CORONAVIRUS Death Thread

[BlackBellamy]

Originally Posted by Domo [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

This is not a political topic.

Sure is! You can read back the previous 140 pages or just take my assurance.

I understand that you are worried about your job and money you're losing right now,

Roleplay out this scenario for me:

You are in charge (and also feel like you're in charge). You can introduce measures to prolong the lockdown which an expert tells you is going to save 100,000 lives. Another expert tells you that as a result, the unemployment rate will go up 12%. A third expert opines that for every 1% rise in unemployment, we can trace an additional 6000 suicides and the resulting inability to pay for medical procedures will result in another 14,000 people dying. The lack of money will also result in a worse diet, leading to a long-term rise mortality rate, which will have to be amortized over time, but whose exact numbers will be unknown until much later. All that unemployment is also going to fuel a crime rate increase which will kill a certain number of citizens and incarcerate others. A fourth expert tells you all those previous figures are subject to a 30% variance because those other guys are dumb.

Different classes of people will be affected by your decision differently. You decision will certainly be seen as political. Do you go for the best short-term outcome and destroy a country for decades or do you take the initial hit and power through the succeeding waves in order to have a better future for the next two generations? How many people do you kill, and who do you kill?