The Veterinary Doctor Who Saved American Lives

A medical pioneer, whose career began in animal health, is the mystery man behind the accelerated development of the first life-saving Covid vaccine approved last November. His company, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, has churned out 2.5 billion dosages for distribution to 116 nations. 

Dr. Albert Bourla, the drug firm's chairman and chief executive officer, steered the company in the development of a ground-breaking vaccine using mRNA technology. He green-lighted $2 billion in research and development for the technology.  His decision was a gigantic risk for his company. 

Although mRNA technology had been studied for decades, many in the scientific community considered it a tricky challenge to use it for a COVID vaccine. Scientists hoped an mRNA vaccine could be engineered to teach our cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response to COVID.  

Dr. Bourla made the decision to collaborate with BioNTech, a German firm with experience in the field of immunology and a leader in the development of therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.  The partnership marshaled the resources and scientists of two firms to tackle the vaccine conundrum.  

Development of the vaccine turned out to be a supply chain nightmare.  The 280 different materials or components in the vaccine were sourced by suppliers in 19 countries.  Adding to the challenge, many of the countries were locked down, including the U.S. It was a daunting obstacle to overcome. 

Additionally, Pfizer had to create a manufacturing process from scratch.  An army of scientists, engineers and manufacturing workers developed an efficient manufacturing machine for the vaccine. The first dosages were shipped on December 15, less than nine months after the project was launched.

The vaccine development was hailed as a stunning scientific achievement, reducing the timeframe from years to months.  For Dr. Bourla, it was the capstone of a more than 25-year career at Pfizer that began in 1993 when he was hired as the firm's technical director in the Animal Health Division in Greece.

Dr. Bourla holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a PHD in the Biotechnology Reproduction from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece.  An unlikely degree path for someone who would occupy the CEO office at the one of the world largest pharmaceutical companies.

What makes his life story fascinating is that he was born in the Ancient Greek city of Salonica, where his mother and father were among the few Jews to survive Nazi Germany's brutal occupation. Of the more than 50,000 Jews living in Salonica before World War II, about 2,000 survived the death camps.

Bourla's father, uncle and two brothers eluded the initial Nazi roundup for Jews in the Greek city, escaping to Athens on fake ID's supplied by leaders in the Greek Orthodox Church. His mother dodged death under miraculous circumstances.  

She was facing execution by Nazi soldiers in Salonica. She was lined up against a brick wall facing a machine gun just feet away.  Seconds before the firing began, two Nazi soldiers arrived in the nick of time with an order for her release. They whisked her away to safety.

According to Dr. Bourla, his mother's freedom was purchased by a bribe paid by her wealthy Christian brother-in-law to Salonica's top Nazi SS officer. Her father and three of his brothers found each other after the war had ended in the old city.  

Dr. Bourla's says his parents' account of their gruesome memories of Nazi occupation motivated him to lead a positive life, despite his family's past, cocooned in the darkness of Germany's horrific occupation of his homeland.

The irony of Pfizer's decision to ally with a Germany company to create a vaccine that saved countless lives is not lost on Dr. Bourla. He credits his parents with engraining a spirit of forgiveness and thankfulness in their children. 

"They never spoke to me about revenge," Dr. Bourla recalls. "They never told us that you should hate those that did that to us.  The way their stories always ended was a celebration of life. 'We were almost dead and now we are alive.  Life is wonderful.'"

These lessons are worth celebrating on this Thanksgiving and throughout our lives. 

Infrastructure Bill: Don't Fall For The Media Hype

President Biden and his media chorus are singing the praises of the Infrastructure Bill, calling it a "monumental step forward for the nation."  Although publicly flogged as a massive investment in roads and bridges, the $1.2 trillion package designates 9.1% of the funding to surface infrastructure projects.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi's cheoragodhy for the bill in the House floundered over months of often bitter Democrat in-fighting until a gaggle of Republicans pirouetted and joined deadlocked Democrats, who were unable to muster enough support from their splintered party to waltz to final approval.   

Thirteen of 214 House Republicans gave the legislation a thumbs up. In the Senate, 19 GOP members, including leader Mitch McConnell, raised their hands in support of the massive spending bill, while 31 colleagues demurred.  GOP renegades will be rewarded with pet projects for their states.  

The 2,702 page bill, weighing a hefty 28 pounds of paper, parcels out $110 billion for roads and bridges.  But don't be fooled.  Included in those billions of dollars are millions in funds for transportation research at universities and construction of highways in Puerto Rico. 

