Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science
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@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
I visited Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, years before COVID-19. Even then it was quite common to see people there wore masks. The people there have somehow developed the social norm of wearing masks whenever they were sick with the common flu. I don’t think there was a government mandate for them to wear mask, but there was enough public health education and awareness that the people there generally accept that wearing a mask when one is sick with an illness that can infect others through coughs and sneezes is the right thing to do. This seems rather logical and need not be politicized as we have done here.
Hey Ax and Taiwan Girl.
I've seen it in airports over the years, occasionally an Asian person wearing a mask. Frankly, I always thought it was from not wanting to be infected by other travelers, not just protecting others' from their illness.Why do you think that is? Why would Asian cultures think nothing of wearing a mask, whereas here it's like something so weird and unusual that it becomes an argument?
I wonder if in Japan, as an example, if someone was out and about with a cold, if it would result in someone mentioning to them that they should be wearing a mask?
I was next to an Asian person on a flight. He was very sick. I thought he'd keel over and die in my lap. I mean, REALLY sick. I couldn't change seats because the flight was completely full. He was so sick I believed he was only semi-conscious (and could not speak English).
I never caught anything, surprisingly. Other times, it's been almost guaranteed that a week after a flight, I'd come down with a cold.Oh yeah, regarding the above. I wonder if that cultural "saving face" somehow goes with Asian cultures being more receptive to wearing a mask, or is it the collective spirit in the culture?
@Rainman said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
I visited Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, years before COVID-19. Even then it was quite common to see people there wore masks. ...
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I've seen it in airports over the years, occasionally an Asian person wearing a mask.
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Oh yeah, regarding the above. I wonder if that cultural "saving face" somehow goes with Asian cultures being more receptive to wearing a mask, or is it the collective spirit in the culture?Very specifically, I talked only about Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Not “Asia” or “Asian” in general. Pre-COVID-19, I don’t get the impression that mainland Chinese wear masks as much as, say the Hong Kong Chinese, and even the Hong Kong Chinese do not wear masks as much as, say, the Taiwanese. They are all “Chinese,” yet the regional differences are significant. I also did not see mask wearing much in Indochina and South East Asia pre-COVID-19. I will let xenon comment on mask wearing in South Asia if he wishes; I think he’s more familiar with that region.
As for the Asians one sees in various airports, who knows where they come from. As far as I can tell, an Asian from North America is just as unlikely to wear a mask as just about any ethnic group from North America.
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@Doctor-Phibes said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
I also think it's very sad that wearing a mask has become politicised to the extent that it has.
In another time I'm sure it would seem like plain common sense, but apparently not in this time.
We're Americans. No matter how civilized we become, the national ethos is you're-not-gonna-tell-me-what-to-do-by-God rebels.
@Jolly said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
@Doctor-Phibes said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
I also think it's very sad that wearing a mask has become politicised to the extent that it has.
In another time I'm sure it would seem like plain common sense, but apparently not in this time.
We're Americans. No matter how civilized we become, the national ethos is you're-not-gonna-tell-me-what-to-do-by-God rebels.
You're teenagers, in other words.
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The other thing to remember is it's not just deaths. It appears that lots of survivors are going to have long term health issues as a result of Covid.
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I visited Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, years before COVID-19. Even then it was quite common to see people there wore masks. The people there have somehow developed the social norm of wearing masks whenever they were sick with the common flu. I don’t think there was a government mandate for them to wear mask, but there was enough public health education and awareness that the people there generally accept that wearing a mask when one is sick with an illness that can infect others through coughs and sneezes is the right thing to do. This seems rather logical and need not be politicized as we have done here.
@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
I visited Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, years before COVID-19. Even then it was quite common to see people there wore masks. The people there have somehow developed the social norm of wearing masks whenever they were sick with the common flu. I don’t think there was a government mandate for them to wear mask, but there was enough public health education and awareness that the people there generally accept that wearing a mask when one is sick with an illness that can infect others through coughs and sneezes is the right thing to do. This seems rather logical and need not be politicized as we have done here.
It’s Ax and Mik agree day again. I wonder if it’s the same day each year or like a floating holiday
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@Axtremus
"Very specifically, I talked only about Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Not “Asia” or “Asian” in general."Hey Ax 'ol buddy. Serious question from me.
Is it politically incorrect, or perhaps offensive, for me to use the word "Asian" without being more specific? It seemed maybe you were a bit put off by the way I stated my question? No offense meant by me if so. -
@Axtremus
"Very specifically, I talked only about Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Not “Asia” or “Asian” in general."Hey Ax 'ol buddy. Serious question from me.
