Covid19 - Warning sign - Pfizer CEO NOT vaccinated!

 Why is he not vaccinated? Afraid of his own vaccine? Did not trust his own vaccine? And why are you vaccinated? You are not afraid of his vaccine?

Would you get vaccinated if this Pfizer CEO ask you to be vaccinated?

This man caused many people to suffer anxiety by selling his controversial vaccines that he himself would not want to be jabbed into his own body.

Be warned.

Covid19 - Israel is the worse hit country in the world, despite highest in vaccination with mRNA vaccines!

 Israel was the first country on Earth to fully vaccinate a majority of its citizens against COVID-19. Now it has one of the world's highest daily infection rates — an average of nearly 7,500 confirmed cases a day, double what it was two weeks ago. Nearly one in every 150 people in Israel today has the virus. www.npr.org

Israel was the role model of the western world, the pride of the western world, with the highest vaccination rate to brag about.  But now Israel is crumbling because of Delta variant breakthrough. 1m infected cases in a population of 8.8m or every 9 person 1 is infected. (The 1 in 150 people remark in npr.org is poor maths) This is about the highest in the world, but no one wants to blow up this story because it would kill their vaccine success story.  

When China had 20 cases and then 40 cases it was blown out of proportion by saying infection cases surged by 100%! Some silly unthinking country even increased tightening measures against Chinese visitors without understanding what is 40 cases in a semi continent size country with 1.4b people meant.

And instead of admitting that the mRNA vaccines are ineffective, their excuse is to vaccinate more. 60% not vaccinated not effective, so 80% would be effective. Is that so? If the vaccines are ineffective, even 100% vaccinated would not make any difference.

But the stupidity has no cure would still be calling for more people to be vaccinated, knowing very well the vaccines are as good as useless against Delta variants.

Afghanistan - Little monkeys left in a lurch by the Americans

 

“Joe Biden: UK and allies had choice to remain in Afghanistan.

US president hits back at criticism as parents pass their children to soldiers at Kabul airport amid worsening chaos.

Joe Biden has hit back at the UK and Nato allies, claiming they “had a choice” to stay in Afghanistan and could have done so despite the United States pulling out of the country.

The US president has faced a torrent of criticism from ministers and MPs over the botched withdrawal, which has left US and British officials scrambling to get their citizens out of the country after the Taliban seized power.

His suggestion appeared to contradict the British position that it could not carry on the mission without America. Boris Johnson told Parliament on Wednesday that the West could not continue in Afghanistan without US support and air power. CNA

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan was done without consultation with its allies and the latter were left in a lurch. When the US invaded Afghanistan, presumably it must have invited the European allies to go along, a coalition of the willing. The European allies were eager beaver, given a chance to beat up Muslim tribesmen in the mountains of Afghanistan with very little chances of being hit back. And with the colossal military might of the American Empire, they were there for a party, a sort of hunting mission to practice and hone their skills in killing tribesmen.

It must come as a rude surprise that the Americans unilaterally decided to runaway without consulting them and have a coordinated plan to retreat from Afghanistan.  And with the big gangsters out of the way, the little monkeys would become easy targets for the Taliban. They would not stand a chance without the big military umbrella of the Americans.

Now they started to panic. And it is no consolation for Biden to say the allied troops have a choice to stay on. What a thoughtless and disgusting reply by Biden. These little white monkeys would be eaten up by the Taliban for breakfast if left on their own.  They were there hanging on the coat tails of the Americans and to say they could stay on, it is their choice, is very rude and harsh.

Biden forgot that the little monkeys were persuaded to go along in this killing mission, under the coercion of the Americans, you are with us or against us. Now the Americans are saying, you die your business, we are getting out and you do what you want, to stay or to live.

What a great friend the Americans are.  Luckily no silly Asean country is caught in this stupid mess and could not get out in time, and in harm's way. Without the American military might, the rest of the allies are just little monkeys joining the fray, having a little fun. Left on their own, they will surely die...in the hands of the Taliban and tribesmen.

One More Stupidity Has No Cure Incident?

 

Sensitive clinical information and confidential personal data and of at least 73,466 patients were stolen in a cyberattack on a branch clinic of the Eye & Retina Surgeons.

The illegal ransomware cyberattack was carried out by a sophisticated unknown party on 6 Aug 2021.

