U.S. sticks it to americans and all in Thailand

[spidermike007]

18 hours ago, Thomas J said:

I am a USA citizen.  I don't expect the USA or for that matter any country to jump through hoops to send vaccines to its citizens residing outside of their own borders.  You know full well if the USA send money to countries including Thailand to fund the purchase of vaccines it would never make its intended purpose.  Likewise, if the USA sent vaccines for its citizens, and the Germans for theirs and the U.K. for theirs what a nightmare.  

Further, I saw that France was sending 1 million doses of vaccine to Thailand with only 400,000 being earmarked for French Expatiates.  Now I wonder exactly what will become of those extra 600,000 doses.   Reports are that it is the one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  Now has anyone heard of a sign up for Thai citizens to get Johnson & Johnson anywhere? 

 

It would have to be done in such a way that the government here had no connection with what they were doing. It would serve as a slap in the face to corrupt officials here, it would serve as a statement that we acknowledge the extend of your horrendous failure, and it would be a service to the expat community. But, as I said before, they just do not care. So, it is what it is. 

[Thomas J]

31 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It would have to be done in such a way that the government here had no connection with what they were doing.

Now that is delusional.  Thailand is a sovereign nation.  There is no way the USA or any other country could impose having vaccines sent to Thailand without it being known.  Any shipment coming into the country goes through customs.  

 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Thomas J said:

Now that is delusional.  Thailand is a sovereign nation.  There is no way the USA or any other country could impose having vaccines sent to Thailand without it being known.  Any shipment coming into the country goes through customs.  

 

I am suggesting they smuggle it in, in diplomatic cargo if necessary. 

 

There are certain lines a nation or a group cross in life, that essentially self revoke the right to honor, esteem, or the upholding of the law. Thailand has done just that. No respect is deserved, nor should it be given, at this stage. They had their chance to get this right. 

 

The French are doing just such an act by vaccinating their own. They are essentially saying you guys blew it, now we take charge. Good on them. Humiliation can be a good thing, sometimes. 

Edited June 26, 2021 by spidermike007

[Heng]

They could do it, and they could spin it to where everyone looked good too.  That's the American way.   

It's they choose not to (right now anyway).   One thing that could change it would be just a few news stories about American expats dying without ventilators here, the further in the sticks the better; or maybe some moderately humorous TikToks about you trying to register for your vaccine here on apps that aren't in English and don't work for you anyway.   Not wishing that on anyone of course, but those kind of optics would go a lot further (with both local and home country governments) than strongly worded letters and tweets.

[Thomas J]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The French are doing just such an act by vaccinating their own. They are essentially saying you guys blew it, now we take charge. Good on them. Humiliation can be a good thing, sometimes. 

Smuggle it in.  And just exactly how assuming you could do it would you communicate to the expatriates living in Thailand it was available and where could the expatriates get covert medical personnel who would inject them.  Of course one minor problem with Pfizer and Moderna is that they need to be kept at sub zero temperatures but if you could smuggle the shipment in, and get medical personnel to covertly inject U.S. citizens here in Thailand without the Thai government discovering it, the freezers throughout Thailand to store it should be the least of the challenge. 

As for the French.  They "reportedly" were sending 1 million doses of Johnson & Johnson with 400,000 being earmarked for French Citizens.  Now what exactly do you suppose the extra 600,000 doses were for?   I suspect you won't see any J&J vaccine being distributed any time soon to Thai citizens though it "may" end up for sale mysteriously at private hospitals in Thailand. 

 

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[placeholder]

17 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Smuggle it in.  And just exactly how assuming you could do it would you communicate to the expatriates living in Thailand it was available and where could the expatriates get covert medical personnel who would inject them.  Of course one minor problem with Pfizer and Moderna is that they need to be kept at sub zero temperatures but if you could smuggle the shipment in, and get medical personnel to covertly inject U.S. citizens here in Thailand without the Thai government discovering it, the freezers throughout Thailand to store it should be the least of the challenge. 

