freeridenick wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:17 pm So US oil prices are now negative per barrel - buyers literally being paid to take the stuff away as there's no more storage. So is this the end of the world as we know it: the American economy collapses; India, Africa and other major manufacturers for the West collapse; China and other Asian manufacturering collapses then the banks? Or are folks optimistic that the powers that be can't cope with that and will do everything they can to prevent it?
"Asked about the delayed shipment of healthcare PPE from Turkey, the Department for Health and Social Care referred queries to the Foreign Office, which was contacted for comment. Eventually Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said he was hopeful the shipment would still arrive when it arrives..."
With this as a recent practical example of getting kit to frontline workers I wouldn't hold up much hope from our political leadership, with most of the rich and powerful bunkered down in their mansions.
https://theconversation.com/how-the-ric ... mic-135925
3 - 6 - 9+ months and things get interesting with an economic depression as folk struggle to pay back debts accumulated during lockdown if lucky to have a job at the end of this and that's after decade or so of austerity, plus we still have a conclusion to Brexit to look forward to at the end of the year - with most of our hopes based on trading with US and other countries (similarly effected) - US looking, if they hang on to Trump, going ever more isolationalist.
Plague and 1918/19 pandemic lead to better oppportunities as a big proportion of working age folk were taken out so those surviving were in demand and better rewarded but not in this case with virus mainly taking out mainly elderly and vulnerable younger ages.
Hopefully economies can keep ticking over till a safe vaccine becomes commonly available and we can begin to pick up like post WW2.
& we all thought Boris was mad when he was Mayor... 
