Monday, August 3, 2020

Was It Really, Sweden, Yes?

 The big corona debate continues.

Here is the link to an article praising Swedish approach to dealing with the virus, though I'd like to call your attention to the discussion below it which is probably more interesting (and at times, quite heated) than the article itself.

The situation in my neck of woods at the moment is as follows: everything got opened, though to attend many places like some zoos, for instance, you need to make an appointment online beforehand. Restaurants are open. You are asked to wash your hands before you go inside or you are at least, given such a possibility in many places. You are still expected to keep 1.5m distance everywhere you go, which many people don't do. All touristic places are full of tourists.

The new cases started surging, but they are also testing more so it's not clear what's going on. The numbers are updated once a week and the media are getting quite hysterical about the 2nd wave though our Center of Disease Control say that they aren't currently worried.

Now about the big mask controversy. The chief of our CDC has basically said many times that wearing mask doesn't really work yet they have been required in public transport since June. Now the mayors of two major cities where the cases continue growing have decided to make masks mandatory in busiest areas which many people are against, while others are for, while law professors say it's unconstitutional.

I haven't used public transportation since February and have never worn a mask so far though I bought a pack when they started selling them back in May. I probably need to buy more because I've heard that in Germany which we are planning to visit soon they are apparently required in restaurants. Some people come from a bus/metro stop and keep wearing them but most don't. People I talk to are all skeptical about the vaccine, many say they will refuse it.

How are things going in your place? Please feel free to share!

6 comments:

  1. Post Alley CrackpotAugust 4, 2020 at 12:55 PM

    How are things going in my place?

    "If you don't wear a mask in Miami, it'll cost you — $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second, and $500 every time after that. ... Anyone who violates the ordinance more than three times will not only get a $500 fine, but will also be arrested."

    I paid several thousand euros to end a lease early so I could move out of Miami by the time this nonsense hit.

    I'd been within a few blocks of open rioting there.

    The shopping mall near the old place was looted fairly early on. That was enough to convince me to move.

    There's a guy in DC who wrote something about how our deal with American cities is over. It's about how we were willing to put up with a lot of things just to have a lot of places we could frequent nearby, but now thanks to The Rona and the political crap that varies so widely that nobody could even guess about how to comply with it, any former deals with these cities are over.

    Living in a city with a decent airline hub near it was useful, but living a short walk from open barbarism isn't.

    As for the masks, the masks are useless, just look at anyone who's tried to use them to keep gypsum board sanding dust out of their lungs.

    As for vaccines, there are several people who have proposed counter-injections in a wide range of calibres should any of the "authorities" think they're going to press those down on everyone.

    Government legitimacy is not looking good here.

    Ever seen the movie "Gremlins 2"?

    "We're advising all of our clients to put all of their money into canned foods and shotguns."

    I think early on this may have been seen as a joke, but people really are putting most of their money into canned foods and shotguns.

    Consistent supply chains are also not looking good here.

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  2. Sorry to hear about your problems! Honestly, people are getting tired of the restrictions over here, and it's understandable. I don't think there will be a 2nd lockdown, the first cost them enough. They say most of the transmissions happen in families and at the parties, btw, so there is absolutely zero need to wear a mask outside. CDC keep saying that the masks don't work, the decision to introduce them in some places is purely political at this moment. But I do wash my hands regularly:)

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  3. Here is more info on Sweden including their mask policy:
    https://fortune.com/2020/07/29/no-point-in-wearing-mask-sweden-covid/

    Though I should add that if the choice is between a new lockdown and a mask I'd choose the latter.

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  4. Post Alley CrackpotAugust 7, 2020 at 12:55 PM

    "... if the choice is between a new lockdown and a mask ..."

    I don't do any Hobson's Choices, because there's always another choice.

    But here's the bigger thing that people aren't thinking about: in every place where there's been a "lockdown", the businesses there have been presented with their own Hobson's Choices.

    What most of these governments have done is that they've signalled to the business owners that their continued existence is essentially at the pleasure of the Crown, not the people who come to them for business.

    Why would you continue to operate a business in that kind of business climate if there's another option?

    And so in America a lot of restaurants are closing, which shouldn't be a huge surprise, but this also includes restaurants that were doing well despite the government-issued panic orders.

    Because the Netherlands, Sweden, and a few other countries in Europe have been reasonable, they're going to get some new and interesting business deals.

    America's going to go on a rampage against mainland Chinese businesses, and that's happening today with Tiktok. It's not that the market demand is going away, and American industry isn't ready to take over what it has been outsourcing for roughly four decades.

    But there may be a compromise: just as long as those items don't say that they're made in China, Americans will buy them, and so there's plenty of room for such things as consumer items re-manufacturing and re-packaging.

    All of the critical components may still be made in China, but the plastic may be made in Germany or Turkey where there's more room for that type of industry, and with the final assembly being done in the Netherlands or Sweden, what happens?

    The products get a nice "Made in the Netherlands" or "Made in Sweden" stamp, and they're on their way to America.

    This means that the economic holes that are getting carved into the American economy are going to run a lot deeper for a lot longer than most people might at first tend to believe.

    As for "parties", I've read all kinds of stuff about this: France absolutely says that parties and night clubs aren't a problem, Switzerland determined that they're not, and Sweden never did anything active to try to limit their activities.

    Meanwhile in certain parts of America, we have armed response forces going on the attack against people who are rumoured to be having group dinners, although so far not in Florida.

    That's because in Florida, the people the police would be attacking tend to have better weapons than the police have.

    Definitely not looking good for government legitimacy here.

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  5. I'm not sure we are that reasonable, lol:) There are rumours that police are busting big house parties, too. Students, in any case, are prohibited this year from holding housewarming parties "unless deemed necessary" and then only till 10 p.m. and without any alcohol.

    Catering is doing fine, btw, in our town only one restaurant closed, the rest survived. Went to the beach yesterday late in the evening, the prices sky high everywhere and yet it was absolutely FULL. They do take your temp though before letting you in. We left about 11 pm and people were still coming in. With so many staying home this year, they will absolutely earn everything back.

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  6. Also, may be French parties are different from ours:) Do they also get drunk and hang on everybody's neck and kiss them? someone please enlighten me!

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