investmentwatchblog--2020-09-08--Going Off Grid? How to Prepare for Your First Year

If you ’ re looking to start your first off-grid homestead , try to keep your expectations in check .
It could take years for you to create the ideal home in the middle of the wilderness .
Things can easily take a turn for the worse , from rough weather to unexpected delays , even if you planned out every aspect of your new remote lifestyle .
Homesteading usually requires a lot of trial and error .
If at first , you don ’ t succeed , try , try again .
Homesteading is an integral part of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchase large land plots for next to nothing as they attempted to build a life on the frontier .
Don ’ t let small mistakes ruin your dream of living off the grid .
Use these tips to plan out the first year of your homestead and focus on taking things one step at a time .
The first thing you ’ re going to need is money .
Homesteading can cost up to $ 5,000 over the first two years , and that doesn ’ t include the cost of land , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house .
Most of this money will go toward working the land , building a greenhouse or garden , and growing your food .
You should also include the cost of electricity , whether you generated it yourself or purchased it from your local utility company .
Sustainable energy sources like solar , wind , and geothermal to reduce your expenses are excellent options .
Related : 5 Solar-Powered Items That Actually Make Sense to Keep Handy Before you pack up and hit the road , go over your budget with a fine-toothed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for error .
The $ 5,000 mentioned is a rather conservative estimate .
You may need some emergency funds if your first crop fails , a major storm damages your house , or you can ’ t generate your own electricity .
Many homesteaders will maintain a source of income during the first few years .
Here are a few ideas to pad your income : • None Sell your fruits and vegetables to a local vendor Whatever you choose to do for income shouldn ’ t take too much away from your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have some money coming in , so you don ’ t have to pinch every penny quite as hard .
Related : The Austerity Diaries-If You Don ’ t Have a Job Make One Up Protect What You Have Nothing will ruin your homesteading operation like broken equipment .
Invest in protective liners and cases that will protect your gear for the foreseeable future .
Homesteading isn ’ t the same as working out of your garage .
If you ’ re not careful , parts and tools could go missing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart if you leave them out in the rain .
Keep your tools and equipment organized and in their proper containers to keep your homestead going strong .
The biggest item on this list is your car or truck .
If your vehicle kicks the bucket during your first year , you might have to hit the pause button on your homestead until you address this issue .
Many people will use their car to work the land , in addition to running errands , so it ’ s best to protect this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truck bed liner to protect it from excess moisture , dirt , snow , and other debris .
Keeping the bed clean reduces the chances of rust and major electrical issues .
Getting your hands dirty may sound fun in theory , but not when you have dozens of items on your to-do list .
Try to keep your work environment clean to increase efficiency .
Use fender flares to stop mud from piling on your truck .
You should be able to use your vehicle and work the land without making a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a successful off-grid homestead takes time .
It may take years for you to perfect your green thumb .
It ’ s best to temper your expectations for your new garden .
A slight error could leave you and your loved ones without food for months at a time .
Related : How to Grow a Survival Garden-And What to Do If It Dies There ’ s no shame in stocking up on canned food and other non-perishable essentials .
Make sure you have plenty to eat if your garden runs afoul .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ markets , grocery stores , and other vendors to load up on supplies .
Create a durable storage system to secure your food and supplies .
Seal the storage area off from the elements to keep your food fresh .
You will want to do this to eliminate strong odors to keep bears and wildlife at bay .
A refrigerator , stove , and oven will come in handy during your first years , especially if you ’ re not used to living off the land .
As time goes on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of your diet , but don ’ t be afraid to hit the local grocery store until that day arrives .
Homesteading means rolling with the punches .
Things can easily take a turn for the worse when you ’ re living off the land .
But that ’ s all a part of the fun .
If homesteading were easy , it wouldn ’ t be as exciting .
• None Who can you call ?
• None Where can you go ?
• None How is your health ?
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None Have you kept in touch with your loved ones ?
• None Have you kept in touch with your network ?
• None Do you know who can help you solve problems as they arise ?
It ’ s essential never to be afraid to ask for help .
Suggested Reading : Be Ready for Anything Going off the grid and starting a new homestead can be a magical experience .
