THE WEEK THAT WAS Covid: I can’t help thinking we’re being taken for fools

[rooster59]

 

Having always loved the cut and thrust of politics, one of Rooster’s favorite delights is to tune into Sky’s coverage of the UK Houses of Parliament for Prime Minister’s question time every Wednesday. 

 

I also love a good laugh having quit the UK when I was knee high to a tukkataen (now you’ve learned the word for a grasshopper).

 

This week Boris Johnson was under fire for having parties 12 months ago while his compatriots were in lockdown and couldn’t go to funerals. 

 

Opposition leader Keir Starmer said that he was taking the British public for fools.

 

This week it seemed it was not just the Brits - are we not all feeling like we’ve been trussed up like a kipper since Omicron came on the scene?

 

Now Rooster’s been a good little puppy (I prefer not to use the world “sheeple” because I don’t know the singular).

 

I’ve worn my mask everywhere, even on the motorbike. Fist bumped my mates and kept a few meters away when we’ve occasionally met “offline”. Not dared to seek out a speak-easy.  Educated my children at home for two years while paying full fees. Locked myself and my family away like prisoners. Had two jabs in my arms when I hadn’t had any vaccines since I was a kid. 

 

Believed in the 70% herd immunity. Believed in the “must learn to live with Covid” rhetoric. Believed that our individual efforts would be for the greater good.

 

I’ve even done my best maintaining hope that good times were just around the corner.

 

The BBC announced yesterday that two doses of vaccine are not enough to stop you catching Omicron. Even a third booster will give only 75% protection against symptoms.

 

Government minister Gove said it was “deeply concerning” as the UK heads for 100,000 infections in weeks and more “threats to the health system”.

 

In Thailand - where we see similar trends but where only about 5% of the population  are triple vaxxed - the doctors have said Omicron will be the most prevalent strain soon. 

 

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where this is heading. Even I can do the sum: “Song buak song = sii”

 

Voila!

 

More of my prison sentence. More being an unpaid teacher. More restrictions. More misery. More arguments with the missus because we’ve gone stir crazy. Patience has worn thinner than my bank balance.

 

The carpet of hope that was vaccines is being pulled from under us. AstraZeneca and Pfizer - two of the most widely used in Thailand are now looking as effective as Sinovac was against Delta. 

 

Moderna and J and J are expected to be the same.  

 

And what is all this for exactly? What replaces this? Yes, more vaccines of course you silly fool! We’re on the wagon, you can’t get off now!

 

Data is admittedly sketchy but early signs are that Omicron is more infectious but less likely to induce serious disease. LESS likely.

 

I’m losing the will to live let alone believe Big Pharma who always seem to say that we’ll just need more of their products.

 

Funny that. What a merry-go-round minus the merry. 

 

If the reader senses a tad of frustration from your favorite columnist - you’re goddamn right. If I may be allowed to speak ill of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. 

 

Thailand had its first Omicron case in a US national from Spain this week. A couple of Thai women back from Nigeria were next. 

 

(I doubt they even had a sniffle - meanwhile my mother-in-law was at death’s door with chronic diabetes - a mere bagatelle!)

 

The reaction to the latest Greek letter was ridiculous. Complete over-reaction. I thought the Thai media was going to start blaming the road carnage on the new variant with so many spikes it looks like a Christmas bauble.

 

Here are some other gems that caught Rooster’s beady eye. I include them in the hope that it may afford the reader a chuckle or two or may - don’t wait for it - give us hope!

 

Hope that the rich and famous may actually get rice gruel after Premchai Karnasuta - chief of Thailand’s biggest construction firm Ital-Thai - was jailed for two and a half years for poaching.

 

It’s a fair sentence. Now keep him in there. Premchai has been playing the “I’m too sick to be in prison plan” appearing with walking sticks, wheelchairs and patches on his eyes. 

 

Give him a bandaid and a corner of the prison floor with a picture of a sad panther on the wall. 

