like there are legit covid sceptics on this site saying shit like "lol just touch grass" and "you need to go out" while we are currently heading to another peak (https://biobot.io/data/). and most claim to not be "covid sceptics" with weak defenses of their treats like "i cant just put my whole life on hold" and "im not just gonna live in fear" :yea:

while these ppls presence on this site is enough justification for this post, i wanna add that i woke up this morning w a sore throat and had a slight cough yesterday thats getting worse. gonna take a triple test today (covid, RSV, flu), but im p sure its covid bc my gf's mom tested positive 2 days ago and she still doesnt wear a mask around the house. i cant skip work bc i have bills to pay (living alone, gf lives w parents), but im lucky and dont see many ppl at my job so i can distance and mask while working. ive never gone "back to normal": go out only when necessary, drive thru theatre is big for us bc of safety, always wear mask even tho NOBODY else here does and me and my gf get strange looks and sometimes these fucking crackers around here COUGH IN OUR DIRECTION. i sacrificed my social life for 3 years and bc everyone else is too selfish to do the same, i have to face a 1 in 6 chance of disability and a chance of hospitalization/death. i hate this country so damn much

so despite everything i got the :covid-cool: . from now on were taking covid seriously. n95 + cloth mask EVERYWHERE. even at her house bc we obv cant trust her parents. im not letting us take off our masks unless we're alone, no exceptions. UGGGHHHH it sucks, ive avoided this disease for 3 years and now im so afraid that ill lose some neurological function, get GI problems, liver problems, sensory disability, etc. its so horrifying and stressful. guys pls take this seriously. nobody else is but i expected more empathy from ppl on this site

  • HoChiMaxh [he/him]
    ·
    2 years ago

    c/covid users stop strawmanning your comrades challenge

    • macabrett
      ·
      2 years ago

      what does this even mean? just go to the modlog and scroll through all the covid misinformation/downplaying.

      • HoChiMaxh [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        If you have to go to the modlog then you're pointing to posts that have been removed. The context of this post is that somehow Hexbear tolerates covid misinformation.

        • macabrett
          ·
          2 years ago

          That's not the context of this post. The context of this post is a lot of people have been downplaying covid and spreading misinformation and it sucks. The mod team here is incredible and this post does not mention them at all.

          • HoChiMaxh [he/him]
            ·
            2 years ago

            The title is literally a plead to have a community where covid is taken seriously, implying there is a community where covid isn't taken seriously

            • macabrett
              ·
              2 years ago

              whatever you say :LIB:

      • betelgeuse [comrade/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        You can't trust the modlog though. I had a post removed for downplaying covid despite saying exactly what the OP said about covid. Almost word-for-word. All mods don't read thoroughly and try to understand the posts, they just start removing shit that isn't "you're right OP"

        • macabrett
          ·
          2 years ago

          You can literally read the posts in the mod log.

          • betelgeuse [comrade/them]
            ·
            2 years ago

            I know you can. Which is why it's easy to see most removals are space_comrade, followed by duneposting. At best it's like 4-5 people. We have hundreds of active people. When the vaccines first came out we had some bans over vaccine denial too. It's not weird for a few people here to be wrong about stuff.

            Whenever big arguments happen it gets blown out of proportion and we end up spending weeks with this "hexbear has a culture problem we need to confront by being shitheads to people we actually agree with but don't wholeheartedly endorse my spill the tea sis attitude towards this issue"

            • macabrett
              ·
              2 years ago

              Okay, but even in this thread are more people downplaying covid, saying there's nothing to be done. That sucks and that's what this post is about. That's what my post was about yesterday. Is it so much to ask for some fucking solidarity on a communist forum? Instead, every time someone brings up that this is happening, there's an army of people to claim it isn't happening, and when shown that it's happening, say "it isn't that bad, you're causing a problem".

              Just from this thread:

              No one is sceptical of “taking precautions”, people just have different opinions on what acceptable precautions are.

              I just think it’s one of those things where it’s been now what - 3 years, and the government obviously at this point isn’t going to radically alter its covid policy. People are going to try just to get on with there lives and will just assume whatever risk there is.

