One year before America closed its borders against the Coronavirus pandemic, Lewis and I booked a trip to visit our friend in Singapore. Like his other coworkers, Lewis intended to use his carryover vacation days from 2019 before they expired in April 2020. We were due to arrive on lucky St. Patrick's Day. That never happened; Asia became a "hot spot" for COVID-19. While China's prime minister went to the epicenter of the pandemic to stabilize his people and orchestrate remedies, America's president stayed home, golfed, and went on national television laughing about it and calling it a hoax.
Even though our own government ignored the warnings, and American news media failed to relay pertinent information, Lewis and I were worried. (Please click on any image to make it bigger and clearer).
(It should be no surprise. Before the outbreak, the American government was already focused on destroying the environment.)
When the Italian government quarantined Milan, Lewis and I anticipated a global trend and cancelled our trip. With tremendous speed and days of communication effort, we got a refund from the hotel and got a credit voucher for the flight. (Emirates Airline would not give us a refund because there was no travel ban from America to Singapore). Days later, the USA banned travel to Europe, except for the United Kingdom. Two days later, it included the U.K. That meant that our other pre-planned trip to England was postponed indefinitely. Thankfully, we arranged a two-year credit for our flight tickets aboard British Airways, and the London hotel did the same with our prepaid reservations. It took months for Royal Albert Hall to refund our tickets to a cancelled performance.
*If you want to see our journey to Milan (two years later), please click this link and admire how it recovered:
During the pandemic, the United States of America treated its people the same way it did during Hurricane Sandy in New York, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and storm-swept Puerto Rico. It reminded me of how profit-driven companies wanted coworkers and I to continuously work during severe snowstorms, immediately after Hurricane Sandy (when transportation was inactive), and immediately after a burglary... even before hundreds of shards of broken glass were removed from every window being smashed. The focus was not on citizens' welfare; it was on making money from them and avoiding spending money to protect them.
*(Click on any picture to make it clearer).
The USA represented unbridled capitalism at its worst. As an example, during the quarantine, two famous gyms needed to be sued before they stopped charging customers for monthly memberships!
In addition, a desire for profits delayed America's response to "shutting down". A desire to keep money (being cheap) prevented rescue efforts. Then, a desire for profits compelled governments to reopen too soon. It was like a sweatshop suffering from a fire but forcing laborers back to work before the restoration was finished.
Lewis and I were appalled that it took more than a MONTH for people in NYC to start wearing face masks! We bought ours at the outset of the pandemic--before there were supply shortages.
It was unnerving to be in a line for the supermarket alongside someone who refused to wear a mask. It's shameful that so many people protested against masks as a precaution.
In British and Danish societies, people smartly abided by the quarantine measures. Obeying social-distancing, they even did their best to enliven and bolster each other.
Typical of NYC's self-absorbed gay culture, certain people disregarded Social Distancing and acted recklessly. They continued to use phone apps to find hookup sex. Why? The NYC Gay Motto is "I never apologize for being me". It is immature. They made excuses that when they misbehaved recklessly, it was because they were celebrating how to "be true to themselves".
Some members of the gay community didn't believe them.
Some shallow gay men had the gall to claim to be traumatized when their oversexed lives were affected.
When we went to Costco for groceries, Lewis and I passed local parks and noticed that they were initially empty... except for gay men sunbathing or doing shirtless push-ups. Others posted images of insistently being outside for recreation... as if no pandemic occurred.
Other imbeciles hosted/attended house-parties--in clear violation of Social Distancing and Quarantine instructions. It was a tidal wave of stupidity.
Surprisingly, someone used technology to identify the people who appeared in pictures/video of reckless behavior.
Typical of America's obstinate/uneducated culture, many groups ignored Social Distancing or protested Self-Quarantine notions.
During that terrible time, there was a resurgence of Mr. Rogers' wisdom, but sadly, only a few people noticed.
Thankfully, most Americans were content to sit on their couch and stay home.
As if often the case, less-wealthy countries outclassed the United States of America. Taiwan earned global recognition for its efforts.
*Click the link below to watch the 7-minute video.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/taiwans-aggressive-efforts-are-paying-off-in-fight-against-covid-19
Other parts of the world with less money than USA earned praise, too.
In Singapore, the ghettos of low-class workers were ignored--causing a spike in contamination. Finally, on April 14, the island-nation enforced mandatory "mask wearing", with a penalty of $300. Subsequent offenses incurred $1,000 and prosecution. I'm glad we cancelled our trip to Singapore. Read the comments by Singaporeans about their own government.
Meanwhile, in the huge, rich nation of America, there were shortages, inabilities, mistakes, confusion, and ineptitude.
Before any overpaid government agency (America has dozens) distributed Relief Efforts, tax-paying citizens contributed EXTRA to "help thy neighbor". In essence, American tax dollars were squandered instead of protecting America, and Americans had to pay extra to get things done on their own, while tax-paid officials were idle and flummoxed.
