|
Post by B.E. on Apr 17, 2020 18:58:02 GMT
Other parts of the country might feel ready to start reopening, but local (essential) businesses here are taking matters into their own hands and barring people from entering their stores to protect their employees. Grocery stores, hardware stores, you name it, you gotta call ahead and they'll bring it out to your car.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Apr 17, 2020 19:03:31 GMT
There is a lot of tension here. In Minneapolis, anyway, I think the sentiment is actually still going more toward distancing: people are increasingly taking it seriously, increasingly wearing masks if they're out, and I'm seeing fewer and fewer people violating the rules and recommendations. But once you get out of the metro area, the state is largely Trump country, and they take his "it's not serious; ok, it's kind of serious but it's over with" talk to heart. My parents--both well into their 70s--live in a town of about 2000 people and tell me they get dirty and strange looks for wearing masks, for example.
Our governor and House are Democratic; our Senate is Republican. So so far, things are going the precautionary route. If anything, I'd say our hand-across-the-aisle-oriented governor has been a little slow to take action. But the GOP has been following the president's lead. They were mostly on board for the first couple weeks, but seem to think that's enough now. There were protests planned about it, hence the president's reference to us in his twittering.
|
|
|
Post by jk on Apr 18, 2020 10:02:45 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Apr 18, 2020 12:59:49 GMT
That's great.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Apr 19, 2020 12:44:34 GMT
In the past 24 hours, I have read or heard (or both):
Now we know what it was like for people living through the Great Depression. The Great Depression lasted 10 years, was a global disaster that caused roughly 25% unemployment and a 27% decline in global GDP. In the USA, unemployment grew by 600%, foreign trade dropped by 70%, and industrial production dropped by 46%. (All stats from Wikipedia.) The Washington Post says the U.S. currently has 22 million unemployed people, including a few weeks of historic claims. However, keep in mind that many of these jobs will reappear when the precautionary measures are lifted. Seventeen states (including large ones like Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, and Colorado) have unemployment rates of under 10%; twenty-three more (including Illinois, Ohio, California, New York, DC, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Indiana, and New Jersey) are between 10-15%; eight are 15-20%, and three are above 20%.
The numbers aren't good. The economy has it a terrible patch. I can't predict the future. But this is not remotely like the Great Depression.
Protesters against the precautionary laws are like Rosa Parks. Civil disobedience to highlight legal racist discrimination, fighting for equality, on one hand; civil disobedience to protest temporary orders supported by medical experts to protect citizens from a new disease on the other. Not the best analogy.
Now we know how Anne Frank felt (because of sheltering in place). Frank spent two years in hiding from a Nazi regime that wanted to--and eventually did--imprison and cause her death. We are currently being asked to stay inside our own homes except for groceries, essential items, in many cases to work, and to exercise, for a couple of months so that more people can remain healthy. In our homes we have computers, TVs, and phones that all have internet access so that we can communicate with virtually anyone, anywhere, anytime. The government is sending most people some money for the inconvenience and to help mitigate harm. This doesn't seem like a great comparison.
Millennials, with this virus, have had it worse than Baby Boomers ever did. Coronavirus, "great recession," 9/11, school shootings. (I also saw listed "GW Bush administration," which seems like a stretch to list as a catastrophe for a generation...) But average personal income adjusted for inflation is pretty similar across the decades, yes, a little lower than 1970 (when many Boomers entered the workforce), but higher than 1960 and 1980, for example. Boomers also lost parents in Korean War, fought in the Vietnam War, dealt with polio and the 1957 H2N2 flu (which killed 116k Americans, corresponding to about 330k in modern numbers, or 10x as many people as coronavirus has killed in America so far). Race riots, political assassinations, Watergate, illegal birth control, legal racial and gender discrimination... Modern Americans have more disposable income, the cost of essentials is lower than it was, our technology has dramatically increased our abilities in many regards (e.g., a few hours worth of trip to library and research vs. 1 minute of Googling on your phone).
I'm not a Boomer. I have no real dog in this race. But a public competition for who has or had it worse is already truly a pathetic exercise; doing it with laughably incomplete data is worse.
