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From Day 1 of the pandemic there's been a culture of blame and judgement.
It's a culture that leads a good woman straight into the Royal Canal, and not everyone has her wonderful courage to stand up to people.
None of this helps any of us.
It's a culture that leads a good woman straight into the Royal Canal, and not everyone has her wonderful courage to stand up to people.
None of this helps any of us.
"Right who is to blame" began very early.
Take your pick.
China, the Irish government, (with by-proxy) Cheltenham patrons, Italian rugby fans, teenagers drinking, pubs, house parties, greedy meat plant owners, American tourists, the British.
It's someones fault.
Take your pick.
China, the Irish government, (with by-proxy) Cheltenham patrons, Italian rugby fans, teenagers drinking, pubs, house parties, greedy meat plant owners, American tourists, the British.
It's someones fault.
This toxic culture of blame and judgement is nothing new, it's a tradition that stretches back thousands of years.
Witches were burned at the stake for spreading plague and poisoning wells in Europe - not that they did either of it, but "nobody is to blame" didn't compute.
Witches were burned at the stake for spreading plague and poisoning wells in Europe - not that they did either of it, but "nobody is to blame" didn't compute.
One of my favourite NYT essays was about a decade ago, written by Dr. Abigail Zuger.
She eloquently called for an end to blame cultures with HIV and articulated the senselessness of blaming people for illness.
The essay focused on the archaic HIV legislation globally.
She eloquently called for an end to blame cultures with HIV and articulated the senselessness of blaming people for illness.
The essay focused on the archaic HIV legislation globally.
It's a criminal offence in many countries to knowingly subject someone to risk of HIV, by not informing them.
That internal logic doesn't apply to Flu.
People don't get arrested going into work with the sniffles or charged for not telling your colleagues you had a headache.
That internal logic doesn't apply to Flu.
People don't get arrested going into work with the sniffles or charged for not telling your colleagues you had a headache.
And yet a severe Flu season kills more people than HIV does.
If knowingly subjecting someone to risk of disease is criminal, we are selective in applying that logic.
Much of that stigma with HIV was based on 1980's death rates but most people these days live healthy lives.
If knowingly subjecting someone to risk of disease is criminal, we are selective in applying that logic.
Much of that stigma with HIV was based on 1980's death rates but most people these days live healthy lives.
Governments are now first port of call for blame in the pandemic. It's all their fault.
That's a new and interesting approach.
I didn't see anyone blaming politicians for the 1,000 flu deaths in Ireland in 2018 - or for the 600 Irish deaths in the last global pandemic in 2009.
That's a new and interesting approach.
I didn't see anyone blaming politicians for the 1,000 flu deaths in Ireland in 2018 - or for the 600 Irish deaths in the last global pandemic in 2009.
Government are to blame for private meat plants & nursing homes.
Ok makes sense.
For the 20% of ones that got infected that is.
They get no credit for keeping a combined 80% of facilities covid-free, because the assumption is that's easy.
All global evidence shows it isn't.
Ok makes sense.
For the 20% of ones that got infected that is.
They get no credit for keeping a combined 80% of facilities covid-free, because the assumption is that's easy.
All global evidence shows it isn't.
Sympathy for well-paid politicians is a tough sell.
Lets try Shelley Xiong. Any sympathy for her?
"He looked into my eyes and said 'coronavirus'", before pushing her into a canal, she said.
Her 'crime' is being Chinese, closely followed by being a woman on her own.
Lets try Shelley Xiong. Any sympathy for her?
"He looked into my eyes and said 'coronavirus'", before pushing her into a canal, she said.
Her 'crime' is being Chinese, closely followed by being a woman on her own.
Any sympathy for me?
I'm a depressed insomniac who likes to write stats-heavy threads to a) encourage people to keep at it b) have purpose in my life.
For that, I've lately been told to throw myself off a cliff for being a 'government shill', among lots of other targeted abuse.
I'm a depressed insomniac who likes to write stats-heavy threads to a) encourage people to keep at it b) have purpose in my life.