Seen above, my friend from college generously helped the less-fortunate.
For many years, Lewis and I watched mindless American consumers scramble and panic to go food shopping for every inconsequential thing. They cram into the stores before every slight snow flurry--as if it will be a blizzard. They stampede into the store for any 3-day holiday weekend. They rush to buy things whenever there is a perceived outage. Naturally, that produced problems, as uneducated Americans (and immigrants) thronged into ill-prepared stores.
A stupid rumor panicked millions of people that were wasn't enough toilet paper. Therefore, gullible people hoarded it. Lewis and I never saw a shortage in my neighborhood.
In their typical selfishness, people hoarded things at home, with uncaring disregard for their neighbors or the elderly.
It became nearly-impossible to order online. Since billion-dollar companies rarely invest in having full staffs of Customer Service representatives, the "wait times" became unbearable...
Lewis and I did our best to find times when supermarket lines were NOT around the corner of the street! Going to Costco, we waited 30-40 minutes to enter. April mornings where the temperature was 41-degrees were not fun.
Due to the long lines outside, we only went shopping on days without rain... which weren't many in NYC.
Meanwhile, Dutch stores assured their civilization that "there was enough for everybody".
Americans are well-trained to waste hours of each day watching television or online videos. Alas, the quarantine caused TV networks to stop production. Shows like Modern Family and Superstore issued their Series Finales.
Like an addict desperate for money, NYC falsely boasted how desolate its streets were. However, it (and its media outlets) only showed images of business/theatre districts... which were empty due to closures. It showed the same SINGLE video snippet of the MTA disinfecting ONE station, trying to prove that the city was cleaning itself during the pandemic. It was a lie and a misrepresentation.
The truth erupted on social media, as people shared images of overcrowded filthy subways, swarms of people in the parks, and people stupidly congregating in public places.
NYC's famously never-ending racial discrimination found new outlets. Police brutality was still a common thread.
Oil companies that always claimed prices could never go down (even during the 2008 financial recession) suddenly slashed prices. They were hungry for buyers, as people didn't use their cars as much.
Those companies--with more money than they know what to do with--were the first to complain of a lack of profits. Knowing that they overcharge immensely during the past century, most people didn't feel bad for them. While stimulus checks (up to $1,200 per qualifying person) were issued, many were denied due to prejudice. Later checks were only increased to $1,800.
In other cases, corrupt politicians tried to leverage the pandemic to get their own agendas.
"Hiring freezes" occurred, and people seeking jobs were blocked. Like they often do in a crisis, some Big Businesses laid off their workforces. (It's always the same brands; they never learn to change). Some forced their underpaid laborers to continue working.
Never learning from their past experiences (like the 2009 recession), large-scale American retailers mismanaged their assets/profits and were unprepared for this crisis, too. 27 brands teetered on bankruptcy. Neiman Marcus and J. Crew filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Lord & Taylor liquidated its stores for bankruptcy. Sears closed 51 stores. Kmart closed 45. Pier 1 Imports closed 450 stories. GNC tumbled into liquidation. Gap announced the closure of 230 stores (including Old Navy and Banana Republic). J.C. Penny, Victoria's Secret, and Macy's had increasingly-grim futures. Nordstrom (which oddly opened a big retail complex in overpriced NYC) closed 16 stores.
In contrast, online retailers like Amazon and E-bay did extremely well.
Thankfully, many American companies paid their employees to stay home and stay safe. Nonetheless, growing swarms of millions of out-of-work citizens applied for Unemployment. Watch the two short videos below (turn the sound on)...
However, there were problems. Just like America's credit-score system, its unemployment policies are unhelpful. People who are fired for negligence, offenses, or ineptitude qualified to collect unemployment payments. People who only seek part-time jobs qualified. People who only seek seasonal work also qualified. But anybody who resigned--to avoid sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions, racism, or bullying--did NOT qualify for unemployment. Does that seem fair?
Never learning from their past experiences (like the 2009 recession), large-scale American retailers mismanaged their assets/profits and were unprepared for this crisis, too. 27 brands teetered on bankruptcy. Neiman Marcus and J. Crew filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Lord & Taylor liquidated its stores for bankruptcy. Sears closed 51 stores. Kmart closed 45. Pier 1 Imports closed 450 stories. GNC tumbled into liquidation. Gap announced the closure of 230 stores (including Old Navy and Banana Republic). J.C. Penny, Victoria's Secret, and Macy's had increasingly-grim futures. Nordstrom (which oddly opened a big retail complex in overpriced NYC) closed 16 stores.
In contrast, online retailers like Amazon and E-bay did extremely well.
Thankfully, many American companies paid their employees to stay home and stay safe. Nonetheless, growing swarms of millions of out-of-work citizens applied for Unemployment. Watch the two short videos below (turn the sound on)...
