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I also think the bet depended on Sweden's culture of social responsibility. Doing something similar in the US would never work. We don't have a culture of soci
by Spartan-S63 6y ago
I also think the bet depended on Sweden's culture of social responsibility.
Doing something similar in the US would never work. We don't have a culture of social responsibility. It's why draconian measures were required. Recommendations don't work and laws/ordnances only work to an extent. In essence, the US has such a self-centered culture that the only option to combat a pandemic like this is draconian lockdown that borders on infringing on individual rights.
- minerjoe 6y agoConquer with Inaction Do not control the people with laws, Nor violence nor espionage, But conquer them with inaction. For: The more morals and taboos there are, The more cruelty afflicts people; The more guns and knives there are, The more factions divide people; The more arts and skills there are, The more change obsoletes people; The more laws and taxes there are, The more theft corrupts people. Yet take no action, and the people nurture eachother; Make no laws, and the people deal fairly with eachother; Own no interest, and the people cooperate with eachother; Express no desire, and the people harmonize with eachother. -- Lao Tse, "Tao Te Ching"
- nonamenoslogan 6y agoI didn't realize there were guns in the 4th century BC.
- wincy 6y agoA 6th century BCE philosopher had an opinion on guns?
- monkeydreams 6y agoIt's also important to note that Lao Tse was trying to make sense of the collapse of his entire way of life during the Warring States period. He was trying to find an answer as to how the governments of the day failed so badly and descended into such chaos. While it is true that community spirit can thrive under pressure, we should not be seeking to attain community spirit at the cost of overall quality of life. We should not allow COVID-19 to run rampant so that people learn the usefulness of masks. This falls into the same trap that Lao Tse fell into, thinking that the perceived causative opposite will result in the opposite outcome. If this were true, then the Sudan and Somalia would be the happiest places on Earth.
- mixmastamyk 6y ago> We don't have a culture of social responsibility. It's why draconian measures were required. Sounds backwards to me. I'd bet a logical approach like Sweden's would have been much better tolerated and observed, especially in the long term. The current "new plan of the week" here in California is for the birds. Not to mention that a significant portion of US deaths were a direct cause of NY forcing sick into nursing homes.
- Spartan-S63 6y agoColorado went a couple months recommending but not requiring face masks. The governor finally enacted a mandate because people weren't abiding by it.
- mixmastamyk 6y agoAnd? I know many folks have been convinced that cloth-mask wearing is the primary factor in reducing transmission. But, deep down I think we all know that it's not that important compared to other things. Also, folks do comply voluntarily when they see local stats and people around them getting sick. Yes, scolding when statistically no one in a rural state has it is not surprisingly effective in the short term.
- addicted 6y agoWhat other things?
- mixmastamyk 6y agoAny of the dozens of other guidelines that should be followed, minus the cloth mask. One not often mentioned but touched on here is getting outdoors in the sunshine. Locally I often see folks hiking alone in the sun wearing cloth masks and it is clear they don't understand when they are actually useful or not. Anti folks don't appear to either.
- Terretta 6y ago