COVID-19: who’s going full doomsday prep on this?

[Nambra]

So is anyone else troubled by the fact that the government ran into the room, threw a bag of money on the floor and then buggers off for 5 months?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-23/coronavirus-economic-stimulus-passes-parliament/12080388

The Federal Parliament has rushed through $84 billion in financial support for workers, students and businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak, before wrapping up for a five-month-long break.
...
Parliament is now not due to sit again until August 11, with the May budget postponed and other parliamentary sitting days cancelled.
Parliament has approved an 'advance' of $40 billion for the finance minister to spend on unforeseen events from July 1 without needing parliamentary approval.
By comparison, the 'advance' for the current financial year was $1.2 billion.
...

What the actual fuck? Five months might as well be a hundred years with the rate that things are developing and it’s a safe bet that more stimulus will be needed before they resume, not to mention bailing out some critical businesses. Do they need to pass special powers to mobilise the army to impose martial law if it comes to it? Have any other country’s governments decided to take a break during this crisis?

I get that travel restrictions preclude sittings of the house, but surely technology can still enable effective functioning of our federal government FFS. The present situation is not unlike going to war, yet these clowns all run for the hills? If there was a time in history where we needed our leaders to stand up and lead, this is it. We’re now supposed to be reliant on our state governments?

 

[hifiandmtb]

Hey @Oddjob - you & Trump have something in common:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...20ea0a-6cfc-11ea-a3ec-70d7479d83f0_story.html

“WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” Trump said in a late-night tweet Sunday. “AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”

Be proud!

Honestly, the U.S. is heading for mass destruction...

 

[Mr Crudley]

What the actual fuck? Five months might as well be a hundred years with the rate that things are developing and it’s a safe bet that more stimulus will be needed before they resume, not to mention bailing out some critical businesses. Do they need to pass special powers to mobilise the army to impose martial law if it comes to it? Have any other country’s governments have decided to take a break during this crisis?

Phwoar, 5 months is pretty impressive, even by slackarse Parliament sitting timetables. I guess it will take some time to go to the country, dig a concrete bunker and fill it full of canned baked beans and toilet paper.

Ironically, probably might not make much difference if there were there steering the ship anyhow,

 

[bear the bear]

I'm still working as our business is construction related. I'm based in a porta-cabin with four others.
The rest of the company is now WFH as of yesterday.
We will see how long this lasts. I'm betting until someone on-site tests positive then the government will pull the pin on construction works as well.

 

[hifiandmtb]

More from that WP article:

But pressure is also mounting on Trump from top business leaders and conservative media alarmed about the impact on the economy. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard warned Sunday the unemployment rate in America could reach 30 percent in the second quarter amid the outbreak. The stock market, a key selling point of Trump’s reelection bid, has been floundering.

Thirty.
Per.
Cent.

All because the U.S. didn't act early enough. They had all the information available to them, and chose to delay.

They will not recover from this.

 

[franco cozzo]

the numbers from WHO this morning are...really frightening
300K infected worldwide.

the first 100,000 cases = took 67 days
100,000 - 200,000 cases = took 11 days
200,000 - 300,000 = took 4 days

...so in a couple days....another 100K? and then the next day after that 100K. fuck....

 

[Oddjob]

Hey @Oddjob - you & Trump have something in common:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...20ea0a-6cfc-11ea-a3ec-70d7479d83f0_story.html



Be proud!

Honestly, the U.S. is heading for mass destruction...

HEY!! You stay the hell away from my hot wife!

In all seriousness, most of my friends are financially ok for the moment but some of them won't be if their restaurants/shops are shut for more than a couple of months.

I'll try not to remind you of this conversation when the financial pain starts to bite for those that you love.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[Jpez]

Mate in the transport industry was told Bunnings distribution will be stopping this week so if you’ve got some DIY in mind might want to get down there.

 

[Ultra Lord]

This pretty much sums up how I feel driving to work. Atleast the apartment I’m off to is going to be happy I’ll get water running for them again.

 

[Nambra]

More from that WP article:


Thirty.
Per.
Cent.

All because the U.S. didn't act early enough. They had all the information available to them, and chose to delay.

They will not recover from this.

I agree. Watching BKXC this morning and it looks like business as usual in the US. It’s not going to end well there.

Had to drop into work briefly last night to sort out a couple of things - went after hours to avoid people - and passed a night works crew on the side of the road, about 8-10 people standing around together less than a metre apart. Tons of deliveroos and Uber eats on bikes, drive-throughs busy.

From what I’ve read, Wuhan locked down when they had less than 600 confirmed cases and lockdown meant not leaving the house. One person was allowed out every three days to resupply, but that’s all. And they still had over 3200 dead. NZ had about 110 cases when Jacinda went full lock down... we’re over 1700 cases now, the US over 42,000.

 

[Nambra]

Hey @Oddjob - you & Trump have something in common:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...20ea0a-6cfc-11ea-a3ec-70d7479d83f0_story.html



Be proud!

