Use this weekend wisely

I'll be honest. A part of me wants to resist very strongly the notion that we have something material to fear concerning this latest pandemic threat.

We have all been here before. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I have developed a strong intolerance for all of the unnecessary hand-wringing I've participated in through the years because of one doomsday scenario or another.

But this one feels different.

Three days ago I was completely disinterested in this topic and the death count only stood at 17. But then the Chinese government imposed the largest quarantine in human history. The Washington Post is reporting that 35 million people are affected by the quarantine restrictions.

Think about that for a moment.

In case you didn't know, the political and social situation in China has been deteriorating in China for a couple of years now. The trade war has hurt them deeply. It's economic growth has been the slowest since the early 1990s. Nearly a year ago, Xi signaled his deep concern by summoning "...hundreds of officials to Beijing recently, forcing some to reschedule long-planned local assemblies. The meeting seemed orchestrated to convey anxious urgency. The Communist Party, Mr. Xi told the officials, faces major risks on all fronts and must batten down the hatches." (Link.)

I only mention this to set the context for the quarantine. Xi couldn't possibly want this. No country would. History teaches that quarantines are politically dangerous. They're the shortest route to civil unrest, and already the first reports are coming in of food shortages as a consequence of the quarantine.

But it's not enough to describe it just in that manner. One has to get a sense of scale of this quarantine to truly appreciate what's going on there.

35 million people. (Unprecedented Chinese quarantine.)

If you add up the population of the largest cities in the United States, you would need to include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Austin, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, Columbus, San Francisco, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Seattle, Denver, Washington DC and Boston.

Get the picture?

So back to why this one feels different. A week ago the Chinese authorities were arresting people for posting on social media about the illness. Now they've imposed the largest quarantine in human history.

Bottom line: If the Chinese government is scared enough about this virus to make that kind of unprecedented move- particularly during a time of clear weakness for Xi's government- what do they know that would be worth risking a level of social unrest never-before-seen since the revolution in China?

By the hour I am seeing reports of confirmed cases popping up across the globe. As of this post, we only have two cases in the United States. I would call this our golden hour.

Whether a pandemic follows or not doesn't even seem to be the real issue anymore. What I predict is that eventually this topic will be the only thing we are talking about. There will be runs on consumer goods. We have seen this many times before. Think Y2K...every hurricane or massive snow storm.

If the Chinese are panicking, so will everyone else.

And the panic may well be justified....or not. But panic will come.

If a pandemic materializes, that will be the best of our time. Because in my opinion, almost always worse than the disaster is the aftermath. But even if a pandemic doesn't materialize things could get very difficult in the near future.

From my perspective, it makes sense to use this weekend wisely to prepare. The expense is a small amount of insurance for whatever may come over the next few weeks.

Don't wait until you find the rest of the public has woken up. By then it will be too late to change your circumstances very much.

Like I said at the beginning of this thread, a big part of me wants to resist all of this. But let's just call this a hedge.

Better safe than sorry.

Reports on Sky news this morning claim 56 million quarantined. Nothing to worry about im sure...

a reply to: loam

Thanks for this thread. It's amazing how some people doesn't want to face this situation.

Believe that government will be able to stop it is speculation and nobody can guarantee it.

Frankly, I don't give a # about anyone dropping like flies in China, with the massive amount of pollution they've surrounded themselves with, breathed and ate for decades, there was bound to be disastrous health fallout eventually. That fallout absolutely might be being drastically weaker in the immune system department and thus more susceptible to stuff like this. Even my stepmother, who IS from China, agrees completely. It'd be like freaking over a new, nastier cholera strain cropping up in India & spreading outward. Well, if it did, would that ACTUALLY surprise anyone, considering the sanitation filth in India? Same idea, pollution does not help our health out at all, it's the opposite. China is starting to get the idea, but too little too late, IMO.

I'll only start to worry when large numbers of people in numerous countries with better standards elsewhere drop like flies.

I’ve always been a wet blanket

I mocked .....

Swine flu

Mad cow

SARS

Ebola

All from the get go because I I knew they were BS .

As of now that trend has ended 😷

a reply to: Nyiah

I've visited several cities in China. Beautiful place aesthetically, however that said. The culture makes it a virus paradise. Specifically the lower classes interest in clearing their noses and lungs of mucus and spitting it anywhere in public they like. This is why they have the quarantine. There is no possible why for this not to spread in those cities. While the cities are well kept and maintained for the most part, you have very close quarters, and all the ability for the virus to spread. It's definitely something to keep an eye on. On a side note, I think I might go out and buy some sugar and some canned goods later today. I like canned mixed fruit.