Investigation is being carried out to determine the root causes of the leakage.

The eye specialist stated in a press release today (25 August) that the affected data include patients' names, addresses, identity card numbers, contact details and and sensitive clinical information. No credit card or bank account information was accessed or compromised.

How so?

It affected servers and several computer terminals at the clinic's branch in Camden Medical centre in the Orchard Road area.

The IT system at the clinic's branch in Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre was not affected.

"To optimise data security, (Eye & Retina Surgeons) maintains segregated networks and active medical records are maintained separately on a cloud-based system and thus were not accessed or compromised," the clinic added.

None of the practice's clinical operations were affected, and its IT systems have been securely restored, it said.

The clinic stated that there has been no known release of sensitive data into the public domain to date, and that it will continue to monitor the situation closely.

"Patients are now being progressively informed of this cyber-incident," it added

The incident has been reported to the Police, the Personal Data Protection Commission and the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCert).

Eye & Retina Surgeons said that its IT team has been working closely with the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore and the Ministry of Health to investigate the root causes of the incident.

"All necessary measures to prevent a recurrence of this breach will be taken," said the clinic, adding that it was working with cybersecurity experts and authorities to identify any potential areas in its IT systems that can be further secured.

"(Eye & Retina Surgeons) regrets this breach and wishes to assure its patients that it takes patient confidentiality very seriously," the clinic said.

But actually not serious enough. Otherwise, such intrusion into its IT system would not have happened in the first place. After their data and information have been leaked, it is no use to talk about seriousness in safeguarding patients' confidentiality. It only rubs more salts into their wounds.

Why take 20 days to report the matter to the public?

After 20 days, still the root cause of the leakage has yet to be discovered? Why take so long? Are you really serious in finding out the root cause in order to prevent further attacks of such nature?

If the cyberattacks are considered as sophisticated, that means the clinic's IT System and IT staff are not sophisticated. Therefore, they need to be replaced with a better IT system and better IT manager.

Stupidity has no cure?

Covid-19 Alert: Fully Vaccinated People Can Become Super Spreaders!

The cluster at the dormitory located in Woodlands announced on Monday by the Ministry of Health (MOH) is today confirmed to have 86 migrants infected.

Testing operations there have been completed and all the results have come back. But MOH did not mention what the results were. Only about 5,300 residents at the dormitory had been swabbed.

All residents will be tested frequently over the next few weeks, MOH added.

MOH has not mentioned whether other dormitories will be tested too. It seems to be the standard wait-and-see reactive modus operandi as habitually as the past.

All the 86 Covid-19 infected diseased foreigners are fully vaccinated, except one who is partially vaccinated.

All of them either display no symptoms or very mild symptoms. This is the most dangerous of all. They have gone to work in the housing estates, thinking that they were well. Many of them are very careless about wearing their masks properly and they mingled with the public when they go to the shops or malls.

This incident, and more to come, is a clear proof that FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE CAN GET INFECTED AND THEY CAN BECOME SUPER SPREADERS!

Covid19 - Stupidity has no cure and their stupidity has no cure solutions

  In the beginning, the story goes, vaccines will be the magic solution to stop this pandemic by preventing infection. With the Delta variant spreading like wild fire all over USA and UK and many countries, it is confirmed and proven that the vaccines do not and cannot prevent infection. The only thing the vaccines can do now is to reduce the seriousness of the infection, like preventing death. Oh, fearmongering that oldies died because they were not vaccinated is irresponsible. This is telling half truths. Many of them, as reported, had many prevailing medical conditions and illnesses that would likely make then unfit to be vaccinated even if they wanted to.

I repeat this again to the stupidity has no cure members, the vaccines cannot prevent infections. Period.

So, whether one is vaccinated or not vaccinated, both are equally open to infection. The vaccinated are not less liable to get infected than the unvaccinated. Today's report of 62 cases in a Woodlands dorm, all fully vaccinated, is a God's message to the imbeciles that fully vaccinated are as likely to be infected.

Then what is this nonsense that the unvaccinated must conduct regularly antigen test if they are to work in the office while the vaccinated need not to? What is the logic? It only makes sense if the vaccinated is less likely to be infected because the vaccines will protect them. But it is not the case now.

So why discriminate against the unvaccinated in place of work, in dining, in participation in mass activities when both are equally vulnerable to infection. The vaccinated less likely to be infected than the vaccinated? How much less?