              Ok but Covid has been going on for several years now with no sign of slowing. Staying locked inside for what well might be a decade would also deeply fuck up my life

              What does this even mean? I see plenty of disabled people in public not wearing masks. There isn’t some sort of unified position over here amongst disabled folks. Hell, I was even told I could remove my mask by a physiotherapist, in a setting with lots of disabled people present.

              • betelgeuse [comrade/them]
                ·
                2 years ago

                Okay, but even in this thread are more people downplaying covid, saying there’s nothing to be done.

                But here's my problem, there is nothing to be done except choose to wear a mask and isolate or don't. Everyone on this site could follow every precaution to a T and it wouldn't actually put a dent in covid deaths. The problem isn't that there is misinformation or denial happening. The power structure is not a spirit bomb that gets stronger when people online have opinions that align with it. That's the tail wagging the dog. The problem is the power structure did fuck all about covid, purposefully stoked and put people with terrible opinions into power, wrecked public health, and then the good guys saved the day by doing the same shit. That's why disabled people are dying. Not because stalinfan69 went out to eat with their parents and didn't mask up. Systemic problems are systemic, not individualistic.

                When someone points that out, they called a mass murderer covid denialist. I agree that it's gouache to breathe on people during a pandemic, and that it increases everyone's chance of getting sick. Don't fucking do it, wear a mask it won't kill you. But I get why those people aren't wearing one. It's not because they're supremely evil beings who just want to hurt others. It's because they're doing the same thing we are. Which is react according to your personal predilections. In this case, it's being as conscientious as possible because we're leftists and we do that kind of thing. They're doing because that's the only thing we can do, react individually and hope it does something.

                Yes there's a few people who were like "I went to a concert without a mask because I'm tired." There was that one person who was saying that covid deaths are down so it's fine (even though they half-assed tested dead people throughout the pandemic). Okay, ban them. Move on. We've done it before when the vaccines first came out. No need to drag it out into this huge "I thought hexbear was safe but it turns out everyone here also wants to kill me" thing.

                • macabrett
                  ·
                  2 years ago

                  No need to drag it out into this huge “I thought hexbear was safe but it turns out everyone here also wants to kill me” thing.

                  You have made up a person to argue with. Disengage.

                • MeatfuckerDidNothing [they/them]
                  ·
                  2 years ago

                  Everyone on this site could follow every precaution to a T and it wouldn’t actually put a dent in covid deaths.

                  It actually would concretely lead to less people on average dying though, it just would look miniscule next to the national numbers

      • Parzivus [any]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Ctrl + f "COVID" in the modlog gets four removals from two users. Am I reading this wrong or something?

        • macabrett
          ·
          2 years ago

          You must be, because that's not all there is in the modlog.

          • Parzivus [any]
            ·
            2 years ago

            Okay I was looking at just this community, apparently.
            So >50% of the removed COVID posts are literally one user, and no one has been outright banned, and nothing has been removed today (struggle sesh already over?). Still doesn't seem as bad as people are saying.

        • ZoomeristLeninist [they/them, she/her]
          hexagon
          M
          ·
          2 years ago

          well they were skeptical of taking covid precautions. "'climate sceptic' isnt the right word, im not denying climate change doesnt exist, theres just arguments on how we're going to deal with it. for example, by doing nothing"

            • ZoomeristLeninist [they/them, she/her]
              hexagon
              M
              ·
              2 years ago

              if someone's "acceptable precautions" include going to crowded indoor areas (which ive seen defended a lot here) i call them covid skeptics. even if ur masked w n95 it contributes to the "back to normal" culture. i understand needing to socialize, but does it have to be at concerts/clubs/restaurants?

              • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
                ·
                edit-2
                2 years ago

                if someone’s “acceptable precautions” include going to crowded indoor areas

                I mean this is pretty much every supermarket, where no one wears masks. Or most people's jobs. It's not like we have a choice here.

                Obviously people going clubbing and stuff is different

                • macabrett
                  ·
                  2 years ago

                  you should be doing what you can to protect disabled people and your line should at least reflect that

                  • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    2 years ago

                    What does this even mean? I see plenty of disabled people in public not wearing masks. There isn't some sort of unified position over here amongst disabled folks. Hell, I was even told I could remove my mask by a physiotherapist, in a setting with lots of disabled people present.

