The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - We're #1 But Do We Want To Be?

Episode Date: November 16, 2020

Canada has been buying up potential vaccines at a rate unlike any other country in the world. Is that good?

and hello there peter mansbridge here with the latest episode of the bridge daily it is monday of day 36 for the bridge daily and we're happy to be here. Hope you had a good weekend. I had a busy weekend. Signing lots of books. And book plates. I gotta tell you, there were, seemed to be a lot of interest

in the book Extraordinary Canadians, and for that I am, and so is Mark Bulgich, my co-author, extremely grateful. Want to know more about the book? Go to a week ago today podcast from last Monday, which would be November 9th if you're looking back through the podcast charts. It was all about the book. And Mark was the guest and we talked about what we'd done,

why we'd done it. But it seems to have got off to a good start and we're very grateful for that, that you've been interested in finding out about extraordinary Canadians and there are some really extraordinary Canadians in this book. So that's pretty much how I spent the weekend.

Weird weekend. Lustery weather. We had, this is the second time I think this has happened in the last few months here in Stratford, right across the street. The box, you know, up on the hydro line, it just went, boom. Quite the bang, knocked out the power.

But I got gotta say, the men and women from Festival Hydro were on the job right away. They had power up and back running, I think, in less than half an hour. Which was great, because it happened right in the middle of Cynthia and I watching season four of The Crown. My gosh. Couldn't wait for that. You know, he was just meeting, Charles was just

meeting Diana. That's a whole other story I'll tell you about. I was at the wedding, right? July of whatever year that was, 81, covering the wedding. I was not like at the wedding. But I have a few stories to tell about what happened then. I bet I'll save those for my next book.

Anyway, this was a kind of weird day. It was a good news, bad news day. The bad news is the numbers are still very high in different parts of Canada. I was on the radio today with all the CBC morning shows. They all wanted to talk about the book. So I was on shows in Newfoundland, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC, Yukon. And as you kind of cross the country that way, you span all the different divisions that this pandemic is having. Atlantic Canada, they've been really smart

in the way they've organized the Atlantic Canada bubble. Do they have cases? Yes. Do they have a lot of cases? No. Then you hit the wall. The COVID wall starts with Quebec. Big numbers. Ontario, big numbers. Manitoba, for Manitoba, big numbers. And for Saskatchewan, big numbers. Alberta, very big numbers for the size of that province. BC, same problem. Big numbers. So that's the reality of the situation we're in right now in the second wave.

It's not good. Hospitals are under pressure. Healthcare workers are under pressure. People are worried. People are depressed. People get edgy. I had to go into Toronto last week. I had a couple of things I had to do

that involved being with people I did not know. Indoors, not a lot. And we were all doing all the protocols, distancing, masks, you know, the whole bit. But I've been edgy ever since. You know, I keep going, is that a sore throat I got, or is that not a sore throat I got? And do I have a temperature? I take my temperature like 10 times a day,

concerned that I've got a temperature. Well, so far, I'm fine. And so far, everybody else who's in that room is fine, as far as I know. But still, everybody is edgy. That's the bad news. The good news, bingo, another apparent success on the vaccine front, this time Moderna, with a 94, 95% efficiency rate, that it's working in 94, 95% of the people that they've tested on. They have a huge test area, like 30,000 people.

Last week it was Pfizer at 90%. Now, those are incredibly high efficacy rates, they call them, for vaccines at this stage of the process. I mean, most vaccines, you know, if you get 70%, that's considered a real success. The seasonal flu vaccine, you know, it doesn't work half the time. Its efficacy rate's around 50%. So anyway, good news on that front. Moderna, Pfizer, both of them. And as a result, people like Anthony Fauci are saying now, we're in a difficult situation with the second wave right now, very difficult.

And people are going to die. Thousands of people are going to die. But we now actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. And he can see a vaccine before the end of this year going to those who need it most, like frontline health care workers who are at highest risk. And he can see vaccines being made available, and we're talking the U.S. here,

vaccines being available by the early to mid-spring for most people. So you start talking that way, you start thinking, this has the potential of being over within a year, that we could be putting this behind us within a year. What we can't think, must not think, is that we don't have to worry about it anymore, because we absolutely have to worry about it anymore. Because we absolutely have to worry about it. More now than perhaps at any other time in the last eight months or whatever it's been.

So now more than ever, distancing is important. Staying within your family unit is important. Staying home as often as you can is important. Washing your hands is important. Wearing a mask is important. Wear a mask. Just do it. And as we know now,

what we know now, what we always suspected, that wearing a mask is not only good for those around you, it's good for you too. So wash your hands, wear a mask, socially distance, all of those. Stay away from big crowds. Try not to be indoors with anybody other than your family. I know you have to when you go to groceries or what have you. I would not be surprised if you're going to find out that they're going to start limiting the number of people in stores and grocery stores in the short term because the numbers are just too high.

