This post is political in nature and funny as hell. If you lack a sense of humor or are a virulent left-wing extremist, this post may anger you. Don’t bother reading any further. Hit the X and don’t let me mess up your day. It’ll be okay. You have been trigger (heh) warned.
Ronald Reagan once famously said, the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”.

Something about history and being doomed to repeat it. Or something.
Now, some will try to say that the saying is pernicious and destructive to the good government tries to do. I’ll try to remember that whilst those running it are trying to convince me men belong in the ladies room with my 14-year-old daughter… then call me a bigot because I enthusiastically disagree.
While the sentiment is nice, I would rather suggest government’s continuing effort to outdo itself in earning the quip might be the real issue.
Just a thought.
You’re certainly cracking on (at last) with the vaccine programme. I’d say a few phone calls to CEOs of big pharma did the trick. Corporation tax probably got a mention 😉
Meanwhile, Ireland is playing nice and getting left behind.
Trump took the risk out of the competition between companies so any pharmaceutical that came up with a viable vaccine would be compensated. Then, he changed the process of figuring manufacturing after acceptance, again, cutting out the infrastructure risks. The companies won’t get any tax breaks, but with competition and manufacturing risks minimized, they didn’t have fear and hesitation. Operation Warp Speed. Let’s just keep that between us, though. Sleepy Joe supposedly “fixed” what Trump did wrong. 😉
I’m just hoping it gets distributed across the pond, soon. We should be fully vaccinated by May, so Moderna, Pfizer and J&J will be looking to send you loads.
We’re playing nice over here at the moment, because we are in the EU. The Brits were able to get cracking in November, so the are ahead of the posse, and other countries are hoovering up spare vaccines. It’ll happen eventually. Ironic; we have most of the major pharma companies based here in Cork, in Ireland,for EU access and tax breaks (oops, sorry, did I say tax? I meant to say for the wonderful workforce… cough). We even have Pfizer. Maybe if our head guy had been going over for Paddy’s Day, he could have brought back a few suitcases, duty free!
Or gotten them to make it over there as well.
I heard this on a history podcast the other day, “History doesn’t repeat itself, people’s behaviour stays the same…”
Angie history is a record of people’s behaviors.
…and what exactly is America being rescued from?
That is a spectacular question. Probably too many answers to get into.
Great post, Jim! President Reagan was spot on! Thank you for posting. We’re living in very dangerous times today.
I know that’s right, Cherie.