As for the French.  They "reportedly" were sending 1 million doses of Johnson & Johnson with 400,000 being earmarked for French Citizens.  Now what exactly do you suppose the extra 600,000 doses were for?   I suspect you won't see any J&J vaccine being distributed any time soon to Thai citizens though it "may" end up for sale mysteriously at private hospitals in Thailand. 

 

Too much to expect 2 sensible paragraphs in a row. How would the hospitals account for the chain of transmission of the J&J vaccine? You don't think there would be questions right away about it's provenance?

[placeholder]

On 6/25/2021 at 7:55 AM, club said:

If that's the case maybe i will stop paying taxes. They are vaccinating many non citizens there and illegal aliens that dont pay any taxes

Definitely better not to open vaccinations to all the people that are there. After all, it's a well known fact that only American citizens, holders of green cards, and all others legally in the United States  are the only people who can infect, American ciizens, holders of green cars, and all others legally in the United States. This is what happens when policy is guided by scientists and other leftists.

[chessman]

As in all of these threads, there seems to be very little acknowledgment of the organisational infrastructure needed to vaccinate people. It’s not as simple as the US just sending over the required amount of vaccine.

 

When I had my vaccine here, there were 8 different stations I had to go through, filling in forms, going through my medical history, having my blood pressure taken and the like.  Most had nurses at them. 

 

Embassies would have to do it through hospitals and one can understand that Thailand may not be happy with Thai hospitals being used to vaccinate people, some of whom would be much less at risk than Thai citizens who were not yet able to get the vaccine.

 

What should happen is that governments should be able to reach an agreement on ‘donating’ vaccine that would guarantee the citizens of that country a jab. Say it was a 3 to 1 ratio. So if there were 50,000 American expats in Thailand who need 2 jabs, the US would donate 300,000 doses and US citizens who wanted a vaccine would be guaranteed one. Everyone wins if this is done.

Edited June 26, 2021 by chessman

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, chessman said:

As in all of these threads, there seems to be very little acknowledgment of the organisational infrastructure needed to vaccinate people. It’s not as simple as the US just sending over the required amount of vaccine.

 

When I had my vaccine here, there were 8 different stations I had to go through, filling in forms, going through my medical history, having my blood pressure taken and the like.  Most had nurses at them. 

 

Embassies would have to do it through hospitals and one can understand that Thailand may not be happy with Thai hospitals being used to vaccinate people, some of whom would be much less at risk than Thai citizens who were not yet able to get the vaccine.

 

What should happen is that governments should be able to reach an agreement on ‘donating’ vaccine that would guarantee the citizens of that country a jab. Say it was a 3 to 1 ratio. So if there were 50,000 American expats in Thailand who need 2 jabs, the US would donate 300,000 doses and US citizens who wanted a vaccine would be guaranteed one. Everyone wins if this is done.

All of those protocols are overkill.

They're not written in stone.

Do you think all that happens when Americans WALK IN to get jabs at pharmacies?

I think you're making up problems that don't exist. Maybe the embassy is hiring?

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Jingthing

[chessman]

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

All of those protocols are overkill.

You may consider them overkill but can you imagine what would happen if someone had a bad reaction from a vaccine because their blood pressure was abnormal before the shot, or they weren’t monitored properly for 30 minutes afterwards?
 

if anything, embassies would be even more cautious.

 

there is no way it could happen without it being administered through hospitals.

[Jingthing]

23 minutes ago, chessman said:

You may consider them overkill but can you imagine what would happen if someone had a bad reaction from a vaccine because their blood pressure was abnormal before the shot, or they weren’t monitored properly for 30 minutes afterwards?
 

if anything, embassies would be even more cautious.

 

there is no way it could happen without it being administered through hospitals.

What I meant was that you don't need all the protocols. Of course have people sit for 30 minutes. No big deal.  Are U.S. pharmacies and Walmarts hospitals?

