Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[Camillus112]

Yes, Spins, as PR imports more than 80% of what it produces, The Jones Act has caused that the cost of living has been, for many years, dearer than in the US. If we want to get any product, say from Spain, the Spanish vessel bringing the product will have to stop and discharge at a US port, where a US ship will transfer the product to PR. Also, US products going, let's say, from the US in a European ship to South America, cannot stop and discharge the product in PR. As Terry very well explains, it was both a political and economic marriage between big business and big labor. As I understand it, Congress is now feeling the pressure to overturn the law due to the humanitarian crisis, but it had dispelled all calls for its repeal before the crisis. Many political/economic experts in PR believe that the moratorium will last until there is a perceived stabilization, and then it will be enforced again.

[spinnaker2]

The Jones Act also gives sailors, I.e., crew, certain rights and remedies for negligence of their employer.

Before the Jones Act sailors had no right to receive compensation for injuries or death which occurred on a vessel.

Thus the Jones Act is complex and complete repeal of this Act would pose other issues.

[Camillus112]

Yes, Spins, quite complex.

 

Tomorrow we're off to Montclair, New Jersey, for a reception. Looking forward!

[Lois R]

Hi friends.........Terry, it is all BS (in my opinion).......it is part of America and they need HELP NOW:eek: The hospitals

still have no electric:mad: and patients could DIE.........what is the administration's PROBLEM???

 

JP, have a medical question for you.......is the normal glucose number between 75-100 for someone with no sugar

issues?.........I have a higher number in the morning but by the time the afternoon comes it is in the very good range.

I really don't want to go back to the Dr AGAIN:eek:...........just wondering if you have some medical answers........

[Solo mi!]

Right on Lois! I just watched CNN on what is happening right now. It is horrible. The President of the United States should use his presidential powers to get things done. We saw how quickly the wheels were set in motion in Texas and Florida. He could have suspended the Jones Act sooner. What was almost the first thing that he said after the hurricane hit? Puerto Rico is in terrible debt. Hello, this is an emergency. Why is he not sending his fleet of Trump aircraft to assist as are other billionaires and entertainers? Again, let us repeat...these are US citizens.....Oh yes, and one more thing. the "Acting Director" of FEMA said things are going well!

[Lois R]

Right on Lois! I just watched CNN on what is happening right now. It is horrible. The President of the United States should use his presidential powers to get things done. We saw how quickly the wheels were set in motion in Texas and Florida. He could have suspended the Jones Act sooner. What was almost the first thing that he said after the hurricane hit? Puerto Rico is in terrible debt. Hello, this is an emergency. Why is he not sending his fleet of Trump aircraft to assist as are other billionaires and entertainers? Again, let us repeat...these are US citizens.....Oh yes, and one more thing. the "Acting Director" of FEMA said things are going well!

 

I saw the same story.....Dr Gupta helped take a lady to a hospital but it looks VERY, VERY BAD:mad:........and some

stupid woman from Homeland Security said "things are gong well"......ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:mad:

[mysty]

Saw a news story here in Canada that there are trucks loaded with relief efforts that cannot be delivered because there is no fuel. Followed by the story with the FEMA spokeswoman saying that "everything is under control". Which would you say is "fake news"?

[UKCruiseJeff]

The sad thing is that all of us are guilty of myopia when it comes to what energises us. And the suffering in PR is terrible, particularly when help is so close.

 

It is perfectly understandable that we are energised by strife and suffering in the place of our birth and our homelands or lands physically close to us because they are "our people" and i am not in any way critical of that.

 

Sadly however, even though we probably have the collective means and national wealth to improve the lives of people further away who have suffered all their lives and are currently going through hell, and need so little to change their lives, we are blind to it and turn the page over or change the TV channel and don't act because I guess sadly they are not us or physically close to us and we rationalise away and excuse our national guilt.

 

We live in troubled times but it seems to me that an unacceptable number of people in the world rarely experience a regularly sated appetite, the ability to drink clean water whenever they want to and to have somewhere warm and safe to live. Many never experience much joy in their lives, and it seems to me that because of that we have no right to claim to live in a civilised society because civilised people would do all they could, wouldn't they. It needs more than easy "virtue signalling" but needs instead a genuine collective national will to expect better of our leaders to receive a little less ourselves and devote more of our GDPs to genuine suffering reduction efforts.

[Solo mi!]

You are right, Jeff. Having said that, I have friends with family in Puerto Rico and I speak to them daily and know their concerns. When the President of the United States spends the time just after the hurricane tweeting about NFL players disrespecting the flag rather that tweeting his concerns about fellow citizens, it make many of us angry and that has nothing to do with what cable news is reporting.