Yet, America's overcompensated politicians didn't care.
The circus of American politics was apparent to the world.
Notoriously, the American president encouraged people to inject themselves with poisonous disinfectants. Telephone calls to Poison Control skyrocketed after that (the same stupid Americans that probably ate Tide Detergent pods, last year).
While America foundered in bad responses to the pandemic (often looking like the worst in the world), New York City actually achieved the WORST rating in the world!
Full of overcharged renters and home-owners, NYC's vast unemployed masses faced challenges to pay their monthly rent. Famous for getting federal bailout money, banks suspended mortgage payments. But--as Lewis and I predicted--rents were still demanded by landlords. Rent in NYC has always gone up and always been demanded on time. Landlords and property owners run the city.
What did America waste its energy on? Sending 3 postage-paid mailings per household to ensure that the National Census was completed. It paid for TV airtime for innumerable commercials. Such priorities!? Meanwhile, our "aunt-like" friend in Ontario boasted about the Canadian government's help to renters.
While America's leadership blamed China for their own ineptitude and scandals, Denmark collaborated with China for Relief supplies.
While we saw NYC's Metropolitan Transit Authority callously ignore the pandemic (denying masks to workers and not cleaning its trains/stations), Lewis and I were impressed with heart-warming behavior by Amsterdam's Transit GVB.
Cities like London had their cultural centers create free online performances to bolster people. Overnight, hours of pre-recorded symphonies, ballets, recitals, and rehearsals were viewable online for free. Lewis and I savored them and loved enjoying art. NYC's tightfisted theaters were the last to do so... often only with several 3-minute clips.
At the end of May, orderly/clean Europeans were able to resume some normalcy...
...but the death toll continued in America. Remaining at home, Lewis and I applied the time to do a thorough Spring Cleaning: shower tiles, dish drain, windows, bookshelves, under the bed, and even the back of the closets.
While waiting to hear back about Lewis' job transfer to the Netherlands, we completed online Dutch language lessons. We learned nearly everything about Dutch governing, history, economy, cuisine, and culture. If the Dutch Human Resources department had mentioned that the job required fluency in Dutch, we would've known to look elsewhere. {Many other sales jobs rely on English fluency and invite you take Dutch lessons after you are there}. During that time, we also communicated with a Dutch recruiter (for my corporate career) and a relocation expert. They failed to mention the necessity of Dutch fluency for jobs in luxury-retail, which is Lewis' entire career. Omitting that critical information was a striking lack of "Dutch directness"! Despite repetitive follow-ups from Lewis' manager and the USA's HR department, we didn't hear back from the Dutch HR until 10 months later! Without their help, we also discovered that businesses in the Netherlands are mandated to hire Dutch people first, and then they are compelled to hire folks from the 44 countries of the European Union. If they can prove why they couldn't give the job to a European, they were allowed to hire someone from the rest of the word. Such discrimination was ugly to us.
Ironically, one of the television shows that we binge-watched was a BBC series titled Hold the Sunset. With an all-star cast, the comedy was about a couple waiting for their relocation in Europe. The plot resonated with us, and it encouraged us to look forward to our impending trip to England (after it was safe to travel for a while). *The United Kingdom does not give preferential hiring to EU citizens; all candidates outside the UK are considered based on merit, skill, willingness to relocate, and value as an upstanding citizen.
While many Americans got lazier and fatter, Lewis purchased an exercise machine and yoga mats, and we did fitness at home. We tried new recipes. I finished reading books. We mediated daily. Our Taiwanese friend (living in NYC) hosted online meditations.
Lewis and I discovered that being "unplugged" from media, applying time for meditation, and quieting our minds was immensely helpful. We realized that a better Life/Work balance was imperative. (American life doesn't often focus on such priorities... as seen below).
It was great to realign our priorities! People often reach for "big things" and "big moments", but all the while, they ignore the "little things" that are undoing them.
People commenced "remote learning", drew Thank You cards for their deliverymen and postal workers, and finally gave space for each other in public.
...except on the subway, where NYC made it hard.
Another notoriously greedy industry was the airlines in America. Below was a video-clip aboard AA, but another friend told me that Delta was equally irresponsible.
Acquaintances in the "bubble" of the Hamptons didn't wear masks and continued to dine at open-air restaurants as if nothing was wrong: just like Versailles before the threat. (The waiter has a mask). This was before NY's reopening.
Other abnormal Americans refused to wear masks--even on airplanes with constricted space and recycled air.
NYC collects the most taxes, fees, and surcharges (for the most obscure things), yet it was the last to apply resources to resolve the pandemic. Its unchanged fifth, neglect, and crumbling infrastructure allowed the CoronaVirus to spread more than in ANY city. New York City had more cases/deaths than ANY ENTIRE COUNTRY.
