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Saturday 1st August 2020
Hi Friend,
Not (2nd) Waving Just Drowning ...
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| All Bets Are Off ...
Just when you thought it was safe to go bowling, the Prime Minister has made it clear, all bets are off. The people of Manchester and elsewhere, cannot meet with with others, at home, in the pub or in restaurants. No skating, no trips to the casinos, no facials. The army is on standby to enforce law and order. The music will be turned off at illegal raves in Manc. The flashing lights are going out at Daisy Nook. We may not see them lit, in our lifetime again, or at least before Christmas.
Matt Hancock made it clear this morning, the real problem is not the result of people going to pubs or restaurants or illegal raves for that matter. The problem is that of families visiting each other's houses. Contact tracing has shown, the vast majority of infected people, have mainly been seeing friends and extended family, living nearby. Close, close relatives in extended kinship groupings, the obvious target.
The restrictions were announced, just three hours before the start of Eid al-Adha, the "Festival of the Sacrifice". The Prime Minister was accused of discriminating against Muslims. The Grinch who stole Eid, the claim. The pub ban additionally offensive. The government response "we also screwed up Easter and may cancel Christmas as well" suggests plans are in hand to mess up with Yom Kippur, in the name of impartiality.
The second wave is coming from Europe, "we must be prepared" the warning from Johnson. The latest slogan is "hands, face and space". Be alert for more government warnings. "Hands, Knees and Bumpsadaisy" a more catchy slogan. "We apologize for bumping into you, in the name of social distancing" a more simple SOCO, the single over-riding communications objective.
So what of strategy, the underlying challenge, "the return to normality"? This is confusing setback. The Prime Minister has slammed the brakes on the easing of lock down. The risk is, he may have also hit the brakes, on the speed of the recovery ... there will be more pressure to extend the furlough scheme until the end of the year ... over one million jobs are at risk ...
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| Unleash The Dogs Of War ...
Peace returned to Portland this week. The Fed troops withdrew, the protestors dispersed. The President's law and order play, polled badly. A rethink was required in the White House.
Trump is trailing by ten points in the polls. Biden is ahead in Arizona, Florida and Michigan. Key states for the President are at risk. The solution from the Rose Garden ... to postpone the election.
Tweeting on Thursday, Trump attacked the idea of Mail-In voting and suggested the election should be delayed ...
"2020 will be the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the election until people can properly, securely and safely vote". (for me)
The idea of postponing was immediately slammed by Democrats and Republicans alike. Congress alone can determine the date of the election. Trump reverted to suggestions, he may not accept the result in November, should he lose anyway!
Mike Pompeo continued his assault on China, in the latest "Wag the Dog" strategy. The consulates have now closed in Houston and Chengdu. The pressure is increasing on Huawei, The President is threatening to ban TikTok. A sale to Microsoft may follow, to save those essential video clips, for young American.
China is the enemy of the nation, Beijing, a clear and present danger. The President blames China for Covid now but in January and February he had praised Xi's response to the pandemic. Pompeo attacks China's civil rights record in Xinjiang but John Bolton has written that on two separate occasions, Trump told Xi, he should go ahead with building the Uighur camps as the "right thing to do".
Pompeo may seek to wade in on Hong Kong, but in June last year, Trump spoke with President Xi by phone, and told him he would not condemn a crackdown in Hong Kong. Trump told the press, "Hong Kong is part of China, they will have to deal with that themselves, they don't need advice".
This month Pompeo was in London to solicit support for American foreign policy but which one? Trump announced troop withdrawals from Germany and threatened to pull troops out of South Korea and Japan unless the host nations paid up.
This month China issued a warning to the UK. Stay out of Hong Kong and the South China Sea. Trade deals will be at risk if Johnson becomes a mere "Puppet of Pompeo". One Aircraft floating in a far off sea, is not a return to the glory days of Palmerston and "Civis Brittanicus Sum" ...
That's all for this week! Have a great, safe, week-end, eat out, help out, remember, hands, face and space ...
John |
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