Tex-s

I ran across a quote while re-reading some scy-fi books I first read in the 80s. It had 2 layers of new meaning for me. One is from a teaching and coaching motivation standpoint but the other more immediate.


“A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward.”


How, by these definitions, do you rate your local and national leaders? Specifically to Covid, but in general. Maybe fiscal policy or managing protests/riots, or whatever else.


I’d rate virtually the entire world’s Covid response as either timid or coward by these standards. Everyone seems to be preaching and embracing fear instead of resolve. It’s time to use some resolve to reach a point we can can call ‘after’. I believe we eventually must choose to be brave instead of being timid or a coward. The only way to reach a destination is to brave the path that leads away from where you already are.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I agree with you. That is, on the surface.

This Covid issue, I think, took everyone by surprise. My continued issue is with the stats. Additionally, monetary motivation for Covid diagnoses is a concern to me as well. For instance, I have a friend whose wife died of a congenital heart defect. They both knew of the defect and that it was a time bomb but married anyway. 40 years later her heart gave out. Cause of death Covid. A friend of mine had a friend who was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. Cause of death Covid 19. It's things like this that cause me concern as to just how bad is this. At this point, I'll conclude before it gets political.

Though, put yourself in the position of any of the political leaders. What would you do? The you in that question is not directed to you, Tex-s. It's the indefinite you eschewed by English professors.
--Bob

Tex-s

I'd like to think my position would evolve with evolving data, which is NOT what our American elected officials (note I avoided the phrase 'leaders') are doing. The more the data shows that the death per infection is WAY lower than supposed, and the more the data show hospitalization and death at a SHARP decline with early diagnosis, the more the media press for lock ups. It's what doctors call 'contra-indicated'.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

Brave and stupid are sometimes very difficult to tell apart. I'll pick rational, or wise, over either.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

You have to accept your victims as they are. If she would be dead now without covid, you may have a point. If Covid killed her because she was vulnerable, you don't have a point. She is still dead because of covid.

APB Loc: UK

“A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward.”


How, by these definitions, do you rate your local and national leaders? Specifically to Covid, but in general. Maybe fiscal policy or managing protests/riots, or whatever else.


I’d rate virtually the entire world’s Covid response as either timid or coward by these standards. Everyone seems to be preaching and embracing fear instead of resolve. It’s time to use some resolve to reach a point we can can call ‘after’. I believe we eventually must choose to be brave instead of being timid or a coward. The only way to reach a destination is to brave the path that leads away from where you already are.[/quote]

My personal response was initially based on the fact that I was uninformed, like the bulk of the world population, leading to a degree of caution rather than timidity.
As the danger of the virus became more evident I accept scientific reasoning rather than political pronouncements to modify my response regarding potential contagion - hardly cowardice.
It is indeed time to progress towards an 'after' - I rely again on the intelligence and skills of those developing a vaccine to take us to a safer destination - bravery really doesn't come into it.

Beware weasel worded politicians, on both sides of 'the pond' - they will continue to position their arguments so that it is we, the general public, who are at fault for any future spikes rather than decisions taken by them.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Did you see the death certificate for the friend who died in a motorcycle accident? I doubt it.

Death certificates have a primary cause of death. Someone who was killed in a motorcycle accident would have that trauma listed as the cause of death. If they were febrile and hallucinating from the COVID virus and that was why they ran off the road, that would indeed be listed as a contributory cause of death - but not the primary cause. So, it would only appear as a COVID death depending upon how you define that, but it certainly might be listed as such.

Tex-s

My personal response was initially based on the fact that I was uninformed, like the bulk of the world population, leading to a degree of caution rather than timidity.
As the danger of the virus became more evident I accept scientific reasoning rather than political pronouncements to modify my response regarding potential contagion - hardly cowardice.
It is indeed time to progress towards an 'after' - I rely again on the intelligence and skills of those developing a vaccine to take us to a safer destination - bravery really doesn't come into it.

Beware weasel worded politicians, on both sides of 'the pond' - they will continue to position their arguments so that it is we, the general public, who are at fault for any future spikes rather than decisions taken by them.[/quote]

Possibly the best summary of government I’ve seen. Great thought.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I guess by that logic these people died of covid related causes because they drank hand sanitizer due to fear of contracting covid. If it were for covid, they wouldn't have drank hand sanitizer.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2020/07/17/people-dead-hospitalized-drinking-hand-sanitizer-methanol-arizona/5448890002/
--Bob