New swine flu - pandemic potential - China researchers

[David]

I mean, the original article Morrigu posted suggests that it’s something that’s been very inconsistently monitored, and also very widespread. Reminds me of the saying that if you owe the bank a thousand dollars it’s your problem, but if you owe the bank a million dollars it’s the bank’s problem. For whatever reason, it seems that the behaviour has been allowed to become somewhat normalised. Sheet that home to individual opportunists all you like, but it does suggest that maybe it might be worth considering walking and chewing gum with this.

[think positive]

I mean, the original article Morrigu posted suggests that it’s something that’s been very inconsistently monitored, and also very widespread. Reminds me of the saying that if you owe the bank a thousand dollars it’s your problem, but if you owe the bank a million dollars it’s the bank’s problem. For whatever reason, it seems that the behaviour has been allowed to become somewhat normalised. Sheet that home to individual opportunists all you like, but it does suggest that maybe it might be worth considering walking and chewing gum with this.

so maybe we need to go with Stuis suggestion and shoot the next 20?

will that get it through to them? since they dont want to read about it?

having crossed form the US to mexico, and then vis versa, i can tell you that not many people are trying to sneak shit past those bloody big guns on the way back to the states!

[think positive]

The thing I'm seeing here is two points of view which are both, in my view, absolutely right.

Yes, it is the responsibility of the traveler to inform himself or herself of the applicable laws and customs. Yes, there is no excuse for (e.g.) trying to bring in pork products in your handbag. Yes (and I'm sure that Stui would agree with this) let's make it clear that if you try to (e.g.) smuggle pork in, you get instantly deported. No exceptions. And if you are an Australian citizen, then we cancel your passport. Don't bother applying for another one, you are not fit to hold it.

But yes, we do a poor job of communicating our laws and customs. We just expect other cultures and other languages to somehow know and understand. Compare what we do with what other countries do: many government departments and agencies go to a lot of trouble to help put people in the picture, help mug travellers like you and me stay out of trouble. They work hard at it.

We could learn from that. But we are more interested in pumping more and more people through for lower and lower cost. Nothing else matters except the money. And if we keep screwing things up, that won't last long either.

No sorry it is the responsibility of every traveller - and if they are going through a travel agent /company then they share the responsibility - we are not talking about poor uneducated villagers here - we are talking about people who have the means to travel! Who here would have any great sympathy for an Australian who is arrested overseas for say drug trafficking? No one absolutely no one - the cry would be they should of known - no excuse!

Just one site as an example

https://china.embassy.gov.au/bjng/visit ... ralia.html.

And in Chinese language - no excuses none!

exactly! anyone who has been on an international flight knows this!

[pietillidie]

[think positive]

Having been to Bali airport and to Dubai I don’t see other countries making these allowances for Aussies or anyone else. Maybe she should invite her son home and cook for him there.

Weed is legal in some countries should you get a slap on the wrist for using that too?

The onus is on the traveller. I research the laws and customs of where ever it is I’m headed, it’s called common sense and if they are too dumb to do that (mind you they are smart enough to hide these things) They should stay home.

[pietillidie]

^You seem unaware that many cultures don't have a history of independent knowledge seeking outside a network of trusted authorities. A person could have 40 IQ points on you, but they might live in an authority system which simply lacks a tradition of individual, independent critical learning, and might not feel the need or even feel comfortable questioning what Uncle Fred insisted was fact.

[stui magpie]

If we've finished making excuses for smugglers, the actual original premise was how the Swine flu is spreading in China, from pigs to people with pandemic potential.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/ne ... 557yx.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/30/asia ... index.html

So if you happen to see a Pig with bat wings and Pangolin scales, FFS don't eat it.