The incompetence of its uncaring and unready bureaucracy became clear to the world.
The incompetence of its uncaring and unready bureaucracy became clear to the world.
Watch these short videos (turn the sound on)...
Just like NYC was unready for hurricanes, floods, and economic problems, it still collected the most taxes, yet it was unready for the COVID19 pandemic. It ignores prevention and focuses on meager responses. (Overpaid responders are happy with that). Such global attention on NYC's arrogance should deplete the quantity of people who want to visit the overpriced city and live there.
Unfortunately for residents/taxpayers like Lewis and I, New York City was the worst in the entire WORLD! That's the payback for overpaying to live there.
Watch this video (turn the sound on)...
NYC claims that it can never fix or clean infrastructure because of nonstop usage. Yet, the quarantine was the ideal time to do so. Naturally, NYC didn't. Other countries did.
When it came time to give lucrative contracts for manufacturing face masks, it was no surprise that the government awarded the contracts to highly-corrupt automaker, General Motors, as well as highly-corrupt electricity provider, Consolidated Edison. What do they know about making face masks?
Naturally, other industries remained sloppy, so instead of remedying their bad methods, they merely shut down.
_______________________________________________________________________________
While "Big Business" was being helped, look at what the government did to smaller businesses.
Despite the MTA's lies about "totally disinfecting" the decrepit subway system, passengers continuously shared photographs of the insurgence of homeless people aboard the trains and stations. How can you claim to clean a subway if there are unclean homeless people there? On May 4, two were found dead on the trains.
NYC is hereditarily incorrigibly corrupt--wanting people's money like a vampire. It needs a never-ending supply of gullible victims (investors, visitors, tourists, commuters, residents) to keep feeding its wasteful bureaucracy and insanely profit-driven land-owners. Despite NYC's legions of politicians, journalists, and law enforcement, such truths remain obscured from public awareness (unless you live there). Nevertheless, the city could not hide its pathetic level of ability/infrastructure, as it was announced to be the worst city in the world for the pandemic. Politicians could not hide how badly the city was debauched filthy, poorly-managed, and wasteful. It had one-sixth of America's total cases! Please watch this short video...
America--which behaved the worst--hurried to reopen, without doing the proper clean-up. Disregarding the national statistics, the American government and its industries rushed to reopen... to the detriment of society.
On May 4, retail stores in Florida were told to reopen! (My friend manages the Prada store in Miami and told me about his fears). Unthinkingly, California also rushed to reopen... then was forced to shut down again.
*Turn the sounds on for this short video...
Meanwhile, rumors of sabotage against cures continued to circulate.
Making things scary were eyewitness reports of medical professionals who were uncaring towards proper protocols.
The most capitalistic society in the world floundered and failed a basic test: the ability to take care of its people. America's massive failure against the pandemic was worldwide news. It was just like when the Soviet Union told the world how strong it was, but behind the facade, its people were suffering. America's inferior infrastructure caused food shortages, while farmers were forced to destroy unused crops. Big corporations got more bailout funds, while 1 in 4 people with earnings under $40,000 were terminated from their jobs. America's gluttonous/corporatized healthcare system was ill-equipped to provide basic healthcare, at the same time that it made record-breaking profits. Crisis responses depended on antiquated systems, and overpaid officials didn't know how to use them.
Unlike Canada (above), watch this short video from NY's governor...
He acknowledged that America's wealthiest corporations would avoid helping the economy, yet take (lobbied) government bailout money... then eliminate their loyal employees. Why is that allowed? People got outraged and vented that in the public streets.
Also allowed were the harmful riots that occurred in response to racist police brutality that continued across America. However, instead of merely protesting, hoodlums broke into retail stores (causing more racial stereotyping). They used the turmoil to vandalize and commit robberies. It seemed like a ringleader waved a green flag, and signaled pillaging across America on the same weekend!
That takes a tremendous amount of coordination, and I'm surprised that America's dozens of overpaid intelligence agencies failed to detect it. On Friday, May 29, it began on the West Coats.
(With their faces visible in the video, police should be able to imprison them. We hope that they don't release them early, as is America's tendency. Letting criminals out--to accumulate long crime histories--does nothing).
Lewis' colleague in California drove through Beverly Hills and took this video of a crowd of vandals burglarizing the Gucci store in broad daylight!
Rodeo Drive is the most prestigious shopping district in the United States of America. Where was the overpaid Beverly Hills Police force? Why did they let so many people gather in the middle of the street and break into stores?
