Tomorrow has never come beforeAt last my motto that “Tomorrow has never come before” finally matches reality. Now there will be many changes and when this virus is conquered we still have climate change to contend with, but looking at it from a metals/mining perspective we have the utterly unprecedented situation of drastically reduced global mine production. It is true that demand has also fallen, and will remain muted for some time. However reports indicate that the Chinese economy is rebounding and manufacturing has ramped up. The question would seem to be how will these two factors manifest themselves and will a “tipping point” in a supply shortage be reached before the full resumption of trade.
I worry greatly about the impact of this virus in many countries with insufficient medical facilities that have important mining operations. IMO the likelihood of civil unrest is high in the face of a pandemic among an impoverished and marginally fed population and could disrupt mining operations for months and months.
I have often wondered of the extraordinary good fortune we had when facing the fascist threat with the leadership of FDR and Winston Churchill. Perhaps it was divine intervention, and if so may we wish and pray for another leader to emerge who can save this country from the disaster created by the Trump administration's incompetence and Trump's personal irresponsiblity. Who knew that firing the professional experts and scientists and replacing them with loyal but inexperienced political lackeys and bootlickers, would result in a leadership vacuum just as our nation faces it greatest health threat in a hundred years? Certainly the Donald didn't, or he just didn't care.
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