But , it does take practice and determination .
Keep these considerations in mind when planning your departure from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the better off your new home will be .
Will Ryan is Marketing Manager at Husky Liners .
With a wealth of knowledge of and passion for restoring classic cars , off-roading and researching new car technologies , Will has proven time and time again to be a huge asset to the Husky Liners team .
In his spare time , Will loves to spend time with his dog and fiancé .

by Will Ryan (Guest Contributor)
If you’re looking to start your first off-grid homestead, try to keep your expectations in check. It could take years for you to create the ideal home in the middle of the wilderness. Things can easily take a turn for the worse, from rough weather to unexpected delays, even if you planned out every aspect of your new remote lifestyle.
Homesteading usually requires a lot of trial and error. If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again. Homesteading is an integral part of our country’s history. Families would purchase large land plots for next to nothing as they attempted to build a life on the frontier.
Don’t let small mistakes ruin your dream of living off the grid. Use these tips to plan out the first year of your homestead and focus on taking things one step at a time.
Budget (with Plenty of Wiggle Room)
The first thing you’re going to need is money. Homesteading can cost up to $5,000 over the first two years, and that doesn’t include the cost of land, real estate, or constructing your own house. Most of this money will go toward working the land, building a greenhouse or garden, and growing your food.
You should also include the cost of electricity, whether you generated it yourself or purchased it from your local utility company. Sustainable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal to reduce your expenses are excellent options.
Related: 5 Solar-Powered Items That Actually Make Sense to Keep Handy
Before you pack up and hit the road, go over your budget with a fine-toothed comb, and leave plenty of room for error. The $5,000 mentioned is a rather conservative estimate. You may need some emergency funds if your first crop fails, a major storm damages your house, or you can’t generate your own electricity.
Many homesteaders will maintain a source of income during the first few years. Here are a few ideas to pad your income:
Work part-time from home
Sell your fruits and vegetables to a local vendor
Become a freelance handyman/woman
Whatever you choose to do for income shouldn’t take too much away from your homestead. But, it is nice to have some money coming in, so you don’t have to pinch every penny quite as hard.
Related: The Austerity Diaries-If You Don’t Have a Job Make One Up
Protect What You Have
Nothing will ruin your homesteading operation like broken equipment. Invest in protective liners and cases that will protect your gear for the foreseeable future.
Homesteading isn’t the same as working out of your garage. If you’re not careful, parts and tools could go missing. Others may start to rust or fall apart if you leave them out in the rain. Keep your tools and equipment organized and in their proper containers to keep your homestead going strong.
The biggest item on this list is your car or truck. If your vehicle kicks the bucket during your first year, you might have to hit the pause button on your homestead until you address this issue.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Many people will use their car to work the land, in addition to running errands, so it’s best to protect this item at all costs. Use a truck bed liner to protect it from excess moisture, dirt, snow, and other debris. Keeping the bed clean reduces the chances of rust and major electrical issues.
Getting your hands dirty may sound fun in theory, but not when you have dozens of items on your to-do list. Try to keep your work environment clean to increase efficiency. Use fender flares to stop mud from piling on your truck. You should be able to use your vehicle and work the land without making a mess.
Load Up on Supplies
Growing your food and creating a successful off-grid homestead takes time. It may take years for you to perfect your green thumb. It’s best to temper your expectations for your new garden. A slight error could leave you and your loved ones without food for months at a time.
Related: How to Grow a Survival Garden-And What to Do If It Dies
There’s no shame in stocking up on canned food and other non-perishable essentials. Make sure you have plenty to eat if your garden runs afoul. You can also partner with local farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and other vendors to load up on supplies.
Create a durable storage system to secure your food and supplies. Seal the storage area off from the elements to keep your food fresh. You will want to do this to eliminate strong odors to keep bears and wildlife at bay.
A refrigerator, stove, and oven will come in handy during your first years, especially if you’re not used to living off the land. As time goes on, you can start to phase store-bought food out of your diet, but don’t be afraid to hit the local grocery store until that day arrives.
Suggested Reading: Stockpile Cafe
Plan for the Worst
Homesteading means rolling with the punches. Things can easily take a turn for the worse when you’re living off the land. But that’s all a part of the fun. If homesteading were easy, it wouldn’t be as exciting.
