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Yes, you're right - in order to take more effective action we need to plaster a running death count to the TV screen 24/7 for every American media consumer to v

by throwaway20875 6y ago

Yes, you're right - in order to take more effective action we need to plaster a running death count to the TV screen 24/7 for every American media consumer to view. Time Warner/Comcast/Viacom/Fox know what's best for us and it has absolutely nothing to do with them manipulating emotions for profit.

DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
It's just not been my impression at all that people are too worried in the US about the number of deaths. Quite the opposite, actually. The most stunning aspect of the pandemic, to me, has been how American society has accepted half a million deaths. I would have considered that unthinkable just a year ago.
- throwaway20875 6y ago
  I agree with you. But COVID is not unique: people have been dying unnecessary deaths in this country for a long time, and have accelerated in recent years. Go read up on deaths of despair. Look at the rise in healthcare costs, or how unhealthy our food is. It's no wonder that a society of unhealthy, isolated, and stressed people are succumbing to a disease that kills those with suppressed immune systems.
  - DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
    The reason for the large number of deaths in the US is not that Americans have suppressed immune systems, are stressed, or are otherwise unhealthy. It's that the virus has been allowed to spread. The infection fatality rate in the US is not 500x higher than in China. The number of infections per capita is, however. The difference is that one country had a strict lockdown, followed by rigorous contact tracing, and the other did not.
    - throwaway20875 6y ago
      I think other Western nations are better comparisons for a number of reasons. I don't think discussing China's approach is a productive conversation. >The reason for the large number of deaths in the US is not that Americans have suppressed immune systems, are stressed, or are otherwise unhealthy. I disagree. And even if we were to stop COVID from killing so many, it's reckless to consider this as not a significant contributor to any unnecessary deaths. New variants of existing diseases are inevitable.
      - DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
        If you don't want to discuss China, then you can look at Australia and New Zealand, both of which brought incidence down to near zero. But there's no reason not to discuss China. It's the elephant in the room. A country of 1.4 billion people essentially ended community transmission and then opened up society again. > I disagree. There's nothing to disagree or agree about. The virus is not 500x more deadly in the US than in China. That's a fact, whether or not you agree. The overwhelming factor is simply the number of people who get infected in the first place.

DiogenesKynikos 6y ago

It's just not been my impression at all that people are too worried in the US about the number of deaths. Quite the opposite, actually. The most stunning aspect of the pandemic, to me, has been how American society has accepted half a million deaths. I would have considered that unthinkable just a year ago.

throwaway20875 6y ago
I agree with you. But COVID is not unique: people have been dying unnecessary deaths in this country for a long time, and have accelerated in recent years. Go read up on deaths of despair. Look at the rise in healthcare costs, or how unhealthy our food is. It's no wonder that a society of unhealthy, isolated, and stressed people are succumbing to a disease that kills those with suppressed immune systems.
- DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
  The reason for the large number of deaths in the US is not that Americans have suppressed immune systems, are stressed, or are otherwise unhealthy. It's that the virus has been allowed to spread. The infection fatality rate in the US is not 500x higher than in China. The number of infections per capita is, however. The difference is that one country had a strict lockdown, followed by rigorous contact tracing, and the other did not.
  - throwaway20875 6y ago
    I think other Western nations are better comparisons for a number of reasons. I don't think discussing China's approach is a productive conversation. >The reason for the large number of deaths in the US is not that Americans have suppressed immune systems, are stressed, or are otherwise unhealthy. I disagree. And even if we were to stop COVID from killing so many, it's reckless to consider this as not a significant contributor to any unnecessary deaths. New variants of existing diseases are inevitable.
    - DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
      If you don't want to discuss China, then you can look at Australia and New Zealand, both of which brought incidence down to near zero. But there's no reason not to discuss China. It's the elephant in the room. A country of 1.4 billion people essentially ended community transmission and then opened up society again. > I disagree. There's nothing to disagree or agree about. The virus is not 500x more deadly in the US than in China. That's a fact, whether or not you agree. The overwhelming factor is simply the number of people who get infected in the first place.