2020 US Presidential Election

[Juan]

Some people can't take vaccines.

That's true too. They are not recommended for pregnant women, for instance. It would be great if pharma companies could tell us if the vaccine has an impact on women that get pregnant soon after getting vaccinated.

Actually pharma companies and vaccine producers have provided very few public information about side effects.

There is just this massive propaganda about getting vaccinated no matter what. In some countries, where traditionally citizens could not trust anything aired on the media or stated by their governments, people do not want to vaccinate, for obvious reasons. In Russia there's many people trying to avoid the vaccine. Only 2 in 10 people in Hong Kong got vaccinated.

There are also many countries who do not have vaccines to distribute, so it would be wise if governments had a different strategy to contain the pandemic.

Trying to put the economy first has been a great mistake. If world "leaders" had actually agreed on a total lockdown for let's say 3 months we would not be still surrounded by COVID-19 cases a year and a half after the onset of COVID-19.

Some countries have tried to get an edge and an advantage over others, opening up earlier, or loosening travel restrictions, or allowing restaurants to open, etc etc... there was no common approach to a global problem. Every country acted on its own self(ish) interest.

 

[Luman]

I think an employer requiring vaccination for all employees would be breaking the constitution, at least in my country. That's completely illegal.

They can make them get tested every week if they refuse to be vaccinated.

 

[kingsfan]

YEP! The governments everywhere are colluding with the private sector to enforce vaccination mandates.

No vaccine, no job. It would be good if all employees said, FU! I'm leaving.

Then this draconian, totalitarian BS would stop immediately. Unfortunately, there's too many sheep in the world.

We should be converting to permanent work from home. There is little reason for many companies that are returning employees to the office to even require an office in the first place.

 

[kingsfan]

They are few and far between, and of course, those who in this minority should not take them.

A number of people just do not give a damn about others and oppose anything and everything that doesn't suit their particular belief system. We have a few of these noxious types, and in some cases they are very obnoxious as well, right here on this website, and on this thread.

I agree with you that those who are capable of getting vaccinated should. Those that don't get vaccinated need to continue masking and social distancing. It's seems like its been a free for all for unvaccinated to just return to life as usual.

Also with the new delta variant data, everyone should be wearing masks anyway, vaccinated or not.

 

[kingsfan]

That's true too. They are not recommended for pregnant women, for instance. It would be great if pharma companies could tell us if the vaccine has an impact on women that get pregnant soon after getting vaccinated.

Actually pharma companies and vaccine producers have provided very few public information about side effects.

There is just this massive propaganda about getting vaccinated no matter what. In some countries, where traditionally citizens could not trust anything aired on the media or stated by their governments, people do not want to vaccinate, for obvious reasons. In Russia there's many people trying to avoid the vaccine. Only 2 in 10 people in Hong Kong got vaccinated.

There are also many countries who do not have vaccines to distribute, so it would be wise if governments had a different strategy to contain the pandemic.

Trying to put the economy first has been a great mistake. If world "leaders" had actually agreed on a total lockdown for let's say 3 months we would not be still surrounded by COVID-19 cases a year and a half after the onset of COVID-19.

Some countries have tried to get an edge and an advantage over others, opening up earlier, or loosening travel restrictions, or allowing restaurants to open, etc etc... there was no common approach to a global problem. Every country acted on its own self(ish) interest.

Also every US state acted on its own with no real cooperation between them.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

I agree with you that those who are capable of getting vaccinated should. Those that don't get vaccinated need to continue masking and social distancing. It's seems like its been a free for all for unvaccinated to just return to life as usual.

Also with the new delta variant data, everyone should be wearing masks anyway, vaccinated or not.

I'm cool with that.

 

[Luman]

I agree with you that those who are capable of getting vaccinated should. Those that don't get vaccinated need to continue masking and social distancing. It's seems like its been a free for all for unvaccinated to just return to life as usual.

Also with the new delta variant data, everyone should be wearing masks anyway, vaccinated or not.

It depends on where you are. In NYC, so many people have been vaccinated, that it's not a problem to go maskless, for anybody that is vaccinated.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

It depends on where you are. In NYC, so many people have been vaccinated, that it's not a problem to go maskless, for anybody that is vaccinated.

You're the first hardcore pro vaxx Trump person I've seen haha.

 

[Juan]

They can make them get tested every week if they refuse to be vaccinated.

I think that's reasonable as long as the government or employers pay for the tests.

 

[Juan]

We should be converting to permanent work from home. There is little reason for many companies that are returning employees to the office to even require an office in the first place.

Maybe some companies are requiring employees to go back to the offices just due to pressures by the construction lobbies and developers lobbies. Basically business interests. They do not care at all about the employees.

