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> It is simple, and many countries have done it. I currently live in one that is doing precisely this - closing businesses and compensating them. It's not simp
by chronofar 6y ago
> It is simple, and many countries have done it. I currently live in one that is doing precisely this - closing businesses and compensating them.
It's not simple. Even in your country, or any other country that has done this effectively, I promise you it is not simple. There are sacrifices being made, whether you can see them now or not. And just because it has been executed well in one country and economy does not mean it can just be universally applied without issue.
In any case, I'm absolutely all for such compensation, I'm just not under the delusion that it's easy to achieve.
> There's nothing inherently authoritarian about it.
You've apparently just conjured up your own notion of what authoritarian means to select cases. I'm not going to argue semantics. Suffice to say, this is more governmental control than many people are willing to relinquish.
> Australia and New Zealand are extremely diverse immigrant nations. They're very similar to the US in that regard.
Neither are anywhere remotely close to the diversity of the US. The major cities are to be sure cosmopolitan as they are around the world, the general populous is not.
> There's nothing inherently authoritarian about it.
You've conjured your own meaning of authoritarian here to apparently require specific political opposition oppression. This is not correct, but I'm also not interested in arguing semantics. Suffice to say many view lockdown as more interventionist than ideal in their government.
> First off, lockdowns are effective
I will refer you back to my original post and the very first sentence I responded to you with, as well as the parenthetical you replied to here. They are effective in reducing cases. This is not the only factor at play.
> And in fact, this spring, an overwhelming majority of Americans did favor lockdown measures (around 80%).
Indeed, when the world as a whole locked down together. Since that time is has become partisan as you said, and also highly questioned whether the costs were worth it.
- DiogenesKynikos 6y agoA democratically elected government implements the only rational response to a public health crisis, with broad public support, and consistent with the laws of the country. Calling that "authoritarian" is just a scare tactic, as if it's the first step on the slippery slope to tyranny. I'm sorry you can't go eat at a restaurant. Hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake. Just chill at home for a month. It's possible for the government to compensate people, while keeping minimal services open.
- chronofar 6y agoWell, we've managed to go several replies deep here and not get through at all to one another as far as I can tell. I see your position and think it's delusional and partisan. You either can't see mine or are being intentionally dishonest (I suspect a bit of both). As I mentioned before, I'm not sure exactly what the right answer is here. I'm just sure it's more complicated than your pulpit would suggest.
- DiogenesKynikos 6y agoI don't what partisanship has to do with anything here. This is just an extremely important issue. You're arguing for a position that will lead to hundreds of thousands more deaths within months. That may seen like the nuanced, "complicated" position to you, but to me, it looks like fiddling while Rome burns.
- chronofar 6y agoLike I said, you're either not understanding the position I've given or are deliberately being dishonest in your representation of it. Maybe it's my fault for communicating it poorly, though that seems unlikely. Rather it seems more likely you're intent on misrepresenting it as a matter of partisan rhetoric. I do doubt you're completely aware of your partisan slant here, after all your just on the righteous side of saving lives. But your talking points and misunderstanding and characterization of mine are all too predictable along those fault lines.
- DiogenesKynikos 6y ago"Partisan" towards whom?
- chronofar 6y agoI'm not sure I understand the question. Partisan is not a verb.