Okay, let me get back to the good news. The good news being the vaccine. Now, here is, some people are going to say this is not good news, this is Canada grabbing everything. But others are going to say this is good news, this is Canada grabbing everything. But others are going to say, this is good news. This is an indication that the people responsible move quickly to get vaccines. So who knows which one was going to be usable,

was going to have a high enough efficacy rate through the testing. Who knew during the months leading up to this? You didn't know. But those who purchased vaccines on behalf of countries had to make certain assumptions, and they had to get in line early. Well, The Economist has an article out. They call it calling the shots. This is the confirmed orders of vaccine doses per person, per country. So which countries have moved fastest to get vaccines?

From all the different vaccine makers. This is not knowing whether or not their vaccines were going to be working or not. But you had to move fast to get in line to purchase in case they did. So basically, this list tells you how many doses per person each country has purchased. Guess who's number one in the world? It's not Australia. They're number two. It's not Britain. They're number three.

Followed by the U.S., the European Union, Japan, Nepal, India, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Latin America, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Mexico, Bangladesh. What name did you not hear there? Well, you did not hear that name because that name is number one. Canada. Well ahead of any of those countries. We have confirmed orders of nine and a half vaccine doses per person. That's accumulated from all the different companies, right?

Nine and a half, including Pfizer and Moderna. Number two, Australia is five, less than five and a half. We're almost double Australia. Now, what's the problem with this list? The problem with this list is it clearly indicates that rich countries have been grabbing the vaccine supply before anybody else can get in there. So on the one hand, good for Canada. On the other hand, how morally responsible are we?

I'll leave that one with you to consider because it is worth considering. Now, while we're at it, by the way, that was in The Economist, right? If you want to look it up. While we're at it, more on vaccines. AFP, Agence France-Presse, provides an overview of the logistical challenges around rolling out the different vaccines. Even though large-scale vaccination campaigns have been carried out before, the current

pandemic creates unique pressures due to the need to inoculate a huge number in a short time. And in the case, say, of Pfizer, you need two doses, 28 days apart. So somebody has to keep track of all that. Because not 29 days apart, not 27 days apart, but 28 days apart. And the vaccines need to be kept in an extremely cold temperature. We're not talking refrigerators here. We're talking like super refrigerators.

I think it's like minus 70 degrees they've got to be kept in. So you need to store them in that, but you also need to transport them in that. They've got to get everywhere. Country to country, city to city, street to street. Do doctor's offices have that kind of super refrigerator? I don't think so. Are they going to get one? I don't know. So what are you going to do? You're going to have a super refrigerator, say, in the hockey rink, the local hockey rink, and have everybody come there to get vaccinated? Perhaps. That might make sense. Right next to the Zamboni. I mean, how Canadian can you get? And you've got to move these around the country on dry ice.

You're not supposed to take dry ice on an airplane. So if that's going to happen, you're going to need special permission for that. Here's a worrying part of the whole vaccine issue. We talked about it somewhat last week with Bruce Anderson when he did his latest survey on Canadians' attitudes towards taking vaccines. Well, listen to this. This just came out in the last day or so. It's a new poll. Not one of Bruce's.

Not in Canada. It was conducted by the Ohio State University. You know they're coming up on their big Thanksgiving weekend, which is a big deal, and then we're all approaching the end-of-year holiday season. The poll conducted by Ohio State found that 40%, 4-0, 40% of respondents are likely to attend a gathering of more than 10 this holiday season,

and that 27% do not plan on practicing social distancing at holiday gatherings. The possibility of millions of Americans ignoring public health guidance is worrisome given the rate of the virus spread. You know, I'm sorry, I don't get it. I really don't get it. I mean, I see these people, I hear their arguments. I don't get it. I really don't get it. I mean, I see these people, I hear their arguments.

I don't get it. I don't understand. You know, we're not asking you to cut off a finger here. We're asking you to keep your distance and wear a mask. When you're in public. We're asking you not to have social gatherings more than your immediate family. Is this so hard

for the next month or six weeks? Really? I don't know. Don't get it. Here's a country that, hey, it's a beautiful country. I don't know if they've ever been to Turkey. It's beautiful. There's a few issues about its government right now.

But they're not toying around on the COVID front. This week, in response to rapidly rising case numbers, Turkey has announced a ban on smoking in public. Why? You know how people go out on the street or outside of their buildings to smoke? I can't do that in Turkey anymore. It's in an effort to ensure residents wear their masks all the time. Reduce the amount of deaths associated to smoking and the coronavirus.

You know, we talked a lot five years ago when this started. Doesn't it feel like a long time ago? 36 weeks. We talked a lot about in those early weeks about cruise ships and how we'd never go on them again for those who've been on them. But some people are hardcore about cruising. They love cruising. Some of my friends love cruising. And they say, we're going back.

