America is giving up on the pandemic? • Hacker News Board

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#31

Post by charliemil4 » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:08 PM UTC

war1025 wrote: post #15

Barrin92 wrote: post #4

The concerns are right but public assembly is critical in a democracy, and cannot be put on hold indefinitely. It's probably the most fundamental right in any civil society and with all these takes I have seen on twitter about COVID and the protests, a lot of people seem to seriously unerestimate the value that free assembly has. Covid as bad as it is will be an issue of the near future, civil rights gains or losses…

> Covid as bad as it is will be an issue of the near future, civil rights gains or losses will have an impact in decades to come. There is a lot of truth in this. In any war there is a level of acceptable losses. For most of the spring, the modern culture wars were on hold and there were no hills worth taking. Now there is something going on that has the potential for long term consequences, so the level of acceptabl…

That’s also a case for reopening - or better never closing the economy - an abrupt stop and socializing losses will leave scars for decades.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#32

Post by cma » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:08 PM UTC

rohitb91 wrote: post #18

Barrin92 wrote: post #4

The concerns are right but public assembly is critical in a democracy, and cannot be put on hold indefinitely. It's probably the most fundamental right in any civil society and with all these takes I have seen on twitter about COVID and the protests, a lot of people seem to seriously unerestimate the value that free assembly has. Covid as bad as it is will be an issue of the near future, civil rights gains or losses…

I agree that public assembly is essential regardless of what is going on. But why were the people protesting the lock downs and business shutdowns and the limiting of freedoms the yahoos and crazy murderers? Why did nurses block them from protesting but not one would block someone now?

First I'll say I think a lot more distancing should be in place at these recent protests and even with high mask usage it is taking a huge risk with the elderly and vulnerable.

> Why did nurses block them from protesting but not one would block someone now?

I think the reason would be something like: the first group was protesting not being able to go to Applebee's, the second group is protesting systemic racism and police brutality.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#33

Post by dageshi » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:08 PM UTC

SPQT wrote: post #16

Not a surprise, COVID19 is pretty soft compared to the historic pandemics. I'm actually suprised that this continued for so long, I gave the lockdowns 4 week, but I guess the media propaganda blessed it with longer life. Just to clarify about Covid: -The highest deathrate from it is around 1%, CDC reports 0.30 lately. -Hits predominantly the old parts of the population -The death comes in a normal way - pneumonia ->…

For people who don't die it's still not a cakewalk, people describe it as the worst thing they've ever had and others barely even know they've had it.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#34

Post by monadic2 » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:09 PM UTC

mberning wrote: post #2

Why shouldn’t they? People were browbeaten for having the audacity to want to return to work. Now politicians are out marching shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other people. We also were told that Georgia was going to be a disaster for reopening too soon and that has not come to pass. It’s good to know that “believe science” and “stay home stay safe” are completely negotiable based on what is politically expedi…

> We also were told that Georgia was going to be a disaster for reopening too soon and that has not come to pass.

Tell that to the families of the dead. I’m sure they’ll be happy to know they died propping up your portfolios while people starve on the streets.

It’s the most american thing ever to insist on returning to work above all other values—there’s that death cult for you.

The dow demands blood!

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#35

Post by ianai » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:09 PM UTC

lostapathy wrote: post #20

ianai wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I fear it might be more pernicious than that. There’s reason to believe states are misreporting their numbers to hide what’s going on with it. But I think the media senses the protests and racism issues have to take up all the available oxygen, “or else”.

I think this is a lot of it, for better or worse. I feel like a lot of people are afraid to talk about anything but the protests lately, lest they be branded as not supporting the protests.

What’s crazy though is for the first time in my life I actually fear for the future existence of the US. I watched 9/11 in real time and that didn’t feel as much of a threat to our existence as this does. There’s an actual civil war movement among the extremists now. I don’t think that existed during the civil rights movement days, even. Nor even the Vietnam fallout.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#36

Post by cma » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:10 PM UTC

charliemil4 wrote: post #31

war1025 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Covid as bad as it is will be an issue of the near future, civil rights gains or losses will have an impact in decades to come. There is a lot of truth in this. In any war there is a level of acceptable losses. For most of the spring, the modern culture wars were on hold and there were no hills worth taking. Now there is something going on that has the potential for long term consequences, so the level of acceptabl…

That’s also a case for reopening - or better never closing the economy - an abrupt stop and socializing losses will leave scars for decades.

Even places that stayed mostly open got huge hits to their economy due to caution from people. For the economy to not take a hit you would need to force people into Applebee's even if they live with grandma, etc.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#37

Post by clairity » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:10 PM UTC

monadic2 wrote: post #6

Barrin92 wrote: post #4

The concerns are right but public assembly is critical in a democracy, and cannot be put on hold indefinitely. It's probably the most fundamental right in any civil society and with all these takes I have seen on twitter about COVID and the protests, a lot of people seem to seriously unerestimate the value that free assembly has. Covid as bad as it is will be an issue of the near future, civil rights gains or losses…

Additionally, mask usage is seriously high at these protests. I’ll literally be marching down the street and see folks on rooftop bars, beers in hand, elbow to elbow, not a mask in sight. that scares me more than a protest where you can freely trail behind at distance.

if they’re outside and elbow-to-elbow, then it means they’re likely not continuously spitting in each others’ faces. it’s marginally better if they stood a little farther apart but that risk shouldn’t scare you. worry about real risks, like police with riot gear.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#38

Post by nkozyra » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:10 PM UTC

ac29 wrote: post #22

Daily new deaths have been steadily falling even as states continue to ease or eliminate restrictions [0]: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ This article seems to completely ignore that, instead focusing on positive test results, even though the vast majority of infections are mild or even completely asymptomatic. If anything, America is giving up on the breathless projections of mass die off that…

Sort of. Florida has seen a consistent uptick in the last week. Some other states are seeing a bounce.

I will say that 100k+ deaths is nothing to treat so trivially.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#39

Post by matwood » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:11 PM UTC

ac29 wrote: post #22

Daily new deaths have been steadily falling even as states continue to ease or eliminate restrictions [0]: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ This article seems to completely ignore that, instead focusing on positive test results, even though the vast majority of infections are mild or even completely asymptomatic. If anything, America is giving up on the breathless projections of mass die off that…

Deaths are a lagging indicator though. Daily infections are have stopped falling and are slowly creeping back up. Hopefully it’s just noise or increased testing.

Re: America is giving up on the pandemic?

#40

Post by trhway » Sun, Jun 07, 2020, 7:11 PM UTC

People, and not only in America, is just giving up on their hope that the governments would really start fighting pandemic, like produce tests, implement contact tracing, etc. The lockdown isn't a pandemic fighting tool, it was just a timeout to give governments the opportunity to start doing necessary things. Well, it hasn't happened and doesn't seems to in the future.