Current Affairs

[Mervyn and Trish]

So why is a country, let's call it Italy, that does not want to use the AZ vaccine complain that it is no getting its fair share so prevents some being exported to another country, that for this purpose we will call Australia?

I think it's because they're part of an incompetent wasteful bureaucracy. Let's call it the EU.

And yet a different incompetent wasteful bureaucracy that has been throwing money around all the party faithful, friends and family in various contracts that have failed to be fulfilled is also paying up to 50% more per vaccine than the EU. Let's call it the UK.

But at least it's one we can get rid of at the next election if we're not satisfied with their performance.

And at least we have the vaccine. A bargain price is not a bargain if it's not delivered.

I know where I'd rather be at the moment.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I know you are perfectly aware Ken that stock market performance has no real connection to the economic performance of a country.the former is purely driven by market sentiment, the latter by the GDP.

Your are right Towny. Ken is confusing stock prices with GDP.

According to the IMF figures for 2020

" All the European and North American economies will fail to expand. Twelve economies will grow between 1-2% and ten economies between 0-1%.

Out of 193 economies, 167 economies will see a negative growth rate in 2020. These 167 economies account for almost 79% of the world economy, with an aggregate total of $66 trillion. Libya has the lowest growth, with a 66.65% contraction as four economies will see a contraction below 25% or more, including Macao SAR, Lebanon, and Venezuela.

China is the only trillion-dollar economy with a positive gdp growth rate, followed by Indonesia with the 2nd best figure of -1.50%. Spain, Italy, and India will see a double-digit contraction in their trillion-dollar economy."

Full article here

https://statisticstimes.com/economy/cou ... growth.php

Okay that is a projection made in November for the year end, so the detail may have shifted.

It is, however, a million miles away from "our economy did not recover last year whereas rest of the world already has"

[david63]

also paying up to 50% more per vaccine than the EU

Where is the source of that assertion?

And if it is true then I am more than happy with the situation if it meant that we got our vaccine first and avoided the debacle that is ensuing in the EU.

To the best of my knowledge the only country that has declared that they paid "over the odds" for Covid vaccine is Israel

[oldbluefox]

also paying up to 50% more per vaccine than the EU

Where is the source of that assertion?

I think it's a retail term where you go into a shop giving up to 50% off to find there is just one item offering a measly few pounds off. It's a good one though as it covers everything between 1% and 50% and nobody can argue.

[barney]

Any opportunity to knock the U.K. and big up the EU.
It’s quite tiresome.

[Stephen]

Came across this. Only watched the first few minutes.

I thought it was a comedy sketch by Paul Whitehouse for a minute


https://unherd.com/2021/03/lord-sumptio ... has-begun/

https://youtu.be/5lXAA7ZOROc

[Kendhni]

also paying up to 50% more per vaccine than the EU

Where is the source of that assertion?

And if it is true then I am more than happy with the situation if it meant that we got our vaccine first and avoided the debacle that is ensuing in the EU.

To the best of my knowledge the only country that has declared that they paid "over the odds" for Covid vaccine is Israel

BMJ 2021;372:n281

[Kendhni]

I know you are perfectly aware Ken that stock market performance has no real connection to the economic performance of a country.the former is purely driven by market sentiment, the latter by the GDP.

Your are right Towny. Ken is confusing stock prices with GDP.

Nope that is not the answer, the answer is I typed the word 'economy' by mistake - I meant to type 'market'. But the point still holds.

[oldbluefox]

Came across this. Only watched the first few minutes.

I thought it was a comedy sketch by Paul Whitehouse for a minute


https://unherd.com/2021/03/lord-sumptio ... has-begun/

https://youtu.be/5lXAA7ZOROc

Frightening that some people believe this character. I managed a few minutes and switched off.

[Stephen]

I had another look and watched about 17 minutes worth. It does make you wonder what planet he's on.

[Kendhni]

Came across this. Only watched the first few minutes.

I thought it was a comedy sketch by Paul Whitehouse for a minute


https://unherd.com/2021/03/lord-sumptio ... has-begun/

https://youtu.be/5lXAA7ZOROc

Whether or not you agree or disagree with him, the point he is making is being realised in different forms
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/over50s-booki ... 36558.html

I read a paper about 15 years ago that suggested that there would be a serious upheaval and revolution by the young people. At the time it had nothing to do with COVID, but was more along the line that there is no way they could continue to pay the pension bill of their parents and the huge amount of borrowing they had created while trying to save for their own futures. The article suspected that come the mid 2020's there would be some sort of (peaceful) uprising with the next generation refusing to continue paying for the older generation, forcing the older generation to release the 80% of money that they hold back into the economy.

I make no comment other than it was an interesting read and take on society along with the hoarding and distribution of wealth.

[towny44]

I know you are perfectly aware Ken that stock market performance has no real connection to the economic performance of a country.the former is purely driven by market sentiment, the latter by the GDP.

Your are right Towny. Ken is confusing stock prices with GDP.

Nope that is not the answer, the answer is I typed the word 'economy' by mistake - I meant to type 'market'. But the point still holds.

