Conversation from overseas

From a Sunday conversation online with a friend living overseas

Friend: Looks like to me that the US is in collapse...social, spiritual, moral and economic....Hey, is it martial law there? Tell me about Trump and lack of gov response. Is it true Operation Defender 2020 was cancelled? Heard Germany and others pulling out.

Bruce: Not clear on that - a war game up in Norway was cancelled - but the Defender 2020 not certain - I think scaled back maybe - the US is reluctant I'm sure to cancel.  But I imagine that Europeans will likely pull back from it.

Friend: So, what about the situation across the US?

Bruce: Here things are disorganized - little to no testing - only 10,000 tests nationwide so far (as of March 15) while South Korea is doing 10,000 tests each day. Not at all ready for it.  They want to privatize some of the testing which likely means folks will have to pay to get tested.  All very typical for American capitalism.

Friend: I think the global elite, ala the ancient bloodline families are behind it all and going for the kill.

Bruce: It could be - they are sure going to hollow out the global economy and leave alot of folks hanging. We went to 2 Reny's stores yesterday - shelves stocked quite full - unlike Hannafords (corporate chain grocery).

Friend: Just reading the front pages of NYT and WaPo, sounds like all hell has broken lose there. No sports of any kind, no Broadway, no gatherings of more than 200, no school, no work, no airlines, no nothing....that's a total collapse of society

Bruce: Damn near right - not sure how much longer BIW can stay open though they will push those workers as long as they can - going to be interesting there. (See this article here updating the BIW story - workers are offered 2 weeks of unpaid leave.  Also Lisa Savage reaction is in the article.)

Friend: Can't believe those workers won't just stay home with all the panic.

Bruce: More and more of them are young - Peter's (retired BIW worker we know) generation are retiring - so the young folks likely think they are invincible or are desperate for the $$$.

Friend: Well, I can't see how BIW can stay open when everything is being shut down...What was your take on Trump and the gov's response?

Bruce: Feeble. It will be fascinating though to see how people respond - cause this is neo-feudalism, except you get to watch the fall live on big screen TV - until the cable company shuts off the service. Then all hell will break out.

Friend: You think they are gonna shut down cable and internet?

Bruce:  If they ain't making $$$ what are they gonna do?  People won't be able to pay their bills cause they are out of work - TV cable bill becomes next up to let go - then what is the corporate cable company gonna do?  Boom.  No more wrestling likely either on TV - that will piss off Trump's base.

Friend: I need your analysis and take on things....being asked to speak about this shit now.