for the last two years where every time we plan that we’re going back to school, we then have another situation where there’s either another variant or there is some difficulty that we have to encounter and we have to address. And so, the preparations for 2022 are no different.
    “While we have provided the subsidy for the industry, the school uniforms, to be readily available to the public, the truth of the matter is that we want to ensure that people prepare – not go and put themselves in any unnecessary expense – but we believe we have to prepare and school uniforms obviously will be part of what students would be expected to return to school in from time to time,” said Bradshaw.
    The minister said “the hope is that parents start to prepare, our teachers start to prepare, that our unions start to prepare, our principals are prepared, our ancillary staff and indeed the Ministry of Education” because “we do not want our children to be losing out this amount of time they have lost over the course of the last couple years”.
    Gigantic effort
    “Therefore, it is going to require a gigantic effort on the part of all of us to ensure that we do the right thing in order to make our schools safe,” she said, adding that the ministry has been watching the “phased approach” happening in the rest of the region.
    “It is our hope that we’d be able to start a phased approach in 2022 to allow our students to be able to get back into school. … I would just want to encourage parents to ensure that students become vaccinated especially in that 12- to 17-year-old cohort. As both prime minister, myself, and others have indicated to the country, obviously it is important that just as you had other vaccinations, that you have those vaccinations, in order to return to the school plant.
    “And I know the Ministry of Health is dealing with the regulations as it relates to that but we have no choice because we have to create an environment in which our teachers are safe, and our students are safe, and that we give the comfort to the parents as well that their children at least will be protected in the environment in which they are,” she said.
    (GBM)

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  6. I am very disappointed

    The views I am about to express will probably draw the ire and criticism of some folks, much in the same way I have received some criticism for my very vocal stance against vaccine and testing mandates.
    But I am disappointed. I am disappointed in the public chastisement that has been levelled against the nurses and their union for their recent strike action. I am disappointed in the decision of the Prime Minister to dock their pay in accordance with the Public Service Act. I am disappointed that the unions, who in many ways form the bedrock of the labour movement and who represent the champions of the workers, would join with those who condemned the strike.
    For several months many employers have ignored current labour laws and good labour practices and imposed testing and vaccine mandates which they have no legal or contractual power to do. Yet to date I have heard no public “flogging” or chastisement of their actions at the level that has been levelled against the striking nurses and the Unity Workers’ Union despite some employees having suffered detriment or lost employment as a result of these unlawful mandates.
    When one union finally takes action and its members strike against the premature and unlawful imposition of a testing mandate on some nurses, the union and its members are vilified. Suddenly it is necessary to enforce the provisions of the Public Service Act which requires the pay of striking public servants to be docked, when in previous instances this may not have been done.
    In 2017 when the Prime Minister, the unions and thousands of workers engaged in a national strike against the then sitting Government, was the pay of those striking workers docked?
    Did the same unions who now condemn this strike action or our Prime Minister insist then that the mandatory wording of the Public Service Act meant the pay of all public servants who participated should have been docked? Last year when some nurses walked off the job due to insufficient supplies at the polyclinics was their pay also docked or was the mandatory wording of the legislation not important at that time? When public sector workers went on strike in 2019 over poor ventilation systems in the National Insurance Scheme and Supreme Court Registry buildings was their pay docked?
    Or is the section within the Public Service Act only now being conveniently enforced to act as a deterrent to any future worker(s) who may be tempted to take similar action against
    these unjustified mandates? The decision seems heavy handed and punitive and shows inconsistency in both the interpretation and enforcement of the provisions of the act.
    The Prime Minister justified her condemnation of the strike on the ground that Senator Caswell Franklyn did not follow the correct industrial procedure. But neither did our Government when they implemented the safe zones for the health sector without any consultation with Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners, Barbados Nurses Association or the unions. Nor did the health institutions when they prematurely and without consultation imposed the testing mandates against these nurses despite the amended safe zone directive not being gazetted.
    Yet only the employees and their union are being publicly shamed for not following procedure. This is a classic case of do what I say but not what I do.
    I do not always agree with the positions of Senator Franklyn and we have been on opposing sides in employment matters. But I respect him for being the only union that took action on the issue rather than simply give lip service. I believe Senator Franklyn erred in prolonging the strike which perhaps could have been shortened. But we cannot ignore the other important and longstanding needs of the nurses. To down cry the timing of the strike fails to appreciate that nurses play such a critical role within the health sector that there will never be a “convenient time” for them to strike.
    They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
    Michelle M. Russell is an attorney with a passion for employment law and labour matters and a budding social activist. Email: mrussell.ja@gmail.com

