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There are many things in this universe I don’t know much about, but the stock market is near the top of the list of those things. Nonetheless, that’s the news of the day, so that’s the topic of this blog.
I’ve heard a few theories. Some say it’s because of the Corona Virus. I don’t really get that. So far it’s been great for Big Toilet Paper and the makers of bacterial soap. Supermarkets have been doing a roaring business and I’m sure it will be good for the pharmaceutical companies in the long run. Of course, if everybody in the world gets quarantined, there might be some economic disruption, but it’s more like an economic time-out, really. People will stay at home and shop on-line more and get their food delivered. The economy is not going to totally collapse.
Others say it’s because the Saudis are being greedy again, and want more money for their oil. That could be part of it. Darn good argument for solar and wind power, as I see it.
I did read one article of a more serious nature that tried to explain it in actual financial terms. The gist was that this is rich people profit taking, sticking it to the 401k folks and waiting for the market to tank to buy back their own stocks, thus making lots of money and consolidating their power all at the same time.
I’ve got another theory. If Bernie Sanders gets the nomination, he will get the presidency, which will mean some disruptions in the market. Private prisons, for profit health corporations (btw, Biden’s brother is involved with one of those, currently under investigation), and even fossil fuel companies will be hard hit when Bernie takes office. It makes sense that some people would be trying to divest of those stocks now.
Which is good. No reason the average investor should get stuck with the losses. The billionaires that own those companies will be able to switch over to something else easy enough.

If all the Democrats want is to remove Donald Trump and replace him with Biden, that is not good enough.
They’re trying to replace a mentally challenged septuagenarian with another mentally challenged septuagenarian. (Trump is just stupid. Biden is senile) Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is healthy and lucid and sharp as a tack.
They’re trying to replace a billionaire oligarch with a guy who tells all his billionaire oligarch friends that “nothing will basically change.” Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders promises lots and lots of changes. Good changes.
They’re trying to replace a corrupt pig who gives jobs to all of his incompetent relatives with another corrupt pig who gives jobs to all of his incompetent relatives. (See Hunter Biden, Burisma). Bernie Sanders has no corruption charges against him, because he is not corrupt.
They’re trying to replace a man who is creepy with women with another man who is creepy with women. Bernie Sanders is not creepy with women, has fought for equality for women for decades, and Gloria Steinem called him an ‘honorary woman.’
If Biden is the nominee, there will be no progress in the next 4 years, no matter who wins. And the world can’t afford that.

I have a lot of vbnmw people on my Facebook friends list. Many of them are family or friends IRL, so I’d never delete them. Just like real life in real life, you don’t terminate a relationship just because somebody said something you disagree with, no matter how completely ignorant it is, or how often they repeat it.
Those who I just know in Facebook world do not enjoy the same immunity. Yesterday, a vbnmw voter, who is a teacher and whose posts are always grammatically correct, credit where it’s due, prefaced one of his posts with “I reserve the right to delete,” which, of course, you don’t even need to reserve. Anybody can delete anybody else’s comments at any time. Saying you reserve the right to delete is a little like calling up your local McDonald’s and asking for a reservation. It’s not required.
Anyway, I replied that if he was reserving the right to delete, how could we have an open and honest debate about the issue. He replied “We don’t need to. You can say what you want on your own page.”
So, I unfriended him.
As a Bernie Bro, I am willing to hear other people’s comments. I want to engage Biden supporters in debate, because I know that the facts are on our side and in any legitimate exchange of ideas, we will win. But vbnmw people (who are now, unsurprisingly, Biden people, because vbnmw has always been code for anybody but Bernie), don’t want that open straightforward debate.
Because their candidate sucks, and they know it.

I’ll get back to writing my usual, divisive, nasty, Bernie Bro blog tomorrow (90% chance – if there’s a killer asteroid heading for Earth, or similar breaking news, then not).

Today, I want to talk about the Corona Virus. Up to this point, I’ve been one of those saying “Chill, people, it’s the flu but maybe a little worse. No cause for hysteria” and that’s still my basic position.
But it does seem to be spreading, the numbers seem to be doubling frequently, I’m seeing more and more people wearing masks, and it might get bad. Here in the Czech Republic, there are 19 confirmed cases, and just a day or two ago, that number was 8. No fatalities so far, touch wood.
The reaction of the Czech Government strikes me as a bit over the top. They’ve announced that any Czechs going to Italy will have to report to a doctor on their return and go into a two week quarantine. On the one hand, it’s fair because they’ve told everybody in advance. People who were planning a ski trip to Italy (the #1 reason Czechs go there) can cancel. There are other places to ski. But, for people who have tighter connections, Italian people living here, Czech people living there, people who have to go to Italy on business trips, truck drivers, etc…this will be a serious problem. It’s a barrier inside the EU. It’s the government suddenly assuming totalitarian force.
I must admit, above all, I don’t know. Maybe the government has information about this virus that I don’t. Maybe they are genuinely concerned about the welfare of the people (but the tone of voice in Babiš’s announcement was not kindly and humane – it was as harsh and condescending as the nastiest high school principal you’ve ever seen).
It sure looks bad. As worried as we all are about the Corona virus, I’m still more afraid of the government.

I’m certainly glad she’s gone, and I’m not exactly holding my breath waiting for her to endorse Bernie. I would be very happy if she did, and it would be one way of hanging on to her reputation as a progressive, but I don’t thing she will. She’s just stabbed Bernie in the back too many times to make a comeback, he probably doesn’t want her as VP. Sure, a deal might be made, but I doubt it.
In fact, I think she’s far more likely to cut a deal with Biden. Just like she stayed out and, by omission, backed Hillary’s rigged primary in 2016. She admitted later that she knew it was rigged, but she certainly didn’t speak up at the time.
I don’t want to say anything too mean Bernie Bro-ish that will discourage any Warren supporters from coming into the Bernie camp, but here’s how I’m seeing Warren right now (Warren supporters may stop reading at this point, it’s about to get ugly): It starts with the whole Indian lie, which I never used to think was a big deal, hey, lots of people tell a little fib on a college application, or in a job interview, if they think it will give them an edge. Historians are still not at all sure that Lincoln grew up in a log cabin, but it made for great press. Besides, lots of families have a story of a Cherokee great-grandmother, or whatever. But, then there’s her saying her children never went to private school, when they did, and the getting fired when pregnant story, which was exaggerated at least, and we start to see a pattern. I think her switching her party registration from Republican to Democrat may be a bit like that. It really doesn’t take much to change your official registration, when you smell an opportunity.
But, I’m afraid she’s still a Republican at heart.