On Saturday, the same thing occurred in New York City. NYC--which has an overpaid police force larger than the armies of some nations--allowed it to happen. Why didn't they stop it? They knew that vandalism and thievery was occurring in other cities, yet their Command Centers remained idle. Instead of taking preventive patrolling methods, they merely collected their paychecks without getting involved. These are pictures of elite retailer shops in pricey SoHo. Lewis' store had planned to reopen within two weeks, but the destruction that ensued delayed it greatly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mFTxRuzDD0
The Chanel store was one of dozens that got victimized. The mob pried the boards off the walls and broke through the shatterproof glass. They broke through the metal gate, behind it. Unbelievably, the crime continued for 2 hours. The alarm clanged loudly but nobody responded to the chaos. Police did not arrive, nor did they enforce the law. The stock room was looted of all of its inventory, as well as dozens of clients' repairs and paid-for items! The store was ransacked, including video monitors, furnishings, and staff spaces.
Those evil people didn't merely rob the store, they ransacked it and damaged as much of the furnishings as possible.
Lewis and his coworkers were heartbroken. His coworkers--who worked there for 15+ years--were nauseous with shock and indignation. They treat that store like their second home. Lewis was truly upset it see it ransacked by unpunished thieves.
Here is a video taken in daylight of rioters breaking down the doors of Macy's department store that fills Herald Square.
This is what happened at night...
Evidently, NYC hasn't improved its stupid violence since 1863!
https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2019/07/shameful-police-gossip.html
Taxpayers who suffered from a lack of city support watched their tax-dollars be wasted to allow destruction. Despite that, they collected more money and manpower to organize "Clean Our Streets" events, to repair the damage. I'm sure they'll do a faster job than NYC's overpaid slovenly Sanitation Department. Congratulations to such good souls who volunteered (amidst the quarantine) to restore order.
Considering all of the documented police brutality that emerged during the pandemic, you might expect the American police to be more sensitive to their behavior. Alas, they weren't. A mere week after the nationwide riots, the City of Buffalo's police were "caught on camera" knocking down an old Caucasian man, then ignoring him while his head bled on the concrete. The video proved that he did not deserve such brutal treatment. Making matters worse, other officers felt obligated (to their comrade) to ignore the injured man and walk past him. It spurred outrage, and the governor couldn't defend the officers. When the two guilty policemen were suspended, their entire squad resigned! Rather than admit that what they did was dishonorably wrong, they had a baby-like tantrum and quit. Good riddance. (Turn the sound on, and watch this quick video about it)...
Sadly, for all the money that household taxpayers contribute to America, very little improvement occurs. Change doesn't seem to happen. The system is broken.
A coworker from my previous job told me that the company forced employees to use all of their vacation days for 2020 and 2021 to stay home during the state-mandated quarantine. Unlike many other companies, that uber-wealthy company did not pay them to stay home. Now those employees must work nonstop for 1.5 years before they get vacation again in 2022! That's crazy. To ensure that their employees work nonstop, the company informed them that anyone taking an "unpaid leave of absence" will face termination. Seen below, other misfortunes happened.
Thankfully, Lewis' company assured his team that they would only reopen when THEY thought it was safe to do so (regardless of others).
Started in March, Lewis and I dutifully wore washable masks and disposable gloves every time that we left my apartment (even to dispose of trash). We disinfected everything that we brought home: groceries, supplies, mail, and packages. Instead of ordering Take-Out and Delivery from eateries, we prepared our own meals (which was more affordable, too). We didn't invite anyone to visit us, and it wasn't until the end of June that we met with one friend to stroll through the local park. We didn't visit anyone's home, except Lewis' mother in June. Nevertheless, we digitally communicated with our friends and loved ones on a daily/weekly basis. Lewis' job was only able to resume normalcy at the end of July. Job recruiters that I coordinated with assured me that the "hiring freeze" would dissipate during summer. While we stayed home, we hoped that our friends in other parts of the world were learning from their experiences.
These images from Bangkok showed that some parts of the world were regrouping smoothly and recommencing life.
Acquaintances in the United Kingdom attested to how clean and careful their society behaved. Therefore, they were able to lessen restrictions and reopen hotels, museums, restaurants, coffeeshops, and stores. Eat-in was allowed. The UK was the first in Europe to fully invest in a nationwide vaccination campaign, and its roll-out was speedy. It maintained the most "open" European economy, while many other EU nations shut down, and it kept the most people employed. It cut its crime rate by 10%, while the USA's crime ballooned. The UK "delivered" while the USA "dithered".
He acknowledged that America's wealthiest corporations would avoid helping the economy, yet take (lobbied) government bailout money... then eliminate their loyal employees. Why is that allowed? People got outraged and vented that in the public streets.
Also allowed were the harmful riots that occurred in response to racist police brutality that continued across America. However, instead of merely protesting, hoodlums broke into retail stores (causing more racial stereotyping). They used the turmoil to vandalize and commit robberies. It seemed like a ringleader waved a green flag, and signaled pillaging across America on the same weekend!
That takes a tremendous amount of coordination, and I'm surprised that America's dozens of overpaid intelligence agencies failed to detect it. On Friday, May 29, it began on the West Coats.
