Open Thread: An Experiment

The title is a misnomer, as all of my threads are unmoderated and therefore open, but a lot of you tell me you like the comments section most of all. So, as I move into a period of somewhat lighter posting, I thought I’d try out an open thread or two. If you don’t like this, just let me know and I’ll stop.

While I’m typing here, some highlights from the downthread comments to my last piece on Yarvin’s awful essay.

M B points out that we’re stuck in a vicious OCD-driven cycle of faulty risk assessment:

As someone who [experienced] postpartum OCD, I have been appalled to see OCD ways of thinking driving pandemic response since the first months. As anyone who’s struggled with it can tell you, it is utter bondage that comes from a faulty risk meter. Feeding OCD ways of thinking only makes them grow, and basing decisions around it will never lead to freedom. I cannot believe we have globally accepted this and cultivated OCD and what we used to call hypochondria in the general population such that the mask mania, vaccine rage, etc. are normalized. It is irrationalm compulsive, and fed by fear. Plain common sense risk acceptance (i.e. everyone dies eventually and you generally cannot control the way you die) is the way out, though I don’t know if we will be brave enough societally to accept it.

MJ asks how restrictions in red states could possibly be heavier than China (where plenty of measures, including snap regional lockdowns, are still in place):

I really don't know what restrictions he's applying to red states that could possibly make his argument valid. Wide reaching edicts? China has that in spades, and ours are routinely ignored. Masked service workers? That's like Asia's whole thing.

Things have been pretty much normal for like 15 months in the southeast. Except mfing Walmart is still closed at 11, so I guess he's right.

demonax (who writes A View from the Edges) reports from New Zealand:

Let me give a little insight into New Zealand's "successful" response against this unholy scourge that annihilates the poor Polynesian populations.

Curt is 100% right that the most recent outbreak went through the local PI population, who are largely working class, and (to say it delicately) not the healthiest demographic in the country.

The result?

Latest MOH numbers report that out of 6558 active cases *that they know about*, with 95 new cases in the last 24 hours

There are a grand total of 40 people in the hospital.

Since August with the latest outbreak, that number has never gone above 50.

This is after the admission that the MOH numbers are not admissions *because of Covid infection*. This number includes people who showed up for broken arms and that one strange case of a gunshot wound (also recorded as a Covid death!)

Now granting this, one wonders exactly what is so dangerous when even the Pacific Islander community, so vulnerable to this scourge, is largely unaffected by it according to the Ministry's own numbers.

The political football here now is why the government didn't invest in more ICU beds when it had the chance -- a reasonable question.

But I'd like someone to ask the better question -- why is it that the beds we already have aren't being filled to capacity if this Delta bug is as awful as we're told?

UPDATE: More New Zealand reporting from ElectricPowerHouse:

Current report from Auckland, NZ.

About to get fired from my job in a couple of months because of a vaccine mandate, that was implemented by my work voluntarily ( They werent covered under the government mandate, which covered healthcare workers, teachers, and hospitality.) I tried talking to the people who decided to implement this policy, I sent them studies about waning vaccine efficacy but all i got back was blank stares and fallacious arguments. I got my official notice today.

About 30% of people are still wearing masks outdoors. 100% compliance indoors. I dont wear one and get into frequent confrontations about it. 70% of people "scan in" to shops even though the government stopped updating their contact tracing site as they couldnt keep up.

Vaccine passports have been implemented, most stores have a sign outside that says theyre required. I havent gone into any stores with the sign on, as the idea of showing someone the app makes me feel physically ill, I cannot bring myself to do it. Fortunately my local coffee shop knows me and have not been asking about passports.

Our government continues to lie to us. They continue to push vaccination, mandates, and passports and will not update their thinking to the most recent evidence that the vaccines are useless at stopping transmission. Our media is a non stop barrage of Covid measure and vaccine propaganda. Our "reporters" are sycophants who never ask the government a single challenging question.

I am very concerned about our future. I see the signs of mass delusion, I see people who are angry and afraid, and I dont see it improving. When groups of deluded, angry, and afraid people get together they can do terrible things.

I have thought of moving to another country, but where would I go? It seems almost everywhere has been captured by the dystopian technocratic nightmare that is now our lives.

I always find international perspectives extremely enlightening, as all of our respective news establishments focus their Corona reporting entirely on the domestic scene.

UPDATE II: More reports on international regulations and the mood on the street in comments. Feel free to give us a run-down on the situation in your own country, and I’ll compile representative comments from different places into a dedicated post.