Enforcement and corruption

 I don't mind if you consider me a prophetess of doom, but for decades I have been warning that corruption is going to be the death of our beautiful little country. And we seem to be right on the way, with the totally unnecessary spike in covid 19.

What do you think is mainly the cause of us not enforcing the myriad of laws that we have on the books to protect the society?

While it is quick and  easy and in many instances correct, to point fingers at the legendary and oft highlighted corruption in the police force, they are by no stretch of the imagination the only problem. 

For many politicians and bureaucrats at both local and central government level are just as corrupt. But none of them could succeed if,  we the people were not so selfish, have this deep love for shortcuts and so steeped in the entrenched practice of dropping money.

This national acceptance  of corruption is so visible and in your face as you enter our cities and towns, many of which are eye sores. Why? Mostly because those being paid to enforce our laws have no interest in doing their jobs but simply use their positions to enrich themselves.

In fact, I am here to tell you that the Town and Country Planning Act, only serves the interest of the enforcers.

This is a situation I know well, having resided in an area where the blatant disregard for this law has led to widespread commercialization which has not only destroyed the aesthetics but also the roads as well. For increased commercial activity causes a massive increase in  traffic, thus destroying the roads which are not maintained.

Bedford Park Avenue in St. Andrew North East,  is nothing but a series of potholes, due to traffic caused by commercialization.

The blatant infringement of this particular law in our community, has over the decades, been brought to the attention of just about every enforcer, be it, political representative, every town planner at the KSAC, every councilor and every mayor, to no avail. But as the first and main creator of that commercialization told the residents many decades ago, "mi have money suh nobady caan move mi". He has indeed been right, and his presence, growth and development has only caused others with the same mentality, to move in, pay who they must and live happily ever after while the community deteriorates.

Oh yes,  in my beleaguered country, most citizens, know exactly who to pay to look the other way so the laws cannot be enforced. And if you think the ever growing, dangerous and troubling problem of squatting on gully banks will every go away, think again for while it may not be a matter of making money, it is in the interest of politicians to have the regulations ignored so more garrison enclaves can be established.

Corruption here is so widespread and clearly acceptable, that even supposedly 'upstanding' citizens  think nothing of dropping money to get vehicles passed. This is something that often takes just about an hour to complete, for its a process which I have been doing at 'Swallowfied' for decades. But to some people who have no problem gossiping or participating in other time wasting and trifling activity, it is too much as, dem nuh hab time fi waste! So, they happily pay thousands of dollars to someone to get the documents stamped, without the vehicle ever being inspected.

This latest troubling spike in the spike in Covid 19, which now has now reached an alarming 18,527 cases, 368 deaths and hospitals being put under serious strain, is just the latest example of what happens because we refuse to enforce the rules.

I  have maintained, ever since the debate started, that locking down the country is a ridiculous solution as it is disastrous for the economy and pushes the vast majority of the Jamaican poor further into financial ruin and despair.

If we were serious about enforcing the protocols like hand washing, social distancing etc, we could learn  by now to survive effectively with this invisible enemy. In fact, although being in the vulnerable age group, I have continued doing most of what I love to do, because I make sure to take the necessary steps to protect my health and those with whom I must come into contact.

However, because of the lack of strict enforcement by the authorities (for whatever reason!) on those who refuse to follow the sensible protocols, we now see this frightening spike in the spread of the virus as delinquent taxi drivers have continued to pack up their vehicles with unmasked drivers and passengers, young people continue to hold and attend events totally unmasked, and the rich have continued to have their carefree parties both at home and at sea, and on and on, right under the noses of the so-called enforcers.

So now  we are facing  crisis and there is the heavy handed response and widespread panic response by the government.

Can someone please tell me why they should implement national restrictions on the entire country and not just on those pockets where the spread is now a problem? For example, why are Clarendon, Portland, St. Mary and Westmorland being treated the same as other parishes where the spread is rife? Isn't it more logical to deploy people and other resources to enforce the protocols where they are needed and leave the less affected parishes alone?

 No , I guess that is too simplistic in a country where the mantra has always been that the good must suffer for the bad. 

As long as we continue to ignore the fact that corruption and the lack of enforcement go hand in hand, and only a few continue to benefit to the detriment of the vast majority, we will continue on the slippery slope to our own destruction.

HURRAY I GOT IT!

I feel as if I have climbed Mount Everest and am back, for I got my covid vaccine!  And amazingly, the process only took 9 minutes.

This reaction to what should have been an easy process, occurred as previously, just getting the appointment had appeared to be mission impossible.