Camain

a reply to: Nyiah

If you think your biggest problem would be that you might get sick or even die from this virus, you have entirely missed the point of this thread.

The more likely problem you will face is food shortages, civil unrest, a breakdown of logistical and economic systems.

in just three days.

Wuhan is the stone's first ripple. When the world's second-largest economy takes this kind of hit, one can be certain it will have global consequences.

Do you care now?

originally posted by: Fallingdown
I’ve always been a wet blanket

I mocked .....

Swine flu

Mad cow

SARS

Ebola

All from the get go because I I knew they were BS .

As of now that trend has ended 😷

Being wary and alert is one thing, just don't get worked up over it, stress impacts the immune system. Kinda leaves the proverbial door wide open to lead to what you worried about regardless.


I'm damn curious as to whether or not any of the sick are anyone other than native-born Chinese yet. And if anyone other than a native-born Chinese person had died.

If it sticks to primarily Chinese folks, especially native-born where ever on the planet they live regardless of how many times they've germ crop-dusted around them, that should tell everyone something important.

originally posted by: loam
a reply to: Nyiah

If you think your biggest problem would be that you might get sick or even die from this virus, you have entirely missed the point of this thread.

The more likely problem you will face is food shortages, civil unrest, a breakdown of logistical and economic systems.

in just three days.

Wuhan is the stone's first ripple. When the world's second-largest economy takes this kind of hit, one can be certain it will have global consequences.

Do you care now?

I doubt that will happen. The same damn things were predicted on here for the last myriad of deadly outbreaks we never had.

My stepmother also pointed out not to take the videos in compilations too seriously if they're without direct context -- she thinks a lot of those confrontations are NOT related to this, but thrown in to bulk up the fear factor. Because people are fear-mongering pricks.

a reply to: Nyiah

To each his own. Good luck to you.

originally posted by: camain
a reply to: Nyiah

I've visited several cities in China. Beautiful place aesthetically, however that said. The culture makes it a virus paradise. Specifically the lower classes interest in clearing their noses and lungs of mucus and spitting it anywhere in public they like.

Yep, my dad's been to a few cities there himself back in the 90's, most often Beijing and Shanghai, where his company's offices were. It took him a while to get used to the spitting, but he was still disgusted by it. When my stepmother came over here, even though she's of a higher class, she was accustomed to doing the same damn spitting, it was a hard habit for her to consciously break, it's very ingrained.

a reply to: Nyiah

Yes it does tell me something if it targets Chinese only its not Chinese in origin

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: Nyiah

Yes it does tell me something if it targets Chinese only its not Chinese in origin

That's one possibility, indeed. I would not rule that out at all. If it sticks to just the Chinese, there's a reason. Be it deliberate targeting, or their own genes changing in ways not foreseen (back to that decades of heavy pollution soapbox nobody wants to consider)

originally posted by: NyiahIf it sticks to primarily Chinese folks, especially native-born where ever on the planet they live regardless of how many times they've germ crop-dusted around them, that should tell everyone something important.

Uh...wow. viruses dont check someone's nationality. They dont give rat's ass if their next host is Chinese, Mexican, or Norwegian... because the simplest most obvious FACT right now, a FACT which doesn't depend on any manipulated numbers or propaganda design to prevent or even cause panic, is the FACT that the virus infects human beings.

My God, this isn't a rally 'round the flag moment. Its 2020, we have air travel where an infected person can board a plane in Beijing and set feet in any major city on the globe within 24 hours. It has a 14 day incubation period, meaning we WILL see non Chinese people showing infection by the end of next week.

a reply to: loam

its too late - i has already " choosen foolishly "

today - activities that resulted in 7 UK factalities last year [ out of 30k participants ]

tommorrow - activities that killed 3 brits last year [ out of 10k participants ]

YOLO ?

a reply to: loam

The true death count is 10.000 , yes ten thousand and rising.

I do not wish to break the trust of my source but if you search hard enough there is a story divulging this fact for those interested in the truth.

This is why tens of millions are effectively in lockdown, and why the rush is on to build a massive mourge (i mean hospital) within 10 days that will in the end become a massive crematorium.

By no means is this a event of little consequence, this will go down in the history books and then some.

a reply to: CthruU

Do you mean the geller report site?

gellerreport.com...

a reply to: burdman30ott6

They have been able to target genetic markers since 2012 refer human gemome project but I do believe this is a nasty for all

a reply to: CthruU

I have seen much before twitter censors it that has been transfered there from the Chinese equivalent of twitter they are blocking roads with boulders and sand and men with nbc outfits and guns are on city perimeters