(With their faces visible in the video, police should be able to imprison them. We hope that they don't release them early, as is America's tendency. Letting criminals out--to accumulate long crime histories--does nothing).
Lewis' colleague in California drove through Beverly Hills and took this video of a crowd of vandals burglarizing the Gucci store in broad daylight!
On Saturday, the same thing occurred in New York City. NYC--which has an overpaid police force larger than the armies of some nations--allowed it to happen. Why didn't they stop it? They knew that vandalism and thievery was occurring in other cities, yet their Command Centers remained idle. Instead of taking preventive patrolling methods, they merely collected their paychecks without getting involved. These are pictures of elite retailer shops in pricey SoHo. Lewis' store had planned to reopen within two weeks, but the destruction that ensued delayed it greatly.
On Saturday night, crowds convened on SoHo with malicious intent, but police did not intervene, or disperse them, or try to restore order. Unchecked, the vandals "tested the response system" by bashing/breaking windows. Police did not respond.
The next day, I--and other taxpayers--(nearly 50% of our paychecks goes to taxes) expected to see the mayor and police commissioner have a press briefing to explain their plan of action. They do it for anticipated "snow days" (seen below)...
...but they did not present one for such a calamity. They did not publicize any strategy. Reprehensibly, they let the city's population fend for itself.
Chanel sent people to cover the SoHo store's windows with wooden boards.
We expected the police to be ready for a "repeat performance", aimed to thwart another attempt. That seemed like a fair reasonable expectation. We pay for that support. It was not provided. Quarantined at home, we feared that the crowd would attack the same places again. How could the authorities NOT be ready?
On Sunday night, a larger crowed gathered... in the same places. Lewis' client who lives in Manhattan by a bridge from Brooklyn filmed them using the same route as the prior night. Gangs marched back to SoHo. Police were still not there and seemingly did not take action to anticipate them. Watch the abbreviated video below to see them break into a store and burglarize it.
The next day, I--and other taxpayers--(nearly 50% of our paychecks goes to taxes) expected to see the mayor and police commissioner have a press briefing to explain their plan of action. They do it for anticipated "snow days" (seen below)...
...but they did not present one for such a calamity. They did not publicize any strategy. Reprehensibly, they let the city's population fend for itself.
We expected the police to be ready for a "repeat performance", aimed to thwart another attempt. That seemed like a fair reasonable expectation. We pay for that support. It was not provided. Quarantined at home, we feared that the crowd would attack the same places again. How could the authorities NOT be ready?
On Sunday night, a larger crowed gathered... in the same places. Lewis' client who lives in Manhattan by a bridge from Brooklyn filmed them using the same route as the prior night. Gangs marched back to SoHo. Police were still not there and seemingly did not take action to anticipate them. Watch the abbreviated video below to see them break into a store and burglarize it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mFTxRuzDD0
The Chanel store was one of dozens that got victimized. The mob pried the boards off the walls and broke through the shatterproof glass. They broke through the metal gate, behind it. Unbelievably, the crime continued for 2 hours. The alarm clanged loudly but nobody responded to the chaos. Police did not arrive, nor did they enforce the law. The stock room was looted of all of its inventory, as well as dozens of clients' repairs and paid-for items! The store was ransacked, including video monitors, furnishings, and staff spaces.
Those evil people didn't merely rob the store, they ransacked it and damaged as much of the furnishings as possible.
Lewis and his coworkers were heartbroken. His coworkers--who worked there for 15+ years--were nauseous with shock and indignation. They treat that store like their second home. Lewis was truly upset it see it ransacked by unpunished thieves.
Lewis' clients and our friends who live in NYC shared videos of the mobs amassing in different areas of the city. Barely any police cars were visible, which showed a tremendous lack of preparation. NYC Police has 39,000 officers, plus 4,500 Auxiliary Police, 7,000 Public Safety officers, and 500 police cadets. NYC has State Police, a Coast Guard base, Naval base, 2 National Guard bases, FBI headquarters, and field offices for CIA, NSA, and Homeland Security. NYCPD has annual budget of $5.6 billion! It's more than Paris and London. For that kind of tax-paid payout, NYC should have the best policing in the world. Look at this map and count how many police stations exist around SoHo, yet their thousands of officers were seemingly idle (while collecting $100,000+ incomes).
Here is a video taken in daylight of rioters breaking down the doors of Macy's department store that fills Herald Square.
This is what happened at night...
Lewis' friend is dating a NYPD detective who said that people who got arrested were NOT from New York; they were from the Midwest or foreign. He could not understand how they came to NYC. My school-friend on Long Island shared this...
Throughout the night, Lewis was unsettled and couldn't sleep. In the morning, he recounted how he oddly never heard a helicopter in the air (working against the mayhem) and heard few police sirens until 2am; he only heard fire engine sirens. During that time, hordes of people terrorized dozens of stores in SoHo: Apple, Prada, LVHM, jewelry shops, and restaurants. Churches, community centers, and retailers in other sectors were vandalized/robbed, too.