This virus is scary, and we've had to take some very unusual precautions that feel strange to us all. Even so. Those of us who are fortunate enough to still be employed, still be healthy, and haven't lost anyone to the disease, let's try to keep some perspective, shall we?
|
|
|
Post by jk on Apr 21, 2020 21:39:15 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2020 12:59:39 GMT
Minneapolis has made the first of its virus-related moves that I really don't approve of: as has been the case in some other cities (maybe many?), they are closing all parks' outdoor playgrounds and athletic fields and courts.
The playgrounds, I support. Even though anecdotally it seems the disease spreads more from people being in close proximity in confined spaces, kids climbing on common equipment is an obvious risk. So OK. (I actually am pretty sure those were already closed, though.)
But courts and fields, in my opinion, are a bridge too far. I don't think anyone ought to be engaging in 5-on-5 basketball at the moment, but playing tennis? Playing catch? Shooting hoops on your own? Kicking around a soccer ball? Being outside, getting exercise, strengthening the body, refreshing the mind, in a relatively low risk environment?
If people congregate, disperse and even ticket them for it. But in the end I think we'll see vigorous activity in the open air--when not in such proximity as to be swapping sweat or spit (ew)--is a good thing, not a bad one. I think there's more risk from being in an apartment building with common HVAC than being on a field.
You screwed up, Minneapolis. Sincerely, the Cap.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Apr 25, 2020 16:25:00 GMT
But courts and fields, in my opinion, are a bridge too far. I don't think anyone ought to be engaging in 5-on-5 basketball at the moment, but playing tennis? Playing catch? Shooting hoops on your own? Kicking around a soccer ball? Being outside, getting exercise, strengthening the body, refreshing the mind, in a relatively low risk environment?
The local park with a brand new basketball court has been closed since the start of the crisis. Nearly every time I pass by that empty court I seriously consider "breaking in" but it's just not worth it. I'm dying to shoot around for a half hour or so! The court is empty, what's the harm - I rationalize. (Of course it is, dummy, it's closed.)
|
|
|
Post by jk on Apr 25, 2020 21:30:28 GMT
My modest contribution to alleviating the tedium is to give a brief keyboard recital from my back balcony every Saturday evening at about 6.30.
Today's programme was a Beatles medley ("Golden Slumbers", "The Fool On The Hill", "Let It Be", "Lady Madonna" and "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da"). The audience for these mini-concerts seems to be growing (the good weather helps) and today I got quite a serious round of applause. Next week I'll be doing a Stones medley...
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Apr 30, 2020 17:29:07 GMT
Unsurprisingly, our governor is expected to announce a two-week extension to our stay-at-home order that was to expire Monday, May 4. However, there have been some recent and are expected to be some more new targeted loosenings of certain kinds of businesses that can comply with various precautionary criteria.
It's a shame, but also notable that we've doubled our confirmed cases from about 2,500 to over 5,000 in just the past week, with three consecutive days of record-high confirmations of new cases--no surprise, as testing is really only beginning to come close to being sufficient. There are estimates that 10-20x as many people as are being officially counted may have, or have had, the virus in Minnesota.
I could use a haircut!
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on May 8, 2020 12:42:14 GMT
A consortium of churches and businesses sued the state of Minnesota in an effort to reopen before the gubernatorial orders currently preventing them expire.
It's interesting, because while the churches are the obvious figureheads on the suit, it's the businesses that I think have the far better claim. The small businesses rightly note that there are inconsistencies in the restrictions that help some businesses while potentially destroying others. For example, their statement notes that while a Hallmark store (one of the plaintiffs) can't open, pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS are open and selling those Hallmark cards; recently dog groomers were allowed to reopen if they met certain criteria, while hair salons are not.
I'm not saying the restrictions are pointless or wrong, by any means. Just noting that it IS a messy thing, trying to decide who may continue to do business, and it absolutely does hurt some businesses.
Yet the churches are the first entities named in every story I've seen, and I assume that's because they tug at the heart strings. (It's funny that one of the plaintiffs is a megachurch under investigation from the IRS, so I wouldn't be especially sympathetic toward them...) But they offer no such arguments, because unlike the businesses, there isn't really any logical inconsistency or unfairness there. Their situations are quite simple: you can't have crowds of people close together, singing, reciting liturgy, etc., and spreading the virus. It's not as if the government has ordered closed all synagogues, Baptist and Catholic churches but allowed Methodists, Buddhists, and Lutherans to worship freely. It's across the board, it's unfortunate, but it's even-handed and logical.
