As always, insightful contributions from my inbox this morning. Pride of place to SA’s world famous scenario planner Clem Sunter who wrote:
I just want to thank you so much for that lively interview we had last month on the new book Thinking the Future, co-authored by Mitch Ilbury and myself. It certainly stimulated public interest and boosted initial sales.
As I write this email, the book is currently No. 2 on Amazon Books in two categories world-wide: business planning and forecasting, and futures trading. We have also been on the business bestseller list at Exclusive Books here in South Africa.
Not bad for the just over a month. The next best thing would be for Cyril to follow our recommendation in the book to establish an entrepreneurship council along the same lines as the one he already has on Covid. He would have founders of businesses like Adrian Gore on it and together they would agree on measurable targets to create a People’s Economy full of new entrepreneurs. Like he does now, he would go regularly on television and report on all the new initiatives being taken to make this scenario materialize.
As we say in the book, thinking and doing go hand in hand. You can’t just have a plan.
Unfortunately, Clem might be asking for a bit much considering whom Cyril Ramaphosa appointed in his cabinet reshuffle last week. The entire economics cluster is now manned by trade unionists and/or communists. This is hardly “training” to boost the entrepreneurship that creates jobs. The reshuffle got short shrift from community member Tim Elliott who wrote:
There has been no end of analysis paralysis following Ramaphosa’s much hyped cabinet reshuffle. This quote from Dick Nolan sums it up succinctly; “In a sound democracy, our rulers ought to be changed routinely, like diapers for the same reason.” The underlying thrust of this “reshuffle” was ostensibly to get rid of those Cabinet Ministers who had failed. Did this happen? Absolutely not! Two resignations; Mboweni who might just have had an early premonition of sovereign debt failure and Mkhize, on “special leave” before something less appealing if found guilty of alleged fraud and corruption. The State Security Minister got the chop. So what does one make of the array of other moves, reassignments and so forth which were designed to create the impression of major change and improvement? It was bizarre; mostly a case of those who had sort of failed in one ministry being moved to another. A case of the soiled diapers being refitted. Two of our Ministers which have failed this country beyond belief viz. Public Enterprises (SOE’s) and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Municipalities) got no mention and the incumbents carry on regardless. And then in the fog and mist of analysis post the “reshuffle”, one hears of Ramaphosa having to appease different factions within his party and so forth. Cutting to the chase; all the hype and bluster had nothing to do with what’s good for South Africa. It’s all about the ANC and their desperate last ditch drive for self preservation and keeping their fellow “comrades” out of jail.
Have had a bunch of mails from community members on both sides of the vaccination fence, many with very forceful opinions. Philip Gray’s mail provides pause for the dogmatic – and a reminder there are exceptions to every apparently sensible rule. He wrote:
I am sixty-three years old and was very hesitant about getting the Covid-19 vaccine. Vaccines do not work well with me and each time I have had one it has made me ill (Cholera, Yellow Fever, Small Pox, Malaria, Flu). I have a chest issue from years of being around smokers (I have never smoked), I also suffer from sinus.
Two weeks before I had the first covid-19 vaccine I went to see my doctor for my chest who prescribed antibiotics amongst other medication. I discussed my reluctance to get vaccinated and my reason therefore. He advised me that I should get the covid-19 vaccination and that I will feel tired and have a slight headache for a day or two.
So after I arrived home I put my name on the vaccination list. I received an email advising me to go between 1200 and 1400 on the 21 July at Dischem in Boksburg. I sat in the queue for two and a half hours with my face mask on which caused me to have a severe runny nose because of sinus.
I had the vaccine (the Pfizer one) and went to a pharmacy for the recommended Panados and some Allergex tablets for my sinus.
After having the Covid-19 vaccine I was sick for a week with severe abdominal pains, nausea, headaches and extreme tiredness. The day after I had the vaccine my chest issue came back. Since I was vaccinated I have had a constant throbbing pressure headache which is at its worst when I wake up. I have been taking the recommended Panados which do not help very much.