During the first public protests against President Trump in 2017, Lewis and I worked on Fifth Avenue. Every time a planned or unplanned protest began forming on Fifth Avenue, swarms of police were mobilized to maintain order. It happened several times--often a multiple places simultaneously. Therefore, why weren't the police strategically prepared for this?
Overpaid newscasters failed to mention the outlandish events in detail. If you live in America, you don't expect its corporate-owned media to spout the truth in a timely way. However, pictures and videos from our friends supplied the truth via social media. Lewis' clients from around the world contacted him to make sure he was okay and to learn about the store's status. They learned about the tragic events from social media, instead of the news.
People speculated that the police remained silent because certain policeman across America (including NYC) were criticized for their use of physical abuse. It would be terrifying to think that they let it happen, in retaliation. More terrifying were Machiavellian suspicions that the authorities let the problem emerge so they could declare "a state of emergency" and enjoy enlarged powers (above and beyond the law).
Our Taiwanese friend speculated that it was reparations for America supporting riots in Hong Kong. He pointed out that some of the mobs crossed bridges from Brooklyn and gathered in Confucius Plaza, before they launched their attacks. Confucius Plaza was the sight of an Equality Protest for discriminated Asian-Americans in 1974.
People speculated that the police remained silent because certain policeman across America (including NYC) were criticized for their use of physical abuse. It would be terrifying to think that they let it happen, in retaliation. More terrifying were Machiavellian suspicions that the authorities let the problem emerge so they could declare "a state of emergency" and enjoy enlarged powers (above and beyond the law).
Our Taiwanese friend speculated that it was reparations for America supporting riots in Hong Kong. He pointed out that some of the mobs crossed bridges from Brooklyn and gathered in Confucius Plaza, before they launched their attacks. Confucius Plaza was the sight of an Equality Protest for discriminated Asian-Americans in 1974.
On social media, friends displayed proof that gangsters and white suprematists participated in the lootings and robberies (while blaming it on the protesters).
New Yorkers who know if the city's longstanding rapport with criminal mobs guessed that some authorities were bribed to stay away, so the hugely-successful robberies could occur. NYC's never-ending (but massively-expensive) "War on Drugs", "War on Guns", and "War on Violence" never seem to produce results. Another thought circulated that only certain brands were targeted in cities across America, while other brands were conspicuously spared.
Sadly, in a seemingly premeditated maneuver, that weekend sparked robbery sprees in various American cities. It certainly didn't seem random or spur-of-the-moment. Equally disturbing was the universal lack of police protection.
Sadly, in a seemingly premeditated maneuver, that weekend sparked robbery sprees in various American cities. It certainly didn't seem random or spur-of-the-moment. Equally disturbing was the universal lack of police protection.
On Monday night, the same thing happened again! Manhattan was full of fire engine sirens, as mobs got together again and aimed for Midtown! They broke into the new Nordstrom department store at Columbus Circle. Pharmacies, bank lobbies, cafes, and shops were wrecked. It seemed like nobody wanted to stop them.
Evidently, NYC hasn't improved its stupid violence since 1863!
Only when hordes of burglars invaded the Upper East Side (home of the city's billionaires) did police supply a countermeasure.
However, for people who pay exorbitant prices to live in SoHo, it was too little too late. Their neighborhood was ravaged: bus stops, public charging kiosks, sewage drains, lampposts, convenience stores, medial supplies at pharmacies, grocery stores, and ATM machines.
If you want a glimpse of how the NY police think, go here:
https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2019/07/shameful-police-gossip.html
Resulting from immense pushback from taxpayers, this happened...
One of the security guards at Lewis' store was a former NYPD sergeant. He explained that most police officers retire at age 45. (Imagine being able to retire after only 20 years of work!) Most cops get at least $110,000 per year, so they are guaranteed that amount in their pensions forever after retirement. It is tax-free, and comes with full medical benefits. !!! Sergeants (who are the beginning rank above patrolman) earn $150k. Pensions are inflated by massively-accrued overtime... not so much as based on quantity of arrests. During their final years, most cops ignore their loved ones and work as many shifts as possible. They might not be doing their jobs, but they're "on the clock" accruing hours/overtime. Sadly, too many cops ignore crimes and merely collect their paychecks. Critics call it a bribe by the city to allow NYC to remain corrupt... just like debauchee Roman emperors bribed the Praetorian Guard.
Police Unions protested, but valid arguments were made against the police force...
Just as businesses were trying to reopen, such nationwide destruction made things worse. It further burdened those businesses to restructure, repair, disinfect everything, and restock. No other nation in the world experienced such problems during COVID-19. It's like a third-world country.