Edited June 27, 2021 by Jingthing

[kurtmartens]

I will add fuel to this fire so to speak.  Working in development I am routinely amazed by what I see, but for once I was left a bit speechless this morning while reading the news from the White House.  President Biden was announcing the latest aid package to prop up the failing administration in Kabul - soon to be toppled by the Taliban (a different topic).  It included the usual and expected BS - $226 million is USAID, $3.3 billion in additional defense aid (likely to pay the Afghan army to not switch sides and pay US defense contractors to as well) and then I read ... 3 million doses of J&J vaccine.  <deleted>?!  Normally I wouldn't care, but just this week I got that ridiculous letter from the Embassy telling us how they can't provide vaccines to expats because of the logistical nightmare etc, etc - which is also complete BS as any 3rd rate project manager could plan it out - but now we are sending 3 million doses to Afghanistan in the middle of withdrawing our troops and walking away after 20 years.

 

I worked there for 9+ years and managed operations there as part of my region for 15 years in total.  There is no way on God's green Earth that the Afghan Ministry of Health is going to be able to manage to vaccinate 3 million people in an orderly fashion - I wouldn't be surprised if most of the vaccine is either sold on the blackmarket or ends up being useless due to improper storage. 

 

And yet, the US Government can't take care of its expat community, because of "logistical" issues.  I doubt it, but I hope someone from State is reading this who can answer why we are sending 3 million doses to Afghanistan and can't help American expats at all.  And without some silly "we are helping the people of Afghanistan" answer BS.  I work in development.  I worked in Afghanistan.  I likely have more experience in both than you.  Sending 3 million doses to a failed country that our administration is in the middle of abandoning ... so much for Americans coming first.  

[kurtmartens]

25 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

What I meant was that you don't need all the protocols. Of course have people sit for 30 minutes. No big deal.  Are U.S. pharmacies and Walmarts hospitals?

You have it administered at hospitals.  What is the issue?  That is how China did it for the citizens here.  It doesn't need to be done at the actual Embassy.  It can be contracted out to one of the hospital chains that are in the major 2 cities (Bangkok and Chiangmai).  The Embassy could easily contract with Bangkok Hospital to administer this.  

 

This isn't a massive issue.  The fact is, the US has a bigger interest in giving away the vaccines to countries as part of development aid packages vs assisting it's expat community.  Now what the US should do is tell Thailand we will GIVE you 10 million doses of J&J or Pfizer as long as you agree to put our citizens at the top of the list.  (But, of course that would likely cut into the potential revenue stream the Thai government has created from the AZ vaccine factory in Thailand now ... )

[Jingthing]

10 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

You have it administered at hospitals.  What is the issue?  That is how China did it for the citizens here.  It doesn't need to be done at the actual Embassy.  It can be contracted out to one of the hospital chains that are in the major 2 cities (Bangkok and Chiangmai).  The Embassy could easily contract with Bangkok Hospital to administer this.  

 

This isn't a massive issue.  The fact is, the US has a bigger interest in giving away the vaccines to countries as part of development aid packages vs assisting it's expat community.  Now what the US should do is tell Thailand we will GIVE you 10 million doses of J&J or Pfizer as long as you agree to put our citizens at the top of the list.  (But, of course that would likely cut into the potential revenue stream the Thai government has created from the AZ vaccine factory in Thailand now ... )

It's doable. That's for sure. Any excuses that the US can't do it are lame. France can do it but the USA can't? Give us a  break. The US doesn't want to do it. I'm trying to understand why. All I can think of is politics.  There is nothing to be gained politically from helping expats from a country where expats are widely considered as kind of traitors if they're thought about at all.

Edited June 27, 2021 by Jingthing

[kurtmartens]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's doable. That's for sure. Any excuses that the US can't do it are lame. France can do it but the USA can't? Give us a  break. The US doesn't want to do it. I'm trying to understand why. All I can think of is politics.  There is nothing to be gained politically from helping expats from a country where expats are widely considered as kind of traitors if they're thought about at all.

