COVID-19 Outbreak (Update: More than 2.9M cases and 132,313 deaths in US) (4 Viewers)

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It should have never been "political" but maybe the tide is finally turning?





If this is based on polling or whatever, that is fine. Just wear the damn masks and try to do something, anything, to slow the spread. I want my kids to go to school. I want to buy $3 beers at Tulane football games. Wear a mask.

So only NOW they say this? After all of this unecessary death, loss of business and widespread illness...only NOW they are saying, don't politicize the masks. SMH.
 
I read a very disappointing article in The Atlantic this morning. I wish I could say that I was surprised by anything I read, but I am not. Most of those 120,000 dead could have been prevented easily, almost without effort. That's more lives lost than the US lost in WWI and it doesn't look like it's stopping there.
 
I think a lot of Governors and local politicians are trying to walk the tightrope. They want everyone in masks when it's an appropriate setting. But some know, if they force it, they might actually get less compliance, or force a 'police state' and that will cause a back lash.
Personally, I think that's an impossible tightrope to walk, and they shouldn't be trying to walk it.

Because the very act of not making something a requirement implies that it's not absolutely necessary; the logic being that if it was necessary, then it would be a requirement. It's essentially the "it's not illegal so it's OK" line of thinking. It's not right - there's plenty of things that are legal but can be seen as immoral - but as soon as you have a system of law that appears comprehensive, that line of thinking becomes systematically implied and fairly widespread.

For example, look at seatbelt laws. You wouldn't think they would be necessary - seatbelts clearly protect the wearer as well as others, and they're not especially inconvenient. And yet, research shows (pdf) without any seatbelt laws, use would be much lower and fatalities significantly higher.

There are differences in the circumstances of course, but it seems wildly optimistic to think high rates of mask usage could be accomplished without requiring it over the space of weeks, when we couldn't manage to get people to wear seatbelts over decades without requiring it (and even with requiring it in most states, the usage rate is only something like 90%).
 
Personally, I think that's an impossible tightrope to walk, and they shouldn't be trying to walk it.

Because the very act of not making something a requirement implies that it's not absolutely necessary; the logic being that if it was necessary, then it would be a requirement. It's essentially the "it's not illegal so it's OK" line of thinking. It's not right - there's plenty of things that are legal but can be seen as immoral - but as soon as you have a system of law that appears comprehensive, that line of thinking becomes systematically implied and fairly widespread.

For example, look at seatbelt laws. You wouldn't think they would be necessary - seatbelts clearly protect the wearer as well as others, and they're not especially inconvenient. And yet, research shows (pdf) without any seatbelt laws, use would be much lower and fatalities significantly higher.

There are differences in the circumstances of course, but it seems wildly optimistic to think high rates of mask usage could be accomplished without requiring it over the space of weeks, when we couldn't manage to get people to wear seatbelts over decades without requiring it (and even with requiring it in most states, the usage rate is only something like 90%).
For something as unpopular as wearing a mask in public, the government typically responds with massive education and awareness campaigns. Elected leaders, athletes and celebrities will all get together and educate the public using a united voice. It's difficult to that when the federal government is not only failing to comply with basic protocols established under the Bush Administration but completely undermining anyone who does try to encourage people to do the right thing. Public shame and ridicule from ordinary citizens and businesses refusing to provide service to non-compliant people is what we're left with as a result.
 
I read a very disappointing article in The Atlantic this morning. I wish I could say that I was surprised by anything I read, but I am not. Most of those 120,000 dead could have been prevented easily, almost without effort. That's more lives lost than the US lost in WWI and it doesn't look like it's stopping there.

That was a great article. Thanks for posting. I highly recommend everyone here read it. I have to be honest. I had a bad feeling when
the first outbreaks from Wuhan were reported. I had no faith our government was going to handle it well. It's 6 months later,and we should
be talking about training camps opening. Instead we now have state governments debating whether to go back into phase 1
 
That was a great article. Thanks for posting. I highly recommend everyone here read it. I have to be honest. I had a bad feeling when
the first outbreaks from Wuhan were reported. I had no faith our government was going to handle it well. It's 6 months later,and we should
be talking about training camps opening. Instead we now have state governments debating whether to go back into phase 1
I had no faith people were going to handle this well.
 
That's from April 2.

It is, but I think it's illustrative of the disconnect between the federal guidelines and what the states are actually doing. It was never going to work without the states working hand in hand with the CDC. I'm a traditional states' rights guy, but this is a case where the CDC has to lay down the law and we all stay put for a month until the disease is eliminated. Other countries have done it, and we can, but only if every state commits to it.
 
I know it’s not his place, but the waning of stimulus seems to be what is driving the urge to open

Even McConnell yesterday seemed to be ‘fine, let’s talk masks so we won’t have to talk stimulus’

Right now the bottom line conversation seems to be ‘stay at home and die’ or ‘consume publicly and die’
And only Congress has the power to make that not an either or scenario
 
I'm also hearing now that all the bars are closed in Florida that people in the panhandle and in Pensacola Beach are driving over the bars on the Alabama coast making them really crowded.
It's possible, but the bars in coastal Alabama are far from Florida. The FloraBama is technically in Florida. I did go fishing by myself in Orange Beach Saturday night. I saw at least 40 boats cruising from 9 to midnight multiple people on each one. The scene in Bama looks no different than any other year right now.
 
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