Hacker News Reader

Comment by throwmeaway_pls | Hacker News Reader

The medical chauvinism on display here is the real disaster. We need to have a broader conversation.

Too late for that I think, the authoritarians have had a taste and they like it. From the Dutch Prime-minister in a story posted on HN earlier today:

The government also plans to make face masks compulsory in all indoor public spaces, but that still needs to be worked out legally. ‘We want to prevent discussion about the measures,’ Rutte said. ‘We want people to stick to them.’

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/10/the-netherlands-goes-i...

Discussion, conversation, yesterday's thing; shut up and do as you're told.

He was referring there to discussion caused by inconsistent rules resulting in people being unsure what the intention is, not that discussion in general is intended to be prevented.

Here is a story that's currently not getting much traction on HN:

70.6% of people who were infected with Covid-19 “Always” wear masks [pdf] (cdc.gov)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24777029

And probably something like 90% of people who die in automobile crashes always wear seatbelts.

I only have a couple of drinks a week.

It's not a very powerful data point to me, as in fact the linked HN discussion covers. What if 99% of those dead mask wearers had been going to daily naked foam parties with N95 masks properly covering their faces?

I think you have the direction of protection of masks the wrong way round.

Anybody who's actually seen the Dutch PMs press conferences has cringingly witnessed the lengths he has been going through not to 'tell anybody what to do'. What he is finally realizing his biggest contribution has been creating confusion.

The government doesnt even issue mask wearing instructions for fear of being raked over the coals for having the gall to 'prescribe' the sovereign people of the Netherlands.

Get a grip. Theres a million actual reasons for blaming Rutte for making your life worse, yet all these overnight liberals cannot see more than the mask an inch in front of them.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com