When someone had it better (milder, in this case) than others, they tend to downplay things. It's sad because up until today, lots of people are still in disbelief.
That quote about Trey and his guns is really triggering. I wish the writer left it out. At first I thought it was great reporting. Now I think it's weak that it's not a direct quote from Joey. I want to know exactly how he feels on this topic. The fact that the topic of guns and apocalypse came up between him and the journalist is actually quite obvious and says almost nothing. We're getting the writers thoughts, not the subjects.
How can you comfortably live in a country where, if a major disaster would happen, a considerable number of people think like this.
I actually don't think a considerable number of people think like this. I'm with Rebecca Solnit (read: A Paradise Built in Hell) that people actually behave very altruistically during disasters. They rise to the occasion. And, even right now, I don't think that people with guns would say they're preparing for war. They'd say that they just want to be able to protect the people they love. And that's pretty normal, right? Almost every country on the planet has a standing army.
This was stuck in my head a bit more today. Coincidentally I watched this 2007 TED talk today: The danger of a single story by Chimamanda Adichie (19 mins). Really good. It feels like a comment to this thread.
We're getting the writers thoughts, not the subjects.
True. That's another thing that confused me about the article. The author seems to be flattening the subject into a stereotype while at the same trying to raise some kind of understanding for him. She's using the subject in that way.
I actually don't think a considerable number of people think like this.
Fair point. I can not and should not have deduced from this article that "a considerable number of people think like this" in the US. That was too influenced by stereotypes and post-apocalyptic stories. I actually fell into the author's "trap".
But I stand by my point: I wouldn't be comfortable if my neighbors thought like that.
People around here are stockpiling guns and ammo. I don't know if they expecting martial law and plan to resist, or if they think they are going to hunt with handguns and semi-automatic rifles...
“When Waffle House shuts down, that’s crisis mode.”
Dear God, that says it all! The lack of intelligence and concern for others is as frightening as this deadly virus.
Honestly, I’m learning of an entirely different world on Readup! Unfortunately, it ain’t pretty! I’m so curious, did you go looking for this? How did you find it? The Waffle House Index - that’s incredible!
I remember hearing about it years ago and it must have stuck in my head because it's such a funny concept. I saw your comment with the Waffle House quote before even reading the article and thought that might have been referencing it. I wonder if the Mysterious Universe article was referring the same Georgia Waffle House this guy worked at!
right! Blew my mind. Congrats that you made it out ok Joey but sheesh, maybe consider you got lucky and aren't a sample size of 1 that is representative of everyone else....
What an article. So strange. My mind was swinging between empathy and disbelief.
“It’s not going to kill the vast majority of the population,” he said.
“People are hearing 3.4% mortality. They’re not hearing the 96.6% survival rate.”
0.034 x 330,149,796 = 11,225,093
To what lengths do you want to go to save 11 MILLION Americans?
But the situation of people like him is unimaginably shit. It's easy to judge as someone who's not affected, or not poor.
If things got really desperate and society collapsed, at least his roommate, Trey, has a couple of pistols, an AR-15 and a 12-gauge shotgun.
From my European perspective, conservative American statements like these sound utterly absurd. I can only take them in small doses.
I does remind me of a good apocalyptic podcast story though: Blackout.
Reading stories like this is just so depressing during these times, but it's important for us to see all sides regardless. Because there's a huge swath of the US population who thinks like this interviewee...
No, we are all in this together. My family is all fine but I do feel like we’re on really shaky ground in this country and around the world. Hopefully we’ll be moved to a new and more compassionate reality, I listened to Tara Brach this morning and she has a beautiful talk about sheltering in love. Let’s listen to science and remember we’re all connected.
With you there. I've seen a lot of lovely examples of people coming together and uniting given the common "enemy" of c19. It's really uplifting. Guess it's natural that some people will be stuck in a lower vibration fear state, we can only hope they can push past that and find something a bit more nurturing.
This is pretty much how people take it here, they aren’t too worried. Our local government has taken it seriously, but they’re being undermined by citizens. It’s interesting to note that liberals are more worried about this than conservatives. I've read articles that claim conservatives spend a lot more time and mental energy in fear than liberals do, usually worrying about things that never come to pass. Now they aren’t worried about something that is actually currently happening, while liberals are very concerned.
When someone had it better (milder, in this case) than others, they tend to downplay things. It's sad because up until today, lots of people are still in disbelief.
?!?