[mysty]

Jeff, I don’t really think myopia is the issue! There are so very many countries and peoples suffering. It becomes difficult to process. Our governments respond and maybe not to the extent needed. Even the extent of our government’s impact is limited. How do our governments help the Muslims in Myanmar? How do our governments help the people in North Korea? How do our governments help the people fleeing from volcanic activity in Bali? How do we deal with a world of suffering? Our input is limited. That doesn’t mean that we care only for those who are “like us”. It doesn’t mean that we care nothing for all the masses who are suffering. We do what we can do. We offer words of comfort and support where we can. Is it enough? NO!

[Solo mi!]

Mysty, thank you for articulating how many of us feel.

[jollyjones]

Mysty , totally agree.

 

Also, re slow response for PR, I think it's pretty clear that the Orange Idiot in the country to the west of me didn't really know where Puerto Rico is, or that it's a US possession.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[jpalbny]

Lois...since sugar became the new evil substance, we believe the lower, the better. So even though normal is below 120 or 125, we like it even more when fasting sugar is less than 90 to 100. Those whose fasting sugar is higher than that, but still normal, might be predisposed to developing diabetes later. Or not. How's that for clarity?

 

Most of us would look at a fasting sugar of 100 as a sign to be careful, and keep an eye out. If my fasting sugar were 110 I might keep a closer eye on my diet and exercise more, try to lose 10#, etc.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[spinnaker2]

Jeff.

I try to do what I can.

I frankly can not absorb it all or shoulder it all.

I deeply care for the world.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff, I don’t really think myopia is the issue! There are so very many countries and peoples suffering. It becomes difficult to process. Our governments respond and maybe not to the extent needed. Even the extent of our government’s impact is limited. How do our governments help the Muslims in Myanmar? How do our governments help the people in North Korea? How do our governments help the people fleeing from volcanic activity in Bali? How do we deal with a world of suffering? Our input is limited. That doesn’t mean that we care only for those who are “like us”. It doesn’t mean that we care nothing for all the masses who are suffering. We do what we can do. We offer words of comfort and support where we can. Is it enough? NO!

 

M,

 

I think you are missing the point. There are two issues you raise. Impotence of individuals and options to address those issues that are felt to be prioroties.

 

I feel you overlook the inalienable fact that politicians respond to noise. If the American people make a lot of noise about a particular cause however good or otherwise, you can bet your last dollar that the person living in The White House hoping for contract renewal listens and acts. It is the volume of noise, hot the righteousness of thenplea. It is the noisiest wheel that gets the oil. Groucho Marx summarises well how politicians behave. He said "I am a man of principals .... and if you don't like them I have many others".

 

You say suffering further away is difficult to process. Is it? Or is it an exercisable choice not to process it?

 

The UN was set up for many things and it has been allowed to become disabled and impotent. But it does exist and political will could change it. If they changed the security council voting from a one vote embargo process to a majority binding voting and added decent resources ie all member states are subjugated to UN decisions and are obligated to underwrite required resources, then that would be a starting point mechanism to address some of the problems. Far from easy, but a step by step in the right direction. Redirecting overseas aid to the comtrol of the UN would also help and couldn't be worst than what we have.

 

I do not belive you or Penny actually disagree with what I am suggesting,

[Camillus112]

Mysty , totally agree.

 

Also, re slow response for PR, I think it's pretty clear that the Orange Idiot in the country to the west of me didn't really know where Puerto Rico is, or that it's a US possession.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Sadly, he does know. He opened a resort/golf club in Puerto Rico several years ago, with PR Government tax incentives, only to let it go bankrupt and the government lost revenue and property taxes, while he used the "losses" to offset his own taxes.

 

I am feeling so much comfort from the expressions in this board! It is heartwarming to be close to virtual friends who care for my people, who are loyal American citizens, though very proud of our hispanic heritage. The 65th Infantry Regiment, by segregation composed only of Puerto Ricans, was finally awarded the medal of honor for bravery in war by President Obama. During the Vietnam war, Puerto Ricans won the lottery to be drafted in a disproportionate manner, and it was deemed appropriate because they could cope much better with the similar climate conditions. I think we have proven ourselves as first class citizens deserving first class treatment.

 

Again, feeling very touched by your postings.

[Lois R]

Lois...since sugar became the new evil substance, we believe the lower, the better. So even though normal is below 120 or 125, we like it even more when fasting sugar is less than 90 to 100. Those whose fasting sugar is higher than that, but still normal, might be predisposed to developing diabetes later. Or not. How's that for clarity?

