Journalist Peter Ward’s book The Consequential Frontier: Challenging the Privatization of Spaceprovides more evidence of what’s right about the privatization of space than evidence of what’s wrong with it. The latter point is mostly addressed via tossed-off addendums full of leftist catch-phrase complaints about monopoly, inequality, lack of democracy, and greed stuck at the end of chapters full of good reporting about the state of the industry.
The book details how private efforts in space have dramatically lowered satellite launch costs from wasteful cost-plus government programs that would do more to maintain jobs in multiple congressional districts than get things into orbit. It tells how the private sector developed reusable rocket boosters and how private actors are making actual space living a possibility in a way NASA never did.
The old corporate guard of Lockheed Martin and Boeing are being challenged by eager, innovative startups such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origins. Given the well-documented personal obsessions motivating Musk and Bezos, it would seem to miss the point to insist, as Ward does, that a pure capitalist drive for profit is steering the new space age.
The book does remind the reader that private space tourism has been a receding target for over a decade now, which is disappointing, and that not every private space company has pulled off its most ambitious plans. But private venture capital has bet big on space companies to the tune of $4.2 billion or so, and the “privatization” of space has already expanded the possibilities of the cosmos for all mankind far beyond what six decades of federal space bureaucracy could.
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Journalist Peter Ward’s book The Consequential Frontier: Challenging the Privatization of Spaceprovides more evidence of what’s right about the privatization of space than evidence of what’s wrong with it. The latter point is mostly addressed via tossed-off addendums full of leftist catch-phrase complaints about monopoly, inequality, lack of democracy, and greed stuck at the end of chapters full of good reporting about the state of the industry.
The book details how private efforts in space have dramatically lowered satellite launch costs from wasteful cost-plus government programs that would do more to maintain jobs in multiple congressional districts than get things into orbit. It tells how the private sector developed reusable rocket boosters and how private actors are making actual space living a possibility in a way NASA never did.
The old corporate guard of Lockheed Martin and Boeing are being challenged by eager, innovative startups such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origins. Given the well-documented personal obsessions motivating Musk and Bezos, it would seem to miss the point to insist, as Ward does, that a pure capitalist drive for profit is steering the new space age.
The book does remind the reader that private space tourism has been a receding target for over a decade now, which is disappointing, and that not every private space company has pulled off its most ambitious plans. But private venture capital has bet big on space companies to the tune of $4.2 billion or so, and the “privatization” of space has already expanded the possibilities of the cosmos for all mankind far beyond what six decades of federal space bureaucracy could.
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A small southern Italian town of 550 residents, Castellino del Biferno, has started minting their own currency, called Ducati, as a method to support their local economy during the coronavirus Pandemic.
The town mayor Enrico Fratangelo, had been studying minting money for 12 years before having the opportunity to put his ideas to the test.
“We decided to mint money to make sure the local economy could withstand the impact of the situation. However small this economy may be, there are three or four businesses still open, without considering bars or pubs,” Fratangelo explained.
Supporting the Economy
Ducati are distributed to residents based on their economic needs and can be spent on essential goods. In order to minimize any confusion, the value of 1 Ducati will equal 1 euro. The town council received €5,500 from the government to issue food stamps, and with the addition of their own savings, they were able to fund the solution.
The entire process is managed locally with watermarked paper, with special care to ensure the notes don’t transmit the virus, according to the copy shop owner Antonio Lannaocone:
“We start off with watermarked paper, then we print the banknotes — according to the design agreed with the administration — on one sheet of paper. We then laminate the sheet, so that the bills can be disinfected. Once it’s laminated, we cut the banknotes with their final dimensions.”
Every two weeks, the shops may return any Ducati to the town council in exchange for the corresponding amount in Euros.
This isn’t the first time
The idea of a heavily localized currency has been tried before in Italy in 2016. Gioiosa, also in Italy’s south, is home to a group of asylum seekers and uses a local currency that is only accepted in local stores. Referred to as “tickets”, this approach helps to ensure that local businesses benefit, defusing any potential tension with the new arrivals.
Does this demonstrate the need for a digital currency?