 

Pheu Thai MPs caused some laughs when they suggested that Laos was streets ahead - maybe that should be tracks - when it comes to railways. Jibes against Prayut of course.

 

The neighboring country - used to buffalo jokes from the Thais - now has 400kms+ of swanky high speed Chinese rail. 

 

Thailand has enough track to get you to 7-Eleven if and when it opens. You’re lucky if you take a long distance train and arrive on the scheduled day, let alone an hour.

 

Meanwhile poking fun at other nationalities - called racism and xenophobia in some quarters - continued at the Immigration Bureau where a huge vinyl board gloated over the arrest of a fraudster from “the land of perfume”.

 

Yes, this French man who’d done the dirty on a string of Thai women was not smelling so sweet in IB clink.

 

Som Nam Na I hear you say though Facebook’s ASEAN NOW commentators - a minority of whom appear about as intelligent as a dead “moo han” - delighted that foreigners were now getting their own back on tricky Thai women.

 

In their eyes the entire female population of Thailand are prostitutes who deserve whatever is coming to them. As I said, thankfully it is only a minority who appear to hold those views. 

 

Bucking the trend for honesty was a “moo han” (suckling pig) trader on Samui who is also a real estate agent.

 

He pictured himself up to his neck in water in a flooded bog he had for sale grasping the chanote (land title deed). He wanted to show that all his ilk were not money grabbing tykes but could be honest about their deals for land prone to flooding.

 

He also noted that it would be good publicity and the netizens obliged by sharing far and wide. 

 

Insurance was in the news. A driver was irked that he paid a quarter of a million premium then the company wouldn’t cough up after he crashed his Ferrari in the rain on the motorway. 

 

They said the engine number was wrong and he was “speed testing”.

 

A furious debate ensued on the forum less about insurance companies shafting their customers and more about the state of the roads.

 

One claimed they were great and another that they were appalling for his alleged collection of supercars that made Joe Ferrari look like he drives a Fiesta. 

 

In other insurance news Nong Ying’s mum and dad got 2.5 million baht out of a company after they were named and shamed following the death of the 21 year old law student in Buriram several months ago.

 

The parents made good on their promise - a standard one Thais make to temples before lottery wins - to hold a 100 day Tham Bun (merit making) event for Ying and install CCTV where the Benz driving woman sent her soul skywards.

 

How quaint - surrounding the pen after the cow has done a runner, as the Thai proverb says.

 

Meanwhile DPM Prawit decreed from on high: “Let it rain!”

 

And lo and behold it didn’t. You see he picked a bad time, the dry cool season.

 

Never mind, the clouds would be seeded and soon it’ll pour - just you skeptics watch!

 

Then Prawit said” Let there be pie” - and behold, there was pie on the table for tea. 

 

Replete and on the seventh day he rested and looked at catalogs for nice watches. 

 

Years ago Prawit noted that 20,000 plus of his “phee nong” were carking it on the roads. 

 

Then he said: “Let there be no death!”.

 

Then 25K continued to perish, though of course 80% are expendable motorcyclists. 

 

Daily News reported the carnage continues unabated. Deaths are a tad down on last year but everyone’s been stuck at home with the motosai gathering dust with the chickens under the house because the people don’t have money for the gas. 

 

The failure to do anything on the roads is only matched by the complete mess that is the “War on Drugs”.

 

The corrections department chief sheepishly admitted that 82% of his guests are in for drugs and they can now go to court for earlier release after the rules were changed Thursday.

 

The Narcotics Control Board chief said the changes meant he could now grab dowries and bequests as well as other assets. 

 

Then he said that those who got two years for a few Ya Ba would now get just 12 months.

 

Whoopy Do! 

 

Why not work with your Laos and Myanmar pals and shut down a few meth labs rather than announcing a huge press conference to report the latest mule arrest or Thai woman with some coke in her luggage or some partygoers having a spliff. 

 

We know the answer to that - MONEY!

