Yes, from 300,000 cases a day in January numbers in the USA have cratered to about 15,000 a day.
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I’m not quite sure what the objection is. Our neighbor to the west has no qualms about applying pressure to companies so that they, in turn, talk to their government representatives. Also, I firmly believe that with lives and livelihoods at stake, there is a higher morality at play here. It’s time for the Taiwan government, companies in Taiwan, and people with power and money in Taiwan to step up and do something (almost anything) to solve this problem.
“Hey Apple, about that contract we have. If you want your chips, Tim better make some phone calls and get us vaccine. It would be a shame if you weren’t able to launch those new products because you didn’t have one of your most critical components.”
That’ll end real well and surely show the rest of the world that TW isn’t China.
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The same call to each of Ford, Jeep, Chevrolet:
“We are very concerned with the lack of vaccines in Taiwan. We believe it will eventually impact our ability to manufacture microchips for automobiles. Is there any way you might be able to help out?”
After Ford twists some arms in Washington to get vaccines to Taiwan.
“Thank you, Ford. Here are the chips you so desperately need. It’s the least we can do.”
Rest of world: “I can see how the business owners and the government of Taiwan love their people. Not like their neighbor to the west.”
(Excuse the corniness.)
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Do you really believe this is the response TW will get to vaccine blackmail?
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Absolutely. But I see it more as you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. A friend helped me out not long ago. I bought him a very expensive bottle of scotch to say thank you.
In business, companies sign agreements that lay out the terms under which Party A provides goods or services to Party B in exchange for compensation. Party A calling up Party B and threatening (explicitly or implicitly) that it might not live up to its obligations under the agreement unless Party B can convince Party C to provide Party A with some additional benefit is blackmail, not business.
If you think this is the same thing as your friend doing you a favor and you acknowledging the favor with a gift, I can only assume that you’re not a businessperson.
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I would submit that there is in fact a moral obligation to do whatever it takes to get vaccines into Taiwan. There are lives and livelihoods (which in turn could mean more lives) at stake. There is a higher morality (of lives and livelihoods) at play here than those involved with contravening business norms. It’s not pretty, I admit. It’s a balancing act, for sure. But I’m saying after considering all things, from the point of view of Taiwanese, the lives and livelihoods of Taiwanese come out on top.
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By your logic, robbery, kidnapping, torture and even murder could be justified on the basis that it’s for the greater good of the country.
I really hope TW doesn’t go the blackmail route and fortunately it doesn’t look like it will. The long term cost to TW and the Taiwanese people of trying this would be much higher than I think you can imagine.
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That will be a boots to Koreas chip industry.
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Vaccination rates continues to rise.
3 more cases of blood-clotting reported today as well. People will continue to remain hesitant about vaccination, but given the threat of Covid-19 people are starting to realize better to get vaccinated than get Covid.
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I see Covid like Russian Roulette.
Covid is like having 10 revolvers in front of you, 9 of which are empty. The remaining one has one bullet in its cylinder.
The vaccine is like having 100,000 revolvers in front of you, 99,999 of which are empty. The remaining one has one bullet in its cylinder.
You have a choice of which game to play. One is a no-brainer. The other has a far greater risk of leaving you with no brains.
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Unfortunately, many people seem to believe that playing neither game is still an option.
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The game comes to them, unfortunately, whether they wish it or not. And it’s the worse of the two that they get.
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Are there any stats available on how many people have received their second dose?
Someone posted it recently. I can’t find it now, but it was a bit over 11,000.
For your perusal, Foreign minister says exchanging chips for vaccines not realistic.
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You should probably add “even”.
As in even realistic?
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