I am starting to become stabilized into a new world view. I feel
like I know enough about the virus to ease on my news consumption.
The last time I was following the news this actively was 2008.
Before that, 2001.
I think now the interesting part of the story is whether China
will be able to keep the spread in check. If they succeed, we can
say goodbye to our privacy. The west will not let Chinese get
ahead. They will force the surveillance on us. And there is no
getting rid of it after the epidemic is thwarted. They will say
"So many people die of influenza each year and we can stop that
too, just like we did Covid". Maybe they will add an opt-out that
no one will be able to find. Or they will say it is evil to go
against surveillance. "You are as silly as the anti-vaccination
people and you are effectively killing people".
Surveillance is really like a magic bullet for epidemics. It's
too good to be true, really, from so many different points of
view. Why spend all that money on drug research when we already
have the technology to defeat just about all known infectious
diseases?
I can imagine a world where we are peer-pressured into carrying
our phones with us at all times. If you cannot be reached at any
time, people will suspect you are one of those silly people. And
suspicion is enough to mar you.
