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talkpoliticshttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/04/coronavirus-death-toll-vietnam-war-cvd/
As the US coronavirus death toll has now surpassed that of the Vietnam War, one opposite example sticks out, Germany. You must have noticed by now that Germany is extremely well prepared for the pandemic, with a noticeably lower death rate than most countries. Of course there are many factors for this, from a highly developed health care system, to cultural traits such as the famous German diligence and discipline.
Sure, though, there are many who are opposed to the strict prevention measures, the mass quarantine, the shutting down of many industries, etc. It's hurting people and the economy. The German Covid task force chief has received probably just as many complaints, questions, and yes, death threats, as any of his international counterparts.
Which brings me to the paradox. The current situation in Germany is a fine example of the so called "good preparedness paradox". You see, Germany has reacted very early to the threat, thus managing to prevent dramatic situations like in Italy, Spain, and now the US. This in turn is being interpreted by some people as proof that the draconian measures have been unnecessarily, well, draconian.
People don't understand why the shops had to be closed, since there's enough beds in the German hospitals, and no shortage of medicines and protective equipment is being felt. But they only notice what's going on in their immediate environment, and they're not prone to paying attention to events as far away as New York or Spain. Conspiracy theories also abound, probably not as much as in other, more conspiracy-prone places like Russia or the US, but still. People are discontent, and they're questioning the rationale behind these strict measures, exactly due to the excellent result of those measures. This poses a risk: if the measures are prematurely relaxed, things could quickly go out of hand. So a balance should be struck between heeding people's wishes and doing what's truly good for society as a whole.
And here comes the role of experts. They should be heeded, both by the public and the leaders.
One of the most important factors is leadership, and again, Germany has been lucky in that department. One could say every nation gets exactly the rulers it deserves, and Germany is evidence of that. Merkel has been known as a very well informed, rational person. Having a scientific background herself, she's able to read the numbers. And even more importantly, her character fits very well into the German psyche. She's cautious, rational, composed. She understands the situation in perspective, and rather than looking for short-term political dividends from a crisis, she aims for the constructive approach instead. She's able to explain things in ways that people would understand, and sympathize with. There's no trace of ego in her. And she's always aiming for the long term, and is able to communicate that.
Those are the qualities that a good leader needs, and they can make a huge difference in situations like these, and save many lives. Just look at the US situation, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Of course things could still go sour, as the virus is very unpredictable, and the situation is rather dynamic. But I have no doubt the Germans will cope, because they know how to get out of such predicaments, and not least importantly, they're in good hands.
As the US coronavirus death toll has now surpassed that of the Vietnam War, one opposite example sticks out, Germany. You must have noticed by now that Germany is extremely well prepared for the pandemic, with a noticeably lower death rate than most countries. Of course there are many factors for this, from a highly developed health care system, to cultural traits such as the famous German diligence and discipline.
Sure, though, there are many who are opposed to the strict prevention measures, the mass quarantine, the shutting down of many industries, etc. It's hurting people and the economy. The German Covid task force chief has received probably just as many complaints, questions, and yes, death threats, as any of his international counterparts.
Which brings me to the paradox. The current situation in Germany is a fine example of the so called "good preparedness paradox". You see, Germany has reacted very early to the threat, thus managing to prevent dramatic situations like in Italy, Spain, and now the US. This in turn is being interpreted by some people as proof that the draconian measures have been unnecessarily, well, draconian.
People don't understand why the shops had to be closed, since there's enough beds in the German hospitals, and no shortage of medicines and protective equipment is being felt. But they only notice what's going on in their immediate environment, and they're not prone to paying attention to events as far away as New York or Spain. Conspiracy theories also abound, probably not as much as in other, more conspiracy-prone places like Russia or the US, but still. People are discontent, and they're questioning the rationale behind these strict measures, exactly due to the excellent result of those measures. This poses a risk: if the measures are prematurely relaxed, things could quickly go out of hand. So a balance should be struck between heeding people's wishes and doing what's truly good for society as a whole.
And here comes the role of experts. They should be heeded, both by the public and the leaders.
One of the most important factors is leadership, and again, Germany has been lucky in that department. One could say every nation gets exactly the rulers it deserves, and Germany is evidence of that. Merkel has been known as a very well informed, rational person. Having a scientific background herself, she's able to read the numbers. And even more importantly, her character fits very well into the German psyche. She's cautious, rational, composed. She understands the situation in perspective, and rather than looking for short-term political dividends from a crisis, she aims for the constructive approach instead. She's able to explain things in ways that people would understand, and sympathize with. There's no trace of ego in her. And she's always aiming for the long term, and is able to communicate that.
Those are the qualities that a good leader needs, and they can make a huge difference in situations like these, and save many lives. Just look at the US situation, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Of course things could still go sour, as the virus is very unpredictable, and the situation is rather dynamic. But I have no doubt the Germans will cope, because they know how to get out of such predicaments, and not least importantly, they're in good hands.
(no subject)
Date: 29/4/20 17:33 (UTC)