I had recently seen a lady on tv saying getting her appointment made her feel as if she had won the lottery. It was not getting the appointment that made me feel that way, for when my cousin Everett told me he had gotten it for me, my reaction was disbelief. Even when he sent me the screen shot of the confirmation from Jackson Health System, I remained unconvinced. Even when Jackson sent me their confirmation by email, I still remained  skeptical as I had seen so many horror stories about people getting appointments and meeting nothing but chaos when they went to get their shot.

Well, my appointment was for 9am today at the Miami Gardens Jackson facility and though still remaining doubtful, I was up by 6am getting ready, preparing breakfast and even putting together reading material ("Melania and Me, the rise and fall of my friendship with the first lady". Very interesting) and even a snack. 

For that is how one prepares for a long wait, right?

I was not even convinced that the appointment was real until I arrived at the venue, they took my id and assigned me a number. 

After that it was smooth sailing. Nine minutes in and  out! Then there was a ten minute waiting period in a separate room to ensure that recipient had no adverse reaction to the vaccine.

My pessimism about even getting the appointment in Florida, arose from the frustrations caused by what had to date appeared to be such a monumental task before. For regular calls and visits to the sites announced by both Broward and  Date Health, had for weeks come to naught. 

Then out of the blue, my dear cousin Everett, called yesterday to find out if I had yet been vaccinated. I guess he immediately picked up the frustration in my voice, as he told me he had gotten appointments on a Jackson web page for quite a few relatives. Reluctantly, I sent him my information and was shocked when he called last night to say he was on the web page, appointments were available and what time did I want my vaccine! Apparently, slots were available the very next day, for early birds as well as late risers like me. So I chose 9 am , still not believing it was possible.

Well not only was it possible but I actually got the shot. And although I hate needles and always feel the prick, I felt nothing today.  I guess its because I was feeling so elated.

Now why on earth could Everett manipulate so easily through the mire that is Florida health system while thousands of people are having so many disappointments when they try the advertised links? Even the local television stations got into the fray, inviting viewers to go to their page, and follow their links to appointments. 

Well I am here to tell you that  none of that works.

Nothing worked for me until I got that call from Everett.

Forever grateful  to him and to google maps which got me to another place unknown, seamlessly. 

Three weeks time I will get my booster shot at the same efficient facility and hopefully, soon, the world will once again be my oyster.

IF OBAMA HAD DARED TRY THAT!

America is a flawed democracy, yet despite that it has operated as the "policeman of the world," supposedly trying to make democracy worldwide practice.

The lack of democracy in the USA did not arise with the recent Trump instigated attempted coup in that nation's capital which saw a handful of racist thugs invading their parliament. The fact is, in the USA, the majority has never necessarily ruled, although that is what democracy is all about. So, in 2000, George W. Bush 'won' against Al Gore although he only got 47.9% of the votes cast while Gore got 48.4%. In other words, Gore got the majority of the votes cast, resulting in over half million more votes than Bush, but Bush became President. 

The same situation occurred in 2016, only the disparity was much worse. For in those elections, Hilary Clinton got in excess of three million votes more than Trump, yet he ended up as president. No wonder the autocrat Trump can insist he should remain president in 2020, although he got almost eight million votes less than Biden!

Trump is nothing but a fascist, potential tin-pot dictator though, for from 2016, he has consistently declared that if he did not win the election, it would be because of corruption! And he came back with the same song and dance in 2020, and this time it became a crescendo since November 3rd, because he was rejected at the polls. 

Amusingly though, he quickly accepted the representatives in his own party, who got elected in the states he was disputing and under the same system he calls corrupt.

I think Trump is the most corrupt politician in the history of modern America.

In his very first term, he was impeached, though not removed, for trying to strong-arm Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to come up with fake information on his opponent Joe Biden, for use in the 2020 election campaign. Then after he lost the popular vote in 2020, the electoral college votes, every challenge in the courts, he tried to strong arm the Secretary of State in Georgia to find him votes to overturn the results in that state and find him some votes so he could be declared the winner there.

When all that failed, as a last desperate attempt, he ordered his Vice President to lie about the number of votes he earned from the electoral college, despite the fact that the Vice President had no such power, as his job was basically ceremonial, going no further than declaring how many votes there were coming from each state.

So, like a modern-day Papa Doc (former Haitian dictator), he turned to his thugs, the Proud Boys, urging them to turn to violence. Those Proud Boys, are a far right group of white supremacists, who he told on the 29th, September 2020, to "Stand back and stand by." 

