Most of the time my job is a privilege. It provides plenty of reading and reflection time ahead of sharing conclusions with a rational community. I say ‘most’ of the time, because nowadays it’s tough to make sense of the news flow around Covid-19. Establishment media seems to be on a mission to scare us witless while a powerful lobby maintains the pandemic is all a massive hoax to serve vested interests.
Also read:Â Alec Hogg: A watershed moment for SA as the tax base penny finally drops
The US media leads the way. It’s currently chock-full with headlines about the surge in indentified infections, showing graphs that hospitalisations are at a peak (see above) and rising daily deaths. A mass of headlines tell us total US mortalities have now surpassed 250 000 (84 times 9/11 as we’re reminded). On the other hand, non-media commentators point out four in five mortalities are people over 80 and in a population of 328m deaths are only marginally above those killed by annual flu viruses.
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On the local front, the usually sober Times of London warned yesterday that ‘Covid complacency threatens South Africa’ with the strapline ‘The country’s low death rate is deceptive and hides government incompetence and corruption.’ It concludes actual SA Covid-19 deaths are more like 48 000 than the officially reported 20 671. I’m not so sure: The Times quotes expert estimates while data-rich Discovery’s internal stats mirror the “official” numbers.
Also read: Alec Hogg: Revolutionary change on SA retirement funding will slow financial emigration
To help us through the confusion, we’ve invited two brilliant minds from opposite ends of the coronavirus analysis spectrum to participate in Monday’s Great Covid Debate. Please join me at noon Monday with PANDA’s Nick Hudson and Global Health Policy specialist Prof Alan Whiteside for a deviation from the usual investment fare we provide on the Rational Radio webinar. Click here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6730147365502274830
For your attention today…
WEBINAR ALERT…
* Big investment story of the week involves dramatic changes to regulations which open up the world for retirement funds. There been little mention in the popular press – perhaps reporters simply don’t understand the relevance or maybe it’s because major advertisers are on the wrong side of the changes (and are lobbying furiously to re-instate the status quo’s 30% cap on foreign assets). BizNews.com editor Jackie Cameron is on point and will unpack it all for us at noon today with expert guests including Magnus Heystek. Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6646694434270030861
* A reminder that the first of our Great Debates in on Monday in the weekly Rational Radio webinar. We’ll be looking at both sides of the Covid-19 story with PANDA’s Nick Hudson taking on SA/UK academic Prof Alan Whiteside. I’ll be moderating. Here’s the link to register: https://dashboard.gotowebinar.com/webinar/6730147365502274830
FOR DOWNLOADING…
* Please have a listen to my weekly Inside Investing podcast – if you haven’t heard it for a while you’re sure to notice subtle improvements. I’m excited about the way the product is developing – getting progressively better in typical BizNews dusruptive style. Here’s the link to episode 10:Â https://iono.fm/e/958060
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