This is a very interesting article on who finances the Tory party in the UK, and the biggest donors are developers and construction companies:

Inside Boris Johnson's money network
The UK prime minister's own finances may be shambolic, but a secretive donor club is transforming his party's fortunes​

It is shocking to read that Boris Johnson routinely says that he cannot afford to do his job. The guy feels underpaid even if he is making his country more and more isolated from the rest of the world and therefore driving his country into bankruptcy.

How can a politician like Johnson, who cannot even manage his private life, run a country like the UK?

 

[Juan]

Also every US state acted on its own with no real cooperation between them.

They are all competing to get an edge on others. It is just appalling.

 

[Juan]

Pfizer just increased the price of the vaccines: 6 euros more per dose. Moderna increased the price of the vaccine: 3.5 euros more per dose.

This is a business and citizens have the right to know where the money is going, who are all the shareholders (ultimate owners, not only shell companies or holding companies) of Pfizer and Moderna, and who are the stakeholders who are also getting money out of this.

The Pfizer vaccine in theory required 2 doses and now requires 3. Maybe in a few months it will require 7 doses... who knows!

 

[PeteJ]

We should be converting to permanent work from home. There is little reason for many companies that are returning employees to the office to even require an office in the first place.

What about all the employees that don't work in offices or who can't work from home?

 

[Exit]

Maybe some companies are requiring employees to go back to the offices just due to pressures by the construction lobbies and developers lobbies. Basically business interests. They do not care at all about the employees.

This is a very interesting article on who finances the Tory party in the UK, and the biggest donors are developers and construction companies:

Inside Boris Johnson's money network
The UK prime minister's own finances may be shambolic, but a secretive donor club is transforming his party's fortunes​

It is shocking to read that Boris Johnson routinely says that he cannot afford to do his job. The guy feels underpaid even if he is making his country more and more isolated from the rest of the world and therefore driving his country into bankruptcy.

How can a politician like Johnson, who cannot even manage his private life, run a country like the UK?

How's the Spanish politicians doing these days regarding COVID-19 and the economy?

 

[Wrfortiscue]

What about all the employees that don't work in offices or who can't work from home?

I think he means office and IT jobs. I'm in IT and we are moving to only 2 days at the office a week, which is nice but still kinda pointless lol.

 

[kingsfan]

What about all the employees that don't work in offices or who can't work from home?

That's why I wrote many companies and not all companies. Obviously some jobs require work on-site. Most desk jobs really don't require an office.

 

[kingsfan]

I think he means office and IT jobs. I'm in IT and we are moving to only 2 days at the office a week, which is nice but still kinda pointless lol.

Yes. I'm in web and can literally work from any location at any time. All I need is an Internet and VPN connection.

I'm assuming with IT you need to go on-site to handle servers and such.

 

[kingsfan]

It depends on where you are. In NYC, so many people have been vaccinated, that it's not a problem to go maskless, for anybody that is vaccinated.

I believe the problem is, with the delta variant, the vaccinated will still carry a high viral load if they are infected. If they are not masking they can transfer it to anyone who is not vaccinated even if the unvaccinated person is wearing a mask.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

Yes. I'm in web and can literally work from any location at any time. All I need is an Internet and VPN connection.

I'm assuming with IT you need to go on-site to handle servers and such.

Most is cloud now and not on prem.

 

[Luman]

I believe the problem is, with the delta variant, the vaccinated will still carry a high viral load if they are infected. If they are not masking they can transfer it to anyone who is not vaccinated even if the unvaccinated person is wearing a mask.

If the FDA had been pushed to approve the vaccines, more people would have gotten vaccinated. You can bet that Trump would have put that on the fast track, but our idiotic president, Sleepy Joe Biden, has not done this. This disease could mutate into something that we cannot control. What the hell is he waiting for, a disease that is totally vaccine-proof?

Here he is, you can't make this up.

 

[kingsfan]

Most is cloud now and not on prem.

Ah yea. AWS and such.

 

[Juan]

How's the Spanish politicians doing these days regarding COVID-19 and the economy?

They just opened up the country to tourism with a complete disregard of any other considerations. This means that our politicians do not really know what they are doing but the country is pretty much bankrupt (of course politicians deny this) and they only care about tourism and our battered economy.

Spain should have tried to retain industrial investments and manufacturing plants, but instead decided to focus on tourism a few decades ago. It was a wrong move, in my opinion, since we will not be able to compete with Turkey or the cheaper Eastern countries, or the Caribbean resorts. Tourism became totally global, and the economic crisis will take its toll.

Globalisation means that what happens in Turkey affects us too, or the pricing of the Caribbean resorts...

 

[Juan]

I believe the problem is, with the delta variant, the vaccinated will still carry a high viral load if they are infected. If they are not masking they can transfer it to anyone who is not vaccinated even if the unvaccinated person is wearing a mask.