Create a contingency plan in case things go wrong:
Who can you call?
Where can you go?
How is your health? How is the health of your family?
Have you kept in touch with your loved ones?
Have you kept in touch with your network?
Do you know who can help you solve problems as they arise?
It’s essential never to be afraid to ask for help.
Suggested Reading: Be Ready for Anything
Going off the grid and starting a new homestead can be a magical experience. But, it does take practice and determination. Keep these considerations in mind when planning your departure from the modern world. The more you prepare, the better off your new home will be.
About the Author
Will Ryan is Marketing Manager at Husky Liners. With a wealth of knowledge of and passion for restoring classic cars, off-roading and researching new car technologies, Will has proven time and time again to be a huge asset to the Husky Liners team. In his spare time, Will loves to spend time with his dog and fiancé.


Lockdown 2.0

Of course , because I ’ m a dreamer , I start off an essay like this with the idea that I should do an all-encompassing idea of COVID19 , all around the world no less , for the rest of 2020 , and beyond .
Only to find that nobody , including me , even if I have a few advantages over most , could possibly do such a thing .
So of necessity there ’ ll be this essay and many more to come .
As the US elections set the world on fire .
I did make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every society and community should be ordering by now ( and that would be already very late ) Here they are : A billion rapid tests , a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) , a billion doses of zinc , a billion doses of Vitamin D , and a zillion N95 facemasks .
( I am not a doctor , but we do have doctors on this platform . )
Rapid tests : these things have been available for months , but have been obstructed by guidelines that say every test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long time to produce results , which test positive on dead virus etc .
etc .
Whereas rapid tests ( there are several options ) detect a virus load when it ’ s most likely to infect a third person ( the no .
1 thing you want to find !
, and moreover show a result in minutes and cost a few pennies each ( don ’ t fall for the $ 5 a test thing ! )
.
You can do a paper test for everyone every single day .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we ’ re not doing it .
The answer from the politicians who have failed to grasp this reality will be : another lockdown !
But there won ’ t be another lockdown .
Or , there will be in some locations , but what good is that if neighbors don ’ t lock down ?
More on that in a bit .
Hydroxychloroquine ( or ivermectin ) and zinc -combined if you will with an antibiotic- for those who are infected or close to it , combined with a substantial increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your population -right now , you already lost half a year !
- will bring down death and suffering enormously .
Don ’ t listen to your doctor , listen to us .
A bit of -potential- harsh reality came to us today through a report from Washington University ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation .
They predict total deaths to triple globally , and double in the US , in less than four months from today .
Total COVID19 Deaths Projected To Double In US , Triple in World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus will reach 410,000 by the end of the year , more than double the current death toll , and deaths could soar to 3,000 per day in December , the University of Washington ’ s health institute forecast on Friday .
Deaths could be reduced by 30 % if more Americans wore face masks as epidemiologists have advised , but mask-wearing is declining , the university ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said .
The U.S. death rate projected by the IHME model , which has been cited by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than triple the current death rate of some 850 per day .
“ We expect the daily death rate in the United States , because of seasonality and declining vigilance of the public , to reach nearly 3,000 a day in December , ” the institute , which bills itself as an independent research center , said in an update of its periodic forecasts .
“ Cumulative deaths expected by January 1 are 410,000 ; this is 225,000 deaths from now until the end of the year , ” the institute said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dec. 1 .
The model ’ s outlook for the world was even more dire , with deaths projected to triple to 2.8 million by Jan. 1 , 2021 .
No , I won ’ t take back one word of what I ’ ve been saying about the best ways to tackle COVD19 over the past 8 months , for instance in April 15 ’ s The Only Man Who Has A Clue about Nassim Taleb .
He was still right , and that ’ s not going to change .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed .
Actually , a lot has .
Taleb ’ s approach , and that of his “ co-conspirators ” Yaneer Bar-Yam and Joe Norman , is as valid as it ever was , but that validity doesn ’ t last forever if it is not applied by those in charge of policy .
It hasn ’ t been and today we ’ re way past the best-before date .
