I keep reading and hearing about people stressing out or worrying about their lives and their futures thanks to the pandemic and everything else that has happened in 2020.
Up until Wednesday of this week, when the governor of Oregon decided to once again impose lockdowns on many businesses, organizations and families, I was wondering just who are these people who are so affected by everything, and to what extent is their lives truly imperiled.
There's certainly plenty to be concerned with, and yes there are things that I find to be more than just minor inconveniences.
Like, not being able to see my nearly 80 year old father out of his concern of contracting the virus. The last time I did see him was February or so. I talk to him frequently over the phone, but I was hoping to invite him over to the house a little more often, or have some kind of meetups somewhere, since my ailing mom passed and so they no longer have each other to keep themselves company and occupied.
And yeah, I'm not sure what the future holds financially for my wife and I. Her job in housekeeping for the local hospital and associate sleep and wellness centers seems solid. If anything, she could work more hours if she wanted to. Mine, however, is anything but assured, since I work in the businesses that are currently mostly closed or limiting customer contact to as short a time as possible.
Of course, I'd prefer no one contract the virus, and I'm taking the necessary precautions while out and about to minimize my risks. So far, I've managed to keep pretty healthy throughout all of 2020.
But do I feel hopeless, like it's never ever going to get better? Do I feel such uncertainty that I don't know what to do, or it basically paralyzes me to the point where I do nothing?
No. Not at all.
To be honest, I'm not that worried about the pandemic itself. As I said, I've been taking precautionary measures and they've worked out so far. There's a risk still, but I've minimized it to the point that I know how, and I've been trying to go on with my life.
What does trouble me a lot, however, is the ongoing meddling and what I will term as the overreach of individuals and governments throughout this whole affair. It concerns me that governors can take over whenever they wish, issue an executive order and shut down businesses, or impose sanctions for non-compliance.
It concerns me that the accompanying legislative bodies, state house congresses and supreme courts, don't seem to have much of a problem with these wholesale hostile takeovers. They seem more than willing to let their collective authority be trampled on or treated as a thing of naught.
The United States government, and subsequently the states, were designed with checks and balances, to keep any one governing authority from doing whatever they wanted on their own. But that's exactly what's happening here. It's abdication, pure and simple. These bodies have willingly and willfully rendered themselves useless and thus obsolete. As far as I know, none of the mandates that have been issued since March when all these reactionary measures began have ever become actual law, though there are those who wish to call them the law.
What worries me even still, is people don't seem to care about any of that. Sure, there are some folks who do. A few of them speak out and try to do something about it, so far, to no avail. The rest tend to just go along, if not actually believe that it's perfectly okay to go into a form of martial law for the sake of the general welfare and the greater good.
Look. While I wear them for the sake of work and doing my job and out of respect of the opinions and well being of others, I don't know if masks really help or not. In truth, I think they can cause just as many physical and psychological issues as they purport to prevent.
However, social distancing, hand washing, avoiding unnecessary interaction with others, staying home if you're feeling sick, protecting our most vulnerable while not completely isolating them—all of that makes perfect sense to me.
But none of it requires businesses to be shutdown. People should still be left to choose what they will do or not do, and everything that is being mandated should be voluntary.
The flip side to all of this though, is those who might be spreading the virus simply because they don't believe in it or any of the preventive safety practices to reduce the spread and severity of it should be held accountable for their actions, too.
We should know the risks, then choose how we will proceed, and be responsible for the consequences.
As a society, though, we can't handle that. We've become an anything goes kind of people, with a mentality that everyone is a victim, or shouldn't be held responsible for their actions, especially if it's leading to their death or a severe drop in their quality of life.
In other words, we need to treat each other like children, because we can't be expected to know what's best for us, or be punished for or endure the consequences of our actions.
Which I guess means we have a Lord of the Flies kind of scenario, because from where I sit, the overlords are no better than anyone else when it comes to knowledge, expertise, maturity, wisdom, true intentions or whatever other measuring stick is supposed to be used.
It's the blind leading the blind, while attempting to convince everyone they know where they're going when they don't and couldn't possibly know anyway, even if they truly wanted to, all the while headed for the metaphorical cliff with the rest of us in tow.
And even more nefarious than that, it's the arsonist lighting the house on fire and then playing the hero when they show up to put it out. Except, the house burns to the ground anyway, along with the rest of the block.
They create the scenarios and then they swoop in to save. Or they take advantage of the circumstances and say we need to be saved from ourselves.
