@PawelK @LukeAlmighty Yea, I’m in the “masks don’t work” camp. It’s all stupid IMHO. Just watching how many more times a person touchs their face because of the mask when standing in public is enough proof, IMHO, but there are more reasons. Just really curious how the rest of the world is right now. Everywhere sounds screwed. What’s the “best” places you know of? (if you have time)

@Coyote @LukeAlmighty in this aspect it seems its mostly more or less equally bad throughout the world although levels of craziness vary slightly.

In poland most people dont mask. Theoretically they are forced to but practically its not enforced.
Also lately masking with clothesbits or full face plastic shields been banned and masks are theoretically enforced but no matter made of cloth medical or ffp2. Support of cotton masks against plastic shields seems strange

@PawelK @LukeAlmighty Here in Tucson everyone is just wearing them, because no one want’s to be hassled. I’ve forgot mine a couple times, and didn’t bother going back to the car to get it. In theory, they can deny you entry somewhere, I guess, but a lot of places don’t care. Small gun shop I go to, owner never has a mask on, but sells them with gun logos, LOL… It’s about a 50/50 mix of people who care and don’t, and in theory, on paper, the Mayor’s “law” amounts to a $15 citation if the police have to write a ticket. So, the public disturbance factor is all that really matters. It’s just a mess. And outdoors, about half the people take the masks off as soon as they leave a building, and go mask-less through the parking lot to their cars.

@Coyote @LukeAlmighty ahh thats close to poland. Slightly harsher but comparable.

@PawelK @Coyote
here, in czech republic, everyone is so pissed at the government, they cannot take seriously even the rules that should matter...

Yes, masks should work... theoretically. But after an year of (curfew during the night, shops closed on weekends, shops being unable to sell some wares even when opened etc...) noone can take a single rule seriously, so we went from one mask under the nose to two masks under the nose.

@LukeAlmighty @Coyote yep here in pl helms decisions make no sense either thus opposition to regimes is large and seems to be growing. Businessmen resistance is especially laudable.

Btw greetingz to ceska piratska polititska strana and followers. Watching them with pride hope and jealousy by many in pl.

@PawelK @Coyote
Nah, pirats are wayyyy too marxistic for me to support.

@LukeAlmighty @Coyote

ok. Whose your fav party in czechia if its ok to ask?

Generally speaking many poles look forward with jealousy across southwest border. They praise the neighbours hard work and rationality.

Theres polish group on fb with quite a few members saying the good solution for poland now is to declare war to czech and instantly declare defeat.

@Coyote @LukeAlmighty also
@johnww2 could be asked onask regime in japan. He may know if i get his story right.

@Coyote @LukeAlmighty @johnww2 *on mask regime

@PawelK @Coyote @LukeAlmighty

Japan has culture of wearing masks predating COVID-19

People wear masks when they catch cold, to not spread sickness & when riding trains & don’t want to get sick

During Corona, every establishment requests customers wear a mask. Restaurants check temp w/infrared thermometer at the door. Hand sanitizer at the entrance too

Effectiveness of masks is debatable but your average Japanese person would view anti mask stance as selfish

@johnww2 @PawelK @Coyote
Yeah... well, there's the problem

our government is not asking people to wear a mask if they feel sick, they are not asking us to wear a mask when we are in a shop.

They say, they will fine my mother, who can sufficate in ffp2 mask, even if she is walking in middle of a fucking forrest. so how the fuck could people take such a government seriously?

@LukeAlmighty @johnww2 @Coyote yep same same hearing you. First thing that was closed down then opened and reclosed 20 or so times on corona here in poland was forests. What the actual fuck is that?

@LukeAlmighty @PawelK @Coyote

No doubts, man. Maybe masks help or maybe not.

Nevertheless enforcing mask conformance seems to bring out the inner fascist in people who love to boss others around.

The coming challenge when #coronaHysteria is over will be wresting all the lost freedoms back from the hands of a State that never wants to relinquish its powers to control.

#ratchetEffect

@johnww2 @LukeAlmighty @Coyote yep youre exactly right. Read financial times article by harari on tyranny attempts risks of corona. He was first and only to predict it so early and was 100% right. And the govt will be very very reluctant to return it.

Often quoted but not perfectly easy to translate joke in poland is:
"The government wants the good for you (but it sounds same as a good of yours). Dont allow it to take it away from you."

@PawelK @LukeAlmighty @Coyote

This link is wordy and has one of those annoying subscription pop ups, but #RobertHiggs is where I first learned of the #ratchetEffect

https://blog.independent.org/2008/12/16/underappreciated-aspects-of-the-ratchet-effect/

Higgs has some brilliant talks available on YouTube

@johnww2 @LukeAlmighty @Coyote thanks for sharing. Ill look it up and will try to digest it.

@johnww2 @LukeAlmighty @Coyote scary.

@johnww2 @LukeAlmighty @Coyote and yes those with tendencies to guide others around including forcefully including governments are exposed now.

@johnww2 @Coyote @LukeAlmighty ok. Thanks for update and clarification. That view of theirs on selfishness makes some sense.

@PawelK @Coyote @LukeAlmighty

Japan historically has more of a collectivist culture than an individualist culture.

There is a time and place for both ways of thinking, and both ways can also be annoying and troublesome at other times as well.

@johnww2 @Coyote @LukeAlmighty ok good to know. I was unaware as on where on individualist-collectivist spectrum they are. That shouldnt be issue for my secret travel but will pose a challenge to fully fitting in possibly. Hope i overcome it.

@Coyote @LukeAlmighty my general feeling is we know next to nothing of transmission means entry points protection means efficacy comparisons and yet from within this pool of ignorance decisions come out.

Play in stupid olympics win stupid trophies.

@Coyote @LukeAlmighty signals from dubai and wider uae are masking i strongly enforced.
Germans ponder forcing ffp2 if not ffp3. Producers thereof will make a buck. Israel is rather fond of lockdowns of unvaxed too and their green david star badges and vax passports albeit info on masks enforcement from there is scarce although prolly strongly enforced or at least enforced.

@Coyote @LukeAlmighty also @Lucasvos might say more of how masks are enforced in gitmo flatlands.

@PawelK @Coyote @LukeAlmighty public transportation, supermarkets and all shops that are open are very strict on mask wearing. The biggest cities are full of masks too. Smaller cities and villages are a lot more relaxed, I rarely see people wearing masks on the streets in my town, at work i don't ever have to wear one, but I've also worked another job where they were very strict. Overall I'd say you wouldn't be able to fulfill your needs without a mask, so we're pretty much screwed too.

@PawelK @Coyote @LukeAlmighty But we don't ever see double masks here, I haven't seen it on the national
media either.

@Lucasvos @Coyote @LukeAlmighty no no the news on double masks comes from czechia. But alternatively it might be exchanged for single ffp2 so its not as bad but doesnt make much sense as its nit ebola imho etc.