Oh and this one has really, really shook up the economy like the original and delta. Unbunch yer panties and WTFup yourself hysteria boy.
Nobody knew a thing 1.5 years ago. Nobody. The theory of mass immunization is a theory at best. We have not even ruled out willful release of the virus by hard evidence. Even the Biogen CEO a few days ago in an interview admitted that the vaccines in current existence are useless to tackle Omicron and he ruled out the existence of knowledge that new variants will not emerge. In the end of the day I rather listen to knowledgeable CEOs with decades of hands on experience in microbiology and virology than listen to your theories. Or do you have any experience in this field? I don't think so. Sometimes we have to admit that we simply don't know. I rather err on the side of caution and suspicion than being the ultimate optimist. If history has taught us anything then it is that life despite all the technological advances is not getting better for the average human being but more stressful, unpredictable, and economically taxing as we move along. I laud your optimism but on the same token you may want to perhaps also show some minimum respect to those who are cautious rather than calling them a glass empty type. Your last paragraph is disingenuous at best. Your life has not changed much? Seriously? Sky rocketing inflation, product and supply shortages, breakdown of the global supply chain, infinite money printing to keep deadbeat and irresponsible companies alive, school closures and all sort of disruption for parents, a total collapse in corporate productivity because many workers casually zoom chat with coworkers remotely (why you think all public filings and applications take 3 or 4 times longer to get processed right now? Because productivity is at pre covid levels?) , a major cut in our civic freedoms by locking an entire workforce out of the labor market if they choose to not put that needle into their arms. That is what you call hardly any disruption? Reality could not be further from the truth. I got fully vaccinated but feel our entire life changed. I can't see my relatives and family abroad, travel restrictions don't allow for such. Flights cost a multiple of fair prices. Sure, if you hang around your little sleepy village and just get your groceries and occasional coffee from the local shop then life did not change much. For the rest of us everything changed. Again, it's not deaths we should be scared of and panic about. It's a complete breakdown in free markets and order as we know it and the panic decisions by our leaders that plays into the hands of certain powers that currently aim for world dominance. It also drastically widened the gap between the uber wealthy and Middle class. The rich have gained in wealth more than ever before while the middle class is staring into the abyss.
I have to say the way the case numbers are increasing is quite scary but as more are vaccinated the number of deaths is much lower. I think there will be more boosters along the way to maintain this level of protection. I don't think it is having the big affect on the economy as we are no long locking down the country as before.
No, the virus is simply weakening in later variants + natural immunity. But you sound like a good programmed bot, I'll give you that.
No, if the history has taught us anything (especially since the 20th Century) it's that raw state power is a much bigger threat than viruses or other natural causes--and that governments & their surrogates will turn any real/imagined crisis into a power grab...and won't relinquish the power after it's over.
1. Sure, out of 8 billion people everyone was clueless. Have you heard it took only 2 days to come up with the mRNA vaccine? Sure testing and approving took time, but making the vaccine was very fast. About knowing things, last November I predicted here on ET that US death would peak on January 21st. Look it up, what happened. And I am not even a pandemic expert... 2. Alright, so you are clueless about science and history. Let's leave it at that. 3. Seriously. Do I have school age children? No, so why the fuck would I care about school closings? (I mean I feel their pain, but not a problem for me) Was the US ever locked down? No. I could always travel if I wanted in the last 2 years. If you are well to do, raising prices don't affect you. Hell, we even had a wedding of 50 people a year ago. Sure we did precautions, but the event went just fine, outdoors. By the way I was talking about myself, not Uncle Fred, or little Suzy. If you are WFH already (as most traders do) what difference did the pandemic make? Alright, so certain items from Amazon come slower, and for a few weeks I had to go to WV for liquor. Minor inconveniences... On the other hand, my used car's value is outperforming bitcoin! Anyhow, if you want to cry about the future, as I said earlier the doomsday clock should give you more sleepless nights than the soon ending pandemic. And get the fuck vaxxed and boosted.
Got it, you are not much affected by the pandemic. Most people, however, are severely affected, and I am not even talking about anyone who got actually infected. It makes sense to extrapolate and remove oneself from one's limited own horizon when trying to understand the world and what is going on around us.
"Q: (Omicron) the question is, what it's doing to the unvaxxed? Half of my county is still unvaccinated. A: Not great things. The critical care unit I’m in is fucking overflowing with COVID, and we’re coding people left and right. Plus the issue is that we don’t have enough ICU beds for all the people that need them, so people who really need an ICU are stuck in lower-level care until they code and we have to MAKE room. But to answer your question, almost every patient is unvaccinated. Omicron hasn’t been tested and confirmed in our area yet, but this huge spike and the symptoms have our doctors saying that’s what it is. Many of them come in refusing our “poison COVID drugs”, so they miss the window where we can treat them, then right before we intubate them they beg for the COVID meds and/or the vaccine. It’s an emotionally exhausting cycle, for everyone. I wish people didn’t have to learn the hard way."
So you are affected a lot more than you previously stated. Now imagine you are one of those who do need critical care for other than covid reasons. You still think this pandemic hardly affects anyone? Economically and politically speaking critical hospital care makes up probably 0.1% of the entire world economy or less. Your stance is that if all got vaxxed then it would all be over soon. I am afraid that is a very naive and limited way of thinking. Chinese research labs and think tanks are operating at full capacity and receive limitless funding and the Chinese are every day taking more and more markets share and pushing to the top in most every high tech category. Funnily all those products that also get pumped out of all Chinese factories hardly make it onto any western shelves. And that's not due to limited container availability or port delays. It's an elaborate geopolitical strategy. Connect the dots and you understand what is really going on in this world. The few deaths and sick are an inconvenient byproduct in this equation.