                    If you mean immunocompromised people, yeah I agree we should do as much as possible to protect them from COVID. And I'm disappointed that most people are prepared to "throw them under the bus", so to speak.

                    • macabrett
                      ·
                      2 years ago

                      just an fyi, we've known for years that covid is worse for people with comorbidities, which is every disabled person by definition

                      but yes if you want me to say immunocompromised, I also mean them, because they are also disabled

                      • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
                        ·
                        2 years ago

                        This is true, but disabled people aren't a monolith or can do no wrong, we're more than capable of making selfish and dumb decisions and hurting each other, as evidenced by all the disabled people not taking appropriate precautions with regards to COVID.

                        • macabrett
                          ·
                          edit-2
                          2 years ago

                          EDIT: erasing this post for being unnecessarily hostile

                          • ella [any]A
                            ·
                            2 years ago

                            Please stop being hostile towards others in this thread, it's going to make the entire thread more toxic and hostile

                            • macabrett
                              ·
                              2 years ago

                              Apologies. It's easy to get worked up about this, because it affects my life deeply. I will refrain.

                              • ella [any]A
                                ·
                                2 years ago

                                Thank you comrade :heart-sickle:

                            • macabrett
                              ·
                              edit-2
                              2 years ago

                              I am also a disabled person. Coincidentally, my spine is also fused together (AS buddies maybe?). Maybe that paints me differently in your eyes. I would rather have solidarity from my comrades. I would rather not be a doomer.

                              • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
                                ·
                                edit-2
                                2 years ago

                                It's just very hard not to be a "doomer" when I haven't seen a mask in public since March last year and the rehab centre literally said it was fine if I took my mask off. I've just moved on to the acceptance phase now that the world is moving on without us, yet again, and there is nothing I can do about it.

                                I know it's depressing and not being a good socialist but options are non existent. The most I can do is, ironically, wear a mask.

                                • macabrett
                                  ·
                                  2 years ago

                                  I get it, but I haven't given up on myself. I will also add that my (admittedly) angry response is deeply rooted in my extended family using other disabled people to convince me to give in to the risk. You struck a chord you didn't know existed and I apologize for being rude.

                                    • macabrett
                                      ·
                                      2 years ago

                                      just a mixture of structural kyphosis, scoliosis and muscle disorders.

                                      I'm sorry you're going through that. I'm sure we share a lot of pain even if it isn't the same disorder. Spine shit sucks and its hard for others to truly comprehend what it's like dealing with every day.

                                      • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
                                        ·
                                        2 years ago

                                        I just try to focus on doing pull ups and back exercises in some convoluted hope that it will make the pain go away if my back gets stronger. That along with physio. I don't think it's working, but I am stronger at least.

                                        Sorry for being such a "doomer", but it's very difficult when literally no one I see or know cares about stuff like COVID. I've just had to accept interacting with hundreds of unmasked people just to buy food and work.

                • ZoomeristLeninist [they/them, she/her]
                  hexagon
                  M
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  2 years ago

                  shouldnt we at least be against voluntarily socializing in crowded indoor areas, not wearing a mask, not testing as frequently as possible, and shaming people for not doing these things?

      • HoChiMaxh [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        You're repeating what they're saying, then stating that isn't what they think that actually they're covid skeptics

        • macabrett
          ·
          2 years ago

          fine from here on out we'll just call them covid :LIB: s

          • JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them]
            ·
            2 years ago

            Number of people here that don't get that covid is directly connected to class struggle is too damn high.

    • duderium [he/him]
      ·
      edit-2
      2 years ago

      "Ok but Covid has been going on for several years now with no sign of slowing. Staying locked inside for what well might be a decade would also deeply fuck up my life." This post in this thread, admittedly only an hour old, currently has 12 upvotes.

      • HoChiMaxh [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        2 years ago

        And? Is acknowledging that isolating yourself from human connection for a long but undefined period of time, possibly forever, can have severe negative outcomes the same thing as being a covid skeptic?

        • Grandpa_garbagio [he/him]
          ·
          2 years ago

          You see that suggesting a that anyone is arguing to "lock yourself inside" is the actual strawman right?

          Find me one post of anyone suggesting this. It's a false dichotomy that it's all or nothing.