Well on the 6th January 2021, they were given the command by the president of the USA himself which led to the violent assault on Capitol Hill. When the smoke cleared, one female insurgent was found dead, a policeman was killed, four others died from other causes, many were injured and pipe bombs plus a car with explosives found nearby.

When this pathetic failed coup was met with national and international condemnation and Trump censored by Twitter and Facebook, the barefaced president in his typical self-serving fashion, threw his stupid supporters under the bus, declaring; "Those who violently besieged our Capitol are the opposite of everything this administration stands for."

What a scandal. In a civilized country, Trump as the instigator of the riots he belatedly pretended to condemn, would be arrested.

Anyway, despite the USA having a flawed democratic system, they do have strong and tested institutions, the most outstanding in this situation being the courts. For at every level, despite the fact that Trump had appointed the majority of the judges, they stood up for the constitution. 

 But back to the failed coup; I have to wonder if General Michael Flynn had still been in the army, if that attempt to violently overthrow the democratic system in the USA might not have succeeded in at least starting a civil war?  For using tactics like those of their hero Vladimir Putin, Flynn could probably have been able to mobilize enough troops under his command to do some meaningful damage. For he had even suggested after Trump lost the November 3 election, that he should declare martial law and rerun the elections in the states he lost under military supervision! Although since Trump consistently used bone spur as a medical excuse to avoid military duty and called soldiers suckers and losers, between the both of them, they probably couldn't find enough white racists to sacrifice their lives for that loser. 

 But who knows, for although he is clearly delusional, he found millions of even more delusional Americans to vote for him!

 But I am straying into conjecture.

What the attempted coup in Washington on the 6th January 2021 further exposed, is just how racist a society the USA is.

Can you imagine if President Obama had become stark staring mad and had dared to mobilize a mob to take over the capital city after his second term had ended and he was obliged to give up power? I guarantee that not only would a significant number of his supporters have been shot on sight, but Obama himself would most likely have been lynched and so would any other black man that the white racists encountered for days and probably weeks to come! 

Although the democracy in the USA is very flawed as it can make the will of the majority irrelevant, Trump and his mob ha now taken away the ability of the Americans to ever again try and lecture any other county in the world about democracy!

But maybe that's not such a bad thing is it?

https://youtu.be/xpk-DCCgYqI

Welcome 2021

2020 has been such a stressful year that I appreciate those who tried to make light of it with witty maxims. My personal favorite is "I did not enjoy 2020 so I am not adding it to my age." Wishing I didn't have to.

 In  truth however it is not the year that was bad but the pestilence of having a global pandemic which no one was prepared for. It took months before scientists could even begin to understand the make up of the beast, and during the interim they did send some conflicting messages to the public, many of which have created some confusion, even now.

In the interim, the death toll from the virus climbed astronomically and many hospitals worldwide became so overwhelmed that persons suffering from other chronic illnesses, had to be turned away as the virus became the main focus. 

If a group of professionals deserve the Nobel prize for science this year, it's the scientists worldwide, from Cuba and China to the USA and United Kingdom, who have developed several vaccines in under a year. This has never been done before in the history of the world, for the norm for such developments have been in excess of a decade. In fact, even now there are no vaccines for the Aids and Ebola diseases, so this tells you something.

But I stray.

Despite the fact that several vaccines are now available, even if we all get a share,  the world will not return to normalcy for probably years to come. For in interim,  the economic devastation worldwide will continue to wreak havoc on, especially the poor. That is the terrible load we have to find a way of coping with over the next few months.

According to ONE, a global movement which campaigns to end poverty worldwide "COVID-19 has presented many new social and economic challenges, and is exacerbating already existing ones. One such challenge is global poverty. Right now over 700 million people live in extreme poverty worldwide, which is defined as living on less than US$1.90 per person per day. Right now, the pandemic is threatening to push up to 115 million people (my emphasis) into poverty in 2020 alone." And I might add, even in the rich USA, food bank operators have been crying out for assistance as they have never had to cope with the demand for food as they have seen in recent months. 

If people in the USA are feeling it, what about people living in really poor countries? 

I feel it especially sad for the children, millions of whom today are not been able to get one solid hot meal each day and who if their brains are not being damaged, their ability to learn is certainly being stymied. For whereas children in the first world have computers and universal internet connection, our realities in Jamaica are no where close to that. Children also need inter-personal stimulation even more than adults and having to remain cooped up at home with adults, some of whom are abusive, has only added to the misery of many.

