BIDEN ALL WRONG ON RELEASING OIL RESERVES

After contributing to the high fossil fuel prices and inflation by his “go green” and “end fossil fuel” polices on the first days  of his Presidency, Biden is now faced with unprecedented inflation and high gas prices.  These predictable economic consequences have resulted in plunging Biden poll numbers.  His approval has tanked even among his own Democrat base. So close to the November elections and with his approval down to below 40%, Biden’s “popularity” crisis has forced his handlers to take desperate actions to try to reverse this trend which is expected to generate a red election tsunami in November. 

Accordingly, President Biden was trotted out to the microphone today to announce (March 31, 2022) an “unprecedented” release (call it “theft”) of 180 million barrels of oil from the national strategic petroleum reserves.  The Biden release will free up  nearly a third of the almost 600 million barrel strategic reserve. That is indeed unprecedented—a never before huge hit for our oil security.   

The oil reserve was set up for “strategic” purposes in 1974.  It was  in storage for an unforeseen oil shortage, an oil embargo, war, or other disaster.    In these unpredictable post-pandemic, war in Ukraine, high inflation, uncertain times, cutting our strategic reserve by almost 30% should have been undertaken with great circumspection. But Joe’s withdrawal is simply to bolster his lagging polls. Such action—although characteristic of Joe— must be labeled as foolhardy in the extreme.  

But as well as foolhardy and self serving…this strategic oil theft  only underscores and duplicates other Biden acts of incompetence malaprops and bungled operations such as in Afghanistan, his open border policy, and the impetuous roll out of green policies.  For in this case of attempting to stem to rise of gas and fuel oil prices  he is squandering cheap oil placed in the strategic preserve years ago, and endangering us all by freeing oil that may be needed for a real emergency. That cheap oil will have to be replaced by much more expensive oil in the future. 

But like his other screw ups and imbroglios his acts are costly and also ineffective. 

His release of one million barrels (bbl) per day for 180 days does hit our strategic oil reserve heavily—but that amount is only a drop in the bucket on the world market.  The reality of the situation is much different than Biden’s handlers would have you believe.   The loss of one third of oil from our strategic reserve will in all likelihood have little impact on reducing fuel oil, gas at the pump, and inflation.  

First of all, Biden had just a few days ago banned the purchase of three million barrels of oil we were importing from Russia, his one million barrels of strategic oil, will not even make up for that loss. Then too the economic ramp up in the  post-pandemic economy will also buoy the demand for fossil fuels and will continue to be reflected in higher prices.  

Massive sanctions placed on Russia are hurting that nation  and one of the predicted effects is the likely reduction of  Russia’s oil production by about 3 million barrels per day. That  amount withdrawn from the world market would also act to nullify the one million bbl per day effects of Biden’s theft of oil from the strategic reserve 

Remember, petroleum is a world-traded commodity. There is no reason to believe that the self-serving OPEC nations who control the release to world markets will continue to pump oil at the present rate if the price of oil falls.  They will simply lower production, to increase  demand  and keep the price at the high level which they prefer.  Though Biden has attempted to encourage an increase in production from OPEC, his administrations attacks on that industry (and on Saudi Arabia) leave him no leverage with the oil producers. It was Biden who on his first days in office called for the “end of the fossil fuel industry”. He has no friends in Saudi Arabia, or OPEC nations where they will not even take his calls. 

And finally, Biden led by the “green ideologues” in his administration from the beginning of his Presidency has discouraged US domestic oil production. Rather than reversing course and opening up opportunities for cheap, reliable domestic production, Biden’s plan of releasing strategic oil onto the market to lower prices will continue to have a chilling effect on any domestic investors.  Few fossil fuel investors or entrepreneurs would buy into a commodity which government policy (up to a few weeks ago) has been to systematically drive down in price. And why invest in an industry which has been cut off at the knees by Biden’s concerted government policies of “going green” and calling for an end to fossil fuels? 

But to make matters worse Biden’s team has not only been willing to depress domestic production with purloined oil from the strategic reserve,  but with this new plan the partisans in his administration also attacked our existing domestic fuel industry with more ill-advised punitive “regulations” that will further decrease USA production.  The Biden “green” zealots and crusaders have inexplicably and unwisely also threatened domestic oil producers who hold  leases on government land with a surcharge if they do not produce oil from existing wells, or invest in renewable energy sources.  That is no way to increase our domestic supply of secure, predictable and cheap oil.  

Again, as in the past Biden disasters: withdrawal from Afghanistan,  “Biden open door” southern border, the Biden Omicron pandemic, Biden’s inflation-generating spending sprees, impetuous “go green” polices,  defunding the police and encouraging domestic violence, and others, it is clear Biden and his ideologue handlers shun sensible, working, rational policies but propose and support radical, outdated, failed and long abandoned social and economic nostrums popular with the far left socialist fringe. 

So expect higher prices at the pump and higher costs for food and heating oil.  Expect a Biden inflation surge.  Our President is only concerned with satisfying the noisy prodding zealot-progressives in his radical-left Democrat party— as well as  helping himself out of a self-imposed massive slump in the polls resulting from his own failed policies and his own incompetence. 

He cares little about economic trials and tribulations of Americans.  