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  7. Faith, science and religion

    A reader emailed me last week to let me know that there was an inaccuracy in last week’s article. I wrote about how my atheist friend responded when I googled synonyms for the word ‘faith’, and showed him that the word ‘confidence’ was one of those synonyms.
    ‘Faith’ a is dirty word for many atheists due to it often being associated with religion and the supernatural. The assumption is that ‘faith’ means blind faith without reason or evidence.
    My friend would often argue that he doesn’t have faith in anything.
    When I point out that he does seem to have a lot of faith in science, he would retort that he doesn’t have faith in science, but he does have confidence. Seeing confidence listed as a synonym for faith shook his confidence in the word confidence.
    In telling this story last week I made a joke about his reaction, saying that it was as though Merriam Webster had committed blasphemy. This was my error.
    It was not the Merriam Webster online dictionary that listed ‘confidence’ as a synonym for ‘faith’, it was the Collins online dictionary, as well as Lexico.com and Thesaurus.com. By pointing out the inaccuracy, the emailer inadvertently caused me to reflect on the value of science. But not in the way which was possibly intended.
    Trusting my memory
    My mistake was in trusting my memory to recall the correct website which listed ‘confidence’ as a synonym for ‘faith’. I had faith in my memory, or confidence if you prefer, and it failed me. This does not affect the point which I was trying to make which was that even persons who pride themselves on rationality and evidence-based opinions can be prone to irrational reactions, even to something as trivial as a word and can end up rejecting evidence when it does not suit them.
    My friend was emotionally invested in demonising the word faith. It took a while for him to accept that ‘faith’ was not always blind faith and that confidence could be used as a synonym for faith. I had too much faith in my memory. However, my failure to recall the correct dictionary illustrates, in a very simple way, the important role that science plays.
    Often inaccurate
    As human beings our five senses and our brain’s ability to perceive the world around us are very limited, imprecise and very often inaccurate.
    Using science someone peeped deeply into water to see that it is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O).
    With only our five senses to rely on, we aren’t able to say too much more about water than that it is wet.
    Our ability to affect the physical world is also limited. But through science we can do things once thought only possible through magic. I don’t know if water has ever really been turned into wine, but water is repeatedly used to create electricity today by hydroelectric dams. Science is a way to extend and enhance our ability to perceive and understand the material or physical world and to influence it and put it to use. A quick return to Google would’ve enhanced my memory.
    But science has an issue. It is the same issue religion has. It is an unavoidable issue. Science, like religion, is created and run by human beings. They are only as good and effective as the humans who run them. We have to ask then, “What is the motivating force driving those humans and ultimately driving the science or the religion?” And, “What is the motivating force behind our confidence/trust/faith?”
    Adrian Green is a communications specialist. Email: Adriangreen14 @gmail.com


    Source: Nation

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  8. GP3 – A+. Would love to see EA comment on GP3 article.
    MR- A. Illustrates our inconsistent responses to actions taken.
    RJ – C+. Even my strong feelings and respect for the guy can’t remove the feeling the objective of this piece was to reach a word limit.

    AG – C+. Struggled to reach his word limit. Suspect his notion of science includes junk science.

    EA where are you?

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  10. David,
    Good morning, you dun read de paper yet?
    Wuh BCCI seh bout de “Vat Ease” scheduled fuh tuhmor?
    Um on or off?
    Causing I had my eye pun one uh dem lovely leg hams at Massa Supermarket

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    • @Raw Bake

      Implementation Implementation Implementation

      It is difficult to understand the purpose of the social partnership.

