Quote (zarkadon @ 10 Mar 2020 00:13)
The markets are looking grim because of all the hysteria the media produces over a virus with a low death rate among the productive population, and most importantly, because of the harsh decisions the governments are implementing or might be considering implementing... the markets don't crash because they fear a virus, but because they fear the economic consequences of a government shutting down the economy, as well as the uncertainty a hysterical society create.
As for how much we value life... well, it does depend on what lives. Lives are very valuable, all of them, but our standard of life is in our national interest, and if lives were always above that then there would never be people being sent off to wars. We allow people to drive despite the roads killing thousands each years, we allow people to drink despite alcohol ruining (or ending) the lives of a small percentage of the population... we can't just give up freedom and the way our society functions over some disease that will kill a tiny fraction of the population that has very limited impact on the national GDP. A nation's leader shouldn't allow fear and romanticism to hold the national economy hostage.
did you just overlook the fact that people from different villages / cities / regions gathering in small rooms, and then going back to their families (like in schools for example), is actually how this shit SPREADS, trying to suggest that's somehow a counter-productive measure (too bad all the experts are so terribly wrong, and don't share your insight and wisdom of how to contain pandemics), or did you deliberately ignore that?
i mean, the fact that you're making some pretty ludicrous and flawed analogies (like between containing a virus without a vaccine in sight, and banning cars) clearly indicates you're doing it on purpose, but i'm really not sure, since it's so ridiculously stupid and dishonest, that it seems very out of character considering most of your other posts here. have you put all your savings into stock, or why are you so completely unreasonable about this? it's really mindboggling.
i mean sure, there certainly are people who are unreasonably hysterical about this, but i don't think that describes most western governments - which are ALL incredibly aware of the economic impact their decisions have. again, italy has plenty of reasons (highest percentage of infected citizens worldwide / with over 450 dead the 2nd most behind only china / 8,000 active cases...) to implement some pretty fucking drastic measures, and as far as i can tell, there is no significant dissent amongst health experts about it - if anything, they are alarmed about the relative passiveness in other nations, still holding mass events in demonstrably infected regions for example.