Is it politically incorrect, or perhaps offensive, for me to use the word "Asian" without being more specific? It seemed maybe you were a bit put off by the way I stated my question? No offense meant by me if so.@Rainman said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
@Axtremus
"Very specifically, I talked only about Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Not “Asia” or “Asian” in general."Hey Ax 'ol buddy. Serious question from me.
Is it politically incorrect, or perhaps offensive, for me to use the word "Asian" without being more specific? It seemed maybe you were a bit put off by the way I stated my question? No offense meant by me if so.Not “politically incorrect” and not “offensive,” just intellectually sloppy in this case. I described certain regional norm, and you generalized it well beyond the specific regions where the described norm is evident. My follow up post clarified that your generalization has no basis in fact.
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Yesterday, Mrs. George asked me when it became improper to say "Oriental." When and why was that term replaced by "Asian?" Is "Oriental" not accurate, or is it offensive in some way?
"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
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As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
That makes sense. So, in today's parlance, can I say "Asian" in reference to a person from India instead of "Indian?" Would that be a faux-pas? I believe in Britain "Asian" commonly refers to people from Pakistan, etc. It's all so confusing.
I'm afraid of offending someone, you know.
"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
That makes sense. So, in today's parlance, can I say "Asian" in reference to a person from India instead of "Indian?" Would that be a faux-pas? I believe in Britain "Asian" commonly refers to people from Pakistan, etc. It's all so confusing.
I'm afraid of offending someone, you know.
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@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
That makes sense. So, in today's parlance, can I say "Asian" in reference to a person from India instead of "Indian?" Would that be a faux-pas? I believe in Britain "Asian" commonly refers to people from Pakistan, etc. It's all so confusing.
I'm afraid of offending someone, you know.
@George-K said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
That makes sense. So, in today's parlance, can I say "Asian" in reference to a person from India instead of "Indian?" Would that be a faux-pas? I believe in Britain "Asian" commonly refers to people from Pakistan, etc. It's all so confusing.
I'm afraid of offending someone, you know.
It’s like saying “baby grand” in piano forum, different people have different opinions on what that term can mean. I try to be specific where possible (e.g., “6 ft. grand” or “185cm grand” as opposed to “baby grand”). So too with people’s ethnicity, nationality, or geographic origins (e.g., “a Singaporean” as opposed to “an Asian”).
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@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
That makes sense. So, in today's parlance, can I say "Asian" in reference to a person from India instead of "Indian?" Would that be a faux-pas? I believe in Britain "Asian" commonly refers to people from Pakistan, etc. It's all so confusing.
I'm afraid of offending someone, you know.
@George-K said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
@Axtremus said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
As a matter of common usage, it seems to me “oriental” typically refers to East Asian; I don’t think I have ever heard the word used to refer to, say, a person from the India subcontinent or from the part of Russia that’s technically in north Asia. :man-shrugging:
That makes sense. So, in today's parlance, can I say "Asian" in reference to a person from India instead of "Indian?" Would that be a faux-pas? I believe in Britain "Asian" commonly refers to people from Pakistan, etc. It's all so confusing.
I'm afraid of offending someone, you know.
In the UK, Asian typically means either India or Pakistan - there are actually more people of Indian origin than of Pakistani in the UK, but it can mean anybody from the Indian subcontinent and surrounding area, e.g. Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan...
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Yesterday, Mrs. George asked me when it became improper to say "Oriental." When and why was that term replaced by "Asian?" Is "Oriental" not accurate, or is it offensive in some way?
@George-K said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
Yesterday, Mrs. George asked me when it became improper to say "Oriental." When and why was that term replaced by "Asian?" Is "Oriental" not accurate, or is it offensive in some way?
I have never really heard that term before. But I do remember visiting the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. If I remember, it is mainly about Egyptian artifacts, etc.
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Yesterday, Mrs. George asked me when it became improper to say "Oriental." When and why was that term replaced by "Asian?" Is "Oriental" not accurate, or is it offensive in some way?
@George-K said in Tucker: Masks and social distancing have no basis in science:
Yesterday, Mrs. George asked me when it became improper to say "Oriental." When and why was that term replaced by "Asian?" Is "Oriental" not accurate, or is it offensive in some way?
It is accurate.
It is in no way offensive.
But it was outlawed for no reason I can figure out maybe 15 years ago.
It was replaced with Asian, which is obviously inaccurate. Asia goes all the way over to Turkey but Asian is used to describe those from Eastern Asia.
I say bring back Oriental. I don't think there was ever any disrespect associated with it.
