Will you continue using a face mask after 19 July?
- Thread starter Maggot
- Start date
elbows
Well-Known Member
There are many degrees of care, plenty of people that care but only to a certain point, how much weight can their care actually be bothered to carry? And there is a sliding scale for those levels of care and age. Some of that is entirely understandable due to things like coming to terms with life and the inevitability of death. But of course things can be pushed to disgusting levels, and theres quite a lot of wiggle room as to what is considered acceptable in different socieities at different moments in history.
Authorities as they were calibrated pre-pandemic would probably view with horror the prospect that people might demand more care and less death from various causes. There is no clearly defined range for how much death they think the masses will stomach. They know there are limits somewhere and it gets complicated and in theory there can be shifts that catch the authorities out and they might have to shift if they dont want to be thought of as cruel monsters.
Authorities as they were calibrated pre-pandemic would probably view with horror the prospect that people might demand more care and less death from various causes. There is no clearly defined range for how much death they think the masses will stomach. They know there are limits somewhere and it gets complicated and in theory there can be shifts that catch the authorities out and they might have to shift if they dont want to be thought of as cruel monsters.
elbows
Well-Known Member
And if we think that what the death limit is may be judged in terms of the intensity of death, rather than figures that slowly accumulate over much longer periods, other political calculations emerge that have something in common with this.
For example some might consider that aspects of capitalist societies, states etc might take some care to keep various things within certain boundaries considered manageable. eg it might be possible for a state to remain stable if it marginalises and ruins people at a certain limited rate per year. They might consider such things desirable because they keep 'efficiency' up in the hearts and minds of those who just manage to keep their head above water. If people are fucked over at a certain rate per year, unrest may be kept within manageable ranges, below revolutionary thresholds. When situations happen that change the pace of that shit, nerves may increase that pressure may mount and something might burst.
For example some might consider that aspects of capitalist societies, states etc might take some care to keep various things within certain boundaries considered manageable. eg it might be possible for a state to remain stable if it marginalises and ruins people at a certain limited rate per year. They might consider such things desirable because they keep 'efficiency' up in the hearts and minds of those who just manage to keep their head above water. If people are fucked over at a certain rate per year, unrest may be kept within manageable ranges, below revolutionary thresholds. When situations happen that change the pace of that shit, nerves may increase that pressure may mount and something might burst.
krtek a houby
Merry Xmas!
ginger_syn
Her Insanity laughs under pressure...👾
Yes the reduction in hayfever symptoms and colds is worth it.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
Then, thank the gods we have you to guide us through the unreality
Thank me not the gods. It’s a service I provide out of pity.
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AnnaKarpik
Queen of all she surveys
Mask wearing is already considerably reduced in my neck of the woods (tourist destination UK) and I expect it to reduce further among the visitors. I haven't checked with absolutely everyone but I suspect I am not alone among the resident population in just having splashed out on better fitting and better filtering masks.
krtek a houby
Merry Xmas!
And piety
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
In pubs people could drink through curly straws - no need to take the mask off then.
The polling on masks here (top line) seems to have the general public more or less aligned with the consensus on urban. Anti-mask opinion - and certainly the kind of extreme anti-mask stuff retro has been coming out with - is the weirdo misfit position.
Johnny Vodka
The Abominable Scotsman
Someone ought to design a mask with its own straw to reduce plastic waste.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
The weirdo/misfit thing isn’t the number of people who say they want to wear masks but their vehemence in attacking those who don’t. That poll’s probably bollocks too. Take it again a week after the 19th then post the results.
People won’t wear them for long if they don’t have to.
You think that people spouting anti-mask stuff get a free ride elsewhere? That's not my experience at all - the whole pandemic has been characterised by running battles on social media over this sort of stuff.
I agree there will probably be a big drop off in mask wearing after the 19th - I think that'll probably be true of people here too though. And it doesn't alter what public opinion and urban opinion - which are broadly in agreement - are today though.
I agree there will probably be a big drop off in mask wearing after the 19th - I think that'll probably be true of people here too though. And it doesn't alter what public opinion and urban opinion - which are broadly in agreement - are today though.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
Depends what you mean by elsewhere. And public opinion and Urban opinion are not broadly in line at all if the polls are accurate. The one here has over 90% in favour of masks or “maybe”. The one you posted has 40-70.
Yossarian
⏭️
Masks became a lot more common in Hong Kong and a few other places after the SARS outbreak in 2003, this might end up being the case in some Western countries now that the initial cultural resistance is largely gone.
And like HK etc. after SARS, I think people in most places are going to be a lot quicker to start wearing masks the next time there's news about a mysterious new virus from China circulating.
www.voanews.com
And like HK etc. after SARS, I think people in most places are going to be a lot quicker to start wearing masks the next time there's news about a mysterious new virus from China circulating.
Not Just Coronavirus: Asians Have Worn Face Masks for Decades
People from Japan into Southeast Asia cover their mouths to deflect exhaust, pollution and cold air, Some are hiding their faces
www.voanews.com
it has 70% saying they support mask restrictions past 19th July in some form or the other. Considering the urban poll is a self selecting cohort of people here who want to express an opinion on the topic, I'd say if you did a proper poll of opinion on the boards you'd see the consensus much closer to 70%. either way 70% isn't that far off 90%. Both show public opinion & urban opinion strongly favours mask wearing.
platinumsage
HaveMyPassword123
Masks became a lot more common in Hong Kong and a few other places after the SARS outbreak in 2003, this might end up being the case in some Western countries now that the initial cultural resistance is largely gone.
And like HK etc. after SARS, I think people in most places are going to be a lot quicker to start wearing masks the next time there's news about a mysterious new virus from China circulating.
Not Just Coronavirus: Asians Have Worn Face Masks for Decades
People from Japan into Southeast Asia cover their mouths to deflect exhaust, pollution and cold air, Some are hiding their faces
IME of HK, Taiwan and Japan, they were never exactly common, only a low single-figure percentage would wear them, often people who had a make-up/pimple disaster or something. Certainly plenty of sniveling cold-suffers wouldn't bother.
platinumsage
HaveMyPassword123
But why the disparity. If the percentage supporting mask-wearing until COVID is under control is similar, why don't 40% of Urban75 users also support making masks permanent? Or do they? No entering indoor public spaces ever again unless masked up. I know that it would help with this but I don't get a feeling that this site is full of young anarchist protestors any more, it's mostly scared people cowering at home who think the government isn't enacting enough restrictions.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
A reasonable response to the pressure here for people to go to work when they're ill. I hated that aspect of office life, coughing and spluttering everywhere - and hope people will be more likely to work at home when they've got something infectious.
The idea of not wearing a mask anymore is bloody scary tbh for me. I'm gonna wear a mask when I'm out and about probly forever now. I reckon tho that if people don't want to its their choice and I spose anyone worried about catching covid would do all they can to protect themselves. Feels like the most sensible idea any rate. At some point everyone had to take responsibility for themselves
Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
The company refused to let people work from home. I put in a request and faced a 3 hour bullying meeting when my boss and an HR person started to tell me why my job wasn’t possible to be done from home.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
I know - too many employers are idiots when it comes to this sort of thing. Unless you work in a job where you genuinely have to be present, the job can be done remotely.
krtek a houby
Merry Xmas!
In Japan, they come out every year because of flu, colds and sugi season.
They've been common for years.
The makeup/zit thing is nonsense.
platinumsage
HaveMyPassword123
I've spent many more hours sitting on Japanese subway trains opposite unmasked sniffing people with runny noses than I have opposite mask wearers. And no it's not nonsense.