For perspective, Texas spent $15.3 billion in 2020 on just highways.  In the next 20 years, the state's Department of Transportation estimates it will require another $239.2 billion to keep up with growth and development. That $110 billion, divided among 50 states, is political window dressing.    

That $1.2 trillion number also is misleading.  Even Democrats concede the bill contains about $550 billion in new spending.  The remainder, nearly $700 billion, funds  existing infrastructure laws that are bundled into the legislation, such as reauthorization of the Highway and Mass Transit bill.

Here is a summary of new spending, focusing on the big ticket items:

• $66 billion for railroads.  The spending covers upgrades and maintenances of the Amtrak passenger rail system and funds for freight rail safety.  However, there is no money for high-speed rail.
• $65 billion for the power grid. The legislation provides for updating power lines and cables as well as money for cyber security to prevent hacking of the grid.  Clean energy funding is also included in the bill.
• $65 billion for broadband. The bill funds expansion of broadband service in rural areas and low-income communities.  About $14 billion would provide subsidies to low-income households to cover the cost of internet service.
• $55 billion for water projects. A large chunk of the funding, $15 billion, will be used for lead pipe replacement.  Native American tribal communities will get billions to provide clean drinking water in their communities.  
• $47 billion for climate change and cyber security. Included in this spending is money to address flooding, wild fires, coastal erosion, droughts and other extreme weather events.
• $39 billion for public transit. The bill allocates money to provide for upgrades to public transit systems nationwide.  In addition, there are funds to help make public transit more accessible for seniors and disabled Americans.
• $25 billion for airports.  The funding for air traffic control towers and systems is just $5 billion, far short of what experts estimate is required to update critical facilities.  The remainder of the funds are for upgrades and expansion to airports.
• $21 billion for the environment. These funds are designated to clean up superfund and so-called brownfield sites, abandoned mines and old oil and gas wells.
• $17 billion for ports. At a time when the administration is grappling with the supply chain disruption at U.S. ports, the funding is a drop in the bucket.  About one-half of the funds would be sent to the Army Corps of Engineers for port infrastructure.  Additional monies would go to the Coast Guard, ferry terminals and the reduction of truck emissions at ports.
• $7.6 billion for electric vehicle charging stations and $7.5 billion for electric school buses. Those charging stations will mostly benefit upper income earners who can afford pricey electric cars. The school bus project targets bus fleet replacement in low-income, rural and tribal communities.

Buried in Section 13002 is a proposal for a pilot initiative for a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee.The stated purpose is to test the feasibility of monitoring how much each car travels, a harbinger of Democrats plan to levy a tax on every mile a person drives.  That should worry Americans. 

While Democrats are taking victory laps, the funding doesn't address America's pressing problems: the rising cost of gasoline at the pump; spiraling food prices; chaos at the southern border; and empty shelves at virtually every store that sells groceries, home goods, electronics, clothes and more.

Wall Street may be popping champagne corks, but average Americans on Main Street are wondering how this helps their economic situation, when inflationary prices are eroding the purchasing power of every dollar.  Democrats claim this spending will actually reduce inflation. Insert laughter here.

Despite the bill's tepid public reception, Democrats are agog.  The Department of Transportation and other agencies will be responsible for divvying up a chunk of the billions assigned to the bill's priorities. Of course, this is by design so the administration can base spending decisions on politics.  

With Democrats controlling all the levers of government, the Blue States will be rewarded along with the districts of party members who are facing reelection in next year's mid-terms.  That 's just the way Washington works, regardless of the party in power. Incomprehensibly, voters don't seem to care.   

On the heels of infrastructure, Congress is wrangling over the Build Back Better Act, which contemplates almost $2 trillion in spending. The legislation has allegedly been pared from the $3.5 trillion price tag announced earlier.  A trillion here. A trillion later.  Soon it becomes real money.

While the Build Back Better Act lurches toward approval, the administration's runaway spending continues. Millions of dollars in more stimulus checks will be dispatched this month.  Eligible families will be sent checks of $300 for every child under six and up to $250 for each kid aged six-to-17.  

This gusher of spending worries few Americans because too many believe the government has an inexhaustible supply of money. Just tax those 614 American billionaires and we can relax comfortably waiting for our next government check. No one seemingly worries about deficits or the national debt.  