Worse, the vaccinated are more likely to spread the virus as they are more likely to become asymptomatic virus carriers without knowing it. Logically, it is more necessary to test the vaccinated than the unvaccinated.

Why must the unvaccinated be forced to pay for antigen tests when the vaccinated are just as likely to be infected?

But we would have to live with the stupidity has no cure recommendations and solutions.

Be frighten, be very frighten, with the logic and reasoning of the stupidity has no cure. Do not underestimate the power of the stupid.

The most dangerous assumption, and thing to do now is to let the fully vaccinated walk around as if they are free from the virus, like with a licence to kill. No need for antigen test, and the unvaccinated being exposed to them to be infected by them.

Singapore draws line between 'being useful' and 'being made use of'

 As a quasi-ally of the US, Singapore's stance toward the US and China is telling. Singapore's Channel News Asia released on Sunday an interview with Vivian Balakrishnan, the country's foreign minister who said Singapore will "be useful but we will not be made use of" in its relations with both China and the US. He also said Singapore will not become "one or the other's stalking horse to advance negative agendas." Singapore is one of the countries within ASEAN that highly depend on the US for security. 

During the Obama era, it played quite an active role in coordinating the US' South China Sea agenda by endorsing the South China Sea arbitration pushed forward by then Philippine president Benigno Aquino III in 2016. But in recent years, Singapore has tried hard to maintain a delicate balance between China and the US. Small countries like Singapore have their own role in the region and on the world stage. They don't want to be used as a "stalking horse" by certain powers but they want to be useful in regional and international affairs. 

China has attached great importance to ASEAN's role in boosting regional integration, and that's where Singapore can find itself "useful." It also wants to play a mediating role in China-US relations, as Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently called on the two countries to de-escalate tensions. That probably constitutes what Balakrishnan meant by "being useful." It is worth noting that Balakrishnan's view was made public during US Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to the country, which will be followed by another one to Vietnam. 

The first target of Balakrishnan's words is the US, as it is the US that views its allies and partners as something that can be "used" for its agenda. "Singapore is clear that the US hopes Southeast Asian countries could be confined by the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy whose ultimate aim is to contain China's rise. This is what Balakrishnan's 'be made use of' meant. So he said Singapore will draw a line between 'being useful' and 'being made use of.' Even when a senior US official comes, Singapore will not change its stance," an observer noted. 

The US has ratcheted up efforts to win over Southeast Asian countries, manifested by Harris' visit to Singapore and Vietnam and other senior US officials' tours to the region in the past two months. Yet it will only enable Southeast Asian countries to see that the US is taking advantage of the situation and only focusing on its own interests. Washington does not view them as real partners, but as tools it can exploit to serve its strategies. 

The US debacle in Afghanistan is the very example that when the US finds it not cost-effective, it will only abandon its allies or partners without hesitation. During Monday's press conference, Harris reportedly sidestepped a Singaporean journalist's question on US commitment to allies in the wake of the Afghanistan crisis, and reiterated talking points about partnership in Southeast Asia. Nonetheless, her talking points sound feeble. And when Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said his country valued the US renewing its ties with the city-state and other allies, his attitude appeared lukewarm. 

 With the US' sincerity toward Southeast Asia being called into question and regional countries pursuing an independent and balanced course, they will not become the "stalking horse" as the US has expected, but will carefully calibrate their interests to avoid falling into the US geopolitical trap.

Anonymous

Taliban learning the language of peace

 

After chasing out the terrorists that have occupied their country for the last 20 years and killing thousands of their people, the New Taliban is looking to China to rebuild their country destroyed by the evil Empire. And the first thing they are going to learn is Chinese.

IF....only IF, India would be the biggest economy in the world - Mahbubani

 “Today, the average per capita income of the Indian residing in the US is US$55,298. If Indians in India can achieve the same per capita income, the total GNP of India would be around US$71 trillion, making it the largest economy in the world, larger than the US at US$21 trillion, or China at US$15 trillion,” he explained.

  

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“If this figure is unimaginable, let’s imagine that the average Indian in India is half as smart as the average Indian in the US. Then India would still have a GNP of US$35 trillion, still larger than that of the US at US$21 trillion and China at US$15 trillion.”