ACADEMY AWARDS SENDS WRONG MESSAGE ON VIOLENCE

 Embarrassing Tinsel Town Stupidly Sends The Wrong Message on Violence

“Instead of an Oscar, this person should have been arrested and charged with assault, and when convicted, required to perform community service to the youth of our inner cities particularly expounding on why such violent acts are to be avoided. “

The Oscar Awards ceremony this year was a paradigm of our modern declining, divided, violent and dysfunctional society.  In its typical  mindless “tinsel town way” the Academy in an attempt to cast itself as “relevant” abandoned awarding its coveted Oscars  based on actual artistry, creativity, execution, uniqueness, excellence, and technical expertise and instead shifted to precepts based on the modern watchwords of:  inclusivity, diversity and wokism .  As a result, this year’s  Academy Awards ceremony began as a dull, boring and predictable event, attracting one of the lowest level of TV viewers in its history.  

That was until ——part way through the ceremony—-Hollywood morphed from “tinsel town” into “Saturday night in West Garfield, Chicago” when the staid  event, exploded  into ugly physical and verbal violence.  

The innocent victim, a well-known comedian, was presenting the winner of a documentary film and had just finished a “one liner”which included a reference to the hair style (or lack of it) of a well known actress sitting in the front row.   The not too funny joke elicited a ripple of audience laughter.  But not with the male partner of the front row woman  This man angrily left his seat and marched up onto the stage,  where without comment, he assaulted the presenter with a “round house” strike to his face.  The violent man returned to his seat from where he continued to verbally assault the comedian-presenter with loud, rude, and coarse obscenities which could be heard throughout the theater. When asked to leave he refused.

The “perp” who should have been arrested for assault, remained secure and unruffled in his seat waiting for the prestigious “Best Actor” award.  In due “tinsel town” fashion as the ceremonies proceeded, the individual who had  just shocked and embarrassed himself,  his colleagues, and the Academy, rather than being handcuffed and marched out of the venue with a raincoat over his head,  was instead honored and presented with the Academy’s most prestigious award —one avidly sought after, often unsuccessfully, by hundreds highly talented actors.  

Unbelievably this  person, inexplicably in tears, accepted the magnificent encomium , but without apology to his victim, his colleagues, the TV audience, and those around the world,  or the organization which he so grievously embarrassed. 

This public display of violence, and the seeming acceptance of such behavior, could not have occurred at a worse time for the nation.   Hollywood, the entertainment industry, and the Academy all embarrassed themselves by sending an absolutely wrong message to the TV audience and the nation at the worst possible time.   

Violence in our nation is rampant. Similar senseless, emotional and violent acts often leading to homicide are  the daily scourge of our inner cities. In Chicago alone,  such violent behaviors resulted in 800 homicides in 2021, a level not attained in the previous quarter of a century.  So far this year (2022) Chicago has racked up another 200 homicides up to the present. The Windy City is not alone.  Deadly  physical  violence in our nation’s inner cites and urban schools is surging out of control all across the country.  There were 20,000 homicides in the USA so far in 2022.   These ugly, socially destructive, deadly behaviors almost all begin with violent speech and physical aggression, just as was witnessed on the Hollywood stage.  

But where are the thinking adults?  In this sad event seen by millions across the nation, the Academy, the attendees and organizers  all tacitly accepted violence and assault, and then even more egregiously, they actually honored the  perpetrator only a short time later, when he was “honored” with the Academy’s highest award.  What kind of message does that send?

How could  tinsel town have sent any more harmful and damaging message to our nation’s youth?  How many copycat assaults will this encourage?  How many on stage comedians will suffer assault?  On a personal level is this not similar behavior to the thuggish acts of certain brutal foreign leaders in Eastern Europe?  Yet we all so readily decry their behavior, but sit by and accept similar kinds of behavior in our midst seeming without complaint then in fact reward it. 

Instead of an Oscar, this person should have been arrested and charged with assault, and when convicted, required to perform community service to the youth of our inner cities particularly expounding on why such violent acts are to be avoided.  That would be an appropriate punishment and perhaps in some small way undo some of the harm the act itself caused. 

BIDEN: UNHINGED WORLD LEADER

 Biden frightens and worries European allies with “improvised statements”.

President Biden in Poland:  “Putin cannot remain in power”. March 27, 2022,  embarrasses world leaders with “improvised statements”. 

The most unhinged and dangerous world leader?  …No not Vladimir Putin.  We know exactly what Putin  is and what he wants:  a buffer state on his western border and security for Mother Russia.  He is not a nice guy,  but his purposes are clear and predictable.

It is President Joe Biden who is the world’s dangerous “loose cannon” and perhaps the man who, with his witless emotional mumblings, has the frightening possibility of tipping the world into nuclear war.  

Instead  of attempting to find a way to deescalate this horrible bloody war in the center of Europe and step back from a potential nuclear Armageddon…Mr. Biden continues to mindlessly goad Mr. Putin into potentially more and more violent and egregious acts.  

And now in Poland with Biden threatening Putin with “regime change” and the specter of being hunted down after the war and brought to justice as a “thug” and “butcher” who has committed “war crimes” (all quotes from Joe) will only drive Mr, Putin into the most dangerous of dark corners where with his hand on the nuclear trigger he may contemplate on how to survive if his war falters.   

The world is now well aware of Biden’s mental challenges and frightened too. In an unheard of, unprecedented critique of an American president the French paper of international record  Le 

Monde has reported today (“Guerre en Ukraine…”, by P Richard, March 28, 2022) that the European leaders are worried and embarrassed by the “improvised and embarrassing statements “ made by the American President while in Poland.  Le Monde reports that French President Macron and German Chancellor Scholz (in the face of Biden’s inflammatory statements) pointedly stated they are committed to a policy in which western allies must maintain a line of communications with  Mr Putin so as to find a way to end the war diplomatically. 