The current situation facing economies around the world has brought to light the potential benefits of cryptocurrencies and this town’s solution is another step to that end.
The Ducati, although an innovative solution, would only work in a very small scale economy due to risks of contamination and counterfeiting increasing with increased popularity, in addition to the high cost of production.
A digital version of the Ducati would look very similar to a Central Bank Digital Currency, and would not have the same costs associated with Ducati being minted, nor would it risk contamination or counterfeiting.
Dozens Of Patients In Wuhan Have Developed ‘Chronic’ Coronavirus Infections
A few weeks ago, we reported on several Reddit threads where COVID-19 patients from around the world – many of them young men – shared their struggles with a virus that they just couldn’t seem to shake. Some patients who were six or seven weeks post-confirmation (meaning they probably had contracted the virus two months earlier, or possibly even longer) complained of symptoms coming back in waves, while others complained that they were still testing positive for the virus weeks after their symptoms disappeared.
Though rare, these cases have alarmed researchers who fear that some patients might become chronic carriers of the virus. And the scientists leading China’s response to the outbreak are particularly concerned about dozens of apparently chronic patients in Hubei who still haven’t cleared the virus, even as the region – which was bolted shut during the outbreak crisis – slowly reopens to the outside world.
According to Chinese business newswire Caixin, more than 30 patients in Hubei Province have seemingly recovered from COVID-19, but continue to test positive, said Jiao Yahui, an inspector at the National Health Commission, in an April 24 interview with the state broadcaster.
Typically, patients infected with COVID-19 will test negative on nucleic acid throat swabs roughly 20 days after detection. However, for a small number of patients, throat swabs will produce positive tests for more than 40 days. Some patients are still producing positive swabs, despite being infected in the first wave of patients.
Of course, the existence of patients who still test positive raises the question of whether they are still infectious. It’s certainly possible that these tests might be picking up errant pieces of genetic material leftover from the infection, but it’s also possible that the virus could have burrowed deep enough to become chronic, though, as scientists say, that’s not ‘typical’ behavior for a naturally occurring coronavirus.
Hold that thought.
Scientists say there’s “little possibility” that humans can be lifelong carriers of this virus. But it’s not impossible.
Whatever the reality might be, infectious disease experts in China are recommending that these patients be kept in isolation in what we imagine has become a singularly hellish experience for these unfortunate patients.
Whether this is evidence of chronic infection, or simply an extended process of “viral shedding”, the issue has perplexed some of China’s greatest virologists.
Doctors in China and abroad are puzzled by some patients’ longer process of of viral shedding. In late March, a preprint essay by Wuhan military doctors Wang Qingshu and Niu Hongming discussed a patient who remained positive in virus tests for 49 days.
The patient, a middle-aged male, showed fever and other symptoms Jan. 25 but recovered after a week of medication. He tested positive for the virus Feb. 8 after one of his family members was confirmed with the infection. The man took nine nucleic acid tests in the following weeks, and only one test on March 11 showed negative.
He also received two antibody tests in late February and mid-March, reading positive for one form of immunoglobulin but negative for another. Such results suggest that the infection has lingered for a while and faded from the acute phase, the doctors wrote.
The patient received plasma therapy March 15, which involves transfusing antibody-rich blood components into patients. He had high fever hours after the infusion, but his temperature returned to normal the next day. His virus tests on the following two days turned negative.
“Without plasma therapy, this patient may turn to a chronic infection case,” the doctors wrote in the paper. “We want to know how many patients have similar situations.” The authors said they were unable to conclude whether such patients could infect others or how long their infections could last.”
The patient was part of a family cluster, the researchers wrote. One of his infected family members, an elderly female, also took a longer-than-normal period to test negative. The authors said the cases suggested that family-cluster infections may be less virulent but lead to longer periods for patients to resolve the virus.
Code enforcement officers in Ottawa, Canada, gave William Vogelsang, 17, a ticket for more than $700 ($500 U.S.) for shooting hoops by himself in a city park. The city has closed the basketball courts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Vogelsang tried to explain that he thought they were closed only to groups. The officers not only ticketed him, but when he couldn’t produce ID they called the police to help confirm is identity.