That is, Mahbubani took the average per capita income (US$55,298) of Indians residing in the US and multiply that by the population of India to arrive at the potential total GNP of India of about US$71 trillion. But India’s GNP today is only US$2.6 trillion.

Mahbubani, of course, is also assuming that while India’s GNP improves, US and China’s economies are standing still.

 

The above is from an article by Kishore Mahbubani posted in TOC on why he believed India could have a bigger economy than China. And he used statistics to prove it. I know many arts students are very bright, but when maths is concerned, when they try to use statistics, the brightness gets a bit dimmer.

His whole hypothesis is based on not only one 'if'  but many 'ifs' and also on the choice of data that he used that is anything but realistic. If his statistics is even half as good as he wants the readers to believe, then the readers can also believe that elephants can fly.

The Indians in the USA are about the brightest of the Indians you can find. The top 1 or 3% of any population cannot be equated to the average 50% of the population, ceteris paribus, just like the wealth of  top 1 to 3% richest men cannot be equated to the average wealth of the 50 percentile average men. It is not going to be a simple linear correlation.  It is definitely not half, not even a quarter. The average Indians are not half as bright at the average Indian Americans.

Also, the average income of the Americans, American Indians, is in US$. The average income of Indians in India is in rupees. Then again, Kishore did not give a time frame but it is possible that one day, dunno when is this one day, the average income of an India Indian could be that of an average Indian American today. And when that day comes, dunno what would be the average income of an American Indian or the average income of a Chinese would be. There are many moving variables and many, many ifs. The American and Chinese economies are not going to stand still for the Indian economy to catch up, though that is also a possibility.

Good try Kishore. It is a feel good opinion piece and many Indians would be very happy to hear what Kishore had to say.

Afghanistan War Is Over, What Next?

To what extent the Afghan Taliban will honor its promises to govern inclusively and to respect women's rights is the main criteria that the international community will use to decide whether to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate long-term government of Afghanistan or not.

There is no denying that the Taliban has so far told the world that it has changed, compared to 20 years ago - such as claiming that they respect women's rights and that girls can receive education. However, those claims are only rhetorical unless put into practice over a long and sustainable period of time. Only time will tell and show the truthfulness of their words.

Of course, it will be unwise to expect the Taliban to reform its 2000 years old religious ideology over night. If anything, the philosophy of the Taliban's top leadership will likely be the same as the existing Islamic countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and UAE.

Therefore, foreign countries had better advise their nationals in Afghanistan to abide strictly by the Islamic culture, norms and habits and be sensitive to what clothing they should wear and the food they eat in the public places of Afghanistan. Not from intimidation or undue fear but for the purpose mutual respect and peaceful existence.

It is unrealistic to expect the Taliban to suddenly, like magic, become modernized and secularised like the first World countries immediately. Individuals' rights and liberty can only improve after the overall country's economic development is realized and sustained. Only after that can modernization and secularism gradually follow suits. This is the natural progression of a long-lasting peaceful development of human endeavors. It requires cooperation from every quarter, sect and faction.

To the Afghans, who else could stop foreign interventions and foreign-initiated wars and certain economic ruins, and return stability and peace to the country if not for the Taliban nationalistic forces? The other splinter groups of warlords have been divisive and disunited all these years, mainly because of their own selfish interests, which is the main reason why the US-propped-up Afghan government's army collapsed so easily in just ten days, without putting up much effective resistance against the Taliban forces' onslaught.

From now on, while the Afghans begin the process of repairing and rebuilding their country and livelihoods, Western or Eastern powers should not interfere, instigate or intervene. Only the Afghan people have the right to decide what to do in their own country. Others, if they are really kind to wish the Afghan people well, can help by foster trade, investment and economic and infrastructure developments. Otherwise, keep your devious, mean and nasty hands off the Afghan people, no matter which group they belong. What is most dreadful and unnecessary is to start a civil war or an internal strife which the CIA is well-known for.

The international community can set conditions with the Taliban to make sure it brings no harm to its neighbors and fulfills its promise to cut off ties with terrorist groups.

The Afghan people should be allowed to restart economic and trade activities without sabotage or subversion from any mischievous or vengeful propagater.

With the re-establishment of economic and trade activities, the Afghan people could at least begin to develop their country and establish stability internally and with its surrounding neighbours, and therefore internationally.

Let's watch how the various players show their hands openly and surreptitiously.


LIPS At Your Service.