For our and the world’s well being in these trying times, Biden should at least have his “monitors” with him at all times so as to protect us all from off the cuff statements which can led to nuclear holocaust.  Sadly,  his earlier examples of similar poor judgment, on the question of who to succeed him should he falter while in office,  lends us no hope of improvement or succor in leadership.  So we are left with only fear and anxiety for the next two years as this man stumbles though his presidency. God help us!

You will not read of this in our own MSM press. Our domestic media continue their dangerous  policy began during the election of 2020 of not printing anything negative about this man. They helped to elect him and now continue to deceive their readers by ignoring his dangerous mutterings as well as the world’s recognition of his weaknesses and the lack of respect he has generated in Europe and elsewhere. 

COVID MORTALITY AFFECTED BY POPULATION AGE, OBESITY AND URBANIZATION

 POPULATION AGE, OBESITY,URBANIZATION:  FACTORS WHICH MAY INCREASE COVID MORTALITY PER UNIT POPULATION.   

Earlier reports here in have documented the disparity in mortality rates due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Mortality evaluated using deaths per unit population vary widely. 

Cursory examinations of these data sources revealed great discrepancies between reporting nations.  Asian, and particularly Far Eastern, nations report significantly lower rates of mortality per unit population than other nations.

A comparison between Asian and western European nations revealed a disparity even more stark. For example China (CCP) reported a mortality rate due to Covid 19 (and variants) of 3.4 deaths per million population (as of 2/10/22) while the USA reported 2765 deaths per million, over the same period, or for the USA reported deaths per million were greater than 800 times what China reported.  Both nations have highly sophisticated medical and technological infrastructure and exceptional medical care. What could cause such differences?  Though not all national comparisons are so divergent, the averages support the fact that there are great differences in mortality data.  What factors might generate such results?  The answer to that question may be useful to those who are responsible for national response to this world crisis. 

In this report I summarize the results of an inquiry into several factors which may effect Covid mortality in populations Data was sourced from various sites on the internet.  Mortality rates were downloaded on 2-10-22. 

Covid mortality per unit population (per million population) for 155 world nations was tabulated and compared to several factors:

1.Urbanization level as percent of the reporting nation’s urbanized population 

2. Median age in percent,

3.Percent obesity of the population

4. Vaccination rate in percent,

Description of Graphic Results 

1-An XY scatter graph of Percent of Population Urbanized ; Y axis World Nation Covid Mortality per million (N =155) and X Axis Percent Population Urbanized (data downloaded 2/10/22)  A Pearson r =0.34  indicates a positive weak level of correlation  And a slope calculation of the scatter graph reveals slope = 19.  Thus for every one percent increase in percent urbanization of the population the unit population mortality rate increases  by 19 per million population.  Thus, the present data (2-10-22) indicates that mortality tends to be higher in nations with more of its population urbanized settings. 

2- An XY scatter graph of Population Median Age ; Y axis =World Nation Covid Mortality per million (N =155);  X Axis = Median Age of Population  (data downloaded 2/10-15/22)  A Pearson r =0.58  correlation test indicates a positive, moderate  level of correlation.   And regression line  slope calculation of the scatter graph: Slope = 74.  The plotted regression line indicates that for every year of increase of a reporting  nation’s median population Covid mortality  increases  by 74 deaths per million population.  This graph depicts a mortality rate increasing  from left to right.  Starting at median age of 15 years and 13  Covid deaths per million the data (and regression line)  rise to a rate of (30 X 74 = 2,200) 2,200 deaths per million in a population with a median age of 30 years. In populations reporting a median age of 45 years,  the death per unit population rises to 3,300 deaths per million population.  Clearly nations with older median populations are more vulnerable and reported higher mortality to Covid. 

3-An XY scatter graph of Percent of Population Clinically Obese . Y axis = World Nation Covid Mortality per million (N =155), while the  X Axis =percent of population clinically obese. These data were downloaded 2/10/22.   Pearson r = 0.43  indicates a positive moderate  level of correlation  And a slope calculation of the scatter graph reveals Slope = 57.  For every one percent increase in percent obesity of the population the  rate of mortality increases  by 57 per million population.  According to these data mortality tends to increase in populations with higher percentages of obese individuals. 

4- An XY scatter graph of Percent Population Vaccinated (at least once); Y axis =World Nation Covid Mortality per million (N =155) and X Axis = Percent Population Vaccinated (data downloaded 2/10/22)  A Pearson r = 0.37  And a slope calculation of the scatter graph is slope = 16.  For every one percent increase in vaccination rate mortality increases  by 16 per million population.  Mortality tends to increase in populations with higher percent vaccinations. This is counter intuitive. Though the correlation is weak it is clear that a group of about 20 nations with which report 0 to  to 20 percent vaccination rates also claim very low mortality rates  (very low rates (< 200 per mil) mortality). These may  small, isolated, or rural nations where the virus had not reached yet or where reporting was weak, or similar circumstances.   Between 20 and 40 % vaccination rate, the Slope of 16 indicates average mortality rate may climb to  @500 per million. From  there the mortality increases to over 1000 at about 70% vaccination rate. 

These results seem to suggest that more affluent technically sophisticated nations may have both higher vaccination rates and higher Covid mortality .    This may be a result of the tendency of more affluent nations are more likely to be vaccinated, but these same nations also harbor populations higher in median age, with higher rates of obesity, and live in more dense urbanized settings— and these factors weigh heavily of the mortality rate increasing Covid mortality.  

Summary

These Covid mortality data as of February 10, 2022 indicate higher mortality in nations where populations are more urbanized, in nations of higher median age (older) and in nations with higher percentages of obese individuals.    Interestingly, vaccination rate is NOT correlated with lower mortality as one would expect. The results seem to suggest that more affluent nations may report data of both higher vaccination rates and higher Covid mortality.   Higher vaccination rates, may be associated with nations of higher median age, suffering higher rates of obesity, and live in more dense urbanized settings— and these factors appear to weigh heavily on the mortality rate, increasing the reported Covid mortality rate.  