At some point the government will run out of people to tax to fund this excess.  It will be a rude awakening for a nation addicted to checks from their government's printing presses.  Unless spending is reigned in, an inflationary shock wave will rattle the country, hurting the most vulnerable Americans.          

Veteran's Day: America's Forgotten War Heroes

Charles Hagemeister was drafted in the Army in 1966 while on break from the University of Nebraska.  Like many college-aged students during the Vietnam War era, he figured it was inevitable his number would be called. While a few students fled to Canada, the Nebraska native didn't dodge his duty.  

After training as a medic, Specialist Fourth Class Hagemeister was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam's Dinh province. On the night of March 20,1967, his platoon came under heavy fire from an enemy armed with rifles, machine guns and mortars. Americans were hemmed in on three sides.

During the ferocious firefight, Hagemeister raced through a hailstorm of bullets to rescue two seriously wounded comrades.  As the battle raged, the 21-year old crawled forward to render aid to his platoon leader and several other wounded soldiers, ignoring the constant enemy barrage.  

At one point, Hagemeister seized a rifle from a fallen soldier and shot and killed a sniper and three enemy soldiers attempting to encircle his position. Not done, he took out an enemy machine gun before securing help from a nearby platoon to evacuate the wounded on the battlefield. 

For his "heroics and selfless actions at the risk of his life," the Army awarded the Nebraskan the Medal of Honor.  Hagemeister was one of scores of soldiers cited for bravery during the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1964 to 1973.  But few Americans know their names or have heard of their heroism. 

Regrettably, America treated its Vietnam War veterans with contempt.  By the time many returned home from the jungles in Southeast Asia, Americans were war weary.  The conflict had become a political flashpoint with many focusing on war atrocities rather than on those who served with distinction.

An anti-war movement, birthed on college campuses, whipped up antipathy for those who wore the American uniform during the conflict.  Service members were labeled murderers and baby killers. Waves of demonstrations attracted crowds of up to 100,000 as the protests rippled across America.  

Returning Vietnam veterans were greeted with scorn. Instead of parades and civic celebrations, they were spat upon, jeered and confronted with derogatory signs.  One returning Vietnam veteran, 21-year-old Steven A. Wowwk, will long remember his reception when he landed on American soil.

Strapped to a gunnery, the wounded Army infantryman peered out the window of his hospital-bound convoy, to see a raucous crowd.  "I remember feeling like, what could I do to acknowledge them and I just gave the peace signal."  In return, the angry knot of protestors raised their middle fingers in salute.

Much of the acrimony was fed by the media, which splashed gory photos on the front pages of newspapers and beamed gruesome television images of body bags, Napalmed villages and crying children. This was a far cry from the news coverage of World War II, which glorified American troops.   

That wasn't the only ignominy.  Returning servicemen were treated shabbily by the Veterans Administration.  Many never received treatment for the post traumatic syndrome suffered in the grisly war.  The VA's institutional indifference was felt by many returning vets.  

Christian Appy, a professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, authored three books on the Vietnam War. After talking to scores of returning American soldiers and researching their level of medical care and support, he concluded:

"The society really was ill-prepared to give these guys what they deserved.  They were not necessarily looking for a parade, but they were certainly looking for basic human support and help in readjusting to civilian life after this really brutal war."

Vietnam was the first major war abroad in American history that ended in retreat instead of victory. The 3.4 million soldiers, sailors, pilots and Marines who served paid a physical and mental price for the bungled decisions by politicians and generals.  These heroes deserved better for their sacrifices.

A total of 40,934 were killed in action.  The in-theater war deaths and missing-in-action amounted to 58,220.  A total of 153,303 wounded service members survived, many thanks to courageous medics like Charles Hagemeister and battlefield doctors. A total of 5,299 died of their wounds.

On Veterans Day, Americans attention is often fixated on World War II because it remains our military's finest hour.  America defeated the axis of Germany, Italy and Japan.  According to the latest count, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are about 389,000 WWII vets living today.

By contrast, there are about 610,000 surviving veterans who served on the battlefields of Vietnam. It is time for the United States to repay these veterans for their honorable service.  The Vietnam Memorial, built in 1982 in Washington, D.C., was a long overdue recognition for those who served in the war.

However, the United States needs to do more to make reparations for the contemptible treatment endured by those who battled in an unwinnable war. The president and Congress should declare next year's Veterans Day a special tribute to Vietnam War vets and their families.  

Charles Hagemeister unfortunately won't be around to experience his nation's gratitude.  He died In May at the age of 74.  But for the other veterans, there is still time for a nation to honor those who fought in one of the bloodiest wars in the country's history.  