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Code enforcement officers in Ottawa, Canada, gave William Vogelsang, 17, a ticket for more than $700 ($500 U.S.) for shooting hoops by himself in a city park. The city has closed the basketball courts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Vogelsang tried to explain that he thought they were closed only to groups. The officers not only ticketed him, but when he couldn’t produce ID they called the police to help confirm is identity.
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The United Nations warned Monday that the World Health Organization would likely impose drastic cuts to humanitarian aid in Yemen this week, a move that follows the Trump administration’s slashing of funds for the global health agency.
Lise Grande, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said WHO is expected to suspend about 80% of its funding for Yemen’s hospitals, primary healthcare programs, and other healthcare needs.
Fighting near Aden in southern Yemen last year, AFP via Getty.
The announcement at a panel hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies came two weeks after Yemen reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Although the official number of cases remains low, Al-Monitorreported last week that many cases may have been kept secret from the public and from global health organizations.
The emergence of COVID-19 in the war-torn country — where five years of U.S.-backed war and Saudi intervention has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with 22 million in need of assistance — has led to fears among human rights groups that an outbreak could quickly overwhelm the country’s healthcare system.
As international relations researcher Guy Burton wrote on social media,the timing of WHO’s drawdown “could not be worse.”
Grande said at the panel discussion that WHO is “facing a funding crisis of gargantuan proportions” and will likely need to make cuts. The statement came days after the U.S. halted funding for the organization, with President Donald Trump accusing WHO of “mismanaging” the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. contributed $400 million to the agency in 2019, more than any other nation.
Grande said WHO’s “donors have lost confidence” in the agency’s efforts in Yemen, echoing the Trump administration’s reasoning for pulling its own healthcare aid from Yemen last month. U.S. officials said it was suspending the aid because the Houthis, who control northern Yemen, have imposed restrictions on organizations delivering humanitarian assistance.
WHO’s suspension of aid is expected to “reduce” or “more likely” suspend operations entirely in 189 hospitals in Yemen as well as 200 primary care facilities.
The U.N. Children’s Fund will also have to scale back or shut down its services throughout the country in 18 major healthcare centers and more than 2,000 doctors’ offices.
As Al-Monitor reported, efforts to suppress the coronavirus pandemic in Yemen could be directly impacted as the distribution of hygiene products will be reduced or eliminated. More than 140 camps for displaced Yemenis will also lose services. About 250,000 children suffering from malnourishment will lose healthcare services as a result of the expected cuts.
The civil war and US-Saudi coalition intervention in Yemen has raged since 2015, via EPA-EFE.
Intercept journalist Murtaza Hussain wrote on Twitter that Trump’s decision to “deflect blame” for the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. onto WHO will result in the continued suffering of Yemenis.
The United States’ suspension of aid in Yemen and for WHO follows the Trump administration’s decision to continue imposing sanctions on Iran, Venezuela, and other nations even as the pandemic threatens millions of lives in the hardest-hit countries.
“From Tehran to Sanaa,” wrote Defense Priorities fellow Shahed Ghoreishi, “cruelty seems to be the point.”
‘Full Of $hit’ – Swedish City Spreads Manure On Parks To Stop Crowds Gathering
Cases and deaths of COVID-19 continue to rise in Sweden, which has a death rate of 12%, the sixth-highest in the world among countries with more than 1,000 confirmed cases, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. The European country has had a relaxed approach of not imposing a countrywide lockdown versus other countries on the continent. This has led to one town at the southern tip of the country, dealing with the threat of a potential outbreak as residents ignore rules, to dump tons of chicken sh*t in a local park to deter people from congregating, reported The Guardian.
Officials in the town of Lund dumped chicken sh*t across a local park at the heart of the +90,000 person city.
“Lund could very well become an epicenter for the spread of the coronavirus on the last night in April, [so] I think it was a good initiative,” the chairman of the local council’s environment committee, Gustav Lundblad, told the Sydsvenskan newspaper.