I had to go back to my doctor for more medication for my chest and I mentioned to him all the after effects I have been experiencing. His response was that it is very unusual for someone to experience the after effects that I have.
I have done a search of the internet for information on the immediate effects, long term effects and how long the vaccine will be effective. No-one seems to know what the long term effects will be. It seems that the vaccine’s effective period is anything from three months to a year.
I extremely regret having had the first vaccination. I did it against my better judgement which is based on my history of bad reactions to vaccines and on my doctor’s advice. I have to go on the first of September for the second one.
At the moment I have not decided whether I will have the second one. I have decided that I will not be revaccinated next year or thereafter if the government decides it is necessary.
Your community members who have a go at people who do not want to be vaccinated need to take a step back and realize that some of us have very valid reasons for not wanting to be vaccinated.
Now finally today, responses to recent contributions. Entrepreneur Glen Griffths wrote:
I was interested to Margie Edwards’s response to my statement and here’s some short retorts. First, she clearly believes in taking the vaccine, anyone who does is entitled to that choice. On the flip side I am entitled to not take the vaccine and entitled to that choice.
Second the point of my Diamond Vitality status. The premium I pay for membership is far overshadowed by the paybacks I get. I am an ordinary average business owner. I have virtually no debt at all which in the world we live in could be deemed to make me wealthy, however I don’t own property and I don’t have hundreds of thousands in savings so I am anything but elitist. I just use my intelligence and make use of the Vitality platform to have great paybacks while living a healthy life.
In terms of data massaging, well, numbers tell us everything so when I state 200 million people have been infected in a world population of 7.8 billion its not me who says this is not anywhere near as huge as it is made out to be the numbers say so, and by the way the higher risk I have in not taking the vaccine, the numbers say my chance is still currently under 3%.
Lastly I actually am happy to be charged a premium for not having a vaccine BUT ONLY IF Discovery then apply that across the board: people who eat sugar and preserved foods clearly increase their risk of contracting diseases like cancer and diabetes, costs to the medical aid for those illnesses are massive, ask any cancer patient. So then Discovery should surely charge a higher rate as well to people who eat such foods knowing the possible consequences, same as people who don’t exercise they run a higher risk of certain costly illnesses to medical aids. By the way to Margie and others who believe we should all take the vaccine – not taking the vaccine does not mean you will contract the virus – going on the official numbers after 17 months the chances are currently under 3%.
And Karen Johnson offered some interesting insights into animal testing with her email which reads:
Two of the letters you shared last week particularly irritated me. Sarah obviously has no understanding of risk assessment. Yes, of course there is a large body of evidence that vaccinations work. So if Discovery adjusts our risk profiles based on whether we’ve had the vaccination or not makes perfect sense. And I say this even though I personally don’t want to have the vaccination because I have read input from other doctors who I respect more. But I’m not going to say “where is the research?” This is a typically inflammatory style of writing that thrives on social media.
And Harry stating he requires animal testing for vaccinations when it has been proven that animal testing is not good science. Dr. Gerhard Zbinden, one of the world’s leading toxicologists, once described a standard in vivo test as little more than “a ritual mass execution of animals.”
Animals are biologically and genetically different from us. Each species has its own unique DNA repair mechanism, toxin metabolism and drug absorption rate. The results obtained with animal subjects cannot be extrapolated to humans and are often misleading. Penicillin is toxic to guinea pigs yet it has saved numerous human lives.
Paracetamol is fatal to cats, but is gentle enough for children. Morphine produces an excited state in cats, yet it sedates humans. Aspirin is used by humans on a regular basis, but causes allergic reactions in animals.
Numerous ethical organisations are dedicated to researching alternatives to animal testing and great strides have been made in this direction.
The fact that a large number of vaccinations have been brought to market in a miraculously short time bodes well for the future of biomedical research. And I hope it does prove that animal models are not required.
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