      #deficit


  11. It amazes me that these government officials are accusing the nurses of putting the health of bajans at risk. These nurses have been at the forefront since this pandemic started locally. The question I want to ask is -which is worse – not getting the vaccine or receiving a fake vaccine? This is the position to which this government exposed the Barbadian public when it sought to procure a specific brand of vaccine recently. Imagine a scenario where fake vaccines were delivered and injected into the arms of unsuspecting persons. Not only would they be at risk but the entire vaccination programme would have been severely
    compromised. When you are going to lecture people about following protocols, it would be good if you listened to yourself and heeded your own advice.

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    • Is this comment accurate? Did the government state a condition of the sale is that delivery must come direct from an authorize manufacturer? The issue with the vaccine scam was the subverting of the procurement process.


  14. Raw BakeDecember 19, 2021 9:36 AM

    David,
    Good morning, you dun read de paper yet?
    Wuh BCCI seh bout de “Vat Ease” scheduled fuh tuhmor?
    Um on or off?
    Causing I had my eye pun one uh dem lovely leg hams at Massa Supermarket

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    A piece of pork will do .. can be converted into a ham by you!!

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  15. “The issue with the vaccine scam was the subverting of the procurement process.”

    at that time vaccine were not initially offered or available to the poorest countries

    which is why there were calls for vaccine equity..

    .. meanwhile weak opposition are stirring up stirring up nurses strike / anti-vaxxers / push back against covid protocols
    but if more people die they will still blame incumbent Government
    politics is a dirty game
    but covid politics is gutter politics


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvrehQ0z_Ds

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  18. “The issue with the vaccine scam was the subverting of the procurement process.”

    To me the issue was the degree of secrecy. It happens that the name of a legitimate pharmaceutical company was mentioned, but if this scam had continued further we would have had no idea of vendor, buyer or the product received.

    We are lucky that the rip-off occured up front as it is hard to believe that scammers would actually deliver a genuine product.

    The comment also point to high degree of confidence in Maloney ability to deliver medicinal products.

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  19. I put aside my phone and took up my laptop. Hopefully, you can bear with me one last time today.

    You are smarter than they tell you that you are:
    Nothing was more surprising to see a well known historian longing for the good old days when the likes of Gladstone Holder, Dr Richard Allsopp, Dr Keith Hunte, Dr Leonard Shorey, Leonard ‘Lenny’ St Hill and Mrs Kathleen Drayton would inform you, shaped and drove the discussion. Boys and girl, today we have the internet.

    There is no need to have a few provide explanations to a whole island. Google, think and learn for yourself. Of course, you will get some things wrong and may have to turn to others for an explanation, but you do not have to buy a packaged product from others. Can you be certain that the thinking or condition of some of these braniac align with yours? Is your self interest identical to theirs? Believe in yourself; work through your issues and try to formulate your own opinion.

    I have seen other points to the good old days when a few with limited education were able to run the island effectively. This is the worst argument that can be advanced, because it ignores the White hand that extended from England and was truly running our affairs. Our failure today, is not due to incompetence or ignorance but rather is due to our politics. We, with our limited size, people and resources have divided ourselves into two groups and look at everything through the lens of these two groups. Right or wrong, good or bad are no longer absolutes. The same action can be applauded or decried by the same individual. What matters is which party is calling for the action. Corruption is present for some and for others, it is a thing of the past.

    You were brilliant when you kicked the DLP through the door in 2018. To hear some speak, you were seeing the ball as big as a breadfruit and kicked it out of bounds. It seems as if your intelligence waxes and wanes depending on the issues we are facing or the party in power. I was surprised to learn that when it comes to the budget, some weighed you and found you wanting. Now, budgetary matters are way above your head.

    My last comment applies to those who provide explanations. Here is one situation where these explanations are not free. They mislead, lean to one side and often obfuscate more than they clarify. For me, being here is a constant debate… mind my business, focus on your being the class clown, ignore the statement or let it pass or the statement is so misleading that I need to say something.

    You are smarter than they give you credit for. Listen to others and do some research for yourself. They are not as smart as they think they are or as they want you to think they are.
    Have faith/confidence in yourself.

