Stopping the Economy to fight the Pandemic

Some are doubting the wisdom of stopping the economy, closing down factories and shops to fight the corona flu. After all, the actual disease affects about 1% of the infected and the number of deaths is statistically insignificant and of unhealthy/improductive people. Everybody is suffering, in Israel one million persons are unemployed and without income, business is closed and cheap loans are super-risky because loads the business with debts that will have to be paid back. England tried to choose a more rational path but soon had to adopt drastic measures like everyone else. I am old and deep in the endangered class, so I assume I am unable to think clearly. Anyway, the State of Israel has decided what to do and possess the means to exact compliance from small people like me.

The economy is adapting to the pandemic. Everything is being done by computer and mobile phone. A self-help parallel economy is aborning: people drive out to farms to buy produce, and they are sewing and selling masks. I have been working from my home studio for the last twenty years, so I feel the difference only by having my wife non-stop over me or shouting on the phone. 

Israel Forever

Israel sold $1 billion of 100-year bonds in international markets as part of a record $5 billion fundraising to finance government aid to help the economy cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

Israel joins a handful of countries such as Austria, Mexico and Argentina, which have sold “century bonds.”

The local Treasure says it is a testament to the faith in Israel's solidity. Yet Argentina also succeeded in selling similar bonds, and the purchasers already lost half of their investment. 

How Much TEVA?

It has been two weeks of emergency in Israel. It is forbidden to walk the streets. One million people has been sacked and is unemployed living on Social Security. The bourse is very depressed, cheap, with prices lower than two years ago. TEVA, a large pharma company, lost 90% of its value, but it is working and profiting organization, and in this epidemy, its products should be invaluable. I decided to buy some more. How much? Thinking.

Perineum sunning

It is a German invention. It is deeper than nude sunbathing. No pictures.

The Ruins of Syria

I live in the center of a town of 100,000 and am used to continuous noise. Now, suddenly, everything is silent and quiet. The pidgeons are sunbathing in the middle of the street and courting each other. I hear every movement of the upstairs Russian couple and the shouts of the first floor Persian tribe.

Bored, look up what the CIA thinks of Syria. It seems tht Syria is ruined, the GNP is 2900 dollar per capita, the bare survival. I used to think of Syria as an Arab country, but CIA says is only ~50% Arab, the rest Alawite ~15%, Kurd ~10%, Levantine ~10%, other ~15% (includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian). The Alawites are not Arab? I have never heard of the ethnic group of Levantines? Always thought of Syria as a homogeneous Arab country, but now the CIA is describing it as diverse. May be the plan is to break up the Middle East into small ethnic countries, like Europe after WWII. In Europe it worked and there is peace.

The population is growing at the rate of 4.25% NA (2020 est.), half of it immigrants. Immigrants to dirt poor Syria, with 40% unemployment? GNP is $24.6 billion (2014 est.) - about 5% of Israel. Millions are trying to escape from Syria. It all started with a draught and the Sunni rebellion against the Alawi dictatorship and in less that three years the conflict destroyed the country. Who could imagine it?

P.S.: Researching the Levantine ethnic group, apparently it is mixed European population that rejects the Arab identity and wants to be classed with Europeans, just as they were in the past. Is its renaissance a CIA initiative? May be the idea is to weaken the Arab identity and de-Arabize the region? Could be.  It also could be a natural development, as the peoples living here are realizing the total failure of Arab states. I do not know. 

In Argentina they are shooting

Clarin, Argentina's main newpaper, reports that soldiers are shooting people walking in the street against the order to stay at home. They say it was with rubber munitions. Que barbaros!

Lesson in Speculation

The market is an idiot. If I needed a demonstration, it is this: Trading in Zoom Technologies Inc. (ticker: ZOOM) was suspended by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday through April 8 after the stock climbed in recent weeks amid confusion with Zoom Video Communications Inc. (ticker: ZM), the popular virtual-meeting company.

The similar names had caused confusion, leading some investors to purchase shares in the wrong company. Shares of the now-halted Zoom Technologies tripled over the past five weeks, while Zoom Video rose only 30% during the same period.

So the mindless speculators bought the wrong stock, TRIPLING it price, while the stock they intended rose ONLY 30%. I shall never forget this palpable lesson that the market is stupid and always wrong.