That's how I undestand it too. And today I heard on the radio there is another variant in the UK. Have you guys heard that?

What are the Delta, Gamma, Beta and Alpha Covid variants?

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55659820

The fact that a third dose of Pfizer is needed somehow smells fishy... the virus seems stronger in colder weather. Most people were vaccinated in spring and now in summertime.. let's see what happens in a few months and what updates pharma companies provide. Will a fourth dose be needed? will people have to get vaccinated every year?

Still, we don't know the most important thing: who is loading his or her pockets with the vaccine's money.

 

[Exit]

Spain should have tried to retain industrial investments and manufacturing plants, but instead decided to focus on tourism a few decades ago. It was a wrong move, in my opinion, since we will not be able to compete with Turkey or the cheaper Eastern countries, or the Caribbean resorts. Tourism became totally global, and the economic crisis will take its toll.

Globalisation means that what happens in Turkey affects us too, or the pricing of the Caribbean resorts...

Well I won't pretend to know much but:
Some decades ago it must have been an easy choice for Spain to focus on tourism since other areas were less developed and unsafe.

Of course it's probably less than half of Spain who gets tourists, so should have been more focus on education system and such probably...?

But are there really Western European countries today with a significant industry...?
Except perhaps Germany?

Well thanks for your time, I enjoy hearing from you as Spain always had a big place in my heart

If Spain could get an advantage in COVID 19 compared to other typical summer vacation countries they could gain momentum on tourism for a decade... Would have needed a much better health care system...

Have real estate prices gone dramatically down the last year in Spain too?

 

[Juan]

Have real estate prices gone dramatically down the last year in Spain too?

Prices are uneven, it depends on the city. In Madrid I would say prices are stable. In San Sebastián prices probably went up. In general I think prices are stable or going down very slowly.

There seems to be a global real estate bubble, fuelled by the irresponsible actions of central banks (FED, ECB):

Pandemic fuels broadest global house price boom in two decades

Of course it's probably less than half of Spain who gets tourists, so should have been more focus on education system and such probably...?

Spain has areas that are as congested and densely populated as NYC or Shanghai (near Barcelona for instance: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat - it's a built up ugly town, looks a bit like China actually), and places where no one lives (maybe 85% of the country's surface). In the "empty Spain" there are less inhabitants per sq km than in Lapland. There may be opportunities in some spots of the empty Spain for rural entrepeneurs or online businesses (logistics).

But are there really Western European countries today with a significant industry...?
Except perhaps Germany?

I would say some Eastern European countries have retained some industry, as subsidiaries of German producers, or linked to German manufacturing. Maybe the Czech Republic or Poland still have some industry. Switzerland is another country that maybe still makes some stuff even if it is just watches... (luxury ones). Spain produces few things really, relative to the size of its economy. In my opinion a developed country should not focus on just serving beers to tourists. It's not a great plan for the future.

I think Spain should have moved on to technology, IT services, defence (this is an ok sector in Spain), aerospace, etc It would be great if capital was invested in industries that may have a future even if there is an economic downturn.

Tourism after all depends on the economic cycle and people cut their spending first on unnecessary expenses, stuff that is not essential like going on holiday or eating out.

If Spain could get an advantage in COVID 19 compared to other typical summer vacation countries they could gain momentum on tourism for a decade... Would have needed a much better health care system...

The health care system is pretty good, but now the COVID-19 incidence in Spain is around 700 cases per 100.000 inhabitants. In Barcelona is close to 1.000 cases per 100.000 inhabitants, so hospitals are really overwhelmed, postponing surgeries etc just to take care of COVID-19 patients.

Still, our government opened up the borders to tourism without any other consideration than the economy.

 

[Juan]

This is what the world should say to Jay Powell and Christine Lagarde: think Jay, think... use your brain for a change.



They are going to bankrupt the whole world.

 

[kingsfan]

This is what the world should say to Jay Powell and Christine Lagarde: think Jay, think... use your brain for a change.



They are going to bankrupt the whole world.

My favorite movie of all-time

 

[Juan]

My favorite movie of all-time

Doc forgot to add: Powell will be "running" the FED then and fuelling a massive bubble. And Lagarde and Guindos will be ruining Europe.

 

[kingsfan]

View attachment 45702

Doc forgot to add: Powell will be "running" the FED then and fuelling a massive bubble. And Lagarde and Guindos will be ruining Europe.

I could really use that sports almanac to help me out with this rental inflation.

 

[PeteJ]

Yes. I'm in web and can literally work from any location at any time. All I need is an Internet and VPN connection.

I'm assuming with IT you need to go on-site to handle servers and such.

True. Again, though, my question remains unanswered.