DL Open Thread: Friday, March 18, 2022
China’s Dictator Having Bad Year. Because no one dared tell him the truth over his Covid policy, and that the Chinese vaccines were inferior:
But while we’re all justifiably obsessed with the Ukraine war…it’s important to note that there’s a superficially very different yet in a deep sense related debacle unfolding in the world’s other big autocracy: China, which is now experiencing a disastrous failure of its Covid policy.
…China is definitely not over Covid. Hong Kong, which for a long time seemed virtually unscathed, is experiencing hundreds of deaths a day, a catastrophe reminiscent of early 2020 in New York — back when there were no vaccines and we didn’t know much about how to limit transmission. Major Chinese cities like Shenzhen, a crucial world manufacturing hub, are back under lockdown. And it’s not at all clear when or how China’s new health crisis will end.
Then three things went very, very wrong.
First, as much of the world was turning to mRNA vaccines — a new approach adapted to Covid with miraculous speed — China insisted on using its own vaccines, which rely on older technology and have proved far less effective, especially against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Second, vaccination rates among China’s elderly — the most vulnerable group — have lagged. This may in part be because disinformation about mRNA technology has not only discouraged people from taking the most effective vaccines, but it has bled into distrust of vaccines in general. It may also reflect broader distrust of the government; China’s leaders lie to their people all the time, so why believe them when they say you should take your shots?
Finally, the zero-Covid strategy is extremely disruptive in the face of highly contagious variants like Omicron, especially given the weak protection provided by Chinese vaccines.
The thing is, all of these failures, like Putin’s failures in Ukraine, ultimately stem from the inherent weakness of autocratic government.
In China’s autocracy, who would dare question the wisdom of Xi Jinping? Nobody. Just the same as with Putin. And, of course, America’s would-be dictator.
Phony Rethug Senators. 31 of them voted against aid to Ukraine, now demand that Biden give more aid. This bleeping Rick Scott:
“President Biden needs to make a decision TODAY: either give Ukraine access to the planes and antiaircraft defense systems it needs to defend itself, or enforce a no-fly zone to close Ukrainian skies to Russian attacks,” Scott said in a statement. “If President Biden does not do this NOW, President Biden will show himself to be absolutely heartless and ignorant of the deaths of innocent Ukrainian children and families.”
In other words, marching in lockstep with this loudmouth senator who demonstrated he was heartless and ignorant with his vote last week.
Time for a brief pause. Today was predicted to be the worst pain day for my new hip, and it has been. Accordingly, I took two pain pills. They’re working. I suspect that I’ll be losing lucidity as well as pain over the course of the rest of this piece. I’m in–a good place. It almost, but not quite, makes me wanna listen to some Kenny G. But, I digress.
Ukraine Retakes Territory Held By Russians. Putin broke it, he bought it. Guess he learned nothing from Afghanistan.
Trump Golf Course To Host Tournament Sponsored By Saudis. Trump and the WWE: The regime’s best American friends. Why? Big money and people with no consciences.
Progressives Lay Out Policies That Biden Could Enact Through Executive Order. These are doable, are great, and politically-popular. Any so-called centrists who oppose these are simply not Democrats. Let’s just see what Biden will do, if anything.
Be back after my first PT session to do the Political Weekly. While I only have two stories, one of them is potentially significant and encouraging.
What do you want to talk about?