 

Most of us would look at a fasting sugar of 100 as a sign to be careful, and keep an eye out. If my fasting sugar were 110 I might keep a closer eye on my diet and exercise more, try to lose 10#, etc.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

 

Hi JP......thanks.......not sure if I mentioned it but my Doc had me stop taking the meds recently........due to the higher

kidney number......well, that number came down (good thing)......but my glucose number is high in the morning but

low in the afternoon:eek:..........guess I need to go back to the Dr again.........damn.......example, this morning it was

131 but in the afternoon it was only 87...........

[UKCruiseJeff]

Sadly, he does know. He opened a resort/golf club in Puerto Rico several years ago, with PR Government tax incentives, only to let it go bankrupt and the government lost revenue and property taxes, while he used the "losses" to offset his own taxes.

 

I am feeling so much comfort from the expressions in this board! It is heartwarming to be close to virtual friends who care for my people, who are loyal American citizens, though very proud of our hispanic heritage. The 65th Infantry Regiment, by segregation composed only of Puerto Ricans, was finally awarded the medal of honor for bravery in war by President Obama. During the Vietnam war, Puerto Ricans won the lottery to be drafted in a disproportionate manner, and it was deemed appropriate because they could cope much better with the similar climate conditions. I think we have proven ourselves as first class citizens deserving first class treatment.

 

Again, feeling very touched by your postings.

 

Hi C,

 

I'd hate you to misunderstand.

 

Just to be clear .... this is not a polarised issue ... my post was in no way in conflict with your and others sentiments which I share. They are intended simply to add to them. It isn't an "instead of" it is simply some musings of "and another thing ....."

[jpalbny]

Lois, depending on how high the kidney numbers were, the right answer varies. 130s in the morning may be ok, if the diabetes medication caused a significant kidney problem, and the risk of that outweighs the risk of a slightly elevated sugar.

 

I do recall that you stopped it...I assume metformin. Glad it worked out well for the beans!

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[mysty]

Jeff, I understand what you are saying. I don’t think the issue is really the distance and I don’t think “noise” necessarily works. Black Lives Matter, Million Man March, Million Women’s March and so on ad infinitum have made no difference. Each country has issues to deal with. Our country is dealing with the issue of indigenous people, their entitlement, land issues, murders of indigenous women, child abuse in residential schools, the high suicide rates on reservations and the list goes on. A country has difficulty addressing their individual issues. How then can we hope to address issues in other countries? One thing that we have learned in Canada is that throwing money at a problem does not seem to be a solution.

 

Yes, the UN is toothless. It has never been anything other than disabled and impotent. What concrete action are you proposing to turn the UN around? The UN cannot do the job they are tasked with now. Would giving them control of aid money really be a good idea?

 

We don’t disagree that things are not working Jeff. We are just not in sync as to the way to redress the situation.

[Lois R]

Lois, depending on how high the kidney numbers were, the right answer varies. 130s in the morning may be ok, if the diabetes medication caused a significant kidney problem, and the risk of that outweighs the risk of a slightly elevated sugar.

 

I do recall that you stopped it...I assume metformin. Glad it worked out well for the beans!

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

 

Hi, nope it was Farxigna. The kidney number was 1.5.........I was told that is too high. Needs to 1 or under 1......it went down to 1.1.

[Camillus112]

Hi C,

 

I'd hate you to misunderstand.

 

Just to be clear .... this is not a polarised issue ... my post was in no way in conflict with your and others sentiments which I share. They are intended simply to add to them. It isn't an "instead of" it is simply some musings of "and another thing ....."

 

Jeff, no misunderstanding here. I guess I was unconsciously reacting to some remarks in Facebook questioning the allocation of so many federal funds and resources to Americans with no statehood status.

[Solo mi!]

You have all made good points as far as I am concerned. I do agree with Mysty that the UN is toothless and that probably won't be fixed. I don't think it would have mattered here as PR is part of the US. Haiti was dealt with much more quickly and by the US mainly because it was a foreign country; there was a great US ambassador in place, and because it was foreign territory, US troops were sent the very next day. I have just read that the rules are different for sending in troops when the emergency occurs in US territory. FEMA could have acted much more quickly here. As I have said before, there is only an acting director at present and unless you have folks running the thing who know what they are doing you have situations like this. Remember "Brownie" during Katrina! In the wash up to this terrible event, hopefully some of the bureaucratic rode blocks will be fixed. Final thought, and not the first time that I have said it....when the man at the helm is spending his time "twittering" about mindless things, things fall apart.

[Randyk47]

Some good, actually great, news is that they have sent Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan from here in San Antonio to head up the US military side of the recovery in Puerto Rico. While I have met him my wife has worked with him on a regular basis for almost a year now. She has the highest respect and regard for him and can’t think of a better leader and manager for the job.

[Solo mi!]

That is good news! Let's hope good things really start to happen for Puerto Ricans.