This in no way suggests that vaccinations are not effective. It only underscore the difficulty in evaluating it in statistical  population studies among many other 

contributing factors. 

COVID IN CHINA: LOW DEATH RATE-NATURAL IMMUNITY?

 LOW COVID DEATHS CORRELATE WITH PROXIMITY TO WUHAN CHINA 

Evidence Of Long Term Covid-Like Virus Circulating In Far East Populations?

XY Scatter Graphs On Asian Covid Mortality: Positive Correlation,  Low Mortality Near Wuhan  

ABSTRACT Analysis of graphic data which plotted Covid mortality rates per unit population in Asian nations against geographic distance from Wuhan China indicate a correlation exists. Low mortality rates are associated with geographic proximity to Wuhan China, while significantly higher rates of mortality in Asian nations occurs in those further away from Wuhan, China.  This may seem counter intuitive. Though other causes may operate, these data (were they validated) could be interpreted to suggest that Covid like bat viruses may have been circulating in these far eastern populations for some time—providing a level of natural immunity which protected the population from the most severe responses to the Covid 19 outbreak of December 2019. Long term presence in the population may have provided time for evolution of many virus strains.  It may also give credence to the hypothesis that the source of the virus was a natural one from long circulating viruses—as China insists—that there was no lab virus manipulation and no lab leak at Wuhan. 

Method 

Using ExCell, the Covid mortality rate per unit (one million) population of 42 Asian Nations was accessed from the internet on 2-10-22. These data were compared to the geographic dstance from Wuhan, China. These data were plotted on an XY scatter graph to evaluate the possibility that Covid mortality (per million population) may be in some way related to proximity of central China and the CCP which has one of the  lowest reported Covid mortality rates per unit population. The graph was arranged with the Y axis  scaled in mortality from 0 (Covid deaths per million) to 4500 (deaths per million) in intervals of 500 deaths per million.  The X axis was scaled in miles from Wuhan China ( Wuhan being 0) in 1000 miles increments from 0 miles to 6000 miles (9600km).  

The graphic results (unable to be reproduced here) indicate a scatter of points rising slowly then more steeply in a moderate positive correlation from a point at 0 distance (miles) and 3.4 mortality on the left,  to a maximum scatter of graph points at over 4000 deaths per million at about 4000 miles (6400km) distance from Wuhan. The scatter of data points drops to about 1500 mortality /mil  on the Y  axis at approximately 4300 miles (6880km) distance from Wuhan,  while a single data point shows up at  about 250 deaths per million and 5500 miles (8800 km) distant..  A Pearson sigma (s) test produced a correlation value of 0.38 (Pearson sigma test =0.38) suggesting moderate positive correlation. The slope of a calculated linear regression line (slope = 0.20) indicates thatr for every increment on the X axis there is an increase of 0.20 increments on the Y axis.  Thus at 1000 miles from Wuhan,(0.2 x 1000=200)  the average Covid Mortality indicated by the graph indicates an increased of mortality of 200 per million population,  The regression line rises gently from left to right at a rate of 200 deaths per million for each 1000 miles (1600km).  

Description of Graph

The graph indicates that mortality per unit population within 1000 miles (1600km) of Wuhan China recorded very low Covid mortality.  Mortality in this area ranges from single digits up to @200 deaths per million.  In the range of 1000 miles to 2000 miles (1600km -3200km) from Wuhan mortality per million averaged about 400 per million, and  ranged from less than 100 to about 1000 deaths.  In the range fro 2000 miles (3200km) to 3000 miles (4,800 km) mortality ranged from below 100 deaths to 1200 deaths per million.  The graph showed a moderate positive  correlation Pearson r = 0.38, and a slope of a regression line of 0.20.  

The largest spread of mortality from 250 deaths to 4500 deaths occurs in the range of 3000 miles to 4000 miles (4800-6400km) distance from Wuhan, China and average at this distance of about 1400 deaths per million population . 

At 4000 to 5000 miles ( 6400km-8000km) distance from Wuhan in central China the data points fall to 1500 deaths with an estimated average value of about 600 deaths per million.  

A single data point appears at 5500 (8800km) miles distant fro Wuhan, registering @ 250 deaths per million. 

The graphIc representation of mortality vs distance from Wuhan support the conclusion that areas in the Far East, perhaps originating in China can be characterized as having low mortality rates….in many cases of a severity no worse than the common annual flu. The graph supports a conclusion that lower mortality rates are correlated with geographic distances closer to Wuhan.

Discussion

These data indicate, counter intuitively,  that the area where the Covid pandemic virus first appeared (central China in the city of Wuhan) and geographically surrounding areas have the lowest rates of mortality, rather than higher than other areas as might be expected.  One interpretation of the graphic results may be that perhaps these far eastern Asian populations in close proximity to China  had been exposed to covid like (endemic bat) viruses for long periods of time and developed a  natural immunity based on long term exposure to similar strains of the virusy.  Western and other nations geographically distant from this area, having no exposure to covid like bat viruses, report mortality rates which rises in some cases to nearly 1000 times that experienced in China. The other possible conclusion is related to the origin of the covid virus.  Was it manipulated by virology experimenters or did it arise naturally? 