For this reason, and many more, I've been attracted to the concept of the blockchain and cryptocurrency. I don't blindly believe the technology alone will save us, or that the intentions of those behind the projects or those throwing millions into it are all good. But the potential here for this technology, if used properly, to become a global force for change, a reset button of the people, by the people, for the people, is high.
We can free ourselves from those who would rule us if we so choose.
I truly believe that.
Will enough of us be willing to pass on the short term gains for the long term prosperity this technology and what comes out of it can bring by getting out of the way of our own greed and hubris? Can we manage to keep the grubby little hands of those entities who would rule over us from taking it over and thus rendering its possibilities worthless?
So, pandemic? Not to be ignored or trivialized, but nor should it bring the gears of a worldwide economy to a screeching halt or make us fear our futures. Over and over again. We, the people, shouldn't just stand by and let our natural rights and freedoms be taken away, or worse, willingly given.
The pandemic will pass. The actual threat it poses to the most vulnerable among us will ebb. The number of deaths because of this virus will subside. Other things, however, will continue. The economic toll of reactionary measures will linger far longer. And the precedent for taking over whenever it is deemed necessary will have a far more reaching, and life altering effect than the virus ever could.
This is not the Middle Ages or the Black Death, but our governing authorities are sure acting like the authoritarian rulers of that period in history.
Covid is a virus. I have seen no numbers for deaths from just the Covid Virus. Here are the numbers most frequently passed off as people dying because of Covid-19:
That is from the CDC web site:https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesinlast7days
Here is another picture from the CDC:
That is from this page hich was not easy to find:https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm
That number is a little bit off for today's as it is from the 14th. The CDC has no single number for Covid-19 only deaths. The number of deaths include those that died from Pneumonia and also had the covid marker, and from the flu and had the covid marker. There is no single number for people that died from covid-19. One has to wonder why.
I have worn a mask for about 3 minutes in one business only since the mask wearing craze. I shop two or three times a week in stores that do not mandate a mask. So far I have only had one store deny me access because I refuse to wear a mask for health reasons.
I do believe Covid-19 is a virus, it is by no stretch of my imagination a pandemic. If mask help prevent the spread then there would be no more deaths in China or in most Asian counties as they are used to wearing mask, yet they are still dying from covid-19.
The so called spike in numbers I have to wonder how many of those recent test have been performed on people that recently received the seasonal flu shot. Have the numbers increased for those that did not get a flu shot? Why do people bother with a flu shot any more, after all if you look at the chart above the second from the end column only 6,813 people died from influenza this year so far.
I have to go with what I have encountered reality wise, not what the CDC or the WHO, or any other government funded fear mongering agenda driven group says.
No pandemic at all.
Covid-19 is a virus.
nice to see you back.
Hey, @bashadow.
Yeah. The cause of death deal has been misleading if not intentional deception from the beginning. I can see where it might be difficult to pinpoint exactly what caused a death if there are multiple issues. A person might die in a car accident, but the cause of death would be a heart attack or something like that.
It is interesting to note, though, that a vast majority of COVID-19 deaths have some number of underlying conditions. So, would have those folks died without the underlying issues? The answer could still be yes, but potentially to a far lesser degree, as evidenced by the relatively small number that may not have had any underlying conditions. As you say, though, that number can't be found. I'd have to go through all of Oregon's COVID-19 related deaths in their daily reports on the OHA website to figure that one out, and that would just be for one state in one country.
Regardless, the mortality rate in the U.S. would be far less if the underlying conditions were not present.
re: masks
The DanMask study that I refer to basically says that the infection rate with a mask, if worn properly is 1.8% vs. 2.1% if no mask is worn at all.
re: pandemic
They get to throw the term around because it exists in more than one country and because there is a fairly large number of total cases. However, I agree, it doesn't compare to the Black Death that wiped out 250 million people in Europe before it was through, mainly because living conditions and medical science are significantly more advanced from the Middle Ages. It would have to be far more virulent than it has been so far.
From the very beginning, the way those who are in charge have overstepped their boundaries will have lasting financial impact on so many people, with many not being able to recover. Here are just a few examples of government officials overreaching. The second one is off of the charts.
Good to see you posting again @glenalbrethsen.
Hey, @thebigsweed.
Well, that first one is the Governor of Oregon, where I live. Not only are those penalties potentially in force, but apparently she's gone as far as to say neighbors should rat on neighbors, stating it's the equivalent of complaining about the noise at a neighbor's party.
So, far, though, masks haven't been mandated at home, so I guess that's something.
The responses to the nonsense seems erratic by design. We are now in a stage of rolling lock downs globally, based on very flimsy reasoning at best - just to say, "we control you, we own your businesses, your decision are ours".