For that, I've lately been told to throw myself off a cliff for being a 'government shill', among lots of other targeted abuse.
Any sympathy for the Roma community throughout the Balkans?
They've been subjected to endemic hatred, accused of spreading the virus throughout the region and blamed for the spikes.
That there's no evidence for this seems just as inconsequential as it does in Ireland.
They've been subjected to endemic hatred, accused of spreading the virus throughout the region and blamed for the spikes.
That there's no evidence for this seems just as inconsequential as it does in Ireland.
There was no evidence Italian rugby fans contributed to any spread of Covid19 in Ireland but that didn't stop the xenophobic blame.
Much of the early genomic analysis suggested our early outbreaks are very likely linked to London, with Madrid and Boston not far behind.
Much of the early genomic analysis suggested our early outbreaks are very likely linked to London, with Madrid and Boston not far behind.
Pre-pandemic, bad flu seasons killed 900 in Irish nursing homes.
Pre-pandemic, norovirus and flu regularly affected meat workers globally, causing sickness and death.
Pre-pandemic, nurses routinely caught respiratory viruses at work.
Nobody cared.
Pre-pandemic, norovirus and flu regularly affected meat workers globally, causing sickness and death.
Pre-pandemic, nurses routinely caught respiratory viruses at work.
Nobody cared.
Now people suddenly care, and someone must be to blame.
I'll tell you who isn't to blame.
Shelley Xiong, who right now is afraid to walk by the canal and petrified of her child being bullied in school when they return.
Shelley didn't spread Covid.
I'll tell you who isn't to blame.
Shelley Xiong, who right now is afraid to walk by the canal and petrified of her child being bullied in school when they return.
Shelley didn't spread Covid.
The hard-working nurses in Latin and South America, and the doctors in India, who were assaulted, with some murdered and raped, weren't to blame either.
But that small fact didn't stop huge swathes of society falsely singling them out for "spreading coronavirus".
But that small fact didn't stop huge swathes of society falsely singling them out for "spreading coronavirus".
A culture of blame leads to stigma.
It leads to the assaults we've seen on Chinese and American citizens all over the world.
It leads to people afraid to get tested, partly for fear of being judged by others for getting Covid19 to begin with. https://extra.ie/2020/07/15/news/irish-news/refuse-covid-testing-doctor-ireland
It leads to the assaults we've seen on Chinese and American citizens all over the world.
It leads to people afraid to get tested, partly for fear of being judged by others for getting Covid19 to begin with. https://extra.ie/2020/07/15/news/irish-news/refuse-covid-testing-doctor-ireland
"But I was only criticizing the government for allowing flights from Beijing & American tourists".
You can't travel ban your way out of a pandemic that may be with us for years.
Blaming 'others' is not a victimless criticism - it leads to defenseless women pushed into water.
You can't travel ban your way out of a pandemic that may be with us for years.
Blaming 'others' is not a victimless criticism - it leads to defenseless women pushed into water.
Being Twitter, nuance in short supply, there is a difference between blame and criticism.
But if your criticism of power involves 'othering' people - Chinese, Italians, Americans, Roma - you're not punching up with that, you're punching down at good people like Shelley.
But if your criticism of power involves 'othering' people - Chinese, Italians, Americans, Roma - you're not punching up with that, you're punching down at good people like Shelley.
If you're reading this with any symptoms, go get a test.
It's not your fault. People can do everything right and still get it.
Even if you did everything wrong, had a rave with 200 people out your garden, go get a test - you're human, we all make mistakes. It'll be ok.
It's not your fault. People can do everything right and still get it.
Even if you did everything wrong, had a rave with 200 people out your garden, go get a test - you're human, we all make mistakes. It'll be ok.
Every nation on Earth, every society - people - are doing their best.
Nobody wants to get sick and die.
Despite that, the virus is spreading like wildfire across the planet.
If you're looking for blame, you could try Covid19.
Wash your hands, 2 meters.
Nobody wants to get sick and die.
Despite that, the virus is spreading like wildfire across the planet.
If you're looking for blame, you could try Covid19.
Wash your hands, 2 meters.