 

Transport minister Saksayam was puffing out his chest in Pattaya announcing that Thailand would soon be a hub of luxury liners - he meant to say harbor but he forgot the word.

 

He declared that the Pattaya sands were wonderful. Fortunately Prawit had failed in the rainmaking and the sands were actually in situ for the minister’s visit. 

 

They are normally washed back into sea from whence they came meaning that another billion baht or so just has to be spent to advance tourism and “improve the image of the world class resort”.

 

Former playboy-cum-politico Chuwit Kamolwisit admitted this week that he was over the hill. Hasn’t he heard of the help available from drugs that seem to end in - gra?

 

The former “Lord of the Soaps” (that’s fishbowl massage not primetime TV in Thailand) said that the old days were over after an ad appeared for a 470 million baht massage parlor in Pin Klao. He pointed out that most of the money was in the value of the land for condos.

 

Oh I don’t know. When it comes to prostitution Thailand always manages to find a way despite adversity. Yes, most of it has moved online in the pandemic but it was going that way pre-2019.

 

Whether Pattaya can survive as sin-city-by-the-sea is another matter. For that den of iniquity the pandemic has sounded a boom-boom death knell.

 

Now the only stories you get from “the resort” (as Bernard Trink used to call it) are inane reports from Thai media that the Thai tourists are flooding in for long weekends and that it’s “kheuk khak” - exciting again.

 

Give me some TOA emulsion and a brush and I’ll show you something more exciting than Pattaya. 

 

Like Scrabble….perhaps.

 

Rooster reported on the end of the world championships held “virtually” online in which two of my Thai pals did admirably and which was won by New Zealander Alastair Richards.

 

I remember losing to him when he was a teenager in Penang about ten years ago and being a Scrabble pro’s version of suicidal. 

 

Posters asked me if I had competed in the latest championship. 

 

No, I didn’t trust the monitoring from Pakistan designed to stop people around the world cheating. 

 

Even my favorite game has been denied me during this damned pandemic.

 

Just call me a right fool. 

 

Rooster

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-12-11

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

[G Rex]

“Now Rooster’s been a good little puppy (I prefer not to use the world “sheeple” because I don’t know the singular)”

 

Is it ‘Sherson’?

[thaitom]

HUH ?

[EricTh]

What a long post and he expect people to read everything. I think he has too much time on his hands.

[pomchop]

On 12/11/2021 at 10:36 PM, talahtnut said:

Vaccines have never ever been promoted by any serious person as a "cure".  They are a preventative measure that have been enormously successful for decades in reducing the spread and severity of a variety of diseases.   

Edited December 16, 2021 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Stop tilting against windmills. Use your energy for things that can benefit you and yours. That's my 2 cents. 

[vandeventer]

14 hours ago, thaitom said:

HUH ?

That's a lot to take in maybe Rooster59 should have written a book?

[dr_lucas]

What's the TL;DR? 

[nobodysfriend]

15 hours ago, rooster59 said:

It’s a fair sentence. Now keep him in there. Premchai has been playing the “I’m too sick to be in prison plan” appearing with walking sticks, wheelchairs and patches on his eyes. 

Thanks for this .

 

15 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Meanwhile poking fun at other nationalities - called racism and xenophobia in some quarters - continued at the Immigration Bureau where a huge vinyl board gloated over the arrest of a fraudster from “the land of perfume”.

... and for this , too !

Written with a great sense of humor , it was fun to read .

Rooster managed to put the facts on the table , in an enjoyable manner .

 

It is true that certain doubts about the future development of the Covid crisis persist ... may be , in the long run , the perpetual booster shots do more damage to the human immune system than the virus itself ? Time will tell ...

All in all a very enjoyable read , thanks again .

[473geo]

Good light hearted view, at a time when taking things too seriously is becoming the 'new normal' for many ???? ????

[robsamui]

Ah! So the Scrabble Championship this year will be the last one?
It's not often that the end of the world comes around.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by robsamui

[James105]

58 minutes ago, dr_lucas said:

What's the TL;DR? 

