Hmmm, so Amartya Sen writes about war and covid A DAY after I wrote my last (and first) diary entry on war and covid [https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/coronavirus-india-lockdown-amartya-sen-economy-migrants-6352132/]. A coincidence? I think not. And what's this? A column from Marina Hyde in the Grauniad also on war and covid THE VERY SAME DAY? Also, NO COINCIDENCE [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/07/horror-coronavirus-real-imaginary-war-britain]! I knew Sen would pinch my stuff. That guy has literally NO imagination. 

Talking of no imagination, global health's Statler and Waldorf have been at it again. I'm talking about Larry Gostin and David Fidler, and their dumb-ass interviews. Here's Gostin in the LATimes [https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-04-01/coronavirus-who] and my summary view in parenthesis: "The WHO has been sidelined from the biggest pandemic of the century [wrong]"; "The powerful forces of sovereignty, nationalism and populism have literally overwhelmed the WHO as an institution [so wrong]"; "At a time when the world should be coming together under the WHO banner, solidarity is unraveling [wrong on at least but no less than one level] .

He's at it again in the Grauniad today [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/apr/10/world-health-organization-who-v-coronavirus-why-it-cant-handle-pandemic?CMP=share_btn_tw]: "All the previous rules about global norms, public health and understanding of what’s expected in terms of an outbreak has crumbled" [also wrong]. I mean, seriously, what the fuck is he going on about? WHO is at the centre of the current pandemic (it's only 2020 Larry); and the rest is so stupid as to....zzzzzz. Solidarity...is...unravel...ling; everything...is...crumbling...I'm melting...! Cool it Gostin. Can you imagine him at breakfast? The kettle is so hot, the water is LITERALLY boiling in front of my very eyes! And the toast, the toast! It has been COMPLETELY toasted out of LITERALLY all recognition... by heat!!!

Fidler is only marginally better. Fidler, David, you remember him - that guy who invented, oh what was it again, plug socket anarc, no, ermm, whoopee anarch, open source, yes that's it, open source stove cooking! Genius. Also a lawyer. Here HE is in the LATimes (as with Larry, I add my own extensive critique in parenthesis, brackets, whatever): “The post-Cold War golden age of global health is over” [wrong]; “The COVID-19 disaster marks the turning point into a different, more difficult future” [possibly wrong, possibly right,  who knows - let's just make shit up].

I'm joking (I'm not). I really am (not). Am.....not. I have TWO copies of Gostin's book on whatever it was - global health; and literally no copies of any of Fidler's books. Maybe I should read them and educate myself. And stop writing mean stuff. Nah, it's the only fun thing I get to do these days!