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German company CureVac has received a rather strange offer from the current White House.
On March 3, CureVac's CEO was invited to the White House, for a meeting with President Trump, Vice Pence and several members of the Coronavirus Task Force. Asked for when a vaccine could be ready, he estimated that a potential candidate could be ready within a few months. Apparently, that triggered the members of the meeting so much, that they've now offered to buy the company, at whatever price.
One condition though: production would be exclusively for the United States.
The move is not exactly one to gain popularity, and follows on the heels of the President's worrying statement that "a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe".
(Score: 5, Insightful) by driverless on Monday March 16 2020, @09:22AM (7 children)
I don't think it'll matter that much. Remember that he wants to announce and take credit for a win, whether it's actually a win or not doesn't matter. So you can get away with almost anything except making him look bad.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 16 2020, @09:29AM (6 children)
Can't take credit for a win when the stuff you bought doesn't do a thing at best, does additional harm at worst and this becomes public knowledge in a month or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Insightful) by driverless on Monday March 16 2020, @11:07AM (5 children)
You've just described his deal with North Korea, and that doesn't seem to have hurt him at all.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 16 2020, @11:16AM (4 children)
Unlike the case of a bogus covid-19 vaccine, the deal with North Korea didn't become public knowledge as being ineffective/harmful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by driverless on Monday March 16 2020, @11:25AM (3 children)
DPRK increased its weapons production after the deal was made, and that was known and internationally publicised within a week.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:19AM
There's a difference between increasing production of weapons and increasing the probability of using said weapons. The real question about Trump's deal was "did it make the use of weapons more or less likely?"
In any case, I am less troubled by NK having nukes than I am by Israel having them. NK apparently just wants to be left alone, while Israel is openly acquiring land by conquest and forcible displacement of the natives. They are creating and oppressing an enemy who is significantly out-breeding them. At some point they will begin to lose to sheer numbers, and I fully expect them to use nuclear weapons at that point.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @09:42AM (1 child)
Sure, but Joe & Jane Average American don't care about NK nukes. They do care a lot about COVID-19 - or at least very soon will care a lot. Claiming a win based on a botched vaccine would be a symbolical suicide & death penalty in one. But then again, some people in this administration are not afraid of that and seem to think they can blabber themselves out of anything. Mr. Trump just had the guts to give himself a 10 out of 10 on his handling of Corona, so...
(Score: 2) by driverless on Tuesday March 17 2020, @09:57AM
In particular if it's a win then it's Trump's win, if it's a loss then it's Pence's loss and out he goes, to be replaced by someone more loyal.