That you cannot comply your way out of this.   

[gzu88bv]

Ladies & Gentlemen,

 

Wake up, it's high time and maybe read the book BRAVE NEW WORLD from Aldous Huxley

[AlbionBob]

Having only just arrived in Patts (to see my lovely wife !), I expected to find it a morgue !).  However, although very quiet, it seems to be reviving quickly. My favourite music bar on Pratumnack is open, and getting a beer does not appear to be difficult !  Last night, the Music Festival was crowded and most enjoyable.  Admittedly, Walking Street was a sad sight, but once the ban is lifted, I not think it will be too long before it becomes a semblance of its former self !  Partway lives !

[jerrymahoney]

Christian television network founder and preacher Marcus Lamb, who discouraged vaccinations, dies after being hospitalized for Covid-19

 

(CNN Business)   December 2, 2021 Prominent Christian televangelist and anti-vaccine advocate Marcus Lamb died after being hospitalized with Covid-19, his family announced Tuesday.

 

His wife Joni Lamb, announced the televangelist's death on Daystar's program streamed to Facebook Tuesday. She said her husband had diabetes but was healthy and was hospitalized after being diagnosed with Covid-19.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/01/media/marcus-lamb-covid-death/index.html

[TheCowboy]

1 hour ago, dr_lucas said:

What's the TL;DR? 

I think it's that the OP / "news team" is employed by the site host to write a weekly "Thailand News Review," and is probably either paid by the word, or is simply  encouraged to say as many provocative things as possible in order to attract SEOs and advertising.   Perhaps the OP can add to or correct this impression?  

[Robert Tyrrell]

Hello , 

This article seems hypocritical and filled with rubbish !!  ???? 

Though I’m not a U.K. Citizen it holds the same in American ???????? Politics and across the world !!

from Self Centered behavior, Racism , Hatred and scandals. 
Democratic Governments most anyways seem to forget that they were formed by the people !! Yet they cater to the wealthy and corporations and never mind the horrible dictatorships who oppress there people !! 
As a retired American ???????? Expat living in Thailand, This Nation is no different so in my opinion your article is hypocritical and rubbish !!  

[cardinalblue]

I can’t wait to get my first booster…same reason why I go to the gym and swim….

 

the probability of reducing illness/severity of illness

 

why is this disease and a pharmacy company response to it any different than a new heart drug or a diabetes medication or a cancer treatment?

 

This is how our medical model works….one can always refuse a vaccine, a chemo drug, an insulin shot, a transplant, an aspirin tablet…go ahead roll the dice and see if you become a statistic or not….

Edited December 12, 2021 by cardinalblue

[Rimmer]

An off topic meme has been removed also some misleading posts

[Havenstreet1940]

I am completely in tune with the sentiments expressed by Rooster and empathasize.  I am sure you will totally ignore the comments of the minority!

[Lizzy Duang]

I am actually glad that - not only here - some of those who are vaccinated start to doubt the whole storytelling. And it was good to mention road carnage. The chance to die of COVID was about the same as the chance to die in traffic for the past two years within Thailand. I guess no one thought about staying home to avoid traffic.

Edited December 12, 2021 by Lizzy Duang
Grammar

[roquefort]

1 hour ago, cardinalblue said:

one can always refuse a vaccine

The trouble with this one is that you can't. Not if you want to keep your job, travel, go to normal places and do normal things. In other words, live normally. They've got you by the short and curlies.

[sambum]

18 hours ago, thaitom said:

HUH ?

Sheeple = People therefore Sherson = Person - Got it now?

[BostonRob2]

2 hours ago, TheCowboy said:

I think it's that the OP / "news team" is employed by the site host to write a weekly "Thailand News Review," and is probably either paid by the word, or is simply  encouraged to say as many provocative things as possible in order to attract SEOs and advertising.   Perhaps the OP can add to or correct this impression?  

