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> our smartest people - both in the actual elite and here on HN - exclaimed that wearing a mask "does nothing". I'm fairly convinced that the messaging behind

> our smartest people - both in the actual elite and here on HN - exclaimed that wearing a mask "does nothing". I'm fairly convinced that the messaging behind the "masks don't do anything" rhetoric is to prevent a shortage to people who need them. Yeah, everyone wearing masks would probably effectively slow the virus but if there's known supply chain issues and everyone stocking up would cause availability issues for doctors & nurses, then we have to take the lesser evil.

remarkEon 7y ago
Yeah, but if everyone started wearing masks back in early February in New York City there wouldn't be overloaded hospitals in Queens today on March 25th, now would there.
- lonelappde 7y ago
  There weren't masks to wear.
  - anonsubmit2671 7y ago
    True, but that itself is a symptom of bigger problems. The problem isn't which people should or shouldn't have masks. The problem is a lack of supply chain capacity and inventory, and the SNS should have 6 billion masks and 100k ventilators. Lying to people doesn't help public health or fix the problems of the federal government failing to act. The AARC told HHS to get their act together about the SNS on ventilators, but the govt didn't.
  - slazaro 7y ago
    In the tweet linked, they explain that in the Czech Republic there's been a social movement around making your own masks, giving them out, etc.
    - scruple 7y ago
      It's here in the US, too, but on a much reduced scale. My wife made some masks to hand out, getting the idea from her cousin who was putting her children who are not in school to work making masks for donation.
  - Polylactic_acid 7y ago
    You could easily build your own masks out of stuff at home which would be better than nothing.
mike_d 7y ago
The split of "they don't do anything" and "hospitals need them" made no sense to Americans so they ignored both messages.
FeepingCreature 7y ago
Yeah but the effect is a diminished trust in experts. Which is why noble lies are toxic. Like, nobody who said that masks can't help has grounds to complain about accusations of "fake news" ever again.
- joaomacp 7y ago
  People's decisions today are so influenced by media that fake news become acceptable (like white lies). Media has to act as the Catholic Church did in ancient times. It has to make up some stories to control people's behavior. Toilet paper is an example of this: you talk about a shortage, and people will buy more. They don't believe it's really necessary, but since they know other people are buying and the media is talking about it, even smart people understand demand will increase and stocks will fall, so they buy more. Same with masks: if you tell people "they work, but don't buy them" it will have the exact opposite effect. In China and other Eastern countries, this is dealt with by causing fear in people: "if I buy a lot of masks and the state finds out, I'll be in trouble". We don't have that tool in free Western countries. So media manipulation becomes the only effective tool for behavior control.
- anonsubmit2671 7y ago
  When manufacturing consent is broken because the lies are so obvious.

remarkEon 7y ago

Yeah, but if everyone started wearing masks back in early February in New York City there wouldn't be overloaded hospitals in Queens today on March 25th, now would there.

lonelappde 7y ago
There weren't masks to wear.
- anonsubmit2671 7y ago
  True, but that itself is a symptom of bigger problems. The problem isn't which people should or shouldn't have masks. The problem is a lack of supply chain capacity and inventory, and the SNS should have 6 billion masks and 100k ventilators. Lying to people doesn't help public health or fix the problems of the federal government failing to act. The AARC told HHS to get their act together about the SNS on ventilators, but the govt didn't.
- slazaro 7y ago
  In the tweet linked, they explain that in the Czech Republic there's been a social movement around making your own masks, giving them out, etc.
  - scruple 7y ago
    It's here in the US, too, but on a much reduced scale. My wife made some masks to hand out, getting the idea from her cousin who was putting her children who are not in school to work making masks for donation.
- Polylactic_acid 7y ago
  You could easily build your own masks out of stuff at home which would be better than nothing.

mike_d 7y ago

The split of "they don't do anything" and "hospitals need them" made no sense to Americans so they ignored both messages.

FeepingCreature 7y ago

Yeah but the effect is a diminished trust in experts. Which is why noble lies are toxic. Like, nobody who said that masks can't help has grounds to complain about accusations of "fake news" ever again.

joaomacp 7y ago
People's decisions today are so influenced by media that fake news become acceptable (like white lies). Media has to act as the Catholic Church did in ancient times. It has to make up some stories to control people's behavior. Toilet paper is an example of this: you talk about a shortage, and people will buy more. They don't believe it's really necessary, but since they know other people are buying and the media is talking about it, even smart people understand demand will increase and stocks will fall, so they buy more. Same with masks: if you tell people "they work, but don't buy them" it will have the exact opposite effect. In China and other Eastern countries, this is dealt with by causing fear in people: "if I buy a lot of masks and the state finds out, I'll be in trouble". We don't have that tool in free Western countries. So media manipulation becomes the only effective tool for behavior control.
anonsubmit2671 7y ago
When manufacturing consent is broken because the lies are so obvious.