Unlikely Nevada will have enough vaccine for near future
On Jan 11, 2021, governor Sisolak gave a news conference, aired on Channel 5, about the COVID-19 vaccination program in Nevada. It emerged that the state of Nevada had received 170,000 doses of vaccine since Dec 14, 2020, and that 61,000 have been used, leaving 109,000 in storage.
There are about 3 million residents in Nevada. If all residents were vaccinated twice, then 6 million doses would be needed. At 60,000 shots in the arm per month it would take about 100 months, or more than eight years to complete the vaccination program (or four years if we went with one dose)!
Now, that length of time is not likely because our health care system is currently under a terrible strain from the surge in COVID-19 cases. We will likely be able to devote more resources to vaccination when the surge abates. Also, we will learn how to be more efficient.
However, that being said, it seems highly unlikely that Nevada will be able to boost its vaccination rate to over half a million per month.
This would be about ten times the current rate, and needed to complete a one-dose program by end of June this year (HHS secretary Azar on Dec. 23 claimed this would be done). Even if we could do a half million per month we might be limited by supply from the manufacturers. Lets hope that as more vaccine manufacturers come online, and existing ramp-up production, supply will not be limiting.
Anyway, what I conclude is that the state will not be able to vaccinate enough people to provide a general immunity anytime soon. Maybe by the end of 2021. We are sensibly prioritizing health care workers, the elderly in nursing homes, and other essential workers for shots which should reduce the death rate faster than a first come-first served program.
George Tucker
Mail-in voting does not prove there was voter fraud
David Perlman in the PV Times on Jan 27, took the position that mail-in voting constituted the theft of the election. Yet, like Trump and others, he did not present one shred of evidence to prove his assertion.
At least 34 states, many of them like Florida, Ohio, Alabama, Kentucky, and Utah, states that Trump won, allowed mail-in voting. The Democrats, if they wanted to use the same tactics like Trump and Mr. Perlman, could assert that Trump lost these states because they allowed mail-in voting. Fortunately, our legal system does not allow assertions without evidence to rule our representative republic.
That is why Trump, in his 61 attempts to get a court hearing, many of the courts presided over by Republican judges, failed to even get a hearing on voter fraud.
Task Mr. Perlman to consider this hypothetical example. Suppose you were the Republican secretary of state in Georgia, a state that Biden narrowly won. The local prosecutor has just indicted you for aiding and abetting voter fraud. Wouldnt you demand the prosecutor to present proof,, which our legal system requires before a verdict could be considered, instead of unfounded hearsay?
No government has ever been perfect. Ours is no exception. But it is certainly much better than one that would be instituted by an angry, and in many cases, an ignorant mass of mobsters. Please, Mr. Perlman, lets keep what we have. Albeit, it is not perfect, many have died for it. Lets try to make changes through our peaceful democratic process..
I remember my college professor in history when he stated, throughout the ages it has been proven, time and again, that revolutions, seldom if ever make life better for the people at large. More often than not, they amount to one power structure replacing another one, which is worse for most of them.
Jim Ferrell
Trump impeachment is waste of time and money
Well, here we go again, our government wasting time and money with this ridiculous impeachment and trial. As I said in my letter a couple of weeks ago, it is a waste of time because Trump will be timed out before they can push him out.
The proponents claim that if he is convicted, which is highly unlikely, he will not be able to run for another federal office. What ex-president has ever sought that? None that I can remember.
This is just vindictiveness because the Democrats never got over Trump beating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election after the polls said that she would win in a landslide. They hated him from day one and did everything they could to get in his way.
I read an editorial question in this newspaper, are we heading for another civil war? I think that its already here. We have left-wing radicals destroying cities, Portland and Seattle are examples, then there are right-wing radicals invading Washington, breaking into offices of politicians, breaking, and stealing property..
Biden won by a slim margin, which means that almost half of the voters voted for Trump. It would be nice to see Biden try to convince the Senate to refuse to go forward with the trial since some constitutional scholars claim that its unconstitutional anyway. Biden says that he wants to unite the country, stopping the Trump trial would be a first step to accomplish this.
George Cross
BLM plays crucial role in protection of conservation areas
President Biden has established the commendable goal of protecting 30 percent of our nations lands and waters by 2030. This could be a significant response to the mounting climate and extinction crises. However, achievement of this goal is questionable given the failure of federal agencies to protect some lands that should already be protected under existing laws.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the most federal lands. It could play a crucial role in meeting this goal. Unfortunately, the BLM cannot do so because it has repeatedly proven unwilling to provide required protection.
