Post by RSM789 on Apr 17, 2020 18:41:50 GMT -8
I read a few analogies and observations regarding the Covid-19 virus posted by younger folks that were really weak-minded, so I figured we could have a thread to share & debunk them.
The first was made in the form of a conversation between a soldier and a peasant back in the 1200's as they hid behind the city walls with the Mongols at the gate.
Peasant - "How much longer do we have to stay in here?"
Soldier - "Until it is safe to leave the walls"?
Peasant - "But no one has died from the Mongols in days..."
Soldier - "Because we have stayed behind the walls."
Peasant - "But I need to harvest my turnips, they are outside the walls"
Soldier - "You can, when it is safe to go there"
Peasant - "You don't understand, I will lose all my turnips"
Soldier - "The Mongols will kill you if you leave and may be able to get inside the city and kill us all if we open the gates"
Peasant - "But my turnips..."
The problem with this analogy is that it presents Covid-19 as being a cold blooded, ruthless killer of all people. Covid-19 is not Godzilla trampling our cities, Covid-19 is the dog that street that has bitten a few people. We don't even know if the dog is a Pit-bull or a poodle, but no matter what it is, we do not need to all hide in our homes in terror of such a beast.
The other was an observation that tried to show how socialism can work and should replace "evil" capitalism. The basic premise was that the past month has shown that people don't work for money, they work to help other people. The medical workers, truck drivers, folks at the grocery stores, are working long hours to make sure the rest of society can stay home & be safe. The author believed this was proof that the profit motive did not exist and that capitalism was nothing more than a wrench thrown into society that created problems.
What this author failed to acknowledge is that the past 4 weeks have not been business as usual, but have been portrayed as an emergency. People act differently during an emergency than normally and by definition, an emergency can't be business as usual. For example, if I'm driving down the street and see a pedestrian hit by a car, i will stop to get out to assist. I may give them my coat in order for them to stay warm and hold an umbrella over their head to keep them dry should it be raining. However, I am not going to be giving away coats and holding umbrellas for people day after day, months at a time just because it is a nice thing to do. In an emergency, people will be unselfish to help those in need until those people can then help themselves.
**BICK - if you want to make this one of the self moderated threads, I'm up for it. My chance to rule with an iron fist and bounce any responses that are out of line or not on topic...
The first was made in the form of a conversation between a soldier and a peasant back in the 1200's as they hid behind the city walls with the Mongols at the gate.
Peasant - "How much longer do we have to stay in here?"
Soldier - "Until it is safe to leave the walls"?
Peasant - "But no one has died from the Mongols in days..."
Soldier - "Because we have stayed behind the walls."
Peasant - "But I need to harvest my turnips, they are outside the walls"
Soldier - "You can, when it is safe to go there"
Peasant - "You don't understand, I will lose all my turnips"
Soldier - "The Mongols will kill you if you leave and may be able to get inside the city and kill us all if we open the gates"
Peasant - "But my turnips..."
The problem with this analogy is that it presents Covid-19 as being a cold blooded, ruthless killer of all people. Covid-19 is not Godzilla trampling our cities, Covid-19 is the dog that street that has bitten a few people. We don't even know if the dog is a Pit-bull or a poodle, but no matter what it is, we do not need to all hide in our homes in terror of such a beast.
The other was an observation that tried to show how socialism can work and should replace "evil" capitalism. The basic premise was that the past month has shown that people don't work for money, they work to help other people. The medical workers, truck drivers, folks at the grocery stores, are working long hours to make sure the rest of society can stay home & be safe. The author believed this was proof that the profit motive did not exist and that capitalism was nothing more than a wrench thrown into society that created problems.
What this author failed to acknowledge is that the past 4 weeks have not been business as usual, but have been portrayed as an emergency. People act differently during an emergency than normally and by definition, an emergency can't be business as usual. For example, if I'm driving down the street and see a pedestrian hit by a car, i will stop to get out to assist. I may give them my coat in order for them to stay warm and hold an umbrella over their head to keep them dry should it be raining. However, I am not going to be giving away coats and holding umbrellas for people day after day, months at a time just because it is a nice thing to do. In an emergency, people will be unselfish to help those in need until those people can then help themselves.
**BICK - if you want to make this one of the self moderated threads, I'm up for it. My chance to rule with an iron fist and bounce any responses that are out of line or not on topic...