Point in case: Adelaide, South Australia.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.9news.com.au/article/d7ea5114-1a14-4e6f-b3d8-8d3941aeb792
#debacle
#jokesonus
Perhaps I'm missing something, but a worker there lied and people are verbally abusing the business owners? There have been some really nasty things said.
Yeah, some Spanish guy on an expiring work visa was working there and lied about how he caught the virus, possibly because his visa precluded him from working there and he was doing the wrong thing. He said he bought a pizza there, but actually her was working.
Apparently the police are there to guard the business. I'm not sure why. Public backlash probably though I suppose. I never read the article...News is mostly rubbish.
So much mixed information coming out at the moment. It's like a pick and mix for some people. Latch onto the bits you want to believe and run with it. The guy was also working as hotel security at a different medi hotel, was what was originally being said, which makes the visa thing confusing. Maybe they weren't supposed to be working other jobs as medi hotel workers. We're left with a guessing game and lots of pieces of information that don't logically for together. Although that could also be down to inconsistent reporting.
Glad to have early release at any rate. Even the climbing gym has had early release. Good job they aren't classified as a sport, though. They're out until 1st December.
The way I understand it he had exceeded the allowable working hour limit over a fortnight period and was hiding that fact by lying about not working at the pizza bar as exceeding the hour-limit has visa implications.
It doesn't really matter though...It cost the State about $100 million and whether they tar and feather him or deport him back to Spain it won't gain the money back for those who lost it.
Hey, @tarazkp.
Yeah. In our state it seems to mainly hinge on the numbers being hospitalized and how that impacts available space at any given point. It's been less about the number of positive cases since those are now tripling or quadrupling the amounts when the first round of lockdowns began in March. However, of course, the number of deaths that can be attributed to the coronavirus, no matter how flimsy, is what the media likes to emphasize. In our state of over 4 million people, we have a little over 800 deaths.
It's hard to see past some sort of design, or coordination, or cooperation, or something. It seems to be a combination of power grab, incompetence, ignorance or capitulation among the masses and probably other factors that can't be controlled, but basically get ridden out like a wave to whatever extent possible.
If you think about it long enough, though, health safety is pretty much the overarching umbrella that can be used to push forward every global agenda I can think of. From restricting free speech, to gun ownership to imposing regulations for climate change and actual food intake. Everything can be hazardous to your health and therefore must be curbed for the greater good!
In Finland - Pop. ~5.5M There has been 374 - with only 70 added since May. There hasn't really been lockdowns here, just a lot of suggestions and no international travel of course. Early on, there was some restrictions on intercity travel - but not for long.
You are right about health safety being a potential umbrella. I think it might be worse in the US as there is also less health coverage for many people, meaning getting ill is a nightmare and can carry extreme costs. In Europe, this isn't much of an issue, as pretty much everyone is covered to some degree - Finland that degree is pretty decent. The driver is of course fear again - health is a good one because you don't have to have war or terrorist attacks to generate the fear.
I do believe the ones who are reckless should be held accountable and why I believe we are having such lock downs. A minority are actually causing all of this as common sense should prevail. I just think the wrong people are being treated harshly and the whole thought process is upside down. We are out of lockdown over here now but it may as well still be on for me and my business as everything is on hold until February now. Most companies have been mothballed until January and the ones that are open are in survival mode. Very few are doing well and the economy is touch and go right now. I hope you get sorted out as I know exactly how you are feeling as this has been my life since March. Only seeing new customers again in February is 1 month short of a year wasted.
Hey, @cryptoandcoffee.
Man, that's rough. I certainly hope things turn around soon. I wish I could be more positive about that happening, since the numbers here as far as cases go have basically quadrupled now off their highs during the late Spring.
I was laid off in the latter part of March, but managed to get five or six weeks of the enhanced unemployment before going back to work about mid-May, only with reduced hours, similar to what's happening now. However, I made too much just in 12 hours to receive UC because I didn't have enough quarters of work prior to that (I'd been previously unemployed for nearly 6.5 years) to continue receiving it while underemployed.
But since then, I've been working enough hours to actually keep us afloat, and as I mentioned, my wife's job has been pretty solid.
re: held accountable
There's been a couple of different articles I've read over the last several months that point to a lack of evidence that people are getting the virus based on a short, one point of contact. In other words, one is less likely to get the virus from just one individual in a one minute time span. The potential to get the virus increases substantially, however, with more people that you're in contact at once, and the less the health protocols are followed. The superspreader events.
