The never-ending year lurches on in Mexico. Verano becomes otoño, drug violence headlines become H1N1 headlines. Good news is Mexico has a track record of ably handling the pandemic. Bad news is upwards of 5 million in Mexico are expected to contract the infamous strand of influenza this winter. Perhaps 2,000 could die as a result. Already this month there have been as many as 483 diagnosed in one day, eclipsing April’s peak.
With such a scale, Mexico may face challenges it did not have in April. Last week 3,000 schools closed as a result of H1N1. That number quickly dropped to just over 100, and Education Secretary Alonso Lujambio recently told senators that the government is working out criteria for future school closings. Government officials are hinting that mass closings are unlikely, and given past management of the crisis their word should be taken. Solace comes from preparation and what the CDC terms a “lucky break.” Flu shots are not expected until October, but so far the virus shows no signs of mutating, meaning the antidote should match the poison. Will rural hospitals get their hands on ample stocks? This time around distribution, not diagnosis, is likely to be the measuring stick by which the Mexican government’s response is judged.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