The BLM continues to allow harmful commercial livestock grazing and other uses in many of its national monuments, national conservation areas, wilderness areas, and areas of critical environmental concern. Indeed, the BLM recently approved a controversial Northern Corridor Highway through its Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in southwest Utah. This approval goes against the statutory conservation purposes of this area, degrades lands acquired for permanent protection, jeopardizes Mojave desert tortoises, and destroys their legally designated critical habitat.
The BLMs dominant management culture is regressive, biased, and secretive. I know because I worked for them from 2002-2017. This culture persists, including during the eight Obama administration years. Managers tend to be most afraid of commercial interests, angry ranchers, and the politicians who support them. They allow political expediency to supersede the law, science, and public interest. Protection can be a mere word in legal documents when it is not effectively implemented.
To help achieve his important conservation goals, President Biden should fundamentally reform the BLMs dominant management culture.
Richard Spotts
Great Reset to address worlds most pressing problems
Few people have heard or are aware of whats being called the Great Reset. Its not really new and has been renewed and added changes and upgrades for many years, including new apostles. It was conducted in Davos, Switzerland by worldwide commerce leaders and world political leaders or by their representatives, including the USA.
They plan to address, what they feel, are the most pressing problems the world faces today.
First and foremost is global warming, next is inequity around the world. Theyre not interested in correcting these things through individual governments or individual international corporations, their plans resemble copying certain government action taken by various governments throughout history (even recent history) on a worldwide scale that all countries will need to conform to.
There may be some of these people who are naive true believers, but with a little thought, one can see the advantages of joining this worldwide Reset. There will be forms of dues to be paid and rules to be followed, but this will be well worth the protections received. For example, if they gain enough power on a global scale, competition, especially on a global scale, will disappear. Members will be only subject to their elected board, with little regard for individual countries rules and laws. These people realized how easy it was to control populations around the world because of the pandemic and knew it was time to make some bold moves towards these long-awaited plans.
They also realize they must gain a level of worldwide support, which can be accomplished by sprinkling some free stuff to various people in need along with a plethora of promises of the more good things to come. Some will regard these leaders as saints and saviors, a tactic that is seen through the pages of history, by sincere believers and tyrants alike. No doubt there will remain democratic practices such as voting, but true power will be in the international power structure. The results will not only affect small business by controlling their growth through regulations and tax policies that may be seen as competitive threats to the members dominance, but down to the individual by controlling one of the cornerstones of the free enterprise system, to which they have already declared Capitalism is dead. Chances are this would start out violently like the many times before in history, it will happen legally through things like increased property tax rates, or failure to comply with standards of energy compliance, not have the properly approved appliances. Which naturally you can only buy from members if this internal cabal.
Some of these things have taken place and are still taking place, the National Socialist Workers Party (the NAZIS), a refined form of the Communist Chinese Party, well know how successful it can be to have government and commerce work together for mutual benefits of each other in particular, as long as youre able to keep the masses under control. Its no different than George Orwells Animal Farm except on a world scale when after all the animals revolted against Farmer Jones and ousted him, all the animals were equal, some just more equal than others.
David Jaronik
Fascism could come to America in the name of liberalism
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross, is a quote that is dubiously attributed to Sinclair Lewis, author of It Cant Happen Here. Written in 1935 at a time when fascist regimes were consolidating their power in Germany, Italy, and Spain. Lewis basically envisions a scenario where the United States becomes an authoritarian state through a president coming into power by embracing patriotism, traditional values, and economic and social transformation; and buttressed by a base of ultranationalist, religious fanatics, and xenophobes. He furthers his hold on power by suppressing a free and liberal press, and supporting a paramilitary that enforces the policies of the president and terrorizes all opposition. As prophetic aspects of this novel are in light of the January 6th attack on our Capitol and our democracy, we are not fully holding everybody who contributed to the big lie(s) accountable and reforming the infrastructure that breeds the big lies.
After challenges to the presidential election have been reviewed ad nauseum (repeated to the point of nausea) it would take a long stretch of the imagination to claim that the election was fraudulent, and all of our institutions and officials were complicit in a grand scheme. Thankfully, our courts, election officials and security experts did a remarkable job objectively calling the election. Either the adherers of fraud are choosing not to accept above any reasonable doubt the results because their man did not get enough votes and they are so distressed of the new administration that they will not accept the majoritys decision and jeopardize our democracy or they are mesmerized diehards that are completely entrenched in their beliefs and trust in Trump that nothing will enlighten them.
If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism (60 Minutes December 1975), is a quote that is attributed to President Ronald Reagan. Although by liberalism he did not mean to liberate as Trump and his supporters of patriots promoted in the Save America rally, he has ironically identified a key tenet of Trumps supporters. It is a liberalism, under almost all circumstances that gives people the right to do whatever they chose, freedom without limits. Patriots apparently think it is alright to liberate states (by kidnapping governors), have freedom to not wear masks (as you endanger others), and now protest the steal (by violently attacking and murdering). Save America by destroying it is oxymoronic or just moronic if anything is.