“We get the opportunity to fertilize the lawns, and at the same time it will stink and so it may not be so nice to sit and drink beer in the park,” Lundblad said, adding that the only potential drawback was that the smell may not be confined to the park.
“I am not a fertilizer expert, but as I understand it, it is clear that it might smell a bit outside the park as well,” Lundblad admitted. “These are chicken droppings, after all. I cannot guarantee that the rest of the city will be odorless. But the point is to keep people out of the city park.” drawback was that the smell may not be confined to the park.”
Sweden followed a more unconventional route to the lockdowns versus its European neighbors. The country has opted for strict social distancing leaving much of its economy open — basically, attempting to avoid an economic collapse that has been seen in Germany and other European countries along with the US.
President Trump tweeted Thursday that America was “paying heavily” for its nationwide lockdown decision. “Despite reports to the contrary, Sweden is paying heavily for its decision not to lockdown. As of today, 2462 people have died there, a much higher number than the neighboring countries of Norway (207), Finland (206), or Denmark (443). The United States made the correct decision!” Trump tweeted.
Despite reports to the contrary, Sweden is paying heavily for its decision not to lockdown. As of today, 2462 people have died there, a much higher number than the neighboring countries of Norway (207), Finland (206) or Denmark (443). The United States made the correct decision!
Officials are attempting to deter people from Walpurgis Night, celebrated on April 30, the eve of the Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga, where bonfires, dancing, and celebration are usually seen. The event generally brings about 30,000 residents from the town. Preventing residents from celebrating is a move by officials to thwart a second coronavirus wave.
Germany is considering handing out “coronavirus immunity cards” to its citizens that would allow those who have developed antibodies to COVID-19 to have more freedom than the as-yet uninfected.
Health Minister Jens Spahn said that the cards could make life easier “in many places” for Germans who could prove they were immune.
“While such a rationale looks legit at a glance, further passages of the bill suggest more intrusion,” reports RT.
“They refer to the Infection Protection Act, under which the state can forcefully send contagious people or those with “suspicious” symptoms into quarantine, or even bar them from entering certain public places.”
Critics reacted to the proposal by likening it to the darkest chapter in Germany’s history.
“Curbing basic rights for a group of the population has already existed in Germany,” said one, while another compared the ID card to Jews being forced to wear yellow stars.
Others suggested that the ID card would incentivize people to get infected so they could enjoy greater freedom of movement.
The same principle as the “immunity card” could also apply to any future vaccine, with those who refuse to to take the shot not allowed to travel.
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is already trialing a digital immunity card that would have users link their COVID-19 test result to an app, providing authorities with a database they could check to see if a person is immune.
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Swiss Health & Tranquility Law Sparks “Desperate” Snitching To Counter Lockdown-Deniers
A post-corona world has given rise to corona-moral shaming is translating into people snooping and snitching on their neighbors who break social distancing rules to police and town authorities.
Folks in Switzerland have taken snooping and snitching to an entirely different level during lockdowns, as many have used private detectives to do their dirty work, reported Reuters.
Christian Sideris, the founder of Seeclop, a Geneva-based private eye, has said requests for snooping on neighbors have been extraordinary, considering people have been confined to their homes for at least a month, many are living in frustrations of others around them.
“We have a lot of these types of cases because people are confined and on top of each other all day,” Sideris said, describing some callers as “desperate.”
He said requests to snoop on neighbors in pre-corona times was generally 2-4 times per year, but since the lockdown, he said his phone has been ringing non-stop.
“The Swiss are known for complaining about their neighbors, often using rules designed to keep the noise down. These are rigorously enforced in Geneva, where 16th Century protestant reformer John Calvin banned instrumental music when he was in charge,” Reuters noted.
Geneva’s Public Health and Tranquility Law are relatively strict, and people generally use these rules to enforce peace and quiet among neighborhoods. In some cases, playing a musical instrument or doing home construction after 9 pm can result in a $10,000 fine.
Police said noise complaints have doubled in April to 1,233 during the lockdowns. People have called the cops on their neighbors for kids playing soccer inside and late-night home improvements. It was even to the point, police said that someone called them as a neighborhood choir, intended to lift spirits, was singing to loud.