Another group of youngsters who have suffered substantially are those who have sacrificed greatly, putting in years of training to represent their countries at the Olympics, only to have their dreams disintegrate in the face of this terrible virus. Hopefully, even the mutation of this virus will not cause another postponement from July this year in Japan. 

Generally, right at home here in Jamaica, the economic clouds are gathering for there was already a 10% decrease in GDP in the last quarter. The greatest contributor to that has been of course the rapid and immediate decline in tourism industry. The reality therefore is that even with the vaccines (which we are grateful for) there will be no normal life for most of the people on this planet in the short run as governments cannot deliver on social services and infrastructure, due to empty coffers.

Of course, I am not at all proposing that we lie down and die, only that we recognize what we have to face in the new year and probably many years to come.

To add to the general misery people faced last year due to the virus was the fact that hundreds of thousands of families lost close friends and relatives, forever. I am grateful that I lost no one close to me this year, although two deaths really shook me to the core. The first was the untimely death of Chad Boseman, the star of Black Panther, a film that brought so much pride to people of color. He was so young, hard-working, talented and devoted to his profession. For although he must have been suffering terribly in the last few months, no one knew as he went about his work with courage and dedication. He also brought joy and comfort to children suffering from cancer, without even letting on about his own struggles. I really mourn his death.

The other passing that I personally felt, was that of Alex Trebek, who for decades, entertained and educated us as the host of Jeopardy. I will certainly miss his wit, knowledge and charm.

If there was any good news coming out of 2020, it was the fact that Americans came to their senses as they voted out Donald Trump. While I still consider it a mystery how they voted for him in the first place in 2016, the greater mystery is how come he increased his support in four years after such an erratic, hate-filled  and counterproductive  term. Yes, the man is clearly unstable, but what on earth would you call those millions who continue to support him.?

The fact is though, although those erratic hands no longer remain on a nuclear button, some seventy million racists still remain in the USA and many are heavily armed. That does not bode well for non- white citizens and visitors to the USA.

 Only time will tell how that will develop in the long run.

Everglades et al.

Since we do not believe that the China virus should restrict our movement and luckily being in Florida which is not locked down, we headed to South beach with the hope of also visiting Key West to celebrate Michelle's birthday. 

Unfortunagely for us, despite the limited tourism activity everywhere, the KeyWest visit was frustrated as the tour was sold out.

We however had a nice time exploring South beach and while it is great for those wanting to tan, it was no big deal for me. For, I go to the beach to swim and am accustomed to warm water. But that water was very cold, so no swimming there for me. 

On day 2, since we could not go to Key West we decided to take in a trip to the Everglades. I had done one before but Michelle had never been. 

This time, I actually held a live gator. Yes it was a baby and the mouth was taped up but I don't even like little lizards, so before, it was quite a stretch that I would hold a gator!

An airboat in port

This bus tour took me to another park from the one I had visited before, so I did not mind, The food available for sale at this park was really lousy though. 

They had on sale alligator tail, fried chicken wings, and spring chicken. Having tried the gator twice before and never being in the mood for frogs, I opted for chicken wings.

 They were awful and unseasoned but I was too hungry to realize it until I had finished!

😋

Would you believe though that one of the blackbirds that hang around the place, swooped down and stole a wing out of my hand when I was eating? Damn cannibal. For aren't birds and chickens family?

The trip into the river was on locally made airboats that just skim the surface of the water. The one we traveled on this time had two large cadillac engines, a top speed of 35 mph, and was extremely loud when at full speed. Most importantly though, it skimmed the water well. 

Actually, I think I learned far more about the everglades on this trip than I did the first time, so it was great. 

An added attraction was the one-man show with gators by a member of Proud Boys.

These Proud Boys are not the same as the racist ones aligned to Trump. These fellows collect gators that stray into people's yards, pools, etc in Florida. 

They capture them humanely and take them back into the wild. It is some of these same gators that they use in their shows too.

  I have to admit that the one who did our show seemed absolutely fearless among those monstrous creatures and one lady on the team had quite an active snake around her neck too!

  This is a recap of some of the information I got on this trip given; 

The Everglades were formed when lake Okeechobee overflowed. It is the world's shallowest river, being only 9 feet at the deepest point. It consists of around 400,000 square miles of wetlands. The name Okeechobee is a Seminal Indian name meaning endless grass and the glades are now 90% grass. The grass filters the water on which 8 million Floridians depend for drinking. There are around half a million gators in that river but the Burmese python is an invasive species that prey on the gators. A large python can eat an 8-foot gator easily. It takes about a month to digest this size reptile. 

