[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by nito

There has undoubtedly been damage to the "Western" brand, the question is whether this will be long-term.

Nonsense. I feel like this forum is just an echo chamber for think-alikes

People from these eastern countries that you keep frolicking over are still coming and will keep coming in droves to Western nations because of its values, one of which being relatively weak Government and a relatively robust private sector. Don’t any of you know any immigrants?

These same values tend to be a shortcoming during worldwide pandemics, but there is no one-size-fits all when it comes to cultures and ways to run societies. Make no mistake, the flow of immigration is and will remain in one direction: Toward the west.

People assume that just because most deaths have been focused on older age groups and people with pre-existing conditions, that this whole situation is overblown. Yet the number of deaths from Covid-19 amongst the 25-34 age group in the US is close to surpassing the toll from the 9/11 attacks. Several countries have been reporting that younger age groups (with no conditions) are now being hospitalised in higher numbers with more severe conditions. I have several friends who could cycle 300km+ in a day without fail, who are now struggling to do 100km because of the side-effects from long-Covid.

The deaths of Covid among the young have been overblown. You are talking anecdotes. Everybody here keeps doing this, it’s just getting silly at this point. If you can’t differentiate anecdotes from statistics then there is nothing to discuss. The mortality rate of Covid for the young is exceedingly low, and low enough that living in fear is not rational behavior (unless you are trying to protect an elderly family member, which is a different story altogether). Just remember that 130 US children died during the 2019-2020 Flu season, and yeah I know you never heard about it because it wasn’t due to Covid.

We should all be rightly worried if a new variant emerges that has a far more negative impact on younger age groups.

No we shouldn’t. Complete, utter, fear mongering.

Geography undoubtedly helps, but Australia has also shown that internal closures along state lines are possible. The difference is the political will to make tough decisions early on, instead they either weren't made, were half-hearted or too slow to be implemented to have any positive effect.

The only thing that I think would’ve made a difference early on is a complete quarantine of early infected cases. THAT, my friend, would work.

Everything else is just insanity propagating more insanity. Fear, irrationism, misinformation, and amateurs trying to set public policy. And the damage has been done. Friggin millions out of jobs