Right? How can you comfortably live in a country where, if a major disaster would happen, a considerable number of people think like this.
"Free-for-all" vs "We're in this together". It computes for me.
That quote about Trey and his guns is really triggering. I wish the writer left it out. At first I thought it was great reporting. Now I think it's weak that it's not a direct quote from Joey. I want to know exactly how he feels on this topic. The fact that the topic of guns and apocalypse came up between him and the journalist is actually quite obvious and says almost nothing. We're getting the writers thoughts, not the subjects.
I actually don't think a considerable number of people think like this. I'm with Rebecca Solnit (read: A Paradise Built in Hell) that people actually behave very altruistically during disasters. They rise to the occasion. And, even right now, I don't think that people with guns would say they're preparing for war. They'd say that they just want to be able to protect the people they love. And that's pretty normal, right? Almost every country on the planet has a standing army.
This was stuck in my head a bit more today. Coincidentally I watched this 2007 TED talk today: The danger of a single story by Chimamanda Adichie (19 mins). Really good. It feels like a comment to this thread.
Me too!! My feelings on this piece have changed several times since my first reading.
I love Chimamanda Adichie, so I'll definitely watch.
True. That's another thing that confused me about the article. The author seems to be flattening the subject into a stereotype while at the same trying to raise some kind of understanding for him. She's using the subject in that way.
Fair point. I can not and should not have deduced from this article that "a considerable number of people think like this" in the US. That was too influenced by stereotypes and post-apocalyptic stories. I actually fell into the author's "trap".
But I stand by my point: I wouldn't be comfortable if my neighbors thought like that.
Triggering indeed.
People around here are stockpiling guns and ammo. I don't know if they expecting martial law and plan to resist, or if they think they are going to hunt with handguns and semi-automatic rifles...
Good point. Fascinating how the author leaves that to the readers' interpretation.
“When Waffle House shuts down, that’s crisis mode.” Dear God, that says it all! The lack of intelligence and concern for others is as frightening as this deadly virus.
Haha the Waffle House Index was coined by a FEMA official way back in 2011! I wonder if Joey was aware of that when he made that statement. https://readup.com/read/mysteriousuniverseorg/the-apocalypse-is-here--coronavirus-closes-a-waffle-house
Honestly, I’m learning of an entirely different world on Readup! Unfortunately, it ain’t pretty! I’m so curious, did you go looking for this? How did you find it? The Waffle House Index - that’s incredible!
I remember hearing about it years ago and it must have stuck in my head because it's such a funny concept. I saw your comment with the Waffle House quote before even reading the article and thought that might have been referencing it. I wonder if the Mysterious Universe article was referring the same Georgia Waffle House this guy worked at!
right! Blew my mind. Congrats that you made it out ok Joey but sheesh, maybe consider you got lucky and aren't a sample size of 1 that is representative of everyone else....
What an article. So strange. My mind was swinging between empathy and disbelief.
0.034 x 330,149,796 = 11,225,093
To what lengths do you want to go to save 11 MILLION Americans?
But the situation of people like him is unimaginably shit. It's easy to judge as someone who's not affected, or not poor.
From my European perspective, conservative American statements like these sound utterly absurd. I can only take them in small doses.
I does remind me of a good apocalyptic podcast story though: Blackout.
Reading stories like this is just so depressing during these times, but it's important for us to see all sides regardless. Because there's a huge swath of the US population who thinks like this interviewee...
This about sums up how I think most people take this whole thing in..."as long as I'm ok, everything is ok". But is it...really?
No, we are all in this together. My family is all fine but I do feel like we’re on really shaky ground in this country and around the world. Hopefully we’ll be moved to a new and more compassionate reality, I listened to Tara Brach this morning and she has a beautiful talk about sheltering in love. Let’s listen to science and remember we’re all connected.
With you there. I've seen a lot of lovely examples of people coming together and uniting given the common "enemy" of c19. It's really uplifting. Guess it's natural that some people will be stuck in a lower vibration fear state, we can only hope they can push past that and find something a bit more nurturing.
This is pretty much how people take it here, they aren’t too worried. Our local government has taken it seriously, but they’re being undermined by citizens. It’s interesting to note that liberals are more worried about this than conservatives. I've read articles that claim conservatives spend a lot more time and mental energy in fear than liberals do, usually worrying about things that never come to pass. Now they aren’t worried about something that is actually currently happening, while liberals are very concerned.
Do you think king coronovirus Joey is underreacting?