Thats right, like I said.  The US gains more by giving away the vaccines as part of development aid packages instead of helping its own expat citizens.  Its obviously not a monetary gain, unlike the rest of the aid packages, but its a massive PR gain.   

 

As far as the traitor comment.  I wouldn't go that far.  I don't think expats are considered traitors by most other US citizens.  I don't think we are even thought about.  Plus there are so many types of expats - its hard to lump them together.  For example, I am an expat only because I work overseas not because I am retired or refusing to pay taxes or don't agree with the US politics, etc.  

[spidermike007]

18 hours ago, Heng said:

They could do it, and they could spin it to where everyone looked good too.  That's the American way.   

It's they choose not to (right now anyway).   One thing that could change it would be just a few news stories about American expats dying without ventilators here, the further in the sticks the better; or maybe some moderately humorous TikToks about you trying to register for your vaccine here on apps that aren't in English and don't work for you anyway.   Not wishing that on anyone of course, but those kind of optics would go a lot further (with both local and home country governments) than strongly worded letters and tweets.

Excellent idea. Utter humiliation is what the goons richly deserve. However we can inflict that is a good thing. 

[spidermike007]

16 hours ago, Thomas J said:

Smuggle it in.  And just exactly how assuming you could do it would you communicate to the expatriates living in Thailand it was available and where could the expatriates get covert medical personnel who would inject them.  Of course one minor problem with Pfizer and Moderna is that they need to be kept at sub zero temperatures but if you could smuggle the shipment in, and get medical personnel to covertly inject U.S. citizens here in Thailand without the Thai government discovering it, the freezers throughout Thailand to store it should be the least of the challenge. 

As for the French.  They "reportedly" were sending 1 million doses of Johnson & Johnson with 400,000 being earmarked for French Citizens.  Now what exactly do you suppose the extra 600,000 doses were for?   I suspect you won't see any J&J vaccine being distributed any time soon to Thai citizens though it "may" end up for sale mysteriously at private hospitals in Thailand. 

 

Alot of cynicism. Why not direct that animosity towards the incompetent ones, who have put us all into this position to begin with? 

 

And please enlighten us with your creative solutions to this current mess. Just wait? 

[Thomas J]

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Alot of cynicism. Why not direct that animosity towards the incompetent ones, who have put us all into this position to begin with? 

 

And please enlighten us with your creative solutions to this current mess. Just wait? 

I am here in Thailand because ' I chose to be here"  To now expect that the USA or for that matter any country moves heaven and earth to make things convenient for those who choose to live outside of the home country borders is ludicrous.  If the vaccine is so important to you, there are flights leaving to the mainland, or Guam.  Inconvenient, expensive, yes.  But that is not the fault of the USA.  

I am a citizen also of the USA, I certainly don't expect them to smuggle vaccines and even if they did, there is no way they could conceal them being distributed.   I am patiently waiting for when the private hospitals here have a supply of either Pfizer or Moderna.  If as time goes on, it appears that vaccines are readily available quicker in places like Singapore, and there is no quarantine requirement to return to Thailand, I may consider flying there.  Yep, expensive, yep, inconvenient but just like Medicare does not cover me here in Thailand, I don't expect the USA to try and locate every expatriate sequestered in locations throughout the world and make vaccine show up at their doorstep. 

[bwpage3]

The vaccine is not the cure-all many make it out to be.

 

People with both doses are still getting covid.

 

Both doses gives you an effective vaccine for 6 months. Then what?

 

There is no proof as of yet that vaccinated the masses is a final end all solution.

 

People are panicking because they have no access to the vaccine.

 

Do you honestly trust ALL the vaccines offered in Thailand?

 

Getting a vaccine that was rushed to market, only time will tell how effective each vaccine really is.

 

I have had both Moderna shots.

 

I have never felt I am immune from getting Covid and still wear a mask when I go out and social distance.

