The biggest thing I've noticed since this broke in the mainstream in the past week or two is the mixed messaging. Shit, I even see it ITT. You have people declaring it's over, it's a nothingburger, everyone is panicking for no reason and the media is hyping up for ratings. Then you have ramping up of shutting shit down, escalating plans for dealing with it, etc. And we're not even at 2/1/20 China timeline yet. It's hard to tell who to believe.
It puts me in mind of 9/11. The absolute shock. I went into practical mode right away that morning, withdrawing a couple hundred from the ATM and worrying about how to get home. But in a week the planes were flying again, baseball games were happening, stores were open. Gas spiked for a couple years as did patriotism and security theater/surveillance but beyond that it was far from TEOTWAWKI. So is this 9/11 again? Will we be back to normal by 4/1? Or will there be more cancellations of events, domestic flights, quarantines through summer and beyond? A real change in how we live in America and the world in general? I honestly don't know. I do know I was immediately surprised by how fast panic manifested in Italy and then here.
I do still lean towards what I thought back in January--the actual rate of death will be low, and the average bear has little risk of infection, but the real danger will be economic. Because the supply chain is in many cases several months out, we will see the true effects in late summer and fall with empty shelves in stores, store closures and layoffs, stocks tanking for realsies. Even if the infection is largely subsided.
If factories can be moved or China is truly back to work as they claim, we might have a decent Christmas, but I have my doubts. They are trying to say it's subsiding in China, but I still believe there will be another mass wave as the formerly quarantined are let back out and jammed into factories and offices. I still predict at least a 2008/9 level recession if not Depression.
Ah yes, social order might be in danger, better secure some extra soft toilet paper to wipe my bum.
I am absolutely amazed by humanity's love for TP. No food? Fine. Can't wipe my bum with nice soft TP? I'm gonna riot, bitch!
That's way beyond autism if you're asking me.
I am amazed by the people who mock and shame folks buying TP/sanitizer/bleach "instead of food."
You do realize for a lot of people this isn't some zero sum game with a binary choice of "TP or FOOD" right?
I went out and bought 2 giant packs of TP. I'm not home a lot, so honestly each one is like a 1.5 year supply. So worst case I don't buy TP for 3 years. It's not filling a room or anything like an ep of Hoarders--it chills in my storage room with the paper towels. I bought 3 mos worth of long term food and a month of water (I have really good muni water that tests good and tastes like bottled with a cheap filter and I don't think it will get shut off anytime soon). All this "massive prep" fit in my kitchen cabinets with room to spare.
Now I spent probably $50 on the TP, and yeah I could have bought food. But if I wanted $50 more of food I could just...go and buy $50 more today? It's not like that was my last General Grant I was dropping on Charmin.
www.bbc.co.uk