When this is gone, we're going back. Well, the Washington Post has got an interesting story about cruising. First of all, keep in mind, last week, the first cruise in the Caribbean started, and within the first, like, 48 hours, they had five cases of COVID on it. Anyway, the Washington Post has an interesting story about how Royal Caribbean was able to source 10,000 volunteers from Facebook to join their cruise line rehearsal passenger voyages with new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety protocols in place in what they call mock cruises. The CDC announced recently that a four-phase approach to restarting limited cruises

in the U.S. could begin replacing its no-sail order with a conditional sailing framework to return to passenger voyages. So I read a bunch of stories on this mock cruising, and I still don't quite get it. I don't understand what a mock cruise is. That all these people sign up 10,000, what were they signed up for? Are they going to like sit in their house and pretend they're on a cruise ship? Or are they going to sit on a cruise ship at dock? Or are they going to go on a cruise ship and go out for a little, you know, paddle around the harbor as if they're on a cruise? I don't know. It's not explained in any of the stories. But clearly, what they want to find out is if all the protocols

they're establishing for cruise ships for the future are workable for not only the cruise line, but also the cruise passengers. That's what they want to try. This at a time when the cruise ship business is obviously being absolutely hammered by the last year, just like airlines have, but even worse for cruise ships, I think.

Well, no, probably dollar-wise it doesn't come anywhere near airlines. But in terms of the future, I mean, we know that eventually we're going to get back flying. Cruise ships that eventually we're going to go back flying. Cruise ships, are we eventually going to go back cruising? Well, some clearly are, but I wonder if it'll ever be the business it used to be. Probably not in the case of some cruise lines who are already selling off their cruise ships.

Lots of examples of that along the coastlines of the United States alone. Here's another thing that's changed our lifestyle a little bit. Local vacationers are going for tiny homes in droves, says the Wall Street Journal. Since those tiny houses seem like a safe and interesting place to stay homes in droves, says the Wall Street Journal. Since those tiny houses seem like a safe and interesting place to stay that provides for frequent and easy contact to outdoor air. I don't know whether you've seen them. Lots of magazines have been doing features on these tiny houses now. And we mean tiny, like tiny.

But you kind of tumble out the door or the window, and you're outside already. This is more attractive, says the WSJ, than wandering the winding closed hotel hallways with no windows and many tiny house rental compounds purposely omit community gathering spaces to allow for more fully contained experiences that feel safe and private.

I don't know. I find some of this stuff, you know, these tiny houses are going to be tiny vacancies a year or two years from now. People have gone to a lot of trouble to build them and place them and place them and put them on lots, and they're just not going to live up to what the next wave of life is going to want.

Could be wrong. Is it just a passing fad? Is it just a pandemic fad? Who knows? Here's two stories I found interesting. The Wall Street Journal, again, notes that many remote workers are reporting feeling exhausted by work and life in a pandemic and companies are rushing to roll out benefits

to head off a surge of employee distress. Not employee departure, but employee distress, which can cost companies in the long run through those off on stress leave, etc. Some other companies are also trying creative approaches from surprise days off to a pilot program at Fidelity Investments for a small portion of its workforce in which employees can opt to work 30 hours a week instead of 40.

It would be a small pay cut, but they'd retain full benefits. That could be interesting. I've actually heard a number of other companies toying with that idea. We'll see where that goes. Okay. Okay. So, for those of you who've stayed pretty much at home for the last 36 weeks, what have you done about cooking? All right?

Have you cooked a family meal every night for the last 36 weeks? Whereas in the previous 36 weeks, you know, not so much. But in terms of having this meal every night at home, cooking it. And who does the cooking? Is that a shared responsibility? Or does one person sort of become the cook? I can tell you, I'll be honest, I'm not the cook in this house. That's not because I don't appreciate great cooking. It's because I'm just not capable of doing great cooking. At least that's my excuse.

I know how to fry an egg. I'm very good at dealing with eggs. But beyond that, it's tough for me. I just don't get it right. Willie, Art's son, he's a great cook because he's learned from his mom, whose Italian heritage has made her a spectacular cook. And, you know, deep down I think she loves cooking. Anyway, she's done like 99% of the cooking here because Will's at university.

But anyway, it has been 36 weeks. What we've tried to do is once a week for our own sanity plus trying to help restaurants in our community here in Stratford, we do takeout, and we kind of spread it around a bit. But the other six nights, it's Cynthia coming up with all kinds of different meals. So here's the story in the New York Times. Home cooks are getting tired of decision-making fatigue. They're bored of cooking.