 

Only time will tell; if we can get the governments to stop lying.

 

 

 

 

[kurtmartens]

1 hour ago, Thomas J said:

I am here in Thailand because ' I chose to be here"  To now expect that the USA or for that matter any country moves heaven and earth to make things convenient for those who choose to live outside of the home country borders is ludicrous.  If the vaccine is so important to you, there are flights leaving to the mainland, or Guam.  Inconvenient, expensive, yes.  But that is not the fault of the USA.  

I am a citizen also of the USA, I certainly don't expect them to smuggle vaccines and even if they did, there is no way they could conceal them being distributed.   I am patiently waiting for when the private hospitals here have a supply of either Pfizer or Moderna.  If as time goes on, it appears that vaccines are readily available quicker in places like Singapore, and there is no quarantine requirement to return to Thailand, I may consider flying there.  Yep, expensive, yep, inconvenient but just like Medicare does not cover me here in Thailand, I don't expect the USA to try and locate every expatriate sequestered in locations throughout the world and make vaccine show up at their doorstep. 

Why shouldn't you expect your country to look after you wherever you are in the world?  Are you willing to give up your passport then for a less acceptable one?  And if the USG was smart, Medicare would cover you here.  It would certainly cost less.  The VA covers folks here.  

 

It would take very little effort to provide the vaccine to expats would want it outside the US.  I still pay my taxes, why shouldn't I receive the benefits that folks living within the US receive?

[kurtmartens]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

The vaccine is not the cure-all many make it out to be.

 

People with both doses are still getting covid.

 

Both doses gives you an effective vaccine for 6 months. Then what?

 

There is no proof as of yet that vaccinated the masses is a final end all solution.

 

People are panicking because they have no access to the vaccine.

 

Do you honestly trust ALL the vaccines offered in Thailand?

 

Getting a vaccine that was rushed to market, only time will tell how effective each vaccine really is.

 

I have had both Moderna shots.

 

I have never felt I am immune from getting Covid and still wear a mask when I go out and social distance.

 

Only time will tell; if we can get the governments to stop lying.

 

 

 

 

No one on here has said its a "cure-all".  And no government has said it 100% effective either.  

[Thomas J]

6 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

t would take very little effort to provide the vaccine to expats would want it outside the US.  I still pay my taxes, why shouldn't I receive the benefits that folks living within the US receive?

I don't know where you get your information that "it would take very little effort"   You have upwards of 200 different countries in the world.  I have no idea how many have residents here in Thailand but lets say it is 75.  That means you have 75 countries all trying to work out logistics with Thailand to supply the vaccine, get it shipped to Thailand, and distributed to all regions of the country and make arrangements with facilities throughout Thailand to inject in "only for citizens of their country"  And you think that would require little effort.  As to why you shouldn't receive those benefits that others get in the USA, wake up in the morning, look outside, you and Toto are not in Kansas anymore.  That was your decision and decisions come with consequences. You are also not being denied any benefit due to other USA taxpayers.  Show up in the USA and you will get exactly what they got,  Free vaccine at centers throughout the country.  They did not get the benefit of flying to another country and able to get the vaccine at the location of their choosing.  Neither should you. 

  You have expatriates flung to all corners of the globe and it should not be the responsibility of the USA government or any government to shield them from the "inconvenience" of their decision.  

[kurtmartens]

20 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

I don't know where you get your information that "it would take very little effort"   You have upwards of 200 different countries in the world.  I have no idea how many have residents here in Thailand but lets say it is 75.  That means you have 75 countries all trying to work out logistics with Thailand to supply the vaccine, get it shipped to Thailand, and distributed to all regions of the country and make arrangements with facilities throughout Thailand to inject in "only for citizens of their country"  And you think that would require little effort.  As to why you shouldn't receive those benefits that others get in the USA, wake up in the morning, look outside, you and Toto are not in Kansas anymore.  That was your decision and decisions come with consequences. You are also not being denied any benefit due to other USA taxpayers.  Show up in the USA and you will get exactly what they got,  Free vaccine at centers throughout the country.  They did not get the benefit of flying to another country and able to get the vaccine at the location of their choosing.  Neither should you. 

