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Covid

Would you be willing to be put under house arrest in order to save lives?

624 replies

Treesofwood · 19/08/2020 23:50

Just that really. Would you be willing to go to prison to save lives? Would you be willing to give up your children's right to an education to save lives? This whole situation brings up many philosophical questions for me, and my theoretical response is not actually the sane as my response when faced with the reality.

OP posts:
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morosetinkler · 20/08/2020 00:01

Not prison, no. House arrest doesn't prevent education, it can be done at home. I wouldn't sign up for it though.

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Aesopfable · 20/08/2020 00:02

There is a question of degrees. Currently I would not wish to give up my child’s education, and that of every other child, because it would save very few lives compared to the impact on children and young adults, their life chances and possibly their life expectancy. However, if we were to have a pandemic akin to the Black Death that swept Europe in the Middle Ages killing a third of the population then yes.

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Treesofwood · 20/08/2020 00:13

Morosetinkler is it the actual prison you would not be willing to go, or the lack of freedom. Would you go to a locked up hotel for instance?
Aesop, what about a years worth of education? Would you think that was worth it? For a disease with a mortality rate of 0.1% for example

OP posts:
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ComtesseDeSpair · 20/08/2020 00:24

No. Look, I’ll be totally blunt about it: I feel like I’ve done my bit by falling into line with lockdown and losing out on a lot of things that were important to me in order to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed at peak and helping to save some lives that way. I’m not willing to take it any further. If there are still people alive who are very vulnerable, I think the onus is on them to put themselves under house arrest to help themselves rather than everyone around them do so. And I expect the feeling is mutual: if I needed them to help save my life for any other non-Covid reason I doubt they’d give me the time of day.

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PicsInRed · 20/08/2020 00:27

Nope.

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noblegiraffe · 20/08/2020 00:27

I’ve not been in prison, I’ve been on my sofa and even at the height of it out to the shops and for exercise.

My kids have had an education. They haven’t been in school but that’s not the same thing.

Weird way of looking at it, OP.

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PicsInRed · 20/08/2020 00:30

"First, do no harm."

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chickenyhead · 20/08/2020 00:34

There are a few expendables left alive, yes. But they can't stay home. Schools return is compulsory.

But yes, I would stay home so others didn't have to. Because I am not a selfish dick.

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gamerchick · 20/08/2020 00:36

For a disease with a mortality rate of 0.1% for example

I keep seeing this. For me it depends on how I knew for a fact how much this disease would affect me and others. Like for a fact, rather than the Russian roulette that's currently on the table.

If people are that bothered and just want to get it over with either way, then go lick a cash point or something. Get your 'long lasting immunity' if it exists and stfu already

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BananaPop2020 · 20/08/2020 00:38

I am with Comtesse. People need to start taking responsibility for themselves. This situation cannot endure much longer.

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ComtesseDeSpair · 20/08/2020 00:42

@chickenyhead

There are a few expendables left alive, yes. But they can't stay home. Schools return is compulsory.

But yes, I would stay home so others didn't have to. Because I am not a selfish dick.

Well, I am a selfish dick. And fortunately, the public tide is beginning to turn with me.
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noblegiraffe · 20/08/2020 00:52

It’s not ‘selfish dick’ to describe people’s loved ones as ‘expendables’, that’s something far more despicable.

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chickenyhead · 20/08/2020 00:53

I am an expendable so are my kids.

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RaspberryRuff · 20/08/2020 00:55

My loved ones lives - yes

Random people- no

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noblegiraffe · 20/08/2020 00:56

I might have misunderstood you, chicken, but I don’t think that language is helpful.

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chickenyhead · 20/08/2020 00:58

well when the thin protection of the vulnerable is ripped off, with school children who are vulnerable having to return and travel for 2 hours a day on public transport. What do you think they should be called on a thread like this one?

I will call the surviving ones orphans.

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AldiAisleofCrap · 20/08/2020 00:58

they can't stay home. Schools return is compulsory.
@chickenyhead what country do you live in? It’s not compulsory in the UK.

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RaspberryRuff · 20/08/2020 00:59

But everything is interlinked also. People need to stay alive to educate your children

I think with this virus that people are starting to get pissed off with the restrictions and regardless of the “the virus doesn’t care if people are bored!!” comments the government have to factor that into their response.

Tbh I find the current measures not too bad and would feel the same about PT school as a temp measure. But permanently or long term? Nah.

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chickenyhead · 20/08/2020 01:00

@AldiAisleofCrap

Err it actually is.

Would you be willing to be put under house arrest in order to save lives?
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RaspberryRuff · 20/08/2020 01:01

Are you OK chickenyhead?

Why would surviving vulnerable children be “orphans”?

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chickenyhead · 20/08/2020 01:03

Because I am highly vulnerable. Their father is abusive and not allowed unsupervised contact.

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Namenic · 20/08/2020 01:04

I guess you are targeting this question at those who do not have severe medical conditions?

Because their risk would be higher.

Even at 0.1% of the population - that is a big number - 1 in 1000. Would you play Russian roulette with 1/1000 chances?

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RaspberryRuff · 20/08/2020 01:06

That’s a crap situation. I am also vulnerable but thankfully my kids are not. I’d rather we just tried to move forward though now with our lives. Although I’m definitely dispensible as my vulnerability is due to my weight, many on MN believe people like me deserve to die Covid or not.

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RaspberryRuff · 20/08/2020 01:10

@Namenic

I guess you are targeting this question at those who do not have severe medical conditions?

Because their risk would be higher.

Even at 0.1% of the population - that is a big number - 1 in 1000. Would you play Russian roulette with 1/1000 chances?

To be fair we aren’t a kick in the bloody arse off that now, are we. Which would indicate that’s not the death rate anyway which would mean most of us had had it which I don’t think is true x
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chickenyhead · 20/08/2020 01:12

@RaspberryRuff

Yup, it is hard, but I had wondered why nobody in the shops in my area was wearing masks or staying a safe distance.

Cos they're OK Jack and strangers don't matter.

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