Which , as we will see going forward , is highly unfortunate , because all the alternatives are -much- worse .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tons of governments in that world , caught with no blueprints and no playbooks for a coronavirus pandemic , despite having been warned about such a pandemic coming , for decades .
And so they all went into “ make it up as you go along ” mode .
With very little knowledge of what was going on , and what to expect .
With predictable failures as a result .
But because the pandemic has largely played out on a national level , not international , they manage to keep their failures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listened to the best science ” , “ nobody could have seen this coming ” , and “ if only people had listened to ( obeyed ) ” what we said all along .
As I explained in the Taleb piece , the first , the initial , scientists to refer to in a case like SARS-CoV-2 are not epidemiologists , because they are backward looking ; they compare the little they know about a new virus with what they know about earlier ones .
Even if it ’ s all essentially a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you consult are risk specialists ; yes , like Taleb .
To know what the -necessarily basic- steps are to take against something you know very little about , other than it is contagious and potentially lethal .
One of the obvious steps is close your borders.Another is a lockdown .
But a lockdown is not a lockdown is not a lockdown .
If you don ’ t get it right , it ’ s useless , oppressive and even harmfully counterproductive .
That ’ s why blueprints and playbooks , written well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important .
You should never leave those things up to politicians , who don ’ t understand the matter at hand , who will always have other interests in mind ( the economy ) , and will therefore assemble a bunch of local epidemiologists in order to declare : we ’ re listening to science !
Most of these people mean well , but that ’ s not enough .
And with that , we ’ re moving out of the summer time and into , what ?
, COVID 2.0 ?
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here ’ s what you do : Order a billion rapid tests , a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) , a billion doses of zinc , a billion doses of Vitamin D , and a zillion N95 facemasks .
Not the crappy bluish masks everyone ’ s wearing today , that ’ s just a symbolic thing , but get the real thing , for everyone .
How many has your government offered to you to date , while spending billions of trillions on the effects of the virus ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to emergencies , because that ’ s not what they get elected for .
And no , face masks are not useless , but they certainly are outside .
The risk of you getting infected -or infecting someone- are infinitesimal on the street .
Unless someone spits or coughs in your face , but if that happens , that bluish mask won ’ t do much good anyway .
So when I see a photo like this , of Japanese girls en masse wearing almost useless masks ( only because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can only think : why don ’ t we teach people what works and what doesn ’ t ?
( I see the same thing here in Athens a lot too ) But so , yeah if your government won ’ t protect you with a billion rapid tests , a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) , a billion doses of zinc , a billion doses of Vitamin D , and a zillion N95 facemasks.
, they ’ re going to be thinking Lockdown 2.0 .
And that is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are very big problems in Melbourne as we speak : 2nd lockdowns are going to be hell to pay , for governments , for their citizens , for their economies .
And they don ’ t have to be .
If just everyone gets out the Fauci , “ experts ” , mood.
, and their potential connections to Big Pharma .
Vitamin D and zinc and HCS look very promising .
So does the Russian vaccine , but we don ’ t want it because , well , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would deprive Gilead et al of huge potential profits furnished by western governments .
No , not all lockdowns are terrible .
But a lock down should last maximum 2 months , or you will needlessly destroy your economy .
Thing is , you must make sure it ’ s real , effective and short , not some Swedish or Dutch half-lockdown , or any of the half-assed US ones .
A lockdown is either a lockdown or it ’ s not .
But we ’ ve already passed that fase .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer be accepted .
Facemasks can have a real potential , but just as with lockdowns , only when applied appropriately , at the right time and under the right circumstances .
I don ’ t subscribe to the right wing US idea that it is all just a bad joke and a means to oppress people .
But if you order people to wear masks outside , where the infection risk borders on zero , and you order churches closed but not demonstrations or Target , you just show you understand neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then try and claw that one back .
Once again : tell your government to order – and have available ASAP : a billion rapid tests , a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) , a billion doses of zinc , a billion doses of Vitamin D , and a zillion N95 facemasks .
You may not be perfect , but your prospects are going to be a lot better than they are now .
We try to run the Automatic Earth on donations .
Since ad revenue has collapsed , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process .
