Showing all posts tagged coronavirus

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, March 30, 2020

Author SymphonyPosted on

Blame! Both general theories about where this virus originated fail to do two things: They don’t acquit anyone and they don’t tell us how to treat it. The theories no longer seem to matter since fear has taken over the world.

Initially, we had a theory that the virus passed from wildlife to humans at a kind of so-called exotic meat market in Wuhan, a city in China. Then, a Chinese government official—later seen as a lone wolf not speaking for the pack—blamed the US Army specifically, as opposed to the US Military or CIA as the usual conspiracy theory suspects go. We’ll look at the Army’s place in Chinese politics later.

Upon review, there is a convincing case that the 2019-nCoV had its origin at a military laboratory and got out into the American public last summer before the CDC shut down that laboratory. But, this still doesn’t explain how it would have gotten to Wuhan. And, both China and the US still face scorn for coverups and delayed response.

Then, we have China’s negative PR campaign, two actually. Blaming the US “Army” feeds Chinese kook theory because the Chinese military is called the “Army”. Even China’s Navy is called the “People’s Liberation Army Navy”. It seemed from the outset as intended to tip Chinese cultural sentiment against America, not intending to be based in fact. Now, a few weeks later, the Chinese people fear “foreigners” (Westerners and ‘Black People’). Old Chinese superstition still lingers, that Black People are cursed by the gods or by nature because black is the bad color in their culture.

As anti-foreign sentiment grows in China, the world grows more irritated with China. And, as the WHO digs its heels in on keeping Taiwan out, the world sees China controlling too much of the world through its deep pockets—a concern the international finance community had brought up from an article from Harvard Business Review, How Much Money Does the World Owe China?. When a WHO official hung up on an interview twice, we see that Harvard’s curiosity wasn’t irrelevant.

The world is responding in hatred toward China with such venom, people beat up Asians of any nationality, even those without any connection to China. Yes, the world propped up China for a grand fall into global disfavor. But, China still hasn’t done anything to help itself. One little virus, no matter where it came from, was all it took to push the world over the brink.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, March 30, 2020

Author SymphonyPosted on

The main cause of destruction in America is fear. The disease behind the panic is lack of manufacturing infrastructure.

For decades, America closed its factories, complained about lost jobs, then complained even more about prices being 5 cents too high. This made China rich. And, like the valedictorian-become-CEO who couldn’t found a company to save his lunch, China was given wealth without the character-building experience to appreciate it. The Chinese got a big head, they stayed just as careless and abusive with law and order, things got out of hand, and now they are facing blame for not managing a virus they might not have even caused. That virus returned to its pontificated origin: the US. Unable to balance themselves between the poles of apathy and panic, Americans gave into fear, then fear of the virus—not the virus itself—wreaked havoc.

The virus alone was not enough to destabilize America. We needed two ingredients: a bipolar mindset of only-apathy vs only-panic and the closure of our manufacturing sector. Our lack of factories mixed our lack of mindful awareness reached critical mass with the virus serving as the spark that went boom.

Now, as Federal and State governments jockey for control of emergency supply chains, and the Federal government plays “Trump” cards (pun intended), America is addressing the two-time single cause of the problem. We are getting our factories rebuilt.

But, as Americans fear power grabs from the Federal government, and as the States appear to be the victims, an unintended consequence will erupt for anyone with a globalist agenda. The people will not only demand that factories be rebuilt; they will also demand that more powers be given to the States.

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In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, March 23, 2020

Author SymphonyPosted on

China’s in trouble—deep trouble. America pauses with the same hush of silence that swept the country from the outskirts of Washington to New Orleans in 1812, gathering around the radio in 1941, or staring at the same TV images on repeat in 2001. While America pauses and reflects, China accuses, taunts, and threatens, as if the world wasn’t already angry enough about the jobs lost to a Communist country that promotes leaders for party loyalty rather than governing competence.

There is no PR campaign, no cooperation, no compensation that can buy back decades of ill will. That ill will against China was only fueled by governments and leaders who allowed themselves to be trodden on, quite an evil thing the West did to set China up for such embarrassment. But, the Communist Chinese do themselves no service by fitting the stereotype handed to them.

While China faces Western scorn, Taiwan shines like Venus at twilight. They have the breakout under control almost as much as they have public panic on mute. The Taiwanese premier jokes about everyone having only one butt hole, then encourages everyone to buy, buy, buy—it helps the economy, after all, and there is plenty of supply. While Taiwan clips right along, clamping down as needed, China’s jealousy only simmers and froths. The Communists across the Straight want the results of capitalism and competence, without any of the actions or guiding virtues.