Were these results to be supported by more in depth  studies i.e. of the seemingly  mild  response of far eastern populations to Covid,  it would seem to support the hypothesis  that a Covid 19-like  virus originating in the bat populations of southern China may  have been circulating in these human populations for some time prior to the outbreak of Covid 19 in December of 2019.  If Far eastern populations have a natural immunity based on their exposure to the circulation of covid like the virus over a long period of time prior to the outbreak…it could support the hypothesis that the virus was indeed a natural phenomenon arising in a genetic pool of infected individuals.   This would support the hypothesis that covid like viruses may have slowly evolved naturally as infections spread more widely, eventually evolving into a new more virulent more transmissible variant which broke out in Wuhan, China in 2019.  

China’s insistence that Covid 19 arose naturally from circulating Corona viruses and there  was no Wuhan “lab leak” may be supported by such a study. 

COVID MORTALITY IN ASIAN ΝΑΤΙΟΝS -LOWEST IN WORLD

Covid in Asian Nations—Mortality Rates Lowest in World

Abstract: World nations experienced an average Covid related mortality per unit population of approximately 1000 deaths per million, while  “western nations” suffered nearly twice as many deaths.   Asian mortality is nearly half  the world rate.  Asian nations reported Covid mortality about one third of those in western nations. On average, for every one person who died in Asia from Covid, more than three people died in western nations from the same cause. While some results were extreme such as that the USA suffered more than 800 times the death rate per unit population than that reported in China. Analysis of Asian data indicates that China’s low rates are typical of surrounding Asian nations. 

An initial review of recent Covid pandemic mortality rates indicate  that Asian nations appear to have suffered a much lower rate of mortality per unit population due to the Covid pandemic than western nations (as of 2-10-22)  For example:  On February 10 , 2022, China reported 3.4 deaths per million due to Covid, while the USA reported 2765 deaths per million, or more than 800 times more deaths per unit population than China!   That trend was reflected in many east-west Covid mortality results.  To attempt to evaluate and confirm this more anecdotal that factual evidence, world Covid mortality, rates regularly updated and available openly and widely on the internet were downloaded, tabulated and examined more formally.   (See Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.  (https:// coronavirus.jhu.edu)  

World Nation Covid Mortality 

A download of world nations (N=155) reporting Covid 19 mortality data per unit population was tabulated and  general statistical parameters calculated.  All national data refers to mortality per one million population of the source nation.  Mortality rates ranged from the lowest, 3.3 deaths per million (Burundi) to over 6384 deaths per million for Peru.   The world Covid mortality per million population summary results are:  N= 155, Mortality mean μ =1090, Median= 621, Mode =13, Std/Dev σ =1241.  A graphic distribution analysis  of these data indicate that variables were likely not attributable to random variations but to other unknown factors.  It did reveal that 68% of data points fell between -151 and 2331.  While 95% of data points fell between -1393 and 3572.  The distribution curve skewed sharply to right.  Note data not posted here.

Asian Nation Covid Mortality 

To attempt to document that variations are other than random forty-seven (47) nations characterized by the United Nations as “Asian” were culled out of the above world data tabulation and their mortality rates per unit population and statistical measures calculated.   Of these, only thirty-nine (39) were available in the data bank as of February 10, 2022.  See list of nations and data compilation below*.  The statistics for Asian Covid mortality per million: N =39,  Mean μ = 657, Median 433, Std Dev σ = 770, Range, 4123 (3.3 to 4126).  

Western Nation Covid Mortality

Similar procedures for “western” nations which are here defined as those of the European Union, parts of Eastern Europe, as well as UK, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.  Twenty-nine (29) western nations reported Covid 19 mortality per million population as of 02/10/22: See data compilation below*.  Western nation data summary: N=29, Mean μ= 1854 deaths per million, Median 1982, Mode n, Std Dev σ =1028, Range = 4304. Graph of distribution reveal that 68% of values fall between 811 and 2880 deaths per million. 

Results: 

These data reveal that world nations experienced an average Covid related mortality per unit population of approximately 1000 deaths per million population.  While nations characterized as “western nations” reported a Covid death rate per unit population of close to 2000 per million (actually 1854), or nearly twice as many deaths as the world as a whole.  

The average world mortality rate is 1.7 times (1090/657 = 1.7) or nearly  twice the rate of that reported from Asia.  In comparison, on average, Asian nations reported Covid mortality per million (657/1090=0.60) or only 60% of world mortality and about one third of those in western nations. (657/1854= 0.35 = 35%).  Or on average, for every one person who died in Asia from Covid, more than three people died in western nations from the same cause.Also the low mortality rates per unit population reported from China seem statistically consistent with other far eastern nations. 

Causes?

What could cause such variations?   Variations in the means of collecting data, definitions of mortality/morbidity and variations in technical and medical sophistication in some nations no doubt had an effect on reported information. But the statistics suggest other factors such as: genetics, average age of the population, percent co-morbidity, percent vaccination, percent urbanization, population spatial density, life style, population compliance or non-compliance with regulations, government philosophy regarding control, isolation, and vaccination measures, and previous exposure to similar viruses may have all contributed. 

Perhaps further inquires should be undertaken to investigate these factors. 

DATA.

• Source Data Compilations. 

Thirty-nine (39)  Asian Nations (mort/mil) :Afghanistan=196, Armenia =2741, Azerbaijan=892,Bahrain=846, Bangladesh=176, Cambodia =182, China =3.4,  Cyprus=634, Georgia=4126, India =370, Indonesia=534, Iran=1606, Iraq=625, Israel = 1031, Japan =156, Jordan =1327, Kazakstan =1009,Laos =81, Lebanon =1424,  Malaysia=1003,Mongolia=662, Nepal=414, Oman = 824, Pakistan=136, Palestine =1109, Philippines=505,  Qatar=231, Saudi Arabia=261, Singapore=154, South Korea=134, Sri Lanka=719, Syria = 176,Tajikistan =13, Thailand =321,Timor Leste = 94, Turkey =172, UAE =232, Uzbekistan =47, Vietnam=400, Yemen= 72 . 

