11 ms·

I am old enough to remember when US media was lobbing criticism at China for downplaying the threat to the public. We are what we think China is.

by knowuh 7y ago

rolltiide 7y ago
So you mean like a week ago
- ajna91 7y ago
  He's at least a baby
CerealFounder 7y ago
Dude what? The US media has been criticizing the US government with significantly more fire than they gave to China. Take your purposely misleading half truths post them on Twitter.
- catalogia 7y ago
  At the least, American media has certainly thrown more shade at the American government than Chinese media has thrown at the Chinese government.
resters 7y ago
> We are what we think China is. This sort of analysis always gets downvoted on HN, but it's true. In many ways we are further along in the direction of having an obedient population (compared to China) but we still have our own great firewall and social credit score systems in place to help keep everyone under control. China is more overtly authoritarian than the modern US, which is actually an advantage* in fighting a pandemic. So ironically most of the criticisms of China (as hypocritical as they may be) give China a leg up in this kind of crisis. * Note that I am not condoning authoritarian rule, just noting that it is in some cases effective.
- whylie 7y ago
  How about they use some of that authority to stop these diseases from festering in cesspools of animal & human waste repeatedly in their country? Pivoting from allowing this to occur to saying they have an advantage or painting them in a positive light is so backwards to me. Hopefully all the dissenters being tortured in black boxes over there are safe from the virus at least.
  - MiroF 7y ago
    > festering in cesspools of animal & human waste have you ever even been to china?
    - jacquesm 7y ago
      I showed someone a picture of one of China's metropoles a while ago and asked where they thought it was. Everywhere but China apparently. It is surprising how hard it is for people to let go of such badly outdated information. Here is another one to take a guess at: https://media.tacdn.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-674x446/07/82/83/56.jpg https://media.tacdn.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-674x446...
      - MiroF 7y ago
        granted, at the street-level it is mostly not so glamorous - but gosh reading comments online makes me feel like people are still operating on an early 2000s conception of China.
        resters 7y ago
        Most of the press coverage about China in the US focuses on pollution, sewage, labor practices, authoritarianism, etc. It's not surprising that many have such a one-sided view and forget how easy it would be to present the US in similar (or worse) light to an unbiased audience.
    - Mountain_Skies 7y ago
microcolonel 7y ago
No, the U.S. government is not arresting you for taking this seriously.
nck4222 7y ago
I'm not really understanding your point. The US media has been rightfully critical of both China and US governments for their response to the pandemic.
- ccktlmazeltov 7y ago
  Yup, the US is not as bad, the US government kinda is.
  - koheripbal 7y ago
    The Chinese government arrested doctors that tried to spread the word about the disease, and forced them to publicly retract their statements. On what planet is the US government as bad as the Chinese government?
    - jpambrun 7y ago
      What would happen if you disseminate now classified information?
makomk 7y ago
I've seen a lot of the opposite: China is what you (as a country) think you are. For example, lots of people have criticised the US/the Trump Administration/the CDC for not developing a novel coronavirus test in December, including at least one comment in the other thread. This is not, of course, something the US could've done but China potentially could've if they were on the ball enough. There also seems to be a widespread belief that the number of confirmed cases in the US and other Western countries is simply a function of the number of people tested. This is true of the rise of confirmed cases in Wuhan but pretty much nowhere else (though that's not to say the numbers elsewhere are 100% accurate either). Some smart people have repeated this one, including the author of Signal. I think there were a few more I can't remember off-hand too.
- TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago
  > the number of confirmed cases in the US and other Western countries is simply a function of the number of people tested Well, it is at least partly a function of that, no? If you aren't tested then your case may not be reported.
  - TheAdamAndChe 7y ago
    I'm in Missouri. I've been sick for the past few days, then overnight obtained a pretty bad dry cough. I called the local urgent care, and they basically told me that they've got to rule absolutely everything else out before testing for coronavirus, requiring a respiratory panel that would cost over $4k. I'm staying home and self-quarantining, but am I being counted? No. I'm willing to bet there are thousands of others like me in the US in a similar situation.
  - makomk 7y ago
    Partly, but it's quite a weak effect. The UK had been testing much more aggressively than a lot of European countries, but our number of positives has been pretty much what you'd expect considering our distance from Italy.
sjeuueheh 7y ago
And then they botched that and the virus rapidly manifested across the developed world and beyond, even in countries Trump doesn't work in. At this point prevention is just wishful thinking, the mass fear mongering is helping no one while simultaneously risking shortages of supplies for the people who can help.

