7 ms·

Yeah, I agree, unfortunately. Best examples: To my best knowledge no other European country has pledged massive help to Italy. China did a bit.

by baxtr 7y ago

IAmEveryone 7y ago
Germany has sent a few hundred thousand masks and other equipment. But it’s obviously easier for China since they are past their peak. There are also some French patients being treated across the border, in both Switzerland and Germany.
- odshoifsdhfs 7y ago
  This was after preventing mask supplies that were scheduled for other countries (Swiss company selling and masks travelling through Germany) to reach other countries I am 100% sure, if this didn't reach France, was an Italy/Spanish problem, the EU wouldn't give a shit about it and do nothing.
ArnoVW 7y ago
While this is true, I wonder if this is not partly because the European countries were quite busy organising themselves and were anticipating an urgent but unknown need for their own population. China has a retrospective of three months and has stabilized the situation. They know what they are facing and the resources needed, and have even started to dismantle the temporary hospitals they set up in January. What can the individual European countries offer? They, like the Americans, have outsourced their production to China. Any masks, nurses or respirators they have, they will need themselves. They can offer 'money', which may not buy more masks but can help against the economic impacts. And this is what is happening. The EU has both released monetary aids, and indicated that fiscal restraint rules will be waived.
- baxtr 7y ago
  You are probably right. I think they could have sent at least doctors and nurses to prepare for their own epidemic.
  - TeMPOraL 7y ago
    I remember reading that some countries did. That said, there are shortages of doctors everywhere in the EU, and no country in their right mind would send out staff and supplies knowing they'll need them all back in two weeks.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- dao- 7y ago
  Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany just pledged to take intensive care patients from northeast France: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/covid-19-baden-wuerttemberg-will-corona-patienten-aus.1939.de.html?drn%3Anews_id=1112679 https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/covid-19-baden-wuerttemberg-w...
stevesimmons 7y ago
Russia too now
dao- 7y ago
Also Cuba is sending doctors and nurses to Italy: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cuba/cuban-doctors-head-to-italy-battle-coronavirus-idUSKBN219051 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cuba/c...
bad_user 7y ago
The EU did not have strategic reserves for a pandemic. This took us all by surprise and the speed with which this evolved into a clusterfuck was breathtaking. Everyone has been freaking out about their own situation. Nobody has enough masks, ventilators, hospital beds or trained staff. Consider that the first cases in Rome were confirmed on January 31 to my knowledge. We are less than 2 months in. Also this news about China providing aid whereas the EU refused to do so is probably one in a long chain of fake news promoted by Russia, meant to destabilize EU. Shame on you for spreading it. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinformation/russia-deploying-coronavirus-disinformation-to-sow-panic-in-west-eu-document-says-idUSKBN21518F https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinf...
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- SpicyLemonZest 7y ago
  Why do you say it's probably fake news? China's aid to Italy is well-documented and widely reported; do you know of other stories where the EU has provided a comparable amount of aid?
  - hef19898 7y ago
    There is fine, but very important line between being unable to help and being unwilling to. Which makes propaganda so much more powerful.
    - SpicyLemonZest 7y ago
      It’s easier for China because they have supplies in abundance. But in for example the US, there’s no question of willingness vs. ability; each individual state is building up its own healthcare system, but things still cross state borders easily as needed. The criticism isn’t, I don’t think, that the EU is being uncommonly cruel or heartless. It’s just that the EU isn’t a union. When the chips are down, when there’s some crisis that actually matters, other countries in the EU won’t make sacrifices for your sake. Which is fine, there’s no reason a trade organization shouldn’t have a flag or declare itself to be a single entity in economic rankings, but it means members need to be careful about how dependent they allow themselves to become.

Yeah, I agree, unfortunately. Best examples: To my best knowledge no other European country has pledged massive help to Italy. China did a bit.

by baxtr 7y ago

Yeah, I agree, unfortunately. Best examples: To my best knowledge no other European country has pledged massive help to Italy. China did a bit.

IAmEveryone 7y ago

Germany has sent a few hundred thousand masks and other equipment. But it’s obviously easier for China since they are past their peak. There are also some French patients being treated across the border, in both Switzerland and Germany.

odshoifsdhfs 7y ago
This was after preventing mask supplies that were scheduled for other countries (Swiss company selling and masks travelling through Germany) to reach other countries I am 100% sure, if this didn't reach France, was an Italy/Spanish problem, the EU wouldn't give a shit about it and do nothing.

ArnoVW 7y ago

While this is true, I wonder if this is not partly because the European countries were quite busy organising themselves and were anticipating an urgent but unknown need for their own population. China has a retrospective of three months and has stabilized the situation. They know what they are facing and the resources needed, and have even started to dismantle the temporary hospitals they set up in January. What can the individual European countries offer? They, like the Americans, have outsourced their production to China. Any masks, nurses or respirators they have, they will need themselves. They can offer 'money', which may not buy more masks but can help against the economic impacts. And this is what is happening. The EU has both released monetary aids, and indicated that fiscal restraint rules will be waived.

baxtr 7y ago
You are probably right. I think they could have sent at least doctors and nurses to prepare for their own epidemic.
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  I remember reading that some countries did. That said, there are shortages of doctors everywhere in the EU, and no country in their right mind would send out staff and supplies knowing they'll need them all back in two weeks.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
dao- 7y ago
Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany just pledged to take intensive care patients from northeast France: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/covid-19-baden-wuerttemberg-will-corona-patienten-aus.1939.de.html?drn%3Anews_id=1112679 https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/covid-19-baden-wuerttemberg-w...

stevesimmons 7y ago

Russia too now

dao- 7y ago

Also Cuba is sending doctors and nurses to Italy: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cuba/cuban-doctors-head-to-italy-battle-coronavirus-idUSKBN219051 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cuba/c...

bad_user 7y ago

The EU did not have strategic reserves for a pandemic. This took us all by surprise and the speed with which this evolved into a clusterfuck was breathtaking. Everyone has been freaking out about their own situation. Nobody has enough masks, ventilators, hospital beds or trained staff. Consider that the first cases in Rome were confirmed on January 31 to my knowledge. We are less than 2 months in. Also this news about China providing aid whereas the EU refused to do so is probably one in a long chain of fake news promoted by Russia, meant to destabilize EU. Shame on you for spreading it. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinformation/russia-deploying-coronavirus-disinformation-to-sow-panic-in-west-eu-document-says-idUSKBN21518F https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinf...

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
SpicyLemonZest 7y ago
Why do you say it's probably fake news? China's aid to Italy is well-documented and widely reported; do you know of other stories where the EU has provided a comparable amount of aid?
- hef19898 7y ago
  There is fine, but very important line between being unable to help and being unwilling to. Which makes propaganda so much more powerful.
  - SpicyLemonZest 7y ago
    It’s easier for China because they have supplies in abundance. But in for example the US, there’s no question of willingness vs. ability; each individual state is building up its own healthcare system, but things still cross state borders easily as needed. The criticism isn’t, I don’t think, that the EU is being uncommonly cruel or heartless. It’s just that the EU isn’t a union. When the chips are down, when there’s some crisis that actually matters, other countries in the EU won’t make sacrifices for your sake. Which is fine, there’s no reason a trade organization shouldn’t have a flag or declare itself to be a single entity in economic rankings, but it means members need to be careful about how dependent they allow themselves to become.