The TWTW column contains the views of an employee of ASEAN NOW and does not necessarily reflect the views of his employer or anyone else. If you look at the history of the Sunday column - this is the 298th consecutive edition without a single break since March 2016 - the views are generally not very provocative, more measured and middle of the road. It's not meant to stir anyone up and is genuinely from the heart. Yes, I'm paid to write it but it's my baby and I'm proud of it. I stand by everything I write and I respect anyone's views, whether they agree with me or not. Please keep reading - especially the 300th edition on Boxing Day. Regards. 

[allyoops]

I get the point. I find myself being very suspicious aswell now. Imagine if (as some doctors and scientist are saying) the omicron varient is a sign the virus has shot its bolt. All those drug companies raking in billions would be eager to keep the ball rolling for as long as possible, get rid of stock and make even more billions. Brown envelopes flowing to governments and so called government advisors at a rapid rate, after all it's only taxpayers money or borrowed money. Strange how they havn't properly evaluated Omicron yet, but phizer is already declaring 3 vaccines are needed. This is all getting out of hand and the corruption is becoming obvious.

   As for the UK, it doesn't matter if Doris stays or goes while people still keep voting for the traitor parties, they are all globalist stooges, all liars, all corrupt.

[ThaiSmarterThanYou]

it's positive that even old, people can finally understand what they have been their whole life 5555

 

[Airalee]

4 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

She said her husband had diabetes but was healthy

???? 

[connda]

Why query the CDC, WHO, or any other 'experts.'  Pretty much all you need to do is look around you. 
Before Covid shots I knew one person, a extended family member, who had Covid that ran it's course like a mild flu in 2020.
After Covid shots I have a number of close friends and family who were "fully vaccinated" and yet who have contracted Covid and who have been sick anywhere from 10 days to 6 weeks and with lingering symptoms.  That doesn't instill any confidence at all.  At least not in me.
If these Covid shots are truly "Vaccines", then people should not be getting sick.  And then there are those people who are fully vaccinated even including "boosters" who can't help from asking all people they meet if they are "vaccinated."  Why?  They are worried about the "unvaccinated" giving them the Covid virus for which they are fully vaccinated against.  ???? <thinking thinking thinking>   "I'm fully vaccinated but I'm afraid of getting Covid from someone without the shot!!!" 
With the last two people I knew who came down with Covid, one fully vaccinated member got Covid at work and gave the other fully vaccinated family member Covid at home.  ???? <thinking thinking thinking> 
It doesn't seem to make any difference if you are vaccinated or not - you can be a transmission vector.  And covering your eyes and ears and signing "La La La La" while wearing a cloth mask and social distancing doesn't make that reality go away.

There are constant iterations of fear and mandates which always are followed by those "leaders" who are yelling 'Fire' and 'Wolf' and "Covid" the loudest being outed at parties and galas and balls - maskless and not social distancing - while the commoners are locked-down and all commoners are told they are required to wear masks and social distance and to conform to dictates. 
Parties for the political class and the wealthy; Covid prison and home confinement and rules galore for the public and the plebs.
Like the Justice system, the Covid System is comprised of two tiers: a rule-less tier for the rich, wealthy, and connected in government and corporate circles and elite circles - and - rules, laws, and dictates with threats of fines, arrest, beatings, punishment and prison for everyone else.
Then - people like Rooster start to put 2 and 2 together when a rather significant portion of the population begins to ask the hard questions because cognitive dissonance is setting in where government propaganda and corporate marketing and media fabrications meets factual realities.

[GreasyFingers]

3 minutes ago, connda said:

Why query the CDC,

You need to ask: is the CDC a government or commercial organization.

[wolf81]

If you think you're being taken for a fool ... get this.

 

The Japanese government just this week decided that all mRNA vaccines will get a warning about the Myocarditis side-effect (basically heart problems).

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211204_12/
 

Meanwhile in many Western countries it seems ad campaigns are being started that warn that cold weather increases chance for Myocarditis. 

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by onthedarkside
image files with no weblinks to the original sources are removed