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  20. If you don’t want to catch the Omikron variant, you’d better stay at home tomorrow. On Monday, the unvaccinated, impoverished natives go shopping because our government is gifting them the VAT. Of course, the next super-spreader event.

    So I advise everyone, stay in your swimming pool of your mansion or villa and wait. You’ll get your Rolex for Christmas without local taxes anyway. So why risk your life on Monday?

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  21. @Theo, I too read Mr Jemmont’s piece and as is startlingly common re opinions about what’s written I came away with a VERY different perspective than you did.

    In fact I started to write a note to the blogmster since morn but got sidetracked and now on return I see your post.

    Simply stated I was amazed that I easily recognized all those he mentioned and particularly with ‘Muff’ Holder I recalled how I had to read his pieces with a notepad and dictionary… he made references I had to look up/investigate and used words with which I was unfamiliar….

    In sum, rather than sell a “packaged product [that may have attempted to] align [my] thinking with theirs” I found them exactly as Jemmont suggested: “provid[ing] knowledgeable, critically objective, balanced and rational discourse”.

    Then it was the multi volume enclypodeia set which my ole man had bought us or the library – THAT was the .05G slow, slow internet then I would use to investigate some of Holder’s stuff … but that was limited, of course.

    So surely those essayists NEVER supplanted original thought for people like me… rather they piqued it and added fuel to the burning desires for more knowledge.

    Thus I am surprised by your perspectives..

    The fact is that TODAY we need more of that type person as again Jemmont is saying strongly: people with balance, reason and objectivity.

    The internet certainly spreads the ability to get knowledge quicker and with tremendous depth and breadth. … yet too (counter intuitively) it spreads insularity, absurd bias, irrationality and ALTERNATIVE FACTS even more pervasively and destructively!

    More ‘idiots shape the thinking of the many quickly and often with deadly force … objective, reasoned commentary should always be welcomed, because that demagoguery will always be with us when the trumpian/’mottley’ crew few “provide explanations to a whole [nation]”!

    As the man also said … we
    even more now have to “always … bring [our] ‘A’ game” due to the net!

    I gone.

    And @David, excellent set of articles you selected. Patterson, (like the former Dean) clearly likes to write and use words well …. Jemmont’s piece was crisp and also a very good read.

    Lata.

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  22. Exodus 24:12
    The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

    Reply ↓

  23. So Grasshopper,

    Herman is a BLP who has suddenly come to terms with the failings of his party!!

    You think it will be 30-0 DLP or Solutions next time around?

    Reply ↓

  25. Covid is being weaponized to use against the population to perpetrate criminal acts against them…the people have to react…the ball is in their court, they got all the power…to remove wannabe dictators and wannabe slave masters….PERMANENTLY…….send that message….other people are doing their parts…

    Reply ↓

  26. Fauci CAUGHT Conspiring Against Critics, Emails Reveal

    https://youtu.be/2cv8uN6j4HQ

    In another development, the British Medical Journal writes an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg criticizing Facebook’s haphazard and un-scientific “fact checkers” for indicating to Facebook users that a peer reviewed BMJ article was “misleading” and “partly false”. Facebook was also reported by some users to be preventing the sharing of the article on FB.

    BMJ’s open letter to Mark Zuckerberg:

    Rapid response to:
    Covid-19: Researcher blows the whistle on data integrity issues in Pfizer’s vaccine trial
    Open letter from The BMJ to Mark Zuckerberg

    Dear Mark Zuckerberg,

    We are Fiona Godlee and Kamran Abbasi, editors of The BMJ, one of the world’s oldest and most influential general medical journals. We are writing to raise serious concerns about the “fact checking” being undertaken by third party providers on behalf of Facebook/Meta.

    In September, a former employee of Ventavia, a contract research company helping carry out the main Pfizer covid-19 vaccine trial, began providing The BMJ with dozens of internal company documents, photos, audio recordings, and emails. These materials revealed a host of poor clinical trial research practices occurring at Ventavia that could impact data integrity and patient safety. We also discovered that, despite receiving a direct complaint about these problems over a year ago, the FDA did not inspect Ventavia’s trial sites.

