to think we really are 2 completely different cultures - the USA and the UK - just looking at the 'rebellion' taking place

[chomalungma]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8228769/Bleak-figures-China-US-economic-hit-virus.html

I know it's only some Americans. I know that it's a massive country with many many more people than the UK

But these scenes are astounding. People flocking to beaches. Protesting about lockdown.
Protesting with guns about lockdown

You just can't imagine these scenes in the UK at the moment.
Especially not the Ohio Zombie picture

It just amazes me - sometimes you think we are very similar to the USA, and then many times, you realise we are completely different.

@chomalungma Racisim is already unacceptable but people are still racist. There are already laws about housing and employment connected to racisim. Thats all that can be done. We can't legislate something and make it illegal just because we don't like it

There are already laws about housing and employment connected to racisim. Thats all that can be done

Racism can be called out.
Racism can be acknowledged.
When people - especially public figures - are racist, then they should be called out.
Barriers etc need to be addressed and tackled.

There is a lot that can be done that isn't being done.

So contrary to what I expected there are many crazy people protesting in my State today. I figured it would be a handful of wingnuts, but based on the number of people there I was flat wrong. (Friends can see the actual event from their house and we’ve even gotten real-time pictures texted to us as it unfolds.)

I still suspect it’s organized rather than a true grassroots uprising, by some wayyyyy to the right rich nut job from another State.

And maybe it doesn’t matter but when people like that (on either side) professionally organize these things they just don’t seem very sincere to me.

I still suspect it’s organized rather than a true grassroots uprising, by some wayyyyy to the right rich nut job from another State.

A lot of funding is coming from pro-gun groups, and as usual Facebook is enabling it.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/19/pro-gun-activists-using-facebook-groups-push-anti-quarantine-protests/

Also, as the story says

"Nearly 70 percent of Republicans said they supported a national stay-at-home order, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll. Ninety-five percent of Democrats backed such a measure in the survey."

What most MN'ers might not appreciate is that there is a social tradition of protest here in the US, a bit like the French going on strike when the weather is nice.

Someone upthread referred to them as "riots". Riots are violent. These protests have not been. We have a feisty, robust, energetic democracy here. The protests are one way people participate in it.

MissConductUS, saying this respectfully, but your death toll over there is - um - quite high. I'm just wondering about how this may be affected by the social tradition of protest with a lack of social distancing? Is that likely to help it go down? Do people care if they die, or if someone else dies because of them?

(I was well impressed with the medical personnel silently and powerfully protesting their protest. I can only imagine what they'd be thinking if the protesters ended up coming in requiring their treatment.)

Well with Oil trading at minus $1.43, the gas stations will be paying you to take it off their hands.

Aint Capitalism Great?

edition.cnn.com/business/live-news/stock-market-news-042020/index.html

@HoldMyLobster

I wonder if there is a major semantics issue with that poll.

I personally cannot support a “national” stay at home order. That would have to be issued by the Federal government, by the President himself and cannot possibly be a good idea.

I do whole-heartedly support a governor issues State-wide order for my own State at this time, though.

And I appreciate that the governor of my State will work with the governors of the states around us to coordinate this to keep people from just driving over the line when it’s not safe yet.

Though I would support the federal government stepping in where State governors are obviously making terrible decisions. Florida, being one.

@mbosnz....Our death toll is high because we have a lot more people than you do.l,our goverment is extremely different and a nationwide lockdown is not possible in the states,and no one will even think that someone died because of their protest. They will just think somebody's life was saved due to their protesting. They won't be wrong

Lots of the protesters stayed in their cars or otherwise maintained social distancing. Those who did not are idiots and should be sanctioned. As idiots they are probably not observing the lock down rules in other ways too.

Medical staff are generally pretty tough. The job does that to you.

@MissConductUS...I must have missed where people have called the protests riots. Nothing has burned,no one was beaten in the streets....Where on earth did they get riots from?

Yes I am guessing that the poll reflects the opinion that every state should be on lockdown, rather than there being a national lockdown order. I'm not sure that the President of the United States has the authority to lock down the whole country without declaring martial law. But in many cases, it makes no sense for states to be locked down when neighboring states are not.

Do you honestly think that your death toll is solely due to a higher population? Nothing else?

I wonder, if those demonstrating against any sort of lock down, and saying they would not abide by it, were they required to sign a waiver saying that in the case of them or a member of their household contracting coronavirus, the state would not be required to treat them, would they be okay with that? After all, if you think the lock down is worse than possible contraction of the virus. . .on balance, you'd be okay with that, right?

I must have missed where people have called the protests riots.

A previous poster on this thread did.

@Leaanb - sorry, the riot characterization was on another America bashing thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3885158-thank-heavens-i-don-t-live-in-the-usa?pg=2

It's purely derogatory hyperbole.

Do you honestly think that your death toll is solely due to a higher population? Nothing else?

The death rate in the US is 125 per million population. In the UK it's 243 per million.

@SenecaFallsRedux - it probably happened on this thread too, it was just easier to find on the other one.

The death rate in the US is 125 per million population. In the UK it's 243 per million

I am not sure how helpful comparing death rates like this - given different population densities.

The death rate varies within the UK as well, depending on which city you look at.

lobster, never let the facts get in the way of a good stereotype.

Clearly Americans are dying like flies because we're a bunch of thick, ignorant barbarians.

I am not sure how helpful comparing death rates like this - given different population densities.

It's certainly inconvenient for the argument that Americans are dying at faster rates than the UK.

@mbosnz.....We don't have Universal Healthcare so the stste doesn't make decisions regarding healthcare. But does the NHS refuse to treat smoking related illnesses? Thats how ridiculous that question was.
The protesters are kinda right. The lockdown itself will cause harm to the US citizens. How badly is yet to be seen

@mbosnz

In my State, the news says there are “hundreds” of protestors at the Capitol.

Our State population is over 12 million. Surrounding area is about 500K.

It’s just a shock that anyone would base their opinion of our entire country/culture on the actions of such a very small percentage of people.

And oddly, one of the organizers of the protest in one state is a nurse.

The President doesn't have the right to lockdown the States @SenecaFallsRedux

t’s just a shock that anyone would base their opinion of our entire country/culture on the actions of such a very small percentage of people

It's a good thing no one is then.

@Chomalungma but yet they are. On this thread and another where I'm catching flak for gun ownership