Twenty-nine (29) western nations reported Covid 19 mortality per million population as of 02/10/22: Austria =174 (Covid deaths per million population), Belgium= 2568, Canada=934, Denmark =673, Finland = 385, France 1893, Germany=1436, Greece=2277, Hungary =4316, Ireland= 1273, Italy = 2485, Israel = 1031, Netherlands= 1199, Norway=282, New Zealand= 11, Poland = 2823, Portugal = 1982, Romania= 3156, Russia = 2289, Serbia =2040, Slovakia= 3302, Slovenia = 2887, South Africa= 1647, Spain= 2022, Sweden =1590, Switzerland= 1503, Ukraine= 2448, UK = 2370, USA =2765.  

ON UKRAINE AND PHONY HEROS

UKRAINE: TWO PLAY-ACTING PRESIDENTS, ONE OLD ONE YOUNG

Encircled on the north, south and east, Ukraine is hopelessly outgunned and outmanned. The AP reports today (3/12/22) that “fighting is raging on the outskirts of Kyiv, the encircled capital of Ukraine, as Russia’s expanding invasion continues to bombard other Ukrainian resisting cities into rubble.”   CBS reports that the “situation in Ukraine is rapidly deteriorating. Russian forces are closing in on Kyiv. The Russian army is now within 15 miles of the Kyiv city center and near to closing the  encirclement of that besieged city”. 

Apparently Ukraine PM, Mr. Zelensky, the former actor and comedian,  who in his recent past life —of only a few years ago—actually-played the part of the Ukrainian president in a 2018 TV show he himself produced called “Servant of the People”.  Apparently being a good comic actor, one may be deceived into thinking that being a real one is easy.  When Zelensky chose politics over acting he was able to fool the voters of Ukraine in 2019 into believing he was a REAL  former president, not an actor .   But with no previous management, government, or military experience,  the comic actor Zelensky, then a real novice politician  had no alternatives but to simply continue to play the role he knew— his TV role. He simply followed the old scripts of the TV sitcom as “servant of the people” rather than actually troubling to make  the tough decisions of a true leader.  Play-acting a leader and actually coming to terms with the difficult choices for his nation’s  survival and well being are very different affairs. 

While Ukraine crumbles to dust around Mr Zelensky’s ears,  2.5 million have fled, infrastructure is being bombed into rubble, thousands of dead are piling up and no place for burial, and no hope of succor, from the west,  Mr. Zelensky continues to play the “hero” —a fictional character of “Servant of the People” rather than a wise and dutiful leader, who must make hard decisions about how to end the conflict which he and his people have no way of winning.  And a far as diplomatic and mediation skills they were never in the script. 

Sadly, the US and foreign press, safely ensconced  far from the bomb blasts  and collapsing buildings , continue to ignore the hard facts of the Russian invasion and persist in writing (salable but false)  glowing reports of the “hero” president who refuses to comply with Russian demands.  The unworthy press who continue to champion this imposter  as a heroic resistor to Russian aggression only encourage this novice, narcissistic, character-actor to continue to lead his nation into a bloody senseless massacre. 

But there are those abroad who ARE experienced and wise enough to give this novice leader intelligent and sensible council. In France,  Chief of Defense Staff, General Thierry Burkhard, a professional military man has little hope of Ukrainian military survival.  On the 9^th of March, General Burkhard stated that without an operative reserve and with their operations stretched so thin the Ukrainian military will experience a sudden massive collapse”.(As reported in Le Figaro 3-9-22. 

Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, who served in the  IDF as a member of the elite Sayeret Matkal commando force is no cringing novice when it comes to military affairs. PM Bennett who has been mediating a possible cease fire between Ukraine and Russia  made a call in the last few days to Mr Zelensky, advising him that Zelensky’s continued requests for military hardware from the west was not advisable, since it would only make mediation efforts and end of the conflict more difficult for those who were involved in this effort.  In regard to Putin’s offer for ending the conflict, Naftali added   “ If I were you, I would think of the lives of my people and take the offer” That was PM Naftali Bennett’s wise and thoughtful advice to Volodymyr Zelensky as reported in the Jerusalem Post 3-9-22. 

Here in Washington, DC, our nation also suffers from weak top leadership, but ours is of the sort found at the other end of the incompetence spectrum.  President Biden has, unlike Zelensky’s two years, well over forty years of political experience.  But with all those years, Biden, like Zelensky,  has little or none in exercising meaningful leadership, military, or management roles. Like being an actor who spouts script prepared by someone else, being  a “back slapping”, bloviating, self-serving politician for forty years prepares no one for actual serious leadership—especially for one who is in his “oatmeal-dribbling” late, “golden years”.  

So President Biden, spends much of this time at his Delaware mansion, from whence he appears on his own “White House stage-set” to read a rolling prompter, the script prepared by other as he acts out, like Zelensky, being presidential.  In these TV political promotionals he brags  and blusters that he “speaks every day” with, similarly challenged, Mr Zelensky, almost 6000 miles away.  It is clear, that nothing good for Ukrainians or their nation will come from communications between these two “actors”…one old and one young…both Incompetent. 

While Zelensky continues to ignore wise advice for his nation’s  survival, Biden ignores the hard facts too as he sends US troops to Eastern Europe,  while promising that they will never fight anyone. He continues to suggest to Mr Zelensky the falsity that resistance to Russia can be successful and unwisely continues to send munitions and weapons which have little chance of other  than extending  the bloody conflict…it seems now to a lost cause.  Why?  