    The BMJ commissioned an investigative reporter to write up the story for our journal. The article was published on 2 November, following legal review, external peer review and subject to The BMJ’s usual high level editorial oversight and review.[1]

    But from November 10, readers began reporting a variety of problems when trying to share our article. Some reported being unable to share it. Many others reported having their posts flagged with a warning about “Missing context … Independent fact-checkers say this information could mislead people.” Those trying to post the article were informed by Facebook that people who repeatedly share “false information” might have their posts moved lower in Facebook’s News Feed. Group administrators where the article was shared received messages from Facebook informing them that such posts were “partly false.”

    More: bmj(DOT)com/content/375/bmj.n2635/rr-80

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  28. When the world was in darkness and darkness was ignorance along came Ra.
    The Living Man
    A Mystery
    Some call him Mister Ra others call him Mystery you can call him Mister Mystery.

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  30. It is already clear that we will continue to have major problems with Corona in the future thanks to our indigenous population, which is far too fat and unwilling to vaccinate.

    Our Supreme Leader should finally initiate the great population exchange and exchange 80,000 unvaccinated locals with New Barbadians!

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  31. OMICRON IS MAKING A FOOL OF SCIENTISTS AND WOULD BE DICTATORS.

    NOW THE 2 SHOT SO TOUTED AND SAFE ZONES TURNS OUT TO BE A BUNCH OF BULLSHIT.

    NOW ONE MUST HAVE A BOOSTER TO BE FULLY VACCINATED UNTIL THE NEXT VARIANT COMES ALONG WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS.

    ALL THE STUPID CURFEWS, LOCKDOWNS AND ALPHABET SOUP PROVES HOW STUPID THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN.

    THE ONES WHO ARE LAUGHING ALL THE WAYS TO THE BANK ARE THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. THE TESTING LABS CHARGING FEES AND THOSE ALIGN TO THIS ONGOING MASSIVE CON.

    I AM ONE WHO WAS FULLY VACCINATED NOW TOLD I AM NOT UNTIL I GET BOOSTER SHOT AND THEN …………….

    Reply ↓

  32. HMMMM

    SOMETIMES WE NEED TO FACE SOME DARK TRUTHS.

    xcxxxxxxx

    New Zealand links 26-year-old man’s death to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
    Sun, December 19, 2021, 11:12 PM
    SYDNEY, Dec 20 (Reuters) – New Zealand authorities on Monday said they had linked a 26-year-old man’s death to Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine after the person suffered myocarditis, a rare inflammation of the heart muscle, after taking his first dose.

    The death is New Zealand’s second linked to a known but rare side effect from the vaccine after health authorities in August reported a woman had died after taking her doses.

    https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/zealand-links-26-old-mans-041221740.html

    Reply ↓

  33. “NOW ONE MUST HAVE A BOOSTER TO BE FULLY VACCINATED UNTIL THE NEXT VARIANT COMES ALONG WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS.”

    Vaccines strengthen immunity, but people need to have an immunity to strengthen.

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  35. @DpD
    I promise a reply.
    @555
    Whenever I give you my special compliment we tend to cross sword.
    So I will not mention good stuff and will just say ”even if it is a natural high, you are above the mountain top”

    I would love to be operating at the level where I have thoughts like this one:
    “Batman weaponised Robin’s Childhood when he trained him to fight as a Superhero’

    Reply ↓

  36. I heartily concur with DPD. One thing I have learnt over the past five years is how NOT SMART many people are. They cannot even do research for a CXC SBA and TheO expects them to wade through the crazy on the internet.

    When THAT is the problem in the first place.

    People all have talents in limited areas. Not everybody has the ability to think logically and critically.

    P.S. Piss off to the expected idiot or idiots in advance!

    I gone to have a good day without them.