Well, in densely populated areas like New York, you don't need a party or concert to create such event. It's literally built in, and that's why NYC was hit so bad early on, and may be again. In my state, we don't have any one city that approaches that size, in fact, the entire state has just over 4 million residents.
So, I don't know. I don't think the burden should be placed on the business. It could be they realize that it would basically impossible to not only police all of the potential violations, but also enforce it. Law enforcement here has already had pushback in that regard even though there's plenty of support for the sanctions in some sectors.
And of course, government officials have been involved in some of these potential super spreader events, as well, so the same folks who have been chiding us about how the rest of us need to follow the mandates have decided the rules don't apply to them. Do as I say, not as I do.
So, yeah. There are those who won't follow the rules because they don't believe in some aspect of them, and no, they don't help, but the authority over that area is more than willing to come in and take over, too. So, you've got useful idiots and you have overzealous power grabbers. It's a horrible combination, and it ends up ruining things for everyone.
The whole thing is ridiculous and it is not just your country, but many of us have been dealt a rough deal. My household has had covid with 2 members of the family and it was rough. In South Africa we have the Thai strain which attacks the nervous system and the brain and it is not fun and is genuinely dangerous. My wife need an operation on her eye now as these are the side effects that do more damage.
I haven't taken a salary since February and wont until everything is back on track. they have unemployment here but that is $20 per month. I won't be queueing for that and we will make it through ok. My customers who are open are still ordering from me but the numbers are way down and I even wonder why they are open and how are they coping. I have some new clients which i have been courting over the phone for the last 6 month and they are decent but looks like everything is on hold until February now. One company will only consider after Easter letting their staff return to their offices. The social distancing is too expensive on head offices with over 500 employees so I cannot blame them for this type of thinking.
Lets hope and cross fingers and toes that the New Year things change, but I cannot see it if I am honest with myself.
I'm so sorry to hear about your wife. I hope the surgery happens soon and that all goes well with it. We found out a few days ago that the mother of my younger son's wife has COVID-19. And for a while, we thought we could have it because the other daughter-in-law was in a meeting with someone who tested positive. Her test came back negative, and she, along with the rest of us that came in contact with her have any symptoms. So, it's definitely making the rounds.
It's been a real eye opener in many ways and for me it is a reminder that ultimately you have to take control of your own life and can only do the best you can to protect yourself. It's apparent that lockdowns aren't a foolproof way to stop disease, so you can't actually rely on authoritarian measures to save you. Imagine if this had been a disease with a 50% death rate.
I do wonder, though, if we'd have as many nonbelievers if these measures hadn't been so draconian. While I realise it's been much worse in some countries than others (whether that's down to the virus genome, pollution levels, the general health of the populous or all of the above, I don't honestly know), it hasn't ended up being as deadly as first predicted and many are seeing this as overkill.
!tipu curate
Hey, @minismallholding.
There has been so much information, disinformation, misinformation, jumping to conclusions without evidence, from all sides concerned, that it's just a big mess.
And none of it helps to foster any kind of unity or desire to comply voluntarily. Some would consider that to be by design. I don't know if everyone involved wants chaos, or to burn systems down, so they can take over, but I'm sure they exist, and they pick and choose their battles. A pandemic, that may have or may not have started in a laboratory in one country, aided in some way by at least one other country, if not many, seems tailored made for such folks, fabricated or not.
I do believe, though, if precautions had been taken to safeguard the most vulnerable, and the rest of us had been given whatever information is available at any given time to help us make informed decisions, even if that means we're gathering it on our own, and then we're thinking a little bit more about others than we are about ourselves (kind of like what seems to happen around Christmas time as opposed to the rest of the year), I think it would have been better.
There's an article out that the reason why youth, which I guess we're talking public school ages, so K-12, have not been hit nearly as much as older groups is because around 40% of them already have coronavirus anti-bodies in their systems. So while this is considered a novel coronavirus, with potentially many strains now roaming around, the general makeup of it is similar enough that these naturally acquired antibodies can fight them off.
I've always thought as public schools as being a breeding ground for disease, and thus, not a positive thing. But apparently, potential immunity is one thing that is coming out of it. :)
There's also a new study out of Denmark that that basically states that you only improve your chances of not getting the virus by 0.3% at best if you actually wear a mask properly. Otherwise, its indistinguishable, if not worse, than if you were to go without.
So, yeah, between the fanatical believers who think no shutdown for any length of time is too great, all the way to the other fringe who deny the existence or the potential deadliness of it, the vast majority of us are held hostage in the middle.