While on our trip to Egypt, I saw an article in The Egyptian Gazette last Thursday on the coronavirus efforts in Wuhan, China. The article reported that inspectors were going door-to-door in Wuhan, trying to identify every infected person. Wang Zhonglin, the new Communist Party secretary in Wuhan, was quoted as saying, “If a single new case [of coronavirus] is found (after Wednesday), the district leaders will be held responsible.” Which means, of course, that no new cases will be reported because the district leaders know what will happen to them if one is.
It reminds me of this story:
“A man had offended the king and was sentenced to death. He fell to his knees before the king and implored, ‘Oh your majesty! Spare me but for one year, and I will teach your horse to talk!’ The king was amazed and granted his wish.
The man’s close friend and brother upbraided him, saying, ‘Why did you make such an absurd promise?’
The man shrugged and replied, ‘In a year, the king may die. In a year, I may die. In a year, the horse may talk!’”
Which is what the district leaders in Wuhan will think – and why there will be no new cases of coronavirus reported in Wuhan.
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