Ken, you're blown,

[oldbluefox]

also paying up to 50% more per vaccine than the EU

Where is the source of that assertion?

And if it is true then I am more than happy with the situation if it meant that we got our vaccine first and avoided the debacle that is ensuing in the EU.

To the best of my knowledge the only country that has declared that they paid "over the odds" for Covid vaccine is Israel

BMJ 2021;372:n281

You are correct in your "up to 50%" assertion (couldn't fail on that count) but from the link you provided it's a mixed bag. The EU pay $2.15 for their Astrazenica whereas we are paying $3-$4 but then they are paying $4.25 for each dose of Johnson & Johnson which we don't seem to have bought into. It's swings and roundabouts but not really the picture you were trying to portray.

In any case it's no use getting a bargain if you're not putting it into people's arms.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Your are right Towny. Ken is confusing stock prices with GDP.

Nope that is not the answer, the answer is I typed the word 'economy' by mistake - I meant to type 'market'. But the point still holds.

Ken, you're blown, everyone knows now that you talk a load of bull.

And as anyone educated in economics knows many of the companies that trade on the UK market operate in Dollars so that if the UK is in bad shape and the value of the Pound goes down the FTSE indices go up. So market up does not mean economy sound, nor vice versa.

[Kendhni]

Your are right Towny. Ken is confusing stock prices with GDP.

Nope that is not the answer, the answer is I typed the word 'economy' by mistake - I meant to type 'market'. But the point still holds.

Ken, you're blown, everyone knows now that you talk a load of bull.

The good old ad hominem - the argument of an ignoramous with nothing worth saying

[Kendhni]

Where is the source of that assertion?

And if it is true then I am more than happy with the situation if it meant that we got our vaccine first and avoided the debacle that is ensuing in the EU.

To the best of my knowledge the only country that has declared that they paid "over the odds" for Covid vaccine is Israel

BMJ 2021;372:n281

You are correct in your "up to 50%" assertion (couldn't fail on that count) but from the link you provided it's a mixed bag. The EU pay $2.15 for their Astrazenica whereas we are paying $3-$4 but then they are paying $4.25 for each dose of Johnson & Johnson which we don't seem to have bought into. It's swings and roundabouts but not really the picture you were trying to portray.

In any case it's no use getting a bargain if you're not putting it into people's arms.

So you agree that what I stated was correct.
What makes you think the EU is not getting jabs into peoples arms?

[Kendhni]

Nope that is not the answer, the answer is I typed the word 'economy' by mistake - I meant to type 'market'. But the point still holds.

Ken, you're blown, everyone knows now that you talk a load of bull.

And as anyone educated in economics knows many of the companies that trade on the UK market operate in Dollars so that if the UK is in bad shape and the value of the Pound goes down the FTSE indices go up. So market up does not mean economy sound, nor vice versa.

I think you totally missed the point I was making - I, didn't expect some others to get it it, even after the correction, but I thought you might

[Kendhni]

Johnson & Johnson which we don't seem to have bought into.

Meant to say, yes we have. If memory serves me right, about 30million doses of the J&J vaccine

[oldbluefox]

What makes you think the EU is not getting jabs into peoples arms?

This link illustrates the point (up to 75% more than most EU countries )

https://www.statista.com/statistics/119 ... y-country/

[towny44]

Nope that is not the answer, the answer is I typed the word 'economy' by mistake - I meant to type 'market'. But the point still holds.

Ken, you're blown, everyone knows now that you talk a load of bull.

The good old ad hominem - the argument of an ignoramous with nothing worth saying

Thanks Ken to be called an ignoramus by you, a self opinionated remainer is indeed a true accolade.

[barney]

Ken, you're blown, everyone knows now that you talk a load of bull.

The good old ad hominem - the argument of an ignoramous with nothing worth saying

Thanks Ken to be called an ignoramus by you, a self opinionated remainer is indeed a true accolade.

Like most remainers, they resort to name calling when the argument is lost.
We’ve heard it for years.
It’s quite sad really, isn’t it ?
Imagine how it feels to be wrong on pretty much every subject

[Onelife]

The good old ad hominem - the argument of an ignoramous with nothing worth saying

Thanks Ken to be called an ignoramus by you, a self opinionated remainer is indeed a true accolade.

Like most remainers, they resort to name calling when the argument is lost.
We’ve heard it for years.
It’s quite sad really, isn’t it ?
Imagine how it feels to be wrong on pretty much every subject

I know the feeling Barney...but don't tell anyone I've said that

[Kendhni]

Oh the irony - probably well beyond the low intellect of a brexiteer though.

[Kendhni]

What makes you think the EU is not getting jabs into peoples arms?

This link illustrates the point (up to 75% more than most EU countries )

https://www.statista.com/statistics/119 ... y-country/

Not sure how that proves your point since it doesn't say where they are putting them.
Your claim was the EU was "not putting it into people's arms.!"


Now THAT was sarcasm.

[oldbluefox]

They're not!!! Considering the slow vaccination rate in the EU countries the vaccines are no use in the bottles are they?