Scrutable

The US has been accused of redirecting 200,000 Germany-bound masks for its own use, in a move condemned as "modern piracy".

This has the potential to not end well.

Pucksoppet wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 10:08 am The US has been accused of redirecting 200,000 Germany-bound masks for its own use, in a move condemned as "modern piracy".

This has the potential to not end well.

From 2 days ago: A consignment of masks heading from China to one of the worst-hit coronavirus areas of France was hijacked by American buyers as it was about to be dispatched... The masks were on a plane on the tarmac at Shanghai airport ready to take off when US buyers turned up reportedly waving wads of cash and offered three times what the French were paying.

Though I've not had a chance to dig through sources and check it out properly*, I'm seeing discussion in the states around the use of the Patriots** team jet to bring in masks from China for the state of Massachusetts that mentions previous attempts to procure masks for the state were being stopped by federal authorities. Couple that wish the idiot boy prince Kushner's comments about the federal stockpile not being for the states and Trump's previous comments about not calling governors if they aren't nice to him, and reports that Florida is getting what it asks for while New York isn't, and it doesn't paint a pretty picture.

I realise this is sounding pretty out there, and would love the input of those more up to speed on what's going on over there, because it's looking kinda "Stalin's attitude to Ukraine" levels of awful




*Treat as a rumour, in other words

**I gather they play some form of sport with an oddly shaped ball.

It's certainly morally repugnant. I'm not sure it's exactly piracy as they do seem to be paying for stuff rather than just snatching it. This is the usual American exceptionalism, enabled by a President who actively enjoys bullying and views cooperation as weakness.