2 ms·

Well seeing as how fatalities from workplace related injuries average about 5,000-6,000 a year, maybe we'll end up ahead. In all seriousness the math around th

by CPLX 7y ago

Well seeing as how fatalities from workplace related injuries average about 5,000-6,000 a year, maybe we'll end up ahead. In all seriousness the math around the trade-offs inherent in all these discussions seems oddly absent. About three million people die every year in the U.S., many of those deaths preventable with far less drastic measures than we are taking here, and it doesn't seem like we're having anything like the same discussion about priorities with this specific situation. I'm not saying the answer would necessarily come out any different, but it's strange we're not really asking the questions.

disgruntledphd2 7y ago
Because people react really badly to the cold-hearted measuring out of human lives, except when it's war.
- CPLX 7y ago
  I mean they themselves actually do it routinely. They just don’t always know or admit that they are doing it.
  - disgruntledphd2 7y ago
    Yeah, but it doesn't enter the public consciousness, and people pretend not to understand. It's one of the glorious fudges that we all collectively engage in.
arbitrary_name 7y ago
There was a report saying that reduced industrial output saved the lives of 10K plus chinese citizens through improved air quality, outweighing any COVID-related deaths. Hilarious, in a sad and dark way.
stevenwoo 7y ago
If it's only 5000-6000, not sure where the approximate 120,000 in the CDC report come from (assuming the total includes the three numbers we can see on the first page and motor accident deaths are mostly not work related but I could be wrong on that). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm I guess a lot of people die at home from accidents and poisonings. But the motor vehicle accident death rate should go down.
codyb 7y ago
It may be because our current health care infrastructure handles the expected rates of injuries and death through these internalized manners, and we’ve decided we’d rather not watch it collapse while sacrificing five percent of our elderly? Plus whatever amount of people would die from not having access to healthcare? And the innumerable numbers with long term reduced lung function. And the fact the rest of the world would shut us off from everything regardless since we’d be this gigantic disaster zone. I think, and don’t quote me on this, that the UKs original plan was “fuck it, lets aim for herd immunity”. I don’t think it took long for them to realize how terrible of an idea that was. And lets not forget the incredible numbers of younger Americans with underlying health issues who’d die off in droves. So I guess, is it _really_ that strange we’re not asking “what if just said fuck it”? Edit: sorry if that came off rude, I suspect if you did ask that question, something akin to the above is the answer you’d get :-)

by CPLX 7y ago

disgruntledphd2 7y ago

Because people react really badly to the cold-hearted measuring out of human lives, except when it's war.

CPLX 7y ago
I mean they themselves actually do it routinely. They just don’t always know or admit that they are doing it.
- disgruntledphd2 7y ago
  Yeah, but it doesn't enter the public consciousness, and people pretend not to understand. It's one of the glorious fudges that we all collectively engage in.

arbitrary_name 7y ago

There was a report saying that reduced industrial output saved the lives of 10K plus chinese citizens through improved air quality, outweighing any COVID-related deaths. Hilarious, in a sad and dark way.

stevenwoo 7y ago

If it's only 5000-6000, not sure where the approximate 120,000 in the CDC report come from (assuming the total includes the three numbers we can see on the first page and motor accident deaths are mostly not work related but I could be wrong on that). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm I guess a lot of people die at home from accidents and poisonings. But the motor vehicle accident death rate should go down.

codyb 7y ago

It may be because our current health care infrastructure handles the expected rates of injuries and death through these internalized manners, and we’ve decided we’d rather not watch it collapse while sacrificing five percent of our elderly? Plus whatever amount of people would die from not having access to healthcare? And the innumerable numbers with long term reduced lung function. And the fact the rest of the world would shut us off from everything regardless since we’d be this gigantic disaster zone. I think, and don’t quote me on this, that the UKs original plan was “fuck it, lets aim for herd immunity”. I don’t think it took long for them to realize how terrible of an idea that was. And lets not forget the incredible numbers of younger Americans with underlying health issues who’d die off in droves. So I guess, is it _really_ that strange we’re not asking “what if just said fuck it”? Edit: sorry if that came off rude, I suspect if you did ask that question, something akin to the above is the answer you’d get :-)