I am old enough to remember when US media was lobbing criticism at China for downplaying the threat to the public. We are what we think China is.

by knowuh 7y ago

I am old enough to remember when US media was lobbing criticism at China for downplaying the threat to the public. We are what we think China is.

rolltiide 7y ago

So you mean like a week ago

ajna91 7y ago
He's at least a baby

CerealFounder 7y ago

Dude what? The US media has been criticizing the US government with significantly more fire than they gave to China. Take your purposely misleading half truths post them on Twitter.

catalogia 7y ago
At the least, American media has certainly thrown more shade at the American government than Chinese media has thrown at the Chinese government.

resters 7y ago

> We are what we think China is. This sort of analysis always gets downvoted on HN, but it's true. In many ways we are further along in the direction of having an obedient population (compared to China) but we still have our own great firewall and social credit score systems in place to help keep everyone under control. China is more overtly authoritarian than the modern US, which is actually an advantage* in fighting a pandemic. So ironically most of the criticisms of China (as hypocritical as they may be) give China a leg up in this kind of crisis. * Note that I am not condoning authoritarian rule, just noting that it is in some cases effective.

whylie 7y ago
How about they use some of that authority to stop these diseases from festering in cesspools of animal & human waste repeatedly in their country? Pivoting from allowing this to occur to saying they have an advantage or painting them in a positive light is so backwards to me. Hopefully all the dissenters being tortured in black boxes over there are safe from the virus at least.
- MiroF 7y ago
  > festering in cesspools of animal & human waste have you ever even been to china?
  - jacquesm 7y ago
    I showed someone a picture of one of China's metropoles a while ago and asked where they thought it was. Everywhere but China apparently. It is surprising how hard it is for people to let go of such badly outdated information. Here is another one to take a guess at: https://media.tacdn.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-674x446/07/82/83/56.jpg https://media.tacdn.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-674x446...
    - MiroF 7y ago
      granted, at the street-level it is mostly not so glamorous - but gosh reading comments online makes me feel like people are still operating on an early 2000s conception of China.
      - resters 7y ago
        Most of the press coverage about China in the US focuses on pollution, sewage, labor practices, authoritarianism, etc. It's not surprising that many have such a one-sided view and forget how easy it would be to present the US in similar (or worse) light to an unbiased audience.
  - Mountain_Skies 7y ago

microcolonel 7y ago

No, the U.S. government is not arresting you for taking this seriously.

nck4222 7y ago

I'm not really understanding your point. The US media has been rightfully critical of both China and US governments for their response to the pandemic.

ccktlmazeltov 7y ago
Yup, the US is not as bad, the US government kinda is.
- koheripbal 7y ago
  The Chinese government arrested doctors that tried to spread the word about the disease, and forced them to publicly retract their statements. On what planet is the US government as bad as the Chinese government?
  - jpambrun 7y ago
    What would happen if you disseminate now classified information?

makomk 7y ago

I've seen a lot of the opposite: China is what you (as a country) think you are. For example, lots of people have criticised the US/the Trump Administration/the CDC for not developing a novel coronavirus test in December, including at least one comment in the other thread. This is not, of course, something the US could've done but China potentially could've if they were on the ball enough. There also seems to be a widespread belief that the number of confirmed cases in the US and other Western countries is simply a function of the number of people tested. This is true of the rise of confirmed cases in Wuhan but pretty much nowhere else (though that's not to say the numbers elsewhere are 100% accurate either). Some smart people have repeated this one, including the author of Signal. I think there were a few more I can't remember off-hand too.

TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago
> the number of confirmed cases in the US and other Western countries is simply a function of the number of people tested Well, it is at least partly a function of that, no? If you aren't tested then your case may not be reported.
- TheAdamAndChe 7y ago
  I'm in Missouri. I've been sick for the past few days, then overnight obtained a pretty bad dry cough. I called the local urgent care, and they basically told me that they've got to rule absolutely everything else out before testing for coronavirus, requiring a respiratory panel that would cost over $4k. I'm staying home and self-quarantining, but am I being counted? No. I'm willing to bet there are thousands of others like me in the US in a similar situation.
- makomk 7y ago
  Partly, but it's quite a weak effect. The UK had been testing much more aggressively than a lot of European countries, but our number of positives has been pretty much what you'd expect considering our distance from Italy.

sjeuueheh 7y ago

And then they botched that and the virus rapidly manifested across the developed world and beyond, even in countries Trump doesn't work in. At this point prevention is just wishful thinking, the mass fear mongering is helping no one while simultaneously risking shortages of supplies for the people who can help.