Thank you for your ongoing support .

by Raúl Ilargi Meijer
Joel Meyerowitz/Beetles + Huxley New York City 1978
Of course, because I’m a dreamer, I start off an essay like this with the idea that I should do an all-encompassing idea of COVID19, all around the world no less, for the rest of 2020, and beyond. Only to find that nobody, including me, even if I have a few advantages over most, could possibly do such a thing. So of necessity there’ll be this essay and many more to come. As the US elections set the world on fire.
I did make a list of what every government, every society and community should be ordering by now (and that would be already very late) Here they are: A billion rapid tests, a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a billion doses of zinc, a billion doses of Vitamin D, and a zillion N95 facemasks. (I am not a doctor, but we do have doctors on this platform.)
Rapid tests: these things have been available for months, but have been obstructed by guidelines that say every test must be PCR, which take a long time to produce results, which test positive on dead virus etc. etc. Whereas rapid tests (there are several options) detect a virus load when it’s most likely to infect a third person (the no. 1 thing you want to find!, and moreover show a result in minutes and cost a few pennies each (don’t fall for the $5 a test thing!). You can do a paper test for everyone every single day.
We have this, we got this, but we’re not doing it. The answer from the politicians who have failed to grasp this reality will be: another lockdown! But there won’t be another lockdown. Or, there will be in some locations, but what good is that if neighbors don’t lock down? More on that in a bit.
Hydroxychloroquine (or ivermectin) and zinc -combined if you will with an antibiotic- for those who are infected or close to it, combined with a substantial increase in everyone’s vitamin D levels in your population -right now, you already lost half a year!- will bring down death and suffering enormously. Don’t listen to your doctor, listen to us.
A bit of -potential- harsh reality came to us today through a report from Washington University’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. They predict total deaths to triple globally, and double in the US, in less than four months from today.
Total COVID19 Deaths Projected To Double In US, Triple in World By Jan. 1
U.S. deaths from the coronavirus will reach 410,000 by the end of the year, more than double the current death toll, and deaths could soar to 3,000 per day in December, the University of Washington’s health institute forecast on Friday. Deaths could be reduced by 30% if more Americans wore face masks as epidemiologists have advised, but mask-wearing is declining, the university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said. The U.S. death rate projected by the IHME model, which has been cited by the White House Coronavirus Task Force, would more than triple the current death rate of some 850 per day.
“We expect the daily death rate in the United States, because of seasonality and declining vigilance of the public, to reach nearly 3,000 a day in December,” the institute, which bills itself as an independent research center, said in an update of its periodic forecasts. “Cumulative deaths expected by January 1 are 410,000; this is 225,000 deaths from now until the end of the year,” the institute said. It previously projected 317,697 deaths by Dec. 1. The model’s outlook for the world was even more dire, with deaths projected to triple to 2.8 million by Jan. 1, 2021.
No, I won’t take back one word of what I’ve been saying about the best ways to tackle COVD19 over the past 8 months, for instance in April 15’s The Only Man Who Has A Clue about Nassim Taleb. He was still right, and that’s not going to change. But that doesn’t mean nothing has changed. Actually, a lot has.
Taleb’s approach, and that of his “co-conspirators” Yaneer Bar-Yam and Joe Norman, is as valid as it ever was, but that validity doesn’t last forever if it is not applied by those in charge of policy. It hasn’t been and today we’re way past the best-before date. Which, as we will see going forward, is highly unfortunate, because all the alternatives are -much- worse.
We’ve seen an entire world, and tons of governments in that world, caught with no blueprints and no playbooks for a coronavirus pandemic, despite having been warned about such a pandemic coming, for decades. And so they all went into “make it up as you go along” mode. With very little knowledge of what was going on, and what to expect.
With predictable failures as a result. But because the pandemic has largely played out on a national level, not international, they manage to keep their failures hidden behind a facade of “we listened to the best science”, “nobody could have seen this coming”, and “if only people had listened to (obeyed)” what we said all along.
As I explained in the Taleb piece, the first, the initial, scientists to refer to in a case like SARS-CoV-2 are not epidemiologists, because they are backward looking; they compare the little they know about a new virus with what they know about earlier ones. Even if it’s all essentially a mismatch.