There are also Florida Panthers in these wilds as well as numerous bird species. The largest bird is the great white heron which eats any and everything including baby gators. There are no crocs in the everglades as they are salt water reptiles.

CHARACTER MATTERS?

I don't know who coined the phrase 'character matters,' but apparently, while conventional people may think it should, clearly to a very large percentage of American voters, it doesn't.

I was really appalled in 2016, when over sixty-two million persons in the USA, including most white evangelical christians, voted for Donald Trump to become their president. For this was a man who had in his private capacity over the years: swindled dozens of small contractors who had done work for him; been accused of rape more than once; was a self-confessed sexual molester; was a chronic liar; had used the funds from his charitable foundation for his own purpose; had allegedly been involved in money laundering; had defrauded persons who signed up with Trump University and was outright and proven racist.

When the evidence emerged via the Mueller report that he had been assisted by the Russian government in becoming president of the USA, I thought that explained his ascendency to the most powerful position on the planet. (Powerful because of the vast nuclear power of the USA.) 

However, when in 2020, after he implemented many cruel and evil policies, yet increased his support from 62 million to around 72 million people, I must admit it has left me totally astounded and at a loss for a credible explanation. 

The evil and cruelty I refer to are, of course: his regime, even during the pandemic, making attempts to take away health coverage from some 20 million people,  including persons with pre-existing conditions who would never otherwise be covered by the insurance companies. (Today, the Republican-dominated Supreme Court begins to hear the arguments to destroy Obamacare again. This is the Trump regime's 3rd attempt to try and have the court overturn the Act); lying about the severity of the global pandemic and being reluctant to take the advice of the scientific experts, thus causing thousands of unnecessary deaths; grabbing away innocent children, including babies and toddlers, from their parents and putting them in cages.

I cannot think of an act in modern history that has been more depraved and foul than the latter. 

And look at what led to that unholy policy! Simply because a few hundred people living in poverty, illegally entered the USA, a country primarily built by legal and illegal immigrants, to try and improve their material condition. 

Under this policy, many traumatized parents have even been returned to their homeland without their children and worse, not knowing if they will ever see them again. At the time of writing, 11th November 2020, there are 666 parents and children who have no idea where their loved ones are or if they will ever see them again. Because the vast majority of Trump supporters, including ardent white evangelical christians, would move heaven and earth to try and keep America white, such an act of heartless inhumanity, has their full support. 

I am wondering just what will be the explanations given to sociologists and psychologists who no doubt will be studying this period in the USA for years to come. For previously, such acts of unthinkable evil would never have been expected from a country that had enjoyed good standing in the world for its decency, humanity, and magnanimity.

The good news, of course, is that in the long run, morality has prevailed, for, in the elections, the voting majority rejected the man who brought those unconscionable acts and policies to their shores and sullied the reputation of the USA.

It is sickening but often amusing, to see some Trumpists on television trying to fool the public about the real reasons why they support that leader......claiming that it is due to his outstanding economic performance. That is absolute baloney, for Trump inherited a robust economy from Obama, with annualized growth averaging 2% per annum after Obama inherited an economy in full recession. According to CNN's fact-checking, the economic growth under the Trump presidency only averaged 2.5% per year in the first three years, an anemic increase from where the Obama/ Biden team had left it. And if he had handled the pandemic effectively, the USA would not be in the economic doldrums it is today.

So, what economic performance?

7th November 2020, was celebrated like a day of liberation for the entire world therefore, for that was the day when it was formally declared that Donald Trump had lost his bid to continue to oppress the weak and helpless for a second term.

While some maintain that the world should not become too overtaken by what happens in the USA, the fact is that because the USA is so rich, powerful, and influential, the rest of the world does not have the luxury of pretending that what happens there is of no importance to the rest of us. 

So celebrations broke out spontaneously among the ordinary people throughout the world, as the news of his demise spread. I suspect that it was only because democratically inclined world leaders are constrained by diplomacy, why many did not join the masses celebrating in the streets in their countries. For Trump has managed to create such instability in the world because of his inherent dishonesty, unreliability, and lack of humanity, that hearing that the long-overdue end of his unstable regime had finally been confirmed, brought relief to them.

Despite the fact that so many degenerates, (to borrow an appropriate word from Hillary Clinton) voted to keep Trump in power, the positive news was that more than 76 million decent people in the USA, rejected Trumpism, choosing instead, a man who appears to be the very antithesis of Trump, to lead them for at least the next four years.

