3 ms·

The 1 million deaths are a big deal only because it may include rich white people or even, gasp, you and I. This is the only reason this number is quoted with

The 1 million deaths are a big deal only because it may include rich white people or even, gasp, you and I. This is the only reason this number is quoted with such an incredulity. Throughout history we have had and we continue to have far bigger problems than that. Did you know that 20K people DIE every day of hunger (9 million per year)? And this has happened like so for the past twenty years? Where is the counter for that? Why aren't we locking everything down until we fix that? I tell you why, because you and I are at zero risk of dying of hunger. Stating that 1 million deaths is a big deal sounds extremely hollow.

NotSammyHagar 6y ago
Thanks for posting that. More than 4 million dead already from hunger this year [1], that's an even more horrible statistic. Yes, we need to continue to fight that. I'm that typical person in the west who, might send money to international food aid charities, but doesn't know what else to do. I think increasing democracy around the world could help and fewer wars can lead to stability and improved lives. 9 or 10 million a year is such a large number it's unbeliveable. The fact that it's improved tremendously over time [2] doesn't excuse continuing to work on it to help our fellow humans. I'm mostly just fortunate to be born in a prosperous country, through no action of my own. 1. https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/how-many-people-die-from-hunger-each-year https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty... 2. https://ourworldindata.org/uploads/2013/10/Famine-death-rate-since-1860s.png https://ourworldindata.org/uploads/2013/10/Famine-death-rate...
yongjik 6y ago
"Be thankful with your broccoli because there are kids starving in Africa" generally doesn't work even on a fifth grader - I honestly didn't expect to see it on HN. At this rate, I wonder when I'd see people saying "no worries" because it's not Black Death. Or has it already started?
- glofish 6y ago
  > no worries" because it's not Black Death. I think mentioning the Black Death as a counterpoint weakens the argument greatly. This disease is far-far more similar to the flu than black death, no? So we should probably deal with it as a flu not black death.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - ddingus 6y ago
    I have emails from Italy saying it is like flu. Those same people a few weeks later? Our grandparents and families are dying.
- rasz 6y ago
  "no worries" because it's only seriously affecting people past 50

NotSammyHagar 6y ago

Thanks for posting that. More than 4 million dead already from hunger this year [1], that's an even more horrible statistic. Yes, we need to continue to fight that. I'm that typical person in the west who, might send money to international food aid charities, but doesn't know what else to do. I think increasing democracy around the world could help and fewer wars can lead to stability and improved lives. 9 or 10 million a year is such a large number it's unbeliveable. The fact that it's improved tremendously over time [2] doesn't excuse continuing to work on it to help our fellow humans. I'm mostly just fortunate to be born in a prosperous country, through no action of my own. 1. https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/how-many-people-die-from-hunger-each-year https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty... 2. https://ourworldindata.org/uploads/2013/10/Famine-death-rate-since-1860s.png https://ourworldindata.org/uploads/2013/10/Famine-death-rate...

yongjik 6y ago

"Be thankful with your broccoli because there are kids starving in Africa" generally doesn't work even on a fifth grader - I honestly didn't expect to see it on HN. At this rate, I wonder when I'd see people saying "no worries" because it's not Black Death. Or has it already started?

glofish 6y ago
> no worries" because it's not Black Death. I think mentioning the Black Death as a counterpoint weakens the argument greatly. This disease is far-far more similar to the flu than black death, no? So we should probably deal with it as a flu not black death.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- ddingus 6y ago
  I have emails from Italy saying it is like flu. Those same people a few weeks later? Our grandparents and families are dying.
rasz 6y ago
"no worries" because it's only seriously affecting people past 50