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Possibly literally are strong words indeed. More than anything, I fear the mob panic this thinking invokes more than the virus or potential economic collapse. F
by glitcher 7y ago
Possibly literally are strong words indeed. More than anything, I fear the mob panic this thinking invokes more than the virus or potential economic collapse. Fear is kinda funny that way - many people fear the future, but I fear the effects of too many people fearing the future.
- pengaru 7y agoSeeing the cellphone footage of Hubei/Wuhan hospitals from weeks ago didn't make me fear mob panic; it made me fear a total paralysis of the health system. It's tempting to imagine the same situation with Americans instead of Chinese would more resemble a Walmart riot on Black Friday. But I think when it's a bunch of genuinely sick people filling the hospitals, they're a more docile and incapacitated bunch. Those still healthy but panicky aren't going to be interested in being in close proximity to large numbers of strangers which is kind of a requirement for a mob to form. I expect quiet streets, like a zombie apocalypse film, with people minimally venturing out for supplies.
- jjeaff 7y agoHave you ever been around Chinese tourists? I've never seen such blatant disregard for others as they elbow their way into the front of a line or completely clear out a buffet table. Not all of them, of course, but I think I'm not alone in that experience.
- pengaru 7y agoI've experienced that with some Chinese folks on the streets of SF. But I've also experienced it with some Americans from NYC, and just assumed it was an emergent trait of people living in heavily-populated high-density cities. Edit: There's a similar phenomenon I've seen sharing space/food with guy friends who grew up with multiple brothers. The baseline aggression and competitiveness is visibly turned up a notch.