But there they are on the lawsuit.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on May 13, 2020 12:21:49 GMT
Armed militias acting as security to violate state orders during a pandemic ... insanity. I've read plenty about Michigan's order that I don't agree with, and all have the right to voice their opinions whether they're pro or con (or hopefully, for most thoughtful people, somewhat mixed). But vigilante justice is rarely if ever a good idea. It's not going to be funny if somebody starts shooting.
This life isn't a video game or an action movie.
That said, our governor is doing a 6 pm address today rather than his typical 2 pm media session. That is leading to speculation it will be a big announcement. With our positive tests and deaths both still going up, the assumption is he is going to announce that his restrictions will not be lifted, as scheduled for the 18th, but rather extended. And I have mixed feelings about it.
|
|
bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
|
Post by bellbottoms on May 13, 2020 12:57:03 GMT
Things are starting to get very confusing around here. Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, who up until the pandemic started I thought was a complete dolt, earned a fair bit of respect from me and many others when he stepped up and demonstrated solid leadership from mid-March until the end of April.
He took a firm stance against people going to their cottages and potentially bringing the virus to cottage communities.
Then what did he do? Go to his cottage. Then what did he say? Oh, okay, go to your cottage, but just go there, and don’t go anywhere else. Meanwhile, the mayors of cottage country are still warning cottagers will face $5000 fines.
He also took a firm stance against gatherings of any kind, public or private. He’s had choice words for the protestors at Queen’s Park. He implored people to stop visiting family and friends.
And then what did he do? He had his family over for Mother’s Day. Then what did he say? Oh, it’s okay to start visiting your immediate family. Meanwhile, local and provincial health officials are saying we’re absolutely not ready for that, and are urging everyone to continue distancing from all non-household family members.
He took a firm stance against re-opening business until new cases decreased in numbers for at least two weeks, as advised by the health officials. The daily case numbers continue to fluctuate up and down, but what does he do? Announce that phase 1 of the business re-opening plan will get under way next week. Meanwhile, health officials have emphatically said that we haven’t seen the downward trend required re-open.
It’s mystifying to me how Doug Ford has done a complete 180 from “we will follow all advice from the experts” to “yeah, I’m over this, I’m going to do what I want”. The old Doug has clearly returned, along with my previous opinion of him.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on May 13, 2020 13:34:15 GMT
It seems to me--purely anecdotal, now--that we modern humans really aren't very good at sustaining our focus. (I say "modern humans" but I have no idea whether this would have also been true 100, 250, 1000 years ago. I do suspect our culture of immediate gratification is relevant, though.)
So we hunker down, ready to do our part, agree that things will be bad but we can weather it. And then after a couple of months, despite no significant improvement to the circumstances, we say, oh well, time to move on. As if there were some ideal timeline that existed outside of the actual circumstances. As if two months were the magic number at which point things improve, even if nobody told the virus and so it looks a lot like (or in my state's case, far, far worse) than two months ago.
None of this is to discount the economic harm being caused. That IS a tragedy and we DO have to balance the competing priorities of allowing commerce to continue so we can afford to exist on one hand, and keeping people apart to prevent the spread of the disease on the other. Those things are both important, and they are contradictory. I'm not saying it's easy, and I think anyone who is saying that is kind of an idiot, to be honest.
Every time I hear a politician, business leader, or just random person say "it's time to reopen" or "it's time to get back to normal," I ask: what makes it time?
|
|
bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
|
Post by bellbottoms on May 13, 2020 14:07:52 GMT
I have the same question, and I have a feeling the answer is blowing in the (summer) wind.
Lack of focus is a good way of putting it, as well as the political nature of practically everything, especially this virus. What looks like significant improvement to some, looks like an unnecessary over-reaction to others. And people are so easily swayed. It looks a lot like politicians simply bending to the majority mindset to acquire the greatest amount of support. Retrospectively, and perhaps cynically, I now look back at DF’s temporary leadership heroism as being purely political and self-serving.
|
|