Live data from Hacker News

Time to Ban Wet Markets

spectator.us

41–50 of 222 posts

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#41
post #15

So, what’s the difference between a “wet market” and the sort of familiar farmer’s market of butchers/fishmongers/etc. that five-star restaurants source from all over the world? This article seems to be doing a motte-and-bailey of grossing you out with things that are just “regular meat wholesaler things” (e.g. fresh meat sitting out on ice without refrigeration) and then moralizing about the specific kinds of meats…

Here's a great explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPpoJGYlW54

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#42
post #16

I think it’s a disgrace that the Chinese government hasn’t apologized for 1.) keeping wet market open 2.) silencing whistleblower doctor that would have stopped a pandemic 3.) letting 5 million people leave Wuhan 4.) pressuring WHO to not recommend border shutdown against China - Conjecture 5.) silencing whistleblowers inside China and around the world 6.) at one point, was surfacing propagandas that the virus didn’t…

The Chinese Government is an authoritarian regime. Agree that it's terrible, but of course they won't apologize for anything.

This comment is frankly lacking substance. Generally accepted, binary thinking like this is exactly the kind HN is best without.

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#43

I think it’s a disgrace that the Chinese government hasn’t apologized for 1.) keeping wet market open 2.) silencing whistleblower doctor that would have stopped a pandemic 3.) letting 5 million people leave Wuhan 4.) pressuring WHO to not recommend border shutdown against China - Conjecture 5.) silencing whistleblowers inside China and around the world 6.) at one point, was surfacing propagandas that the virus didn’t…

Do you really want them to write a politely worded apology to the UN?

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#44

I agree with the general aims of the article, but I doubt that the demand that the author makes - that China closes its wet markets - will be practically doable. With a billion people that have no reason to trust their government, it's going to be hard to convince them to drop what they and their families had learned with blood during the Mao-era famines.

It's also so perverse around the world. Until we can provide adequate non wet market food stores and supplies, most notably at affordable pricing for these often highly impoverished areas, there isn't much for change. Further it brings into question the items that are good or bad. Is "Racoon Dog" ok or not? Can they sell "Bats"? Then as you mention, people are going to stick to what they do. Good example, how many pe…

Somehow the rest of the world doesn't have this problem. Let's start by not keeping live animals in food markets. Introduce food processing standards. Go from there.

Yes they are impoverished, but this is grinding humanity to a halt. It is probably the most impactful money we can spend.

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Got any info on point 6? Did they really start that rumor?

The Chinese media spread the rumor, and they are an extension of the Chinese government. Whether they started the rumor is immaterial.

s/Chinese media/Fox News/, s/Chinese government/US government/, and see if this sentence still makes sense.

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#46

Why does anyone think these markets are okay?

Most people in this thread are too dumb to realize that these "wet markets" exist all around the world including in North America.

American Swing Flu killed tens of thousands of people due to poor agricultural practices.

If anything, we should talk about banning the farming of animals altogether.

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#47
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people, chinese or not have nothing to do with the cause of this outbreak. Let’s be real. It killed thousands of innocent people so far, including Chinese.

I didn't say "Chinese" anywhere. It would be stupid to generalise given the size of that country.

You said "undomesticated people" to be exact.

Remarkable that you place the blame on people rather than the many governments that acted far too slowly.

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#48

Or just stop eating meat altogether. There are diseases and potent antibiotic resistant bugs brewing in our factory farms in the west too. None of this is necessary for human health or nutrition.

Or just stop eating factory farmed meat?

The vast majority of meat comes from factory farms, so for factory-farmed meat to go away, total meat consumption has to drop dramatically.

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#49
> Under starvation conditions, does it really matter what vessel of bodily flesh was delivering your next caloric intake? Why would you squander any body part?

Why would you ever waste part of something you killed for sustenance? Waste is waste.

> There’s an old Cantonese saying that goes, ‘anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible’.

I mean, it is, and frequently, it's delicious. Meat is meat, ya know, I care more about how the animal lived up until it ended up on my plate, not what animal specifically (so long as it's not endangered).

> The myth that freshly killed animals taste superior is very pervasive, particularly among the older generation. ‘Freshly killed hens are much better than frozen meat in supermarkets, if you want to make perfect chicken soup,’ a 60-year-old woman named Ran told Bloomberg while shopping at a Chinese wet market. ‘The flavor is richer.’

It probably is.

Re: Time to Ban Wet Markets

#50

I remember when I was small, I accompanied my mom to a wet market, and saw a frog butchered in front of my eyes (chopped into two horizontal cut), and that gave me chills till this day that I actually don't eat frog meat. I do other stuffs though and have no problem handling knife for meat work. On the other hand, wet market like Tokyo's Tsukiji is very fresh and clean. Actually, wet markets through Japan are usually…

the issue isn't seafood (living or dead) its live mammals and birds. Tsujiki doesn't sell any mammals/birds and the vast majority of what is sold there is long dead, so its fine. The issue is when you have lots of bats/pigs/birds/etc in close proximity.
Post reply on HN