5 ms·

Luck of choice, human rights, data protection and privacy, collectivist society and strong government enforcement bodies are prerequisites for a successful cont

Luck of choice, human rights, data protection and privacy, collectivist society and strong government enforcement bodies are prerequisites for a successful contact tracing. I guess that work much better in Asia than in the "western world".

vkou 6y ago
Yes, because Korea, Taiwan, and Australia can all be defined by lack of human rights and a collectivist society. And yet, just like China, they have also beaten the virus. Meanwhile, Russia has failed on all counts. The West has the laws on the books, and the legal precedent necessary to enforce them, when it comes to epidemics. What it lacks is the political will. It doesn't matter how effective these measures are, or how bad an idea it is to let the virus run unchecked - under it's current leadership, states like Kentucky will never do what is necessary to get the virus under control, because these measures are anathema to it's current regime. And states like Washington won't either, because while those measures are not anathema to them, their governments are afraid of a backlash that will replace them. This wasn't an inevitable outcome - nothing fundamentally stopped bipartisan cooperation on this point. Political expedience and the desire to own the libs did. Had the right not used the pandemic as an opportunity to grab power, and start a culture war, we wouldn't be where we are today.
- sudosysgen 6y ago
  Just a nitpick, but Russia isn't a collectivist society. It's very individualistic in many ways since 1993.
- throwaway3699 6y ago
  Don't be partisan. The democrats pulled shenanigans too, like tacking on random stuff about green energy and international trade on the covid relief bill.
  - vkou 6y ago
    A Covid relief bill is not sufficient, or even necessary to stop Covid. Quarantine, lockdown, and widespread testing is. The bill just deals with some of the financial fallout. And you can't blame the Democrats for choosing to make resistance to following best practices in disease control a wedge issue. Don't equate the damage caused by 'a relief bill didn't pass because two parties couldn't agree on which pork could be added to it' and 'one of the parties is not following basic epidemic control practices'.
    - kalleboo 6y ago
      The financial aid is required in order to get public support for the lockdown. Sweden squashed their cases down from a massive peak without any lockdowns or masks, but with a social welfare system that supported anyone who felt even slightly sick to stay home

vkou 6y ago

Yes, because Korea, Taiwan, and Australia can all be defined by lack of human rights and a collectivist society. And yet, just like China, they have also beaten the virus. Meanwhile, Russia has failed on all counts. The West has the laws on the books, and the legal precedent necessary to enforce them, when it comes to epidemics. What it lacks is the political will. It doesn't matter how effective these measures are, or how bad an idea it is to let the virus run unchecked - under it's current leadership, states like Kentucky will never do what is necessary to get the virus under control, because these measures are anathema to it's current regime. And states like Washington won't either, because while those measures are not anathema to them, their governments are afraid of a backlash that will replace them. This wasn't an inevitable outcome - nothing fundamentally stopped bipartisan cooperation on this point. Political expedience and the desire to own the libs did. Had the right not used the pandemic as an opportunity to grab power, and start a culture war, we wouldn't be where we are today.

sudosysgen 6y ago
Just a nitpick, but Russia isn't a collectivist society. It's very individualistic in many ways since 1993.
throwaway3699 6y ago
Don't be partisan. The democrats pulled shenanigans too, like tacking on random stuff about green energy and international trade on the covid relief bill.
- vkou 6y ago
  A Covid relief bill is not sufficient, or even necessary to stop Covid. Quarantine, lockdown, and widespread testing is. The bill just deals with some of the financial fallout. And you can't blame the Democrats for choosing to make resistance to following best practices in disease control a wedge issue. Don't equate the damage caused by 'a relief bill didn't pass because two parties couldn't agree on which pork could be added to it' and 'one of the parties is not following basic epidemic control practices'.
  - kalleboo 6y ago
    The financial aid is required in order to get public support for the lockdown. Sweden squashed their cases down from a massive peak without any lockdowns or masks, but with a social welfare system that supported anyone who felt even slightly sick to stay home