Instead, the first people you consult are risk specialists; yes, like Taleb. To know what the -necessarily basic- steps are to take against something you know very little about, other than it is contagious and potentially lethal. One of the obvious steps is close your borders.Another is a lockdown. But a lockdown is not a lockdown is not a lockdown. If you don’t get it right, it’s useless, oppressive and even harmfully counterproductive.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
That’s why blueprints and playbooks, written well before a pandemic happens, are so important. You should never leave those things up to politicians, who don’t understand the matter at hand, who will always have other interests in mind (the economy), and will therefore assemble a bunch of local epidemiologists in order to declare: we’re listening to science!
Most of these people mean well, but that’s not enough. And with that, we’re moving out of the summer time and into, what?, COVID 2.0? With Lockdowns 2.0? There is no need. Here’s what you do: Order a billion rapid tests, a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a billion doses of zinc, a billion doses of Vitamin D, and a zillion N95 facemasks.
Not the crappy bluish masks everyone’s wearing today, that’s just a symbolic thing, but get the real thing, for everyone. How many has your government offered to you to date, while spending billions of trillions on the effects of the virus? Really, politicians are always useless when it comes to emergencies, because that’s not what they get elected for.
And no, face masks are not useless, but they certainly are outside. The risk of you getting infected -or infecting someone- are infinitesimal on the street. Unless someone spits or coughs in your face, but if that happens, that bluish mask won’t do much good anyway. So when I see a photo like this, of Japanese girls en masse wearing almost useless masks (only because the others do it too), I can only think: why don’t we teach people what works and what doesn’t? (I see the same thing here in Athens a lot too)
But so, yeah if your government won’t protect you with a billion rapid tests, a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a billion doses of zinc, a billion doses of Vitamin D, and a zillion N95 facemasks., they’re going to be thinking Lockdown 2.0. And that is going to be a huge problem in many places. There are very big problems in Melbourne as we speak:
Melbourne Lockdown Extended By Two Weeks
A strict lockdown in the Australian city of Melbourne has been extended by two weeks, with officials saying new Covid-19 cases had not dropped enough. Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews said the restrictions would be in place until 28 September, with a slight relaxation. A gradual easing of the measures will be implemented from October. The state has been the epicentre of the country’s second wave, accounting for 90% of Australia’s 753 deaths. Australia has recorded a total of 26,000 cases in a population of 25 million. The greater Melbourne area entered a second lockdown on 9 July after a rise in cases. A 5km (3 mile) travel limit and night time curfew was imposed while shops and businesses were closed. The current stage four lockdown was originally set to end on 13 September.
2nd lockdowns are going to be hell to pay, for governments, for their citizens, for their economies. And they don’t have to be. If just everyone gets out the Fauci, “experts”, mood., and their potential connections to Big Pharma. Vitamin D and zinc and HCS look very promising. So does the Russian vaccine, but we don’t want it because, well, it’s Russian, and even more because it would deprive Gilead et al of huge potential profits furnished by western governments.
No, not all lockdowns are terrible. But a lock down should last maximum 2 months, or you will needlessly destroy your economy. Thing is, you must make sure it’s real, effective and short, not some Swedish or Dutch half-lockdown, or any of the half-assed US ones. A lockdown is either a lockdown or it’s not. But we’ve already passed that fase. Lockdowns in most locations will simply no longer be accepted.
Facemasks can have a real potential, but just as with lockdowns, only when applied appropriately, at the right time and under the right circumstances. I don’t subscribe to the right wing US idea that it is all just a bad joke and a means to oppress people. But if you order people to wear masks outside, where the infection risk borders on zero, and you order churches closed but not demonstrations or Target, you just show you understand neither the virus not your people. And then try and claw that one back.
Once again: tell your government to order – and have available ASAP: a billion rapid tests, a billion doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a billion doses of zinc, a billion doses of Vitamin D, and a zillion N95 facemasks. You may not be perfect, but your prospects are going to be a lot better than they are now.
We try to run the Automatic Earth on donations. Since ad revenue has collapsed, your support is now an integral part of the process.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Support the Automatic Earth in virustime.