President Ronald Reagan spent World War II as an Army captain in the first motion picture unit fighting fascism. In 1946 he began making speeches condemning fascism and communism. His speeches against fascism focused on the atrocities of World War II, Americas growing fascist movement, and the need to protect against racism and all forms of intolerance. President Reagans battle against communism coincided with the Cold War, his presentations exposed the oppressive character of communist regimes.
Scholars view fascism as capitalism run amok and communism as socialism run amok. Both are dictatorial, both engage in a high degree of propaganda, falsely elevating their leaders as saviors and protectors from an enemy that is not part of their group or an enemy that is foreign or an enemy that has opposite political views. Consensus among economists is that a mixed economy where capitalism plays its part and socialism plays its part is best, but neither has dictatorial power and both exist within the confines of a democratic state.
The Trump brand of fascism fits Sinclair Lewis characterization to a large degree. He is viewed as larger than life leader who for some has been sent by God, he is a strong man who is protecting his followers from non-Christian cultures, socialists, fake news, government intrusion, Second Amendment restrictions, satanical Democrats, and the list goes on. Fear-mongering and scapegoating are classic tools of fascists. Lies and exaggerations are basic.
On August 22 (1939), Adolf Hitler told his generals: I will provide a propagandistic casus belli (provocation used to justify war). Its credibility doesnt matter. The victor will not be asked whether he told the truth. (Wikipedia Propaganda in Nazi Germany) Thereby, justifying the invasion of Poland that led to the Second World War.
Trumps lies and exaggerations have led to our present state of pandemic denial and violent mobs.
Trump is no Rambo, no strong man or has he been sent by God. Inciting a mob, promising (a promise unfulfilled) to lead it to Congress and then condemning its action as heinous is duplicitous to say the least.
Media personalities, equivocal and unscrupulous politicians, and a biased mindset contribute to the Big Lies. Solutions to complex problems are made simple, or better yet, problems are denied that they exist. Willingness to propagate and accept unsubstantiated and false narratives, obviously, magnifies their existence. A proportion of the populace distressed economically and one that perceives to be threatened unrealistically by multiculturalism, socialism, government, mainstream media, poor immigrants etc. are easily swayed to scapegoat, demonize and accept conspiracies promoted by biased media and self-serving politicians.
Freedom of speech has a responsibility to be truthful. Just as it is illegal to create panic by falsely yelling fire in a theater, it should be illegal to stoke chaos and political polarity by spewing lies. Genuine policy disagreements are essential in our democracy and should be encouraged. Unfortunately, Hitlers view that credibility doesnt matter has taken hold in the American political and media spheres. Unfortunately, the only remedy to this, is restricting and regulating, coupled with litigation (Dominion threatening to sue Fox News for false stories) In England, a regulatory entity enforces rules on impartiality and accuracy. We may need something similar to assure that we do not radicalize but inform, to give us an unbiased and comprehensive presentation of news and issues.
The attack on Congress and our democracy has revealed a better insight and appreciation of what motivated Union soldiers, especially immigrants during the American Civil War after the siege of Fort Sumter. They had left tyrannical systems of government, fought against these systems and were not going to let attacks by insurrectionists on democracy and self-government be unanswered.
In a Times article history professor Don H. Doyle, author of The Cause of All Nations: An International History of the American Civil War writes: So it was civil war, but for many foreign-born soldiers and citizens, this was much more than Americas war. It was an epic contest for the future of free labor against slavery, for equal opportunity against privilege and aristocracy, for freedom of thought and expression against oppressive government, and for democratic self-government against dynastic rule. Foreigners joined the war to wage the same battles that had been lost in the Old World. Theirs was the cause not only of America, but of all nations. (Times magazine-The Civil War Was Won by Immigrant Soldiers Doyle, Don H, Dec. 23, 2019)
Those of us that came here as refugees because of repressive and totalitarian states and those of who inherited this democracy will not concede and have our vote discounted. We will defend the decision of our court system, and the majority of voters.
To quote President Reagan: Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means. (Brainy Quotes, Quotes of Ronald Reagan online).
The opposite of that is: War is not absence of conflict, it is the inability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
War has casualties. Those who support violence and armed insurrection need to assess the risk and benefit of their actions. We are all mortal, our lives are tenuous and war against the majority is likely to be futile and the consequences catastrophic.
Our vote, whether we are in the majority or in the minority, is sacrosanct, and is our connectedness to self-government. It is the majority vote that makes the final decision, and we, if are in the minority, are obliged to respect and defend.
George Peretsky
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