Honestly, the U.S. is heading for mass destruction...

from that article, wow:

“You have a classic case of the public health people saying, ‘We have to keep everyone sequestered for as long as this takes without any regard to the economic cost.’ The economics team is saying, ‘If this lasts seven to 10 weeks, there won’t be much of an economy to save. From my sources, the view in the White House is shifting toward getting the economy reopened,” Moore said. “There has been a pivot.”

Moore added: “I’m not in any way disparaging the public health people. They are vital to this process. But you can’t have a policy that says we’re going to save every human life at any cost, no matter how many trillions of dollars you’re talking about.”

money > lives

 

[hifiandmtb]

HEY!! You stay the hell away from my hot wife!

In all seriousness, most of my friends are financially ok for the moment but some of them won't be if their restaurants/shops are shut for more than a couple of months.

I'll try not to remind you of this conversation when the financial pain starts to bite for those that you love.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

Already here, bucko. I will never waver from agreeing with the response so far.

You can get hot & heavy with the one term president...

 

[rangersac]

So is anyone else troubled by the fact that the government ran into the room, threw a bag of money on the floor and then buggers off for 5 months?

Yes. I. Am.

I posted this way back when but at the moment my opinion is we have two options.

1. Go business and usual and let biology do it's worst a la 'Murica
2. Go for a full shutdown China style and contain it as fast as possible.

Scotty from marketing has to grow a pair here. A quasi shutdown like we have now will just extend the pain for six + months in my opinion. The China experience suggests if we go full lockdown then we're looking at three months to get back to some sense of normality. I am optimistic that it would be faster than that because we have a much lower population and living density. Now sure we would still have to isolate internationally until it burns out worldwide or a vaccine comes along, but at least the domestic economy would be able to start up again. But this only works if we take a national approach to it which means the feds pulling their finger out and taking some hard calls rather than just being a checkbook and a pile of PR hot air.

This is easy for me to say because my job is safe for at least the next six months, but ultimately I think it's a better outcome for workers as well. Casuals get roasted either way, but at least it's for a shorter period with a shorter shutdown. For any workers with benefits, the possibility of stretching out sick/ carers/ annual/ long service leave on half pay at least looks semi viable for three months, rather than an impossibility for six.

 

[SummitFever]

...I'll try not to remind you of this conversation when the financial pain starts to bite for those that you love...

Saving the most lives = best economic result. They are both outcomes of an act early approach. They are not mutually exclusive. If you could shut everything down hard for one month the pandemic would be over. If you pander to a "soft" shutdown because of "economics" then you most likely have 6+months of hardship awaiting you.

‘If this lasts seven to 10 weeks, there won’t be much of an economy to save." - that might be correct, but if your policies result in it lasting much longer then what? This is just some wishful thinking flying hard into the brick wall of reality. You can't restart an economy when the bodies are piling up in the street.

 

[Jpez]

Ok serious question because I really don’t know. With all of us being asked to stay home unless necessary is it socially irresponsible and a chunt act to throw the bike in the car and go out to some quiet tame single track and ride alone?

 

[hifiandmtb]

Ok serious question because I really don’t know. With all of us being asked to stay home unless necessary is it socially irresponsible and a chunt act to throw the bike in the car and go out to some quiet tame single track and ride alone?

Just don't hurt yourself.

 

[Halo1]

Ok serious question because I really don’t know. With all of us being asked to stay home unless necessary is it socially irresponsible and a chunt act to throw the bike in the car and go out to some quiet tame single track and ride alone?

I think it’s fine. I went riding yesterday and will ride again today. I will also do a bit of track work as playing i the dirt provides good germs for the body.
It is also important for everyones mental health to get out and exercise where they can with out interacting with people too closely.
I would stay away from populated trail heads car parks and the like.
Lucky for me my local has no trail head as it is all illegal.

 

[hifiandmtb]

The UK just joined NZ:

UK coronavirus: Boris Johnson announces strict lockdown across country

WHO warns global spread of virus is accelerating – as it happened

Zimbabwe records first death; Germany sees first sign exponential infection growth levelling off; This blog is now closed.

www.theguardian.com

“You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say No. You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home. You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine – and you should do this as little as you can,” he said.

 

[Jpez]

Just don't hurt yourself.

Foremost on my mind which is why my intention is to find some tame trails.

I think it’s fine. I went riding yesterday and will ride again today. I will also do a bit of track work as playing i the dirt provides good germs for the body.
It is also important for everyones mental health to get out and exercise where they can with out interacting with people too closely.
I would stay away from populated trail heads car parks and the like.
Lucky for me my local has no trail head as it is all illegal.

Pretty much my thoughts too.

 

[Cardy George]

Just don't hurt yourself.

What he said. I'm fortunate that I have 100% free access to the outside border of my property. I've channeled my inner @silentbutdeadly, designed the track, just have to clear the prickles.

I had to hard line Mrs George this morning. She wants to buy a heap of non-essential stuff to keep the kids entertained before the shops are shut. Had to point out to her I can't guarantee I'm going to have an income for much longer. She's the anxious type. Tears did flow