Sure, that’s the “things are unpleasant for a while and then get better” scenario. After a week of staying in, you have to go to the store, and then stay in mostly with only “important” errands. They may call it “quarantine”, but really it’s mostly voluntary—infrastructure and deliveries are still being made, and if you really tried to leave, you’d be able to.
Note that the “unpleasant” case is actually deadly for vulnerable populations. I don’t mean to minimize this, only to say that there’s a different level of preparation that makes sense than for deeper or more widespread disasters.
The “long period of quarantine” with transportation shut down and people not allowed to leave their houses (but not devolved into chaos and lawlessness) really can’t happen in a modern decentralized democracy. We’re far too entitled to put up with it.
Sure, that’s the “things are unpleasant for a while and then get better” scenario. After a week of staying in, you have to go to the store, and then stay in mostly with only “important” errands. They may call it “quarantine”, but really it’s mostly voluntary—infrastructure and deliveries are still being made, and if you really tried to leave, you’d be able to.
Note that the “unpleasant” case is actually deadly for vulnerable populations. I don’t mean to minimize this, only to say that there’s a different level of preparation that makes sense than for deeper or more widespread disasters.
The “long period of quarantine” with transportation shut down and people not allowed to leave their houses (but not devolved into chaos and lawlessness) really can’t happen in a modern decentralized democracy. We’re far too entitled to put up with it.
Where would you place global economic depression on your bimodal distribution?
See my shortform post.