    Reply ↓

  37. “even if it is a natural high, you are above the mountain top”

    You should try to leave the valley where the shade of trees cuts off all the sunlight and you cannot see in the darkness and go on a hike for a couple of hours to the peak of the mountain where there and no trees the sun is shining bright with fresh air to breathe

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  38. @ Theo
    There is a dangerous lack of proper public discourse. It has declined significantly in the last twenty or so years.
    The internet cannot fill the vacuum. We need writers and artists who can influence or at least bring different opinions.
    We also need the input of ordinary citizens. I remember as a very young boy listening to some great discussions by men who lived through 1937 riots and the politics of the day. I was directed by one of those to go and read papers that were out of circulation. I had to go into the public library.
    The newspapers have been pushing party preferences and independent analysis is missing. That’s why people like Ralph Jemmott and Peter Laurie are breaths of fresh air. Adrian Greene occasionally shines but he’s often too defensive of the status quo. But, quite frankly he’s the only one the Nation has recruited in recent times that is an occasional good read.
    I had the privilege of reading from Hoyos to Holder and all the rest in between. I remember John Wickham and Oliver Jackman; Tyrone Evelyn and a young then sensible Ralph Gonsalves ;Jannette Layne -Clark . On a good day Al Gilles is special. I read an article about Frank Walcott written by Harold Hoyte, almost twenty years ago and I think it’s one of the greatest ever written anywhere,
    So, to have been exposed to such talent and then to enter that village shop and literally sit at the feet of those whip lived through so many eras have contributed greatly to my interest in current affairs. Needless to say there was no internet then.
    Finally, I also enjoy BU contributors. We may often agree or disagree but that’s par for the course.
    Peace

    Reply ↓

  41. People are writing as much and as fast as they can,am putting as much as i can out there, spent the last 2 years working toward that because many actually saw all of this coming at us….and knew writing is very essential..
    We must thank them for letting the truth come out, who wants to understand it will, the others will fall on the wayside, just as they want..

    some of us have access to information that goes more indepth than others, hence the reason for my magazine.

    https://african-online-publishing.com/books-2/

    Reply ↓

  44. @ WURA
    We need to encourage more writers that understand our environment. Our artistes need to be given more exposure . I read a lot of very young people publishing their first books. It’s very encouraging.
    Research requires a lot of practice and the internet can be difficult as a research tool because a lot of the information does not reflect our true environment.He who controls the information , controls the power. We need to remember this as we go forward.
    So many Barbadians have made great contributions locally and globally but not a word can be found about them.
    We really need to address these shortcomings in the interest of current and future generations.

    Reply ↓

  45. “I read a lot of very young people publishing their first books. It’s very encouraging.
    (they now have options to showcase their SKILLS and CREATIVITY without being marginalized)

    He who controls the information , controls the power. We need to remember this as we go forward…….(LOUDER, LOUDER)

    So many Barbadians have made great contributions locally and globally but not a word can be found about them.”

    (gave them a special mention in my book, am only too aware of how their accomplishments were buried by the IGNORANT)

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  47. Bardabos LOW COVID daily numbers LOOK SUSPECT, is Barbados lab actually testing ?. Tourists complaining they are unable to get TESTS to return to their native countries, hum. Maybe Omicron is already on the island and is in its exponential expansion mode and the local authorities are doing their ostrich act, see no covid, detect no covid, therefore there is NO COVID.

    Reply ↓

  48. Someone just explained this to me AS THE GOVERNMENT PLAN. Get the majority of tourist COVID POSITIVE then they’ll have to remain in Barbados for an additional two+ weeks Quarantining before their native countries will allow them to return home. WIN WIN for Barbados HOTELS, restaurants, VAT revenues and LOSS for the poor unsuspecting tourists.

    Reply ↓

  49. SOMEONE MUST THINK EVERYONE IS A FOOL.

    A FEW WEEKS AGO THE NEW STRAIN WAS ONLY A FEW CASES IN THE USA.

    NOW IT SEEMS TO BE SPREADING FASTER THAN A GASOLINE WILD FIRE TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.

    PRETTY OBVIOUS TO A BLIND MAN LIKE RAY CHARLES THAT THIS VIRUS WAS MOVING AROUND FOR MONTHS UNDETECTED TO BE AFFECTING SO MANY AT THE MOMENT.