  You have expatriates flung to all corners of the globe and it should not be the responsibility of the USA government or any government to shield them from the "inconvenience" of their decision.  

There are 8.7 million expats globally.  That is the number you use.  You don't use the number of countries.  I get the "it would take very little effort", because I handle global operations and logistics for the government as a living.  So, I do think and know that it would require very little effort especially if the actual delivery of the vaccine is contracted out to large local hospitals (in the case of Thailand, Bangkok Hospital could manage it in Bangkok and Chiangmai as an example).  And private hospitals would have no issues handling this type of contract, they in fact have done it already.  In smaller countries, the medical staff at the Embassy is capable.  

 

So I don't need a lecture from you, since you don't know my qualifications to speak about this.  I am not some retired, cynical "cheap Charlie" expat living in Thailand on my social security.  Yes, I am based here.  And that is a matter of convenience as I like Thailand and am married to a Thai national.  I could just as easily be based in Dubai were we lived for years and were my work mainly takes place as I cover the MENA region.  So you really shouldn't jump to conclusions and maybe you and Toto should go hurry home to Kansas yourself since I merely asked why you thought the US shouldn't take care of it's citizens abroad .... 

 

 

[Thomas J]

2 hours ago, kurtmartens said:

There are 8.7 million expats globally

That has to be a figure for US expatriates only.  Why do you feel the USA should be the only country that provides for its citizens.  My use of the 75 other countries is totally appropriate.  If the USA should provide for its citizens abroad why not the UK, Australia, Canada etc and of course each of those countries would require separate negotiations with all of the countries spread throughout the world.  Nonsense it is easy. 

Again, you made the choice to live abroad.  Now suddenly you don't want to be treated "equally" you want special treatment because of your decision.  A U.S. citizen living in the USA can not fly to any other country in the world and expect the USA government to make the vaccine available to wherever in the world they choose to visit.  Same with you.  You are treated absolutely identical to every other U.S. citizen.  Go to any hospital or pharmacy that is providing the vaccines to US citizens and you too will get one.  The fact that you have to get on a plane to do it is really no different than then person in the USA has to get into their car to get it.  It is just a matter of cost and the degree of inconvenience and that sir was caused by you.  So don't expect special treatment because you chose to live outside the confines of the borders of the USA. 

[jerrymahoney]

22 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

So don't expect special treatment because you chose to live outside the confines of the borders of the USA. 

Well there are now about 20 US Senators including 4 Republicans who are on the record not seeming to agree with you.

[Jingthing]

Aside from the other obvious reasons (why bother? it's an effort where there is no political cost to not making) there is a specific political reason that President Biden has in not helping expats. That became clear to me in his speech in Europe where he announced the donation of half a billion doses globally. In that speech, he took pains to point out this donation was NO STRINGS ATTACHED, no favors asked or expected of the foreign nation recipients. Any suggestion that there should be any relation between vaccine donations and programs to specifically help U.S. expats abroad clearly is contrary to that political goal. Do I agree with framing it that way? Hell no! But I think this is part of why this is going to be hard to succeed in changing the state department policy.

[kurtmartens]

32 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

That has to be a figure for US expatriates only.  Why do you feel the USA should be the only country that provides for its citizens.  My use of the 75 other countries is totally appropriate.  If the USA should provide for its citizens abroad why not the UK, Australia, Canada etc and of course each of those countries would require separate negotiations with all of the countries spread throughout the world.  Nonsense it is easy. 