Is Biden (or his carers and handlers) simply sacrificing the lives of the Ukrainian people, and their brave defenders, to extend this tragic conflict for his own base political purposes? Is  this simply a sinister attempt to bolster Biden’s  plummeting poll numbers and perhaps blame all of his own failures at home on Mr Putin in Russia? 

Wise up  Mr Zelensky, stop play-acting the hero. Be a leader, honestly explain the situation to your people,  and stop the bloodshed. Save your people and your nation so perhaps, you and they might fight another day…Take the offer!

GLOBALISM WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Perhaps we should reevaluate our embrace of globalism. Now as the results of this disastrous pandemic seeps in to our collective consciousness, with millions of deaths, loss of livelihood, impact to our children’s education, as well as a decline and negative change in almost everything we examine—-all due to a world too much interconnected.  Today a deadly disease outbreak in an irresponsible or backward nation half a world away appears in our backyards within days.  So what are the advantages of globalism to the common working man and woman? 

I don’t see many.  It is clear that globalism is a boon for those, now too numerous. globalized companies, and the top CEOs of these now international behemoth institutions.   But does their greater market share, stock values, product success and massive wealth transfer to our own citizenry?  Do these giants  improve the lives of our citizens?  The CEOs and top business elites prosper enormously while the citizens of the original company’s source  nation, where it developed its products,  are left with darkened decaying plants, unemployment lines and economic peril for the entire community.  The  results for working class Americans are a few cheap electronic trinkets, poor paying jobs, and exposure to potentially deadly disease, as well as more social, cultural, and economic instability.  

Furthermoe globalization clearly tends to increase the massive wealth disparity in our own nation, as wealth increasingly moves from the hands of workers and small business owners into the pockets of the corporate elites. By maximizing profits, reducing tax burden, eliminating labor costs and offshoring good paying jobs wealth concentrates in the hands of the very few.  This concentration of wealth at the top is not an asset for our economy as a whole. 

Good- paying, satisfying jobs have all been sucked off-shore and now pour wealth into the coffers  of overseas nations. The result is the hollowing out and pauperization of small town America.   The cities and towns where these once local businesses thrived, where smaller satellite businesses prospered and communities grew are now shuttered and the communities only shadows of their former selves.  In these places  instead of the hum and whirr of industry and the bustle of commerce on main street we afind only dark store windows, silence and the smell of rotting wood. 

Off-shoring of manufacturing has resulted in our supply chains becoming  long, uncertain and tortuous affairs…where even our essentials—like medicines, essential tools, clothing, machinery and  are all else are developed, manufactured, packaged and sold from overseas. Only token employees and chief officers reside in “headquarters” in the original nation.  Often even those remnant offices are moved overseas to take advantage of tax breaks. 

We have become dependent upon off shore manufacturing nations for our manufactured essentials.  These nations which we now depend for survival may in the future become less dependable allies or even antagonists or enemies.  It’s obvious that basic security depends on independence and secure sources of essentials. 

Then too, with the advent of massive movements of people by air travel we are subject to disease carried by the millions of people who enter our nation almost daily. 

Could we shut down like the Aussies to control a deadly air borne pathogen?  Not the way our economy is configured today.  

Let’s reconsider what the vantages of globalism are.  Who profits?  

BIDEN AND THE IDEALOGUES

 Ideologue: An often blindly partisan advocate of a particular ideology. An impractical theorist, a fanatic, a zealot.  

February 27, 2022

How did we get here? At home, we suffer from surging inflation, disruptions in supply chains and scarcity. Fuel oil and gas prices at the pump seem to rise exponentially.  Here too a horrible pandemic, now waning, but still out of control, stalks our vulnerable elderly.  A fearful-crime wave plagues our cites, and our southern border lies  open to uncontrolled illegal migrants, human traffickers and drug smugglers. 

How did we get here?  The answer to that question may lie with our aged President, Joe Biden, who it now seems is too old, infirm and unsteady to lead the nation on his own. As a result he has surrounded himself by young,  left-wing ideologues  who have taken charge of his presidency, and it is these few—unelected impractical theorists who now call the shots.  

Besides not warning the voters that he would serve as a mere mouthpiece for the fanatical left, the President misled the electorate in 2020 by claiming  he would heal the nation, and govern from the middle as a moderate.  By handing over the reins of leadership to unelected zealots, he failed to honor his campaign promises. Instead he initiated both political and legal campaigns to further  antagonize, demean, and shut out half of the electorate…some 70 million citizens,  who did not vote for him.  As a result, Joe Biden has become rather than the healer he promised, he has  exacerbted political division and racial animus. Biden has become the chief divider rather than healer in almost every aspect of government policy:  “open border” and illegal immigration, surging violent crime in our cities, racial discord, abandonment of law and order polices, support for police defunding, raising taxes, encouraging excessive debt, fostering excessive spending, encouraging increases in cost of fossil fuels, supporting bogus claims of alleged racism and inequality, and implementing a weak and uncertain foreign policy which has among other issues led to unprecedented war in Europe.  