    THE SCIENTISTS ARE BEING MADE TO LOOK LIKE FOOLS.

    XXXXXXXXXX

    Omicron sweeps across nation, now 73% of new US COVID-19 cases

    NEW YORK (AP) — Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week.

    In much of the country, it’s even higher. Omicron is responsible for an estimated 90% or more of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the industrial Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. The national rate suggests that more than 650,000 omicron infections occurred in the U.S. last week.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/omicron-sweeps-across-nation-now-224124094.html

    Reply ↓

  50. Omicron was moving around Europe since October,, but they tried a thing…lol

    “and the local authorities are doing their ostrich act, see no covid, detect no covid, therefore there is NO COVID.”

    noticed they relaxed restrictions for some other shitshow, later on they will blame the locals for the Omicron the tourists brought, in using their low class LYING.

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  51. William…it is noticeable and quiet telling that those who love to jump out and attack the most on BU stayed VERY QUIET and NEVER LIFTED A FINGER……to ATTACK and PRESSURE the wretched, lying deceitful govermment for what they did to these nurses…i suppose they stayed neutral = yellow belly coward, who only got BIG talk behind an anonymous screen, so as not to upset the colonial creatures/agents violating black rights…..but they always got talk for me, they will come again…

    Reply ↓

  52. Information going around. stay away from the wretched government approved fake xmas celebration shit……it may be your last.

    “Germany lockdown
    Austria lockdown
    America in bad condition again,
    Dubai closed doors for Indians from Dec. 1
    Please Take Care
    Canada bans flights in and out, and the daily death toll exceeds 1,000.

    Saudi Arabia is blocked and there are no flights in and out.

    Tanzania is completely blocked.

    Brazil fell into the deadliest chapter, with more than 4,100 deaths today.

    Spain has announced that the state of emergency can be extended.

    The United Kingdom announced a one-month restrictions.

    France Locked for 2 weeks. Germany Sealed for 4 weeks. Italy followed closely today.

    All these countries/regions have confirmed that the third wave of COVID19 is more deadly than the first & second wave. Therefore, we must be very careful and take all precautions.

    Become an alert communicator between friends and family. Save everyone from the third wave.

    Don’t judge by the second wave of blockade that nothing happened.

    History tells us that, like the Spanish flu of 1917-1919, the third wave was more dangerous than the first and second waves. Millions of people died.

    Protect yourself and your Family and Friends.

    😊🙏🏻 CHOICE IS YOURS.🙏🏻😊

    Maintain biosafety measures, wear masks, maintain social distancing, wash hands frequently, etc.

    History will not lie, let us reflect.
    __________
    Please DO NOT keep this information to yourself, share it with your family and friends.”

    Reply ↓

  53. If we accept what is being said in terms of the rate of spread in the USA and UK then one can clearly see where this is going.

    Secondly it appears that every new variant seems to be more contagious than the last. Not necessarily more dangerous mind you, but more contagious. Which leads one to wonder are we in fact dealing with what one could call a smart virus? In other words a virus capable of mutating so as to stay ahead of its own destruction. If so is there really ever going to be a way of stopping it or will we just have to live with the next variants as they come along?

    Just thinking out loud here.

    Reply ↓

  54. @ David

    When not if the next variant comes along and the contagion rate increase on Omnicron, I for one would be convinced it is a smart virus