Again, you made the choice to live abroad.  Now suddenly you don't want to be treated "equally" you want special treatment because of your decision.  A U.S. citizen living in the USA can not fly to any other country in the world and expect the USA government to make the vaccine available to wherever in the world they choose to visit.  Same with you.  You are treated absolutely identical to every other U.S. citizen.  Go to any hospital or pharmacy that is providing the vaccines to US citizens and you too will get one.  The fact that you have to get on a plane to do it is really no different than then person in the USA has to get into their car to get it.  It is just a matter of cost and the degree of inconvenience and that sir was caused by you.  So don't expect special treatment because you chose to live outside the confines of the borders of the USA. 

Of course that figure is US expats only - we are only talking about US expats.  And your statement, "why not the UK, Oz, Canada, etc"?  Have you not read the news?  France has already provided vaccines for their and Belgium's expats in Thailand.  China as well.  And frankly, I don't care what other countries are doing for their citizens.  I care what my country is doing for mine.  

 

And you can keep saying nonsense all you want, but unless you are a PMP or a loggie who works in this field everyday I'll stick to my professional opinion that if the US wanted to arrange vaccines for its expat community (it could and) it would not be an impossible undertaking by any means.  And it would be an easy contract to arrange with most private hospitals in developed countries and if not, the medical teams in the embassies could manage otherwise.  

 

Yes, I made a choice to live abroad.  So what.  I didn't make a choice to given up my rights as a US citizen.  I didn't stop paying my taxes.  Choosing to be an expat doesn't void anything.  Thats like saying when the US evacuates its citizens from a country due to natural disaster or war that they shouldn't, because they chose to live there.  You are just sounding like a typical bitter expat.   

[kurtmartens]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Aside from the other obvious reasons (why bother? it's an effort where there is no political cost to not making) there is a specific political reason that President Biden has in not helping expats. That became clear to me in his speech in Europe where he announced the donation of half a billion doses globally. In that speech, he took pains to point out this donation was NO STRINGS ATTACHED, no favors asked or expected of the foreign nation recipients. Any suggestion that there should be any relation between vaccine donations and programs to specifically help U.S. expats abroad clearly is contrary to that political goal. Do I agree with framing it that way? Hell no! But I think this is part of why this is going to be hard to succeed in changing the state department policy.

You are 101% correct.  The senators can kick up all they want, sadly they aren't going to get the White House and/or State to change the policy.  The vaccines are an aid development tool.  They are too valuable to waste on expats when they can be used as part of large aid packages.  The no strings attached thing is a bit a laugh as all aid packages have strings attached one way or another.  

 

And by tomorrow I will have, sadly, calmed down and moved on.

[Thomas J]

1 hour ago, kurtmartens said:

You are just sounding like a typical bitter expat

The fact that France is doing it and China is hardly a justification for the remainder of the world to do that.  You seem to miss the point that if countries such as Thailand accommodate the USA with the logistic support to give vaccine to U.S. expatriates they can hardly deny doing the same when other countries also say, we are going to send vaccines please do the same for us.  Only give the vaccines we provide to our citizens.  A nightmare scenario.  Are the hospitals suppose to have storage with the vials marked " for U.S. expatriate only"  

The reality is that the U.S. government does not send a taxi to the home of every U.S. citizen to transport the vaccine to them or conversely them to the vaccine to make it more convenient.  What makes you so privileged that they should make special arrangements to meet your decision to live here. 

No you didn't forego your rights when you chose to move here.  You also didn't inherit any new ones.  As said, you have the same right as any U.S. citizen to get vaccine where it is being provided. Not where you are anyone else wants it to be provided to be "convenient"   Instead of grousing about what the U.S.A. should do perhaps you should take it upon yourself to solve the issue.  Hope on a plane and go to Guam or the mainland.  

In terms of being a bitter expatriate, I am the one saying that all I expected from the U.S. government is what the constitution says I am entitled to, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  I certainly don't expect nor never did for free vaccine at my doorstep, free college, free universal health care, or free anything else for that matter.  If you don't like the "inconveniences" of living abroad perhaps you should rethink your decision to reside here. 

Edited June 27, 2021 by Thomas J