As Joe dozed his presidency away on the Oval Office couch or on his beach hideaway in Delaware, the partisan, impractical novices old Uncle Joe handed power to, with their still-damp Harvard sheepskins in tow, (too often the result of out of control affirmative action polices) have from the beginning with adults missing from the room have encouraged and instituted impractical radical fringe left polices.  These untested novitiates made decisions based on radical theories and polices which were the cast-off socialist policies relegated they lifted from the dustbins of history.  But being young and ideological (as well as self-righteously and sophomorically assured that they were right and everyone else was wrong) in power as a result of a weak president they foisted these outdated ideas on the American people.  Sadly by any measure, our present economic suffering here,( and existential threats to life and liberty in the Ukraine) attest to the fact that they have all dramatic, tragic failures when removed from chalkboard theory in the classroom and instituted in the very much more complex “real” world.  

What about our surging inflation?  In the first heady days the ideologues in the Biden Administration hit upon the idea of discouraging fossil fuel investment by closing oil lease purchases and chilling new development, investment, as well curtailing current production. Their “ green” goal was clearly to limit fossil fuel consumption and raise prices, and thus encourage the use and development of “good” renewable energy sources. Yes they intended to raise prices on fuel….being unaware of the pernicious threat of that act on the cost of living and the awful specter of inflation. Because of their  inexperience and youth and having never experienced or had even heard of inflation—an economic threat which had not existed in their lifetimes of the last 40 years. But they stupidly encouraged inflation. The result: with our cheap oil and gas off the market, we had to turn to Russia and the Middle East for absolutely essential fuel sources which, in spite of chalkboard theory, continue to sustain and supply almost all domestic use, industry and our essential military. 

The immigration scandal on our southern border, screaming for attention was compeltely ignored by the Administration which has permitted a surge of millions of new illegals to enter the USA in the last year, via the  much denied but all too evident “Biden Open Door Policy”. This is simply another example of bad ideology gone awry—the result of blind partisanship  winning over sane reasonable policy  and the trashing of the well being of the nation as a whole.   Again the far left Biden team precipitously overturned the sensible practices of the last administration, during which illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug smuggling were under control. The Biden team unceremoniously dumped working systems to replaced those with what they termed more “humane” policies . These new ideologically driven  policies were not humane—they encouraged human traffickers, brutal coyotes, sexual abuse of minors, enriched the drug cartels and others as they exploit those who would leave their homes and make the perilous journey north.  Biden’s left wing supporters favor an “open border” to foster and encourage their own concepts of what the USA’s “ethnic diversity” should be.  And perhaps as well were motivated to generate more left wing voters in red states. 

Then too. in those early days of “Biden disasters”, there is the great “elephant in the room” which we can not ignore or navigate around: the foolhardy, precipitous, poorly planned, nationally embarrassing—and deadly—retreat from Afghanistan .  This watershed event laid bare to all who watched with jaw agape, this government’s ignorance, incompetence, and simple stupidity as it unfolded on the tarmac in Afghanistan.  The scenes  shocked the world and revealed the weak, pusillanimous, bumbling nature of the Biden White House (and more dangerously alerted our enemies to Biden’s timidity and weakness).  

Our military,  reputed as the world’s most competent force, was sullied as the government forced it to abandon billions of dollars worth of high tech weaponry to the Taliban, as it ordered our military to desert US citizens, dependents, children, and our Afghan allies on the Kabul tarmac as we flew off in disarray.  As our giant  C17 cargo planes taxied off to safety.  desperate Afghans clung to the plane’s landing gear only to fall to their deaths as the planes rose in the air .  Sadly, this national Biden fiasco also took the lives of 13 brave young US servicemen and women who were killed among many others in a terrorist bomber attack at the unsecured civilian airport.   In a post bombing “face saving” attempt to exact retribution on the terrorists, the Biden team OK’d a poorly conceived retaliatory drone strike,  but instead of enemies, these government incompetents killed a large family group of innocent Afghans.  

The catastrophe of the Biden Kabul retreat stands as a paradigm of the lack of competence and limits of the Biden team’s ideological driven, poorly conceived and  precipitous polices which were replayed over again in all of its acts over this last perilous year.   And more seriously, and  sadly, it set the stage for our alert foreign  enemies to take advantage of these weaknesses…as in the Ukraine, and now perhaps elsewhere. 

In regard to the pandemic is it necessary to rehash the lies, missteps and simple stupidity regarding how these untested. “leaders” in DC politicized and mis-handled the awful Covid pandemic?  I think not. Perhaps it will, suffice to say that with all our high tech, and advanced medical technology, the USA remains as virtually the only “advanced” nation with the worst record of mortality due to Covid.   Furthermore, the near million dead from Covid 19 in the USA the world’s most technologically advanced nation, exceeds almost all of the other Western advanced nations. Even when we evaluate Covid mortality per unit population, the USA ranks very near the “top”  with only Peru and Burundi suffering more dead per unit population.  And for a President who politicized this tragedy and campaigned with a promise to “better protect” the nation from horrors and inroads of the pandemic. The results show that was a hollow promise. It  is sad to report that many more citizens died during the “leadership” of this new President, than under the past one.  

So where are we?  We have a government in the hands of incompetent ideologues…yes the exact opposite of those who we need—-those who are flexible and responsive to change and adapt to circumstances.  As a result are confined in a vicious cycle of repeating failed polices. 

President Biden, though infirm may stumble along for three more years: and we have no choice but to hope he does. Sadly for us, one of Biden’s most irresponsible bad decisions was his choice of VP.   We as a nation may in the next three years be faced with what we may term unhappy choice of the “fry pan or the fire”.  So for the survival of the nation—it’s now past time that our President manfully took charge of a failing administration—and fire those ideologues in his cabinet and inner circle who have so far served him so poorly.   It is time to make a new start.  

Perhaps his salvation (and ours) may be found were he to go back to the early promises he made to the nation..to heal a divided polity, and to be the President and leader of all of America…red states and blue.    

We can hope.