    Reply ↓

  55. What you call life

    Is not life

    Black Myth/Shadows Took Shape/Strange World/Journey Through the Outer Darkness

    Then the white man dug down into the sands of Egypt
    And searched and searched and searched
    The mysteries of the Universe
    The mysteries that you left behind
    The ancient Egyptians always taught
    That the West is a land of the dead
    The ancient Egyptians always thought
    That the land of the West was the dead
    The ancient Egyptians always thought
    That the land of the West is a country of the dead
    The ancient Egyptians always thought
    That the land of the West the country was dead
    The ancient Egyptians always thought
    That the Egyptians would be enslaved
    And forget their identity their language their culture
    Their language their culture
    Confusion and bewilderment
    And they would be persecuted
    Almost beyond their endurance
    Disrespected by all the nations
    Upon the Planet Earth
    And then one day in all this midst of confusion
    In the land of the west would appear someone called Sun Ra
    That he would reestablish the Ancient kingdoms of the Pharaohs
    And be recognised by all the nations on Planet Earth
    Except you
    A prophet is not without honour
    Except among his own people in his own country
    It is written in what you choose to call your good book
    Your bible that you never read
    That one who appears to speak
    In a pleasant voice
    Plays skillfully on an instrument
    And speaks to the people
    They will hear
    But they will refuse to do as they are told
    And then the world will know
    Another type of prophet
    Is among them
    And what do I want of you
    A very simple thing
    Just an impossible
    Little simple thing
    Not too much to ask
    Give up your death
    I command you
    Do you
    Do they
    Think this is life
    Do they think this is life
    Ha ha ha ha

    Black Forest Myth (Live)

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  56. It was established within the first few months of the virus that IT ADAPTS to ANY ENVIROMENTAL CONDITIONS TO STAY ALIVE…it’s always been HIGHLY adaptable…never deviated….

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  57. If you are not a myth

    then you are a reality

    Myth Versus Reality (The Myth-Science Approach) / Angelic Proclamation / Out in Space (Live)

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  58. oh…forgot to mention a few days ago…..even if ya FULLY VACCINATED and seeking medical attention for an ear ache, stomach ache, anything TOTALLY IRRELEVANT AND UNRELATED TO COVID…ya still have to do the PCR test to get treatment including at private clinics….vaccinated status means nothing…

    and Cuddear…those who refused the unnecessary test recently….STILL DON’T HAVE COVID…NOT EVERYTHING is Covid related…minor temporary and severe permanent illnesses are still being their nuisance selves…don’t need Covid to manifest.

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  59. People need hospital
    But, Covid is the only game in town
    You can self heal like the good ole days
    and not go to dentists etc


    Advice to Medics / Friendly Galaxy


    Friendly Galaxy

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  60. @ WURA
    Perhaps it’s just a way of saying we have to live with it, so let’s get on with ensuring the economy sinks no further.
    We are at the stage now of actually wishing for the best. The government is in a very difficult position at this point but it certainly cannot be blamed for the obvious changes regarding the virus. What we need to do is stop giving into all these different interest groups and trying to please everybody.
    We need a comprehensive response to the situation but everyday we are trying piece meal solutions.

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  61. “We are at the stage now of actually wishing for the best. The government is in a very difficult position at this point but it certainly cannot be blamed for the obvious changes regarding the virus. .”

    that’s all we can do at this stage…even i know when to step back and be a SELF PROTECTING…spectator…the virus has only one agenda…SURVIVAL..all governments guilty or innocent are in the same boat…

    “What we need to do is stop giving into all these different interest groups and trying to please everybody.”
    they were WARNED immediately post election to PUT THE BLACK POPULATION WHOSE PRESENCE FUND THE ISLAND…FIRST…but they don’t want to do that for several different reasons including where they can spin around like a top on the world stage, believing it makes them look good….WRONG…only Slaves and pimps are impressed..

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  65. @ Wily Coyote December 20, 2021 8:12 PM

    Our beloved Supreme Leader is just very clever. I have been propagating for a long time: less testing = less problems, zero testing = zero problems.

    We must finally come to terms with the virus. It is divine hint that the earth is highly overpopulated. Vaccinate yes, lockdown, masquerade and everything else no.

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  67. TronDecember 21, 2021 10:39 PM

    Our beloved Supreme Leader is just very clever. I have been propagating for a long time: less testing = less problems, zero testing = zero problems.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    It sure took you and your supreme leader a long time to figure out what Trump was saying a year and a half ago!!

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/14/trump-says-us-would-have-half-the-number-of-coronavirus-cases-if-it-did-half-the-testing.html

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  69. “zero testing = zero problems” said the ostrich.

    ‘Ignorance is bliss’.

    Zero testing would have meant the disease running rampant an not being monitored. We would probably be much worse off.

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