buzzsawmonkey 1/27/2020 7:22:27 AM

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For those who remember the early years of the AIDS epidemic, the difference between the response to the appearance of that virus and this new "Coronavirus" is striking, on two counts---both recognition, and response.

The "Coronavirus" was first noticed, what?  Four weeks ago? Six? Eight? Not much more than that, it seems---and immediately governments and the medical establishment the world over are in panic-and-crisis mode, with everyone worried about how it is transmitted and where it might spread.  This with fewer than 100 deaths worldwide---and the Chinese government has quarantined whole cities.  Crass as it may be to say so---and without in any way denigrating the value of individual human lives---the Chinese could probably afford to lose not merely several million, but several hundred million, people, and the government would privately heave a sigh of relief, given China's chronic overpopulation problem (anyone remember China's one-child-per-family and forced-abortion edicts?), yet here we have the Chinese quarantining whole cities after fifty-odd deaths.

Contrast this with the AIDS virus, which was not even noticed, let alone identified, for years---and it took years more for the medical establishment and government research centers to lumber into action to try and address it.  Consider, too, that the measures taken to combat the spread of AIDS were minimal and half-hearted at best---by the gay-rights establishment no less than by medical figures and government officials.  When quarantining was suggested---merely for those already infected, not for those also at risk---the gay-rights movement quashed such suggestions with howls of protest, and invocations of "concentration camps."  

When it was suggested that the primary pest-holes of transmission, the bath houses and backroom bars where anonymous sex with multiple partners was the rule, this was protested against on the grounds that closing them would be "cultural genocide directed at the gay community," and the opposition justified on the grounds that these places could serve as a means of "educating the community in the practice of safe sex."  The actual reason for opposing closing these places, of course, was that because they were hotspots of anonymous sex with multiple partners they were frequented by patrons "on the downlow," and the gay-rights movement was gambling that this would cause the disease to "break out" into the larger society; ACT UP,  while formed ostensibly to chivvy the government into addressing the epidemic, was largely for the purpose of concealing that the gay-rights movement was complicit in condemning tens of thousands of people to slow death by disease by rejecting direct methods of containment such as quarantine.  Ultimately, the gay-rights movement was successful: AIDS has become merely part of the soup of sexually-transmitted diseases, and "living with AIDS," via drug cocktails and free-needle exchanges, has become a commonplace.

Do I draw any conclusions from noting this contrast in response to the appearance of a new and deadly virus?  No; not yet.  I merely observe the contrast, and wonder what others may make of it.

PaladinPhil 1/27/2020 8:04:59 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 1:

What I have found interesting is how fast the Chinese government responded to this virus. Compared with other instances like SARS for an example, they have been almost panicking over the spread. Makes you wonder if they know something that they aren't sharing. it's been less than two months since it first popped up and seems to have exploded in the official cases.

Occasional Reader 1/27/2020 8:14:19 AM

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In #1 buzzsawmonkey said: the government would privately heave a sigh of relief, given China's chronic overpopulation problem

Not any more.  Quite the opposite: They're facing a "birth dearth" of epic proportions, and they know it. 

I'm not quite sure how freaked-out to be about the coronavirus unpleasantness.  I think it'll probably run a course similar to SARS; ultimate death toll in the upper hundreds to low thousands, mostly in China, a bad thing but hardly the 1918 Spanish Flu.  Nevertheless, I've restocked some shelter in place/bugout essentials, and bought some N95 masks.  

Occasional Reader 1/27/2020 8:17:29 AM

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In #1 buzzsawmonkey said: For those who remember the early years of the AIDS epidemic, the difference between the response to the appearance of that virus and this new "Coronavirus" is striking, on two counts---both recognition, and response.

In fairness, AIDS was a completely different kind of epidemic... altogether!

("AIDS was a completely different kind of epidemic", in Airplane! Voice)

AIDS is very slow-onset, and relatively difficult to transmit between people.  This thing is rapid onset, and very transmissible.  The latter is a whole lot easier to recognize.  

Occasional Reader 1/27/2020 10:07:57 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 1/27/2020 11:24:21 AM

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In #5 Occasional Reader said: When did our civilization forget how to make perforated paper that actually, cleanly tears along the perforations? 

"Forget?"  No.  It's a subtle part of the push to get you to agree to online billing and payment.

buzzsawmonkey 1/27/2020 11:29:05 AM

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By the way---NPR was phoompheting about Trump, the Ukraine, and "investigating the Biden corruption" this morning.

I realized that Biden's corruption is precisely the reason this doddering old fool is being propped up as the Democrats' "front runner"; as long as he is a "political opponent of Trump," Trump's asking the Ukrainian government to investigate corruption is an excuse for the Impeachment Circus to claim that Trump is "colluding with a foreign government to influence American elections."   The Biden family corruption is the linchpin of the Democrats' Impeachment Circus---without it they have absolutely nothing.  Apparently, if the corruptocrat Biden family is involved in shady dealings, this makes Joe, and his issue, immune from a Trump-led government's investigation, even if that investigation is merely to determine whether a proposed/intended recipient of American aid is worthy of it.

Occasional Reader 1/27/2020 11:43:25 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 7:

The Democrats “logic” on this stuff is absolutely Alison Wonderland material.  And yes, I’m going to let that voice transcription mistake just sit there, because I find it funny.

buzzsawmonkey 1/27/2020 11:47:37 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 8:

The idea that corrupt dealings and foreign influence peddling is, or should be, immune from investigation or prosecution if the corruptocrats involved oppose the current Administration is mind-boggling---but that appears to be the Democrats' claim.

JCM 1/27/2020 12:22:35 PM

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Occasional Reader 1/27/2020 12:37:40 PM

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In #10 JCM said: The Chinese typical blow their now by covering one nostril and discharging onto the pavemen

There's no feeling quite like doing that after a nicely satisfying meal of hedgehog testicles. 

Occasional Reader 1/27/2020 1:39:07 PM

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buzzsawmonkey 1/27/2020 1:50:23 PM

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Kosh's Shadow 1/27/2020 4:48:08 PM

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In #5 Occasional Reader said: When did our civilization forget how to make perforated paper that actually, cleanly tears along the perforations? 

They now perforate paper the same way they perforate matzah - so it never breaks on the perforations.

(Actually, the case with matzah is like how phone books are torn - the perforated areas are denser and tougher; the sections between them is puffed into layers.