And they're stressed regarding the logistics of food shopping during a pandemic. So with the holidays coming up at us, and in the U.S. the added holiday, of course, of their Thanksgiving. The New York Times is encouraging readers to celebrate a meal that's possible, no matter how different it is. So, listen, you can get in a rut of cooking the same thing all the time, or having a short list. So the New York Times is not only suggesting but offering ideas to encourage you to try

a few other things in your cooking. Listen, there are those who cook every night long before there was a pandemic and are responsible for feeding their family. And so is this really any different for them? Well, I think it's different for them because of the added stress, as the New York Times puts out. So I think we've all got to be cognizant of that fact and recognize that just like we're experiencing fatigue in other areas cooking fatigue is an area as well

to keep in mind one last story it's kind of a you may have noticed it. I didn't read it until the weekend and I found it, you know, very moving. It's a bit of a hangover from last week's Remembrance Day in terms of the stories that came out and lots of people were doing different features and this was one in, I think it was the Washington Post. It was actually in a number of papers, Washington Post and New York Times. But it was a letter that was written by an American serviceman in March of 1945. He was in Germany. They were doing the final push into Germany. And it was a battle of day, at least one.

And he was a young officer who was married, and his wife had had their baby just a few months before, a son who he'd never seen. And his son had, you know, with his mother, had written a little letter to his dad. His son was named Jeffrey. to his dad. Son was named Jeffrey. He'd written to him, and the letter had arrived,

and the young officer had read the letter and was very touched and moved from hearing from his wife and, in effect, their son. So he decided he was going to write back. And he found a typewriter. And he started typing at the side of, I think, of a river in the battle zone. And it's three or four pages long, and what he decided to do was, when he finished the letter,

he put it in an envelope, sealed the envelope, and asked his buddies, if I die, I want you to make sure this letter gets delivered. If I live, it's okay, I'll deal with it. Well, he lived. In fact, he lived until he was 100. 99. But the letter sat in his group of personal belongings and was never opened. And it wasn't until after he passed

that Jeffrey's sister found the letter, opened it up, saw what it was, and gave it to Jeffrey. I'm not going to read the whole letter. It's beautiful. And you can find it just by Googling Letter to a Son from Second World War, U.S. Army. But I'll read you the end as we sign off today's podcast.

I don't think I could read it all because I don't think I'd make it through it all. It's emotional. Guy's writing to his son who he's never met, never seen. But he wants to try and instill in him the values that he thinks are important. And that's what he writes about all through the letter. But this is how it ends.

I'm glad for your sake that you were born an American. And as you grow older, you will realize how many advantages and limitless opportunities lie before you in the land of your birthright. Our country is not spotless or above reproach. But the precepts upon which it was founded still rule, and the fundamental conception of freedom, justice, equality, rights, and religion make it a land of opportunity and a rich life. I have seen enough of the world to know what all that means now. Before this experience, I was taking it for granted and did not realize what it would mean not to have it.

As a son grows up, his father's advice to him usually is to be a good boy. But an analysis of that statement would result in identifying desirable character traits that are as fundamental as life itself. Obedience, truthfulness, kindness, sincerity, tolerance, fruitfulness, and respect for other peoples. The golden rule must never be forgotten, Jeffrey. As soon as you can, acquire a true sense of values so that you can recognize the things that are really important in life.

We will soon be together, Jeffrey, and someday we will talk these things over and do all the things a father and his son should do together. This thing will not last forever, and then we can start living life like it should be lived. We have a lot of good times ahead of us. Thanks very much for your good letter. I hope you find time to write me another.

You have the finest mother in the world, Jeffrey. I know that, by now, you have realized how sweet and kind she is. You and I can be thankful that your mother and my wife is the same person. We're very proud of you, Jeffrey. Be a real boy and grow up to be a real man. Love, Dad. Now, as I said, that's just part of the letter. There are many other elements to it. And I can't help but think of this guy sitting on the bank of a river in the middle of a battle zone

at a time when the fighting had kind of calmed down for the moment for that part of the day. And he's typing a letter to the son he's never met, never seen.

Not knowing whether he'd live or die. But knowing that that too would be over one day. And life would return to some sense of normalcy. Does that sound familiar? Sure it does. That's what we keep telling ourselves now, too. And as true as it was then in 1945, it is true today. This will be over.

We will return to a different life. And a better life than the one we're in the midst of right now. All right. Some thoughts for the opening of another week. Monday of day, no, sorry, Monday of week 36. Hope there was some usefulness to all that for you if you want to write you always can themansbridgepodcast at gmail.com

themansbridgepodcast at gmail.com you can go to the website at thepetermansbridge.com or thepetermansbridge.ca to track past podcasts and also to check out Extraordinary Canadians. There's a special link there that you can punch where if you don't want to go to a bookstore, you can order from a bookstore to get your copy.

Hope you do. There are lots of inspiring stories in there. All right, that's it for this Monday. I'm Peter Mansbridge. This has been The Bridge Daily. Thanks for listening, and we will be back in 24 hours. Thank you.