Corona Virus 2019-nCoV

Discussion in 'World Events' started by Quantum Quack, Jan 29, 2020.

  1. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    that sounds like the best way to run a supermarket!
    Creates a safer environment, and fulfills the obligation to staff and customers. ( to the best available)
    Safe customers would generally spend more and make more referrals as well... so the masks and other costs will return a profit easily.
     
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  3. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    One of the key , often not talked about, reasons for having an income safety net and basic health safety net is to minimize the number of crimes committed due to desperation.
    When you factor in the cost of crime in the USA and the cost of health care to the individual that nations real wealth is hidden by illusionary fairy floss.
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2020
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  5. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Those are certainly valid points. Crime is highly localized in the U.S. however. They health care system is a problem to be improved.
     
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  7. iceaura Valued Senior Member

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    The cost of crime is not as highly localized.
    The US health care system cannot be replaced until the Republican Party has been marginalized or dismantled.
    No, it won't.
    The country will move to flatter positions on whatever curve it follows - what we do will determine what curve we follow.
    There is less equality of opportunity than in most other First World countries.
    It's impossible for 90% of the population.
    Most people are nowhere near that dollar amount, and have little realistic chance of attaining it.
    The cost of living is higher than in almost all other highly ranked countries.
    There isn't a guaranteed minimum standard of living either.
    Risk and uncertainty are costs.
    In places that have border control, adequate testing, and rigorous contact tracing, general lockdowns are not necessary - they can lock down the people and areas of infection, instead, for the same and greater benefit.
    - - - -
    In Trump's case - and the Republican Party's generally - the revelatory crises happened repeatedly over the past forty five years or so. Trump was obviously unfit for the Presidency from his first mob-connected bankruptcy on - even before he hooked up with the Russian oligarchs. His campaign in 2016 simply highlighted the obvious fact.
     
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  8. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Which is what I said. You added the embellishment of which curve. I only stated the curve will flatten as did you.

    Not true. There is more opportunity to be average in many other countries. There is not more to excel.

    Only statistically and after the fact. It's certainly not impossible for more than the current 20% to do well.
    Most people have the same chance that those who do reach it had.

    Relate that to purchasing power (for it to have any meaning) and it's not even close for most countries.
    https://www.worlddata.info/cost-of-living.php
     
  9. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    So those whose rich parents didn't send them to prep schools and pay for their elite university educations have equal opportunities? Those who actually have to worry about being bankrupted by medical bills and those who can't even get treatment, in the first place, have equal opportunities? ...

    This could go on for hours, days, weeks, and that's only addressing the vast economic disparities--then there's matters of gender, race, and so forth.

    Where do you get this nonsense? Can you cite even a single study that supports your contention that Americans have comparatively "equal opportunities," with respect to any other affluent nation?
     
  10. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    8,874
    I live here. You can feel free to cite studies showing that I'm not correct.

    Most people that I know who are well off didn't start off that way. I'm not even talking about the billionaires (most of those are self-made as well). I also know many people who left countries that provide a better guaranteed middle class income to come to the U.S. where they could do better (or worse) depending on their own initiative.

    Most people can go to college here if they want to and most people will be worth a million dollars by retirement age (if they chose to) just by buying a house and putting some money in the stock market.

    They can do that because too much of their money isn't taken away from them by the government each year to support those who aren't so motivated.

    I'm not saying it doesn't have a downside (like everything) but there is generally more opportunity to "get ahead" here if you are so inclined.
     
  11. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    Here's but one of tens of thousands of pieces that fully supports my contention:
    https://www.economist.com/democracy-in-america/2017/09/08/the-cost-of-the-american-dream

    Just do a basic google search for more info than you could possibly read in a lifetime <<<--better yet, read a book.

    Now, show me something that supports your contention--"I live here" doesn't cut it.
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2020
  12. river

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  13. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Well, sometimes it takes more than one generation. (Or to be more accurate, to do it one generation you have to be REALLY exceptional.)
    No one has exactly equal opportunities. But overall there is more opportunity here. (And to balance that out, more risk of failure.)
     
  14. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    Compared with other prosperous first world nations, there is not more opportunity in the U.S.--that's been pretty well established.

    Also, we need to distinguish "opportunity to excel" (which is what Seattle claims above) from the "opportunity to make a shitload of money." It's possible, all things considered (taxation, etc.), that one might have more opportunity to become exceedingly rich in the U.S., but so what? Those are two entirely different ends, and largely, mutually exclusive--at least, as far as aspirations go. Have you ever met someone who had a desire to excel in a certain field or fields, who also had a desire to become exceedingly rich? I certainly haven't.
     
  15. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    ?? OK. I guess you can also say that there is more opportunity to excel here, but again - so what?
     
  16. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    Compared to which "first world" country? Keeping in mind that post-secondary education is pretty much free in every other country.
     
  17. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    I wasn't comparing them. I was asking "so what?"
     
  18. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    ??

    Let's back up: Do you agree with Seattle's contention that in the U.S. there is more equality of opportunity, than in other prosperous nations?
     
  19. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    I think there is more opportunity to excel (and more risk of failure) than in other countries.
     
  20. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    How are you defining "more" here, or "excel," for that matter? Are there more opportunities for people from any background?
     
  21. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    23,328
    There are a number of significant concerns regarding the stats at the moment.
    For me they are:
    1/ the fact that the recovery rate is in rapid decline and even after taking into account the recent surge of cases being recorded in the USA it appears that people are not recovering at a rate that was earlier suggested by the stats.
    Currently :
    Global:
    1,337,560 Confirmed cases
    74,206 Fatalities (5.55%)
    277,757 Recovered (20.77%)
    -------------
    985,597 Unresolved (73.69% of confirmed cases)
    With in the unresolved we have
    46,532 severely, critically ill (3.48% of confirmed cases)
    939,065 less than serious or critical at present. (70.21% of confirmed cases)

    Also the incidence of community transmission that can not be tracked is finally being recognized as significant by the Australian Government and no doubt others.
    Why they and others thought that community transmission wasn't present from the get go is is beyond my comprehension... (Other than that they were underestimating this situation terribly)

    2/ There are indications that suggest the claimed estimated incubation period is very unrealistic and may be much longer in some than 4-21 days.

    3/ The incidence on Cruise Ships, military ships, even with strict quarantine controls fails to be reigned in. Indicating the extent of silent community transmission and long incubation periods.

    4/ The emotional state of the patient appears to be significantly implicated in the outcome. In particular fear and anxiety.
    5/ Total economic failure is most likely after 6 months ( September) if nations do not seriously adapt their industries to the ongoing presence of COVID-19 in the community.
    6/ COVID-19 appears to be mutating and not only in regards to zoonotic but that it is verging on becoming airborne. Infecting droplet size is apparently reducing.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
  22. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    per capita... that is utter nonsense..and typical of the delusional, and arrogant mind set of many in the USA.

    Edit: Sorry, this post was mainly directed to Seattle..
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
  23. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    How so? Tesla, Apple, Qualcomm, SpaceX and Google are far from delusions. Such opportunities to excel certainly exist in other countries - but seem to concentrate here. (As does the risk of failure.)
     

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