As another indication of uncaring, nobody from City Hall visited the torn-up area. The mayor did not inspect the wrecked storefronts, nor did any assemblyman or councilwoman visit to show solace for the business employees or residents.
As more governmental cover-ups and deceptions were revealed in the media, their evident uncaring was inexcusable. Please watch this short video...
Think about all of the data that you just read and saw. Clearly, too many Americans must've read books like this...
In contrast, our friends in other parts of the world know better than to ignore others and instead care for others.
Taxpayers who suffered from a lack of city support watched their tax-dollars be wasted to allow destruction. Despite that, they collected more money and manpower to organize "Clean Our Streets" events, to repair the damage. I'm sure they'll do a faster job than NYC's overpaid slovenly Sanitation Department. Congratulations to such good souls who volunteered (amidst the quarantine) to restore order.
Considering all of the documented police brutality that emerged during the pandemic, you might expect the American police to be more sensitive to their behavior. Alas, they weren't. A mere week after the nationwide riots, the City of Buffalo's police were "caught on camera" knocking down an old Caucasian man, then ignoring him while his head bled on the concrete. The video proved that he did not deserve such brutal treatment. Making matters worse, other officers felt obligated (to their comrade) to ignore the injured man and walk past him. It spurred outrage, and the governor couldn't defend the officers. When the two guilty policemen were suspended, their entire squad resigned! Rather than admit that what they did was dishonorably wrong, they had a baby-like tantrum and quit. Good riddance. (Turn the sound on, and watch this quick video about it)...
Pursuant to the recent frenzy about "All Lives Matter", a friend of ours made a valid point...
Sadly, for all the money that household taxpayers contribute to America, very little improvement occurs. Change doesn't seem to happen. The system is broken.
A coworker from my previous job told me that the company forced employees to use all of their vacation days for 2020 and 2021 to stay home during the state-mandated quarantine. Unlike many other companies, that uber-wealthy company did not pay them to stay home. Now those employees must work nonstop for 1.5 years before they get vacation again in 2022! That's crazy. To ensure that their employees work nonstop, the company informed them that anyone taking an "unpaid leave of absence" will face termination. Seen below, other misfortunes happened.
Thankfully, Lewis' company assured his team that they would only reopen when THEY thought it was safe to do so (regardless of others).
Started in March, Lewis and I dutifully wore washable masks and disposable gloves every time that we left my apartment (even to dispose of trash). We disinfected everything that we brought home: groceries, supplies, mail, and packages. Instead of ordering Take-Out and Delivery from eateries, we prepared our own meals (which was more affordable, too). We didn't invite anyone to visit us, and it wasn't until the end of June that we met with one friend to stroll through the local park. We didn't visit anyone's home, except Lewis' mother in June. Nevertheless, we digitally communicated with our friends and loved ones on a daily/weekly basis. Lewis' job was only able to resume normalcy at the end of July. Job recruiters that I coordinated with assured me that the "hiring freeze" would dissipate during summer. While we stayed home, we hoped that our friends in other parts of the world were learning from their experiences.
These images from Bangkok showed that some parts of the world were regrouping smoothly and recommencing life.
Acquaintances in the United Kingdom attested to how clean and careful their society behaved. Therefore, they were able to lessen restrictions and reopen hotels, museums, restaurants, coffeeshops, and stores. Eat-in was allowed. The UK was the first in Europe to fully invest in a nationwide vaccination campaign, and its roll-out was speedy. It maintained the most "open" European economy, while many other EU nations shut down, and it kept the most people employed. It cut its crime rate by 10%, while the USA's crime ballooned. The UK "delivered" while the USA "dithered".
Across the ocean, Lewis and I admired how things went (and people behaved) in a place that we would love to call "home". It was like another world... and it was as life should be.
By June 15, intra-European travel was reopened. Since they did things correctly during the pandemic, they were stable enough to do so. Whereas NYC's Philharmonic cancelled all of its performances for the rest of the year, the Royal Concertgebouw was able to host 18 summertime concerts for 100 attendees each... later increased to 230. The hall removed rows of seats (whereas NYC theaters wanted "all or nothing", rather than compromise on their profits).
By June 15, intra-European travel was reopened. Since they did things correctly during the pandemic, they were stable enough to do so. Whereas NYC's Philharmonic cancelled all of its performances for the rest of the year, the Royal Concertgebouw was able to host 18 summertime concerts for 100 attendees each... later increased to 230. The hall removed rows of seats (whereas NYC theaters wanted "all or nothing", rather than compromise on their profits).
Whereas NYC's Broadway theaters cancelled all performances for the entire yea, Amsterdam's summertime Grachtenfestival proceeded with 135 musical performances in dozens of beautiful locations.
Two acquaintances of mine announced their emigrations to Europe. Here is the online dialogue from one of them.
Lewis and I hoped for global improvements and closer-knit communities.
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