Jerseygirl

because some think they are more superior/knowledgable/invincible whereas in reality they are ignorant/selfish/vulnerable.

Pulaski

Many seem to think that some combination of religious belief and knowledge of perceived conspiracy theories trumps science, medical science, and statistics.

One of my favourite observations at the moment, in arguing with covidiots, is that "128,000 people [or whatever the current number is] in the US weren't killed by a conspiracy theory."

Shard

Do you have the energy to argue with such people? What's the point?

Pulaski

Not really, I just throw out a barbed or snarky comment or two for my own amusement.

Examples:
When told to "Do my own research", I replied "I have done my own research, and continue to do so, and have concluded that your view point is profoundly ignorant of the facts."

In response to a "Give me freedom or give me death" trope: "Those two things are not mutually exclusive! LOL"

And in response to a random assertion that coronavirus test kits are contaminated with coronavirus to further speread the disease: "Ah yes, another twist to the Grand Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory!"
Are you Mrs P?

bats

I like to think so.

oh, I did read that COVID was caused by the heavy metals in the flu vaccine. Seemed obvious to me.

Pulaski

Which is probably the most ridiculous slur on the reputation of heavy metal since Tipper Gore was running the PMRC.

Shard

As much as I like the US, some Americans would drive me mental.

Pulaski

I agree, and I only maintain my sanity in the presence of some, by nodding and smiling, and ignoring some of them entirely.

MillieF

I'm sure I'm seeing something wrongly here, but....we are in the middle of a pandemic, the like of which has never been seen. I did in fact meet my husband during an outbreak of bubonic plague whilst paddling through a very shallow foot bath of dubious looking antiseptic on a border...but...I followed the rules and lived another day. Why in heavens name would anyone think that this is anything other than chaos and bad planning on the part of the US? They are becoming infected because they can't even wait a few weeks, they have been the architects of their own problems. What is this guff about face masks? I don't like wearing them...they make me hot and sticky! Poor me! The other person on the other side of my mask doesn't need to be worried about me...give the other person a break? It's only good manners!

BristolUK

An old favourite.

Pulaski

..... In anyone who is alive to day's lifetime. The Black Death and the Great Plague were worse, much worse. The jury is still out on whether the flu pandemic of 1918-1921 was worse.
The seeds of the problem in the US is that the US constitution guarantees, certain specific rights for individuals, which are basically freedoms from being told what to do by the government, and those rights are absolute, there is no "except if there is a global pandemic" clause.

So the restrictions to try to reduce the numbers of cornavirus infections in the US, that have been most successful, most widely implemented and observed in the US, are public safety restrictions on restaurants, hotels, and theatres, which require public safety inspections and certificates to be allowed to operate. But while some states have tried to close churches, and in fairness most US churches have taken the hint and closed, when a few churches have challenged in court the right of a state government to close a church, the churches have invariably won - on the basis that the US constitution guarantees the rights of citizens to practice their religion without any restriction by the government.

Other things that have been successfully closed in the US are parks, beaches and other public spaces - if the city owns the park then the city can close the park.

Then there is the matter of the US lunatics who sincerely believe that the state and federal governments are out to get them, to take their rights and liberties and force them into government run servitude. There is no hope of trying to rationize with such people, but while the hard liners are relatively rare, I would say that perhaps 20% of Americans have some degree of sympathy for such ideas and thoughts, and the non-mask-wearing loonies and the crowds in parks and on beaches are drawn from that 20% of the population.

Jerseygirl

there was an American on TV last night who said they would not wear masks because ‘God will save us’.

Former Lancastrian

He will once they get to Heaven

Pulaski

I thought he had already been "saved".

God didn't care enough to save this idiot though, or it was just God calling him home?

MillieF

I do apologize​​​​...These were far worse...this was just a scary blip that I lived through, my father was a little boy in the flu pandemic...people did grow to shake hands etc after this too. This too will pass...eventually, one hopes...