Could Washington lock down an American city like China did with Wuhan?

OK, like most of you I've been watching the news about the Corona virus, and one of the things that struck me was that China was able to lock down an entire city of around 11 million people with relative ease.

They cut off the trains, and the buses and all but closed the airport. And there are armed guard on the roads. Though not troops on the streets.

It's not so much that the totalitarian military dictatorship was able to do this, because it's one of the things that totalitarian military dictatorships do, it's more that the people accepted this as being necessary and seem to respect it.

I used to live in China, so I know full well what the government is capable off. I've got friends who were sent to labor camps because their relatives were "inconvenient" for the regime.

This got me to wondering whether Washington could lock down an entire city, and what would happen if it tried?

Would people accept this as being necessary, or would it trigger unrest?

After watching the 2A march in Virginia, I can't imagine a lot of conservatives would take a restriction of their fundamental liberties like this sitting this sitting down.

I can also imagine a lot of liberals making this about Trump, and violating the lock down as a form of civil disobedience.

What do you think, could Washington lock down a US city, and what would happen if they tried?

Would you accept the lockdown, and if not would you protest against it, or try to escape>

a reply to: AaarghZombies

Let's look at what happened with the plane load of evacuees.

They were taken to March AFB for a 72-hr voluntary quarantine and they were being monitored during that time. Supposedly they all knew the terms and conditions of their evacuation and *agreed to it*.

But less than a day or so after arrival. One of them broke the quarantine and tried to leave and had to be forced back. He's now being forcibly quarantined for the full 14 days, and I've heard since that they have decided to keep the whole group for the same time frame.

But that was less than 200 people, and you had 1 who said he would and then broke his word.

Just extrapolate that out to a group of people the size of a city and you tell me who successful the US would be imposing a quarantine on a city for a variety of reasons. For one thing, no one cares about anyone except themselves anymore.

The answer is yes.

If anyone thinks otherwise, they are completely deluding themselves.

The only question is whether or not any 'event' is sufficient to motivate such an end game.

originally posted by: AaarghZombies

Would people accept this as being necessary, or would it trigger unrest?

Both. Hypothetically speaking, if we're talking about a highly communicable lethal disease, which the current coronavirus may not be, here's my answer.

Initially, most would comply, because it's also the case that many will self quarantine as a protection measure. But those without resources will immediately begin out of necessity to do very bad things.

It's a nightmare scenario. One I hope never to live through.

Let's hope we are very far from that scenario with the current situation.

a reply to: AaarghZombies

I can't see why a quarantine isn't possible.
The biggest issue would be the response from the rest of the country.
There would be many questions needing answers.

originally posted by: AaarghZombies
OK, like most of you I've been watching the news about the Corona virus, and one of the things that struck me was that China was able to lock down an entire city of around 11 million people with relative ease.

They cut off the trains, and the buses and all but closed the airport. And there are armed guard on the roads. Though not troops on the streets.

It's not so much that the totalitarian military dictatorship was able to do this, because it's one of the things that totalitarian military dictatorships do, it's more that the people accepted this as being necessary and seem to respect it.


What do you think, could Washington lock down a US city, and what would happen if they tried?

Would you accept the lockdown, and if not would you protest against it, or try to escape>

Not in the US but I have lived and worked in Asia and traveled extensively in the US/Europe, the mindset is totally different..

The media would turn it into a absolute cluster nugget, the baiting and division provoking stories would be absurd. Liberals would blame everything but the obvious and they would use it to further their rhetoric regardless.

At the end of the day we probably will see a situation like this in the west in our lifetime, antibiotics can only do so much. It would not take much for a virus to go totally rouge.

I think the people that would cope just fine are those intelligent enough and well drilled in having a solid plan for when any number of situations cause cr$p to hit the fan.

Regards

a reply to: AaarghZombies

No. Americans have too much independence to follow a hard quarantine. It wouldn't be enforceable.

Depends on how much money and effort the US throws at the effort. I would be more worried about the contaminated trash, sewage, and storm water?

a reply to: AaarghZombies

Just look at what Mass. did looking for the Boston Marathon bombers.

Though that was under Obama and he was still trying to implement the leftist authoritarian utopia before Trump derailed their plans.

Everyone on this thread now , and the ones yet to come , should watch at least the first few episodes of "The Last Ship"

a reply to: Gothmog

Yeah ... good idea. Some people don't need any more hysteria.

Maybe, but us Americans are funny and so while the majority will probably comply, there will always be a few bad apples trying to do their own things.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Gothmog

Yeah ... good idea. Some people don't need any more hysteria.

Not hysteria .
I believe as real as it could get.
And the original thread start was a hypothetical question in a hypothetical situation .

a reply to: Gothmog

Oh, I don't necessarily disagree with that, but I'm not sure that this situation rises to that level. That bugger was super lethal. This one while bad is nowhere near that.

originally posted by: Arnie123
Maybe, but us Americans are funny and so while the majority will probably comply, there will always be a few bad apples trying to do their own things.

You call them bad apples, I call them independent thinkers. Not everyone that refuses to conform to any particular situation is a bad apple.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Gothmog

Oh, I don't necessarily disagree with that, but I'm not sure that this situation rises to that level. That bugger was super lethal. This one while bad is nowhere near that.

What do you mean by "this situation" ?
You speaking of this Corona virus ?
Just like the all the 100 other times a new virus has been observed in China over time ?
I am with you on that.
But , the question was not pertaining to our subject.
The question was , could (and would) the US lock down a city ?

originally posted by: HalWesten

originally posted by: Arnie123
Maybe, but us Americans are funny and so while the majority will probably comply, there will always be a few bad apples trying to do their own things.

You call them bad apples, I call them independent thinkers. Not everyone that refuses to conform to any particular situation is a bad apple.

Conversely, not all social situations with remedies, via quarantine, aren't to be construed as something bad, especially if said "apples" have no clue what is going on.

Different cities......Diffent citizens......Different Reactions!
I think it would really depend on where they were implementing it.
Nashville would be more compliant than Memphis
Just my POV

Agreed and unlike the chinese, Americans have a lot guns!

a reply to: Atsbhct

Depends on the city, without the terrain (or story) being beneficial to a quarantine no never work, many of our cities are to large and spread out and large segments of the population have an issue with authority.