China Dupes U.S. Over Pollution Pledges

Even as the ink dried on the Paris climate accord in 2015, the world's biggest polluter was plotting to ramp up construction of hundreds of new coal-fired plants to meet the swelling energy demand of its 1.44 billion people. Despite its climate pledges to slice emissions, China's pollution has worsened.

Only six years ago, China joined 195 other countries, including the United Sates, in signing a binding treaty to tackle the issue of climate change.  Under the agreement, each country pledged to significantly reduce harmful emissions.  Naive American politicians trusted the Communists' promises.    

Little has changed since that Paris agreement in 2015.  China 's coal burning plants continue to belch carbon dioxide, thus retaining the title of world's largest emitter. The regime is responsible for 30% of all global emissions, according to ClimateTrade.  China releases twice as much CO-2 as the U.S.

President Biden has an opportunity to confront China on its lack of progress at the upcoming Conference of the Parties--nations which ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1994.  Expect China to make empty commitments it has no intention of fulfilling.

The Washington Post, virtually a publicity arm of the Democrat Party, ran a story ahead of the Glasgow, Scotland, confab, tempering expectations.  With China's President Xi Jinping absent, the Post conjectures there will be no substantial guarantees from China on a plan to reduce emissions.  

For once, the newspaper'a assumption is correct.  China always acts in its self interests. To suggest the Communists will do an about face because of a ballyhooed conference, is incredulous.  If President Biden takes a victory lap after the meeting, he has been duped by China just like previous leaders.

Judge China on its actions not its rhetoric.  The independent research firm Rhodium Group released an analysis documenting that China's emissions have more than tripled over the past three decades. China's global emissions reached 52 giga tons of CO-2 in 2019, an 11.4% increase over the last ten years.

Yale Environment 360 analyzed China's climate ambitions and wrote that "air pollution returned in Beijing with a vengeance, hitting the highest levels this year since January 2019." Steel, cement and heavy manufacturing plants, running on coal power, boosted emissions by 4% by mid-2020. 

In 2019, 58% of China's electricity was generated by coal, according to Yale's study.  By comparison, the United States produces 23% of its electricity from coal.  Last year alone, China built 184 coal-fired plants which will release more carbon dioxide gasses.  

The San Francisco-based think tank Global Monitor and the independent Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated China commissioned more than three times as much new coal power capacity as all the other countries in the world combined, despite repeated assertions to cut emissions. 

America has dramatically reduced its dependence on coal by shuttering 392 coal burning facilities since 2002, a decrease of  38%. The country now operates 241 coal-fired plants and more are being off-lined nearly every year. Meanwhile, America creates 20% of its electricity from renewables.

China defenders--and there are many in Congress--point to the Communist Party's mandate that 40% of the vehicles sold in China must be electric by 2030.  However, few economists believe the goal can be achieved.  Still China apologists offer this mandate as proof the country is serious about climate change.

China's foremost champions are large U.S. corporations, including many with production, assembly or manufacturing facilitates operating in the Communist regime.  The list includes firms such as Apple, Tesla, Boeing, Caterpillar, General Motors, Ford and Honeywell.  

Scores of other firms, such as Nike, Starbucks, McDonald's and Pepsi, depend on the lucrative market for corporate revenue and profit growth. Wynn Resorts' revenues from casinos in Macau alone account for 75.2% of its income. China represents the most lucrative market for U.S. companies.

The reality is these firms cannot afford to offend China by demanding climate accountability.

The silence of American businesses is nothing short of hypocritical considering many of these same corporations are zealots for the progressive New Green Deal initiative in their own country. These corporate behemoths prefer to lecture Americans about saving the planet.  Chinese, not so much.

In fact, these firms are guilty of fueling demand for more energy output in China by investing in the expansion of their operations in the Communist nation. Every new retail store, manufacturing or assembly plant, taxes China's already strained national grid, hiking incentives for more coal power.

Given American businesses' dependence on China for growth and profits, does any reader believe Mr. Biden will hold China's feet to the fire over it climate promises?  Never happen. The U.N. goal of reaching "net zero" greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is constructed on quicksand commitments.  

That's why this latest climate summit will be a carbon copy of those held over the last two decades.  Much fanfare, little results. Expect Mr. Biden to double down on reigning in U.S. emissions.  But global CO-2 emissions will continue to spiral because China has no intention of honoring its pledges.