The incoming president, Joe Biden from all appearances and the reputation he earned after 47 years in public service, is a very caring, decent, human being. So apart from the public knowing he would never continue or even conceive of inhumane policies as the Trump regime had become notorious for, ordinary citizens can at least expect more equitable tax policies that do not only benefit billionaires, a more serious determination to deal with the pandemic and restart the economy, and in general, far more humane policies. And while it may seem trivial to some, parents who believe character matters can now stop worrying when their children set out to emulate the country's president in any way, shape or form!

Whether Biden, Harris, the new cabinet, and the decent majority will be hampered by the millions of Trump supporters, from quickly dragging up America out of the dangerous moral mire into which it had fallen, is the real challenge. 

The real issues

While the world waits with bated breath for the USA to determine who will be their president from 2021, their exit polls have some really interesting findings which should cause us to reflect on the position of the traditional media and the Democratic Party during the campaign. 

According to exit polls posted by CNN, the top three concerns of voters were; the economy, climate change, and the pandemic in that order, with the economy, mattering most to a third of those polled. This seems to once again, support James Carville's memorable prognosis in 1992, that "It's the economy, stupid. "  

That clearly remains of foremost interest to voters in  US elections.

To explain how it arrived at the results, CNN posted this statement. "Exit polling traditionally involves interviews with a randomly selected sample of voters conducted as those voters leave their polling places. Unlike pre-election polling, where voters can only be identified using screening questions or a history of voting on a voter file, meeting voters where they ensure that those included in the survey have actually cast their ballots." So while these results cannot  100% accurate, they at least provide a useful guide. 

These findings should come as a surprise to many in the mainstream media who have been pushing the narrative that with the USA having such a high rate of infection and death, the poor and delayed handling of the pandemic by the Trump regime would have made the election a slam dunk for  Biden. It is however easy to say it is not so, even at this early stage where the final outcome of the election still hangs in the balance.

While I could never support Trump because of his uncouth manner and especially his disgraceful behavior towards women in general and women of color in particular, I have always supported his stance on the pandemic which boils down to; learn to live with it!

No, I didn't swallow the sale's pitch that he came up with at the end of September, that he had been infected by the coronavirus, had been cured and had risen from the ashes, to become almost superhuman physically. I think he lied about being infected, just as he lies about every other thing. For had he been, with his pre-existing conditions, he would have been far more ill and slower to recover.

But I digress.

The real point is, Trump, has always maintained that the economic disaster caused by locking down the country would be far more devastating than the health effects, despite the high death rate from the virus. 

While many challenge this approach, I have always maintained that this is indeed true, especially in poorer countries where people do not have a wealthy state to subsidize those on the fringes who have lived on the verge of starvation long before the pandemic. And even the World Health Organization now recognizes this as they see the rapid rate at which poverty is growing worldwide. 

I currently reside in Florida where the pro-Trump republican governor has opened up the economy totally, and where the Trump re-election win is not at all in dispute. The fact is that the vast majority of people here are happy to be able to go about their business.  But people are personally responsible, so understanding that the pandemic remains a serious threat and since they do not wish to become ill,  most are taking the necessary precautions. So despite the governor warning that public health measures should not be legislated, individuals and business people almost everywhere you go,  are all following the advice of the scientists. 

Most people are therefore fully masked and socially distancing. Yes, there are still some nonbelievers trying to resist these sensible measures, but they are being shunned and prevented by most others.

The fact is, we have to learn to live with this virus until there is a cure. Full stop.

As a postscript to Tump's win in Florida, let's look at the issue of socialism. While I stood up and fought diligently to resist the possibility of socialism being introduced into Jamaica in the 1970' s,  I  am not convinced by the charge that a win by Biden would cause socialism to be introduced in the USA. Yes, you have the fringe element led by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Cortez-Ocasio, who would fight tooth and nail to introduce this backward economic philosophy here, but capitalism is just too entrenched in the psyche of the American population for them to succeed.

However, I will not fault those whose roots were in Cuba, Venezuela, and Columbia who are the main anti-socialist campaigners in the state.  Those three countries suffered for decades and terribly because of socialism. While in Colombia, socialism was never introduced fully, the Revolutionary Armed Forces which was a Marxist/Leninist guerilla group, caused thousands of deaths and stymied the economy there from 1964-2017. So it is no wonder that Colombians who managed to escape to the capitalist USA would want to leave all tinges of that retrograde philosophy behind them.

So now, we wait to see how the referendum on the Trump presidency, pans out in the overall USA.