The West Has Failed - US & Europe Handling The Pandemic

[RAMROD 117,320]

The United States and Europe are outliers in how badly they have managed the pandemic, managing to sacrifice public health and tank their economies to an extent that may affect the global balance of power for our lifetimes.

The pandemic response has been politicised and captured by tiresome culture warriors, while restrictions are blamed for economic damage that is an inevitable as long as coronavirus roams. Contain it, and normality returns. There is no normal economy with a virus that kills and debilitates the human beings that make it up.

How did we get here?

All kinds of absurd stereotypes about Asia were used to support the Western exceptionalism that underpinned our bad policies. All the successful pandemic control techniques, including mask-wearing, contact-tracing, and compulsory quarantine, were initially dismissed as authoritarian and culturally inappropriate for the West.

They were categorised as something only China would do, ignoring that these techniques were central to the successful pandemic response of democracies from Taiwan, to Japan, to South Korea. Ever-protesting Hong Kong is the example that makes particularly hilarious the idea that Asian people are just more “compliant” or “don’t love freedom” like the West.

Australia and New Zealand are majority white ex-colonial societies that don’t fit into this confused thinking anyway. Their practices were dismissed as “cutting themselves off from the world”. 

Rather than learning from what already worked, we chose Hail Mary technological fixes that didn’t exist yet, like contact-tracing apps and vaccines, to justify business as usual.

 

Full article:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-west-has-failed-us-and-europe-have-made-a-mess-of-handling-the-crisis-1.4395473?mode=amp

 

 

Interesting piece of opinion 

[tomsches 17,553]

At least we have basic human rights, democracy and markets that didn't create this pandemic 

[Suspiria 10,683]

12 minutes ago, tomsches said:

At least we have basic human rights, democracy and markets that didn't create this pandemic 

The way you are LITERALLY what this article is talking about

[Supersonic 49,376]

This article is right. The West fell flat on its face because of its arrogant cultural elitism. Europe and the USA always think they're the hubs of the world because they managed to enslave the entire world with nothing but violence and brutality. They always think of Asia and Africa as third world continents that can't possibly survive with them trying to "develop the land". They haven't *really* struggled in a long time and have forgotten that severe crisis can only be adverted with HEAVY government intervention and the general public abstaining from hedonistic individualism for a period of time.

I learned in school in Germany that "The greater good for society always trumps the freedom of the individual, because if society isn't good, the individual cannot be free at all." It's kinda funny how many people have forgotten.

[homomo 23,883]

21 minutes ago, tomsches said:

At least we have basic human rights, democracy and markets that didn't create this pandemic 

Before making such a vague statement, maybe actually read up on the countries that have successfully tackled this virus.

[Jose P 23,341]

26 minutes ago, tomsches said:

At least we have basic human rights, democracy and markets that didn't create this pandemic 

And how has that turned out? Even with all those things the situation is better on the countries with no “basic human rights and democracy”. Embarrassing if you ask me.

[BABYL0N 3,192]

If you ask me, Germany did not fail at all if you compare them to other countries, yet many germans are complaining 

[Lemonky 671]

Media propaganda succeeded! I suggest moving to China, they have dictatorship and some of you will feel great there:) we all are different, and I understand some people like big, powerful state and oppression and that's ok.

[PsychoMaxcara 814]

Are we really applauding China for how well they handled a global pandemic that they caused? I agree about South Korea & Japan, but that's because these nations are basically in a constant state of preparedness. Mask wearing is nothing new to them and it's practiced annually out of respect for others. 

[Gagaloo911 12,959]

I mean it's not wrong.

It's also not about freedom or state power, as if places like Japan or South Korea or New Zealand weren't full fledged democracies or something 

1 hour ago, tomsches said:

At least we have basic human rights, democracy and markets that didn't create this pandemic 

Do you not know how to read? Because I sure read the article and it didn't mention only China as an example. Places like New Zealand say hello.

In fact, it names full fledged democracies such as New Zealand that still reacted much more successfully than the West.

The ethnocentrism and West exceptionalism you're exhibiting pretending we're superior when in fact we're a failure is disgusting.

Not to mention some y'all in here literally defending practices that not only have failed, but have costs the lives of hundreds of thousands. And your own ignorant opinions and belief that aren't even true make you think you're valid in believing that. Embarassing.

45 minutes ago, Lemonky said:

Media propaganda succeeded! I suggest moving to China, they have dictatorship and some of you will feel great there:) we all are different, and I understand some people like big, powerful state and oppression and that's ok.

Even more cringe. This is not the tea at all and is in fact propaganda itself. How embarassing for you.

[Lemonky 671]

1 minute ago, Gagaloo911 said:

Even more cringe. This is not the tea at all and is in fact propaganda itself. How embarassing for you.

I will always embarrass myself for freedom <3

[Gagaloo911 12,959]

38 minutes ago, PsychoMaxcara said:

Are we really applauding China for how well they handled a global pandemic that they caused? I agree about South Korea & Japan, but that's because these nations are basically in a constant state of preparedness. Mask wearing is nothing new to them and it's practiced annually out of respect for others. 

Do you not know how to read? Because I sure read the article and it didn't mention only China as an example. Places like New Zealand say hello.

[PsychoMaxcara 814]

1 minute ago, Gagaloo911 said:

Do not know how to read? Because I sure read the article and it didn't mention only China.

In fact, it names full fledged democracies such as New Zealand that still reacted much more successfully than the West.

The ethnocentrism and West exceptionalism you're exhibiting pretending we're superior when in fact we're a failure is disgusting.

Not to mention some y'all in here literally defending practices that not only have failed, but have costs the lives of hundreds of thousands. And your own ignorant opinions and belief that aren't even true make you think you're valid in believing that. Embarassing.

Girl you literally could not be more antagonistic and disrespectful with your response and hence I won't even bother with you. Thank you for your opinion.

[Chic 20,830]

How do we know these countries aren’t lying or hiding their numbers to look better than the West?

[BABYL0N 3,192]

Okay I read the article now and I fully agree if you compare the West in general they really failed

I just read that Japan only has 700+ cases currently on a daily basis which is impressive