When scorn and jealousy mix and reach a critical boiling point, like fudge, China will start to harden. If these are the days when China invades Taiwan, a roused and ready America won’t be the only thing stopping them. Taiwanese are already well-stocked at home from a virus that China perceivedly  caused. They can stay at home. They have the defenses and pantries to hold out for America, who is alive and well and hungry to kick someone’s butt.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, March 23, 2020

Author SymphonyPosted on

Revival has returned. It’s not in the streets yet and evil hasn’t fled. But, revival has landed and is making its way across the country. Chicago rings church bells five times a day. Everywhere, Americans look up and ask whether God is trying to get our attention.

Duh.

As they were once called in the 80s, the “Kansas City Prophets” always said that God’s judgments are merely intended to help us love more. Pain removes everything that limits our capacity to love and receive love. When crisis hits, we examine our priorities and look deep inside, hoping to have the one thing that matters most. And, we find it in our hearts. Of all the things we gain and lose in the world, the one thing we hope to have when everything else is shaken is our ability to still love. Once we find that we still have that ability, no matter how small, we feel like the richest in the world, having remembered that truly, all that matters is love.

Revival has returned.

The Communist Chinese thought that by refusing to supply America with pharmaceutical ingredients, panic would spread across America. But, they were as wrong as the Grinch who thought he could steal Christmas from Whoville.

As crisis rises, not from a virus as much as our overreaction to it, America is returning in full swing to its core. Maybe we’ll learn to ditch our drama. Maybe we’ll learn a happy medium between our two favorite poles of fear and apathy. Even as we decide, small companies and neighbors are helping each other. We’re seeing America at its best, just as it is during any time of crisis. We return to God, revival returns in return, and, like a giant rousing from its sleep once again, the American machine of love-in-crisis is in full swing.

Revival has returned.

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In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, March 16, 2020

Author SymphonyPosted on

News around the world has blacked out. Everything is about this new virus that should be called the “pneumoniavirus”, also known as Wuhan’s 2019-nCoV, everything—the news, the politics, the economy, the maps, organ harvesting. But, that wasn’t the only Western bad news on China. Canada had a brilliant solution to the Huawei controversy: go public. So far that hasn’t happened. But, Indonesia is buying American F-35s.

As the world goes into panic mode over a glorified common cold, death by economy will be greater than death by disease. People are afraid because people are afraid. Once they freak-out to full-freak capacity, they will look for someone to blame for all their fear. That takes us to China.

China doesn’t like being the villain of the world. The Chinese Communist Party doesn’t like looking bad. Who does? Most of that bad image throughout the world—including among the Chinese people themselves—comes from unedited videos of what the Chinese Communist government is doing to its own citizens. Other than uncut videos, people are irritated by reports of signs of organ harvesting along with appointing Communist Party bosses to new leadership positions also hurts China’s image, both foreign and domestic.

Then, China blames the US Army—not the military, not the Marines, Navy, Air Force, nor Space Force, and not something more sensible like CIA. A Chinese official said that the US Army took the virus to China. A video is going viral in East Asia of Congressman Harley Rouda at a House Oversight Committee hearing questioning CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, “So, we could have people in the United States dying from what appears to be influenza, when in fact it could be the coronavirus or COVOID-19?” to which the director responds, “Some cases have been actually diagnosed that way in the United States to date.” And, this is being used in China, and even among the Taiwanese, to argue that the pneumoniavirus existed in the United States long ago, wasn’t noticed because it was misdiagnosed long ago, but the US Army then took the virus to China. Chinese speakers easily misunderstand because they don’t know how democracy works. They believe this proves the pneumoniavirus originated in the US, even though there haven’t been any epidemics of death-by-pneumonia in the US since the bacterial pneumonia epidemic of 1918.

As things progress, China is being pushed to the point of acting on an ancient psychotic belief that all of China’s problems exist because China doesn’t control Taiwan. If the Chinese PLA military attacks Taiwan, however, they won’t be strong enough to deal with their own dissent at home. If China doesn’t invade Taiwan, it is because the Communist Party has been rendered catatonic, not knowing what to do. Read More

In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, March 16, 2020

Author SymphonyPosted on

There is more likely to be death in America from the shortages caused by hoarding than from what should be called the “pneumoniavirus”. Americans have too often harbored a love for drama. They don’t want to listen when told to wash their hands or wear a mask to the supermarket when they feel sick, but when they actually realize that they can’t ignore a thing, it’s time to turn every home into a survival bunker. There’s little sense for calm and order.

That was the deeper weakness in the societal immune system of America. Love for bad news will be the undoing of many Americans. Once this is over, the toilet paper hoarders will become known to their friends, scorned by their friends, then feel foolish. Theatrics and drama are far from over.

The economy is taking a hit—everyone is taking a hit. People will have to forgive those who overreacted, otherwise they will be the ones who overreact next.

The economic problem in America has roots deeper than the virus, but in society. And, society’s problem is rooted in the spiritual. Like Lincoln during the Civil War, Trump called a day for nation-wide prayer. Anyone who so chooses will come through this better off. Read More