I think torture is always wrong and calling for it is always wrong. Your comment, as responded to, has no place here and is hateful and vile, no matter how justified and entitled to violence you feel you are. Go soak your head.
Cars were like this when they were the conspicious consumption item of choice. Every year, new designs. Not always better, but forever permutation so old parts don't fit and so that the 2 year old models already looked 'dated'. Now we have phones as our way to show our buying power.
Pools kill many people a year, mostly children, but we don't close them because the risk is severly outweighed by their utility. I think your argument is overall sound, but you need to find some better examples that apply. If we really were so outraged about auto deatus we would be clamoring for anti-screen enforcement, which has a larger effect on deaths than drunk driving, street racing, and all gun crime combined.
This is bar none the saddest comment I have read on HN in recent memory. Do that many of us feel that helpless and useless? Almost every tech we use was started by a single talented and/or dedicated person with the support of a small group of similar people.
This is that small group of similar people, and you may be that person.
I would find a better authority than 'youtube doctors' for the health of anyone you love. Some are great, but all are in it for attention. The ultimate motives of many online attenion seekers, no matter their profession are, lets say, unclear.
Lonliness is not struggle in the same way we struggled to survive for thousands of years not knowing what next week would bring. Your examples kind of bear out his point.
Social struggle is quite different than the day-to-day struggle to survive that was the default until recently on the human scale. Not sure that needs a reference.
It is painfully obvious that china concealed the beginnings of the outbreak, no matter your personal political beliefs, or nationality.
To assert anything else, particularly under the guise of (so and so also did this), highlights your comment as insincere. Lets keep the politics out of HN.
'Intent to hide identity' sounds like a human right, criminalized. Unless asked by an officer, and even then in limited circumstances do I have to identify myself.
I know over at coquetryