RSVP = Rattle Snakes and Varmints Prohibited
As we’re all aware, most countries now have COVID-19 under control enough for their medical systems to cope. But in certain other countries, it’s running rampant: Brazil, India, Russia, Chile, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China (whether they admit it or not), etc. Australia‘s inept rightwing government opened three weeks too early. Now the state of Victoria has to close again for at least six to ten weeks and the New South Wales border completely closed. Someone I know moved there this past year, and the second lockdown is hitting her hard because of her mental health issues. The UK “reopened” last week, and people got riproaring drunk.
And of course, the US. Comparing the US’s and Canada’s numbers from the past month, the difference is stark and staggering. It speaks volumes when even a rightwing buffoon like Doug Ford (Ontario’s premier) has handled things better than most US governors, including some democrats.
Canada: June 10 July 10 Difference
Total 97,125 107,126 10,001
Active 32,526 27,466 -5,060
Deaths 7,960 8,759 799
US: June 10 July 10 Difference
Total 2,067,718 3,291,786 1,224,068
Active 1,115,747 1,694,620 +578,873
Deaths 117,600 136,671 19,071
Unlike the others being overwhelmed, the US sees itself as exempt from other countries’ soveriegnty and right to limit travel in and out of the country. Just this past week, a bunch of 1%ers decided to travel to Italy on a private flight but were rejected at the airport. (Though not by all – some of the immigration officers were looking for an excuse to let them in.) They claim they were “treated like criminals” – but only if you mean like Roger Stone. They certainly weren’t treated like Latin American migrants.
For whetever reason, some have been able to travel to Ireland. Some travellers say they will abide by quarantine rules, while others are clearly defiant and should be deported.
‘We came to Ireland to essentially avoid Florida’ – The passengers arriving in Ireland from the US
As Irish people continue to be advised against non-essential overseas travel, flights in and out of the country have increased in recent weeks – including from some countries struggling to bring the coronavirus situation under control.
The US is one of those countries facing a continuing challenge, with many states seeing record high cases in recent days and weeks.
Four flights arrived in Dublin Airport from the US this morning – from New York, Chicago, Newark and Dallas.
[. . .]
Meanwhile, one of those flying in from Dallas called the 14-day rule “very necessary”, and said she’d be following the advice as she’s here for five weeks.
However, another passenger who flew in from Texas suggested the COVID-19 situation was “overblown”.
He argued: “I personally don’t know anyone or don’t know anyone who knows anybody who has had it.
Canada has this problem on a massive scale with a pourous 5000km long border and no wall separating it. Individual claiming they are “travelling to Alaska!” have turned out to be liars, stopping in Canadian towns and cities as if rules don’t apply to them. The “driving through” exemption needs to end. They can fly there or take the ferry from Seattle.
And now there are idiot politicians in the US demanding Canada open the border without restrictions. Whether they are just deniers (“hoax!”), selfish and unconcerned about other countries, or colonialists with blankets, they seem intent on making the US’s problem into Canada’s.
Canadians push back as U.S. Congress pressures Canada to reopen shared border
As U.S. members of Congress push Canada to reopen its shared border with the United States, Canadians are pushing back — both in government and on social media.
In an open letter addressed to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, 29 bipartisan members of Congress called on the Canadian government to plan a phased reopening of the Canada-U.S. border and to consider easing existing measures.
[. . .]
Despite the United States’ plea, a spokesperson for Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told CTVNews.ca in a Friday statement that the health and safety of Canadians is “absolutely priority.”
“Decisions about Canada’s border are made by Canadians, for Canadians,” said Freeland’s spokesperson, Katherine Cuplinskas, in the statement.
They had damn well better.
Good job Canada! Keep us in our place.
–
also, rattlesnakes and varmints is a hilarious description of us. i like it.
It’s not original. I read it somewhere in my childhood – Mad or Cracked magazine, or maybe somewhere else.
A sufficiently obscure reference may as well be original, heh.
Then there’s no reason you can’t stay at home. Bye bye.
No problem, we’ll start planning. We’ll let you know how that goes. Don’t call us, we’ll call you.
I think a lot of people have been surprised at Doug Ford. He has been doing a competent job (i.e. finally listening to experts). Unfortunately this may help at the next election :(.
At the moment, i get the impression that Jason Kenny is our worst premier but as things, we hope, progress I imagine Dougie will be back in the running.
Reopening the Canada-US border is probably the only thing that could threaten the Trudeau Gov’t at the moment.
I’m too far to know the full details, but I’ve heard how he used the crisis to damage the school and health care systems.
I wouldn’t describe his response as good, more like an empty chair. I think he realized he was out of his depth, did what the experts said and copied the other premiers. He didn’t make it worse, but he wasn’t leading either.
@ Intransitive says July 12, 2020 at 11:24 am
He was well into bug**ing up various bits of the education & health systems before the pandemic. Only a mix of luck and Tory incompetence left both in some kind of functional shape. If the major health “reforms” (also known as slash and burn) had gone through we almost certainly would be in a lot worse shape than we are.
Ford actually has been a good figurehead who does as he is told by the experts. I would not say he is leading but I think he is contributing to the general buy-in by the ordinary citizen.
The worry is that he will lapse back into his mean-spirited, vicious right-wing self as things calm down.
A followup: Two of the murricans who went to Ireland (the linked article above) DID NOT self isolate for two weeks as required, and as they agreed to do.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/tour-operator-cancels-guided-cycle-after-learning-tourists-from-us-had-not-self-isolated-after-arriving-1010700.html
Round them up and give them a choice: forced isolation (locked in a hotel room for two weeks) or deport them. They can’t be trusted.
Just deport, life-time ban and can one put them on an EU lifetime ban?
This is ridiculous, as bad as Americans touristing around BC when they are supposed to be transiting to Alaska.
The Russians have what appears to be an newly coined or adapted word недоговороспособны that they apply to the US Gov’t. []
I am told that the word means literally “not-agreement-capable” or unable to make and then abide by an agreement. While polite, this expression is also extremely strong as it implies not so much a deliberate deception as the lack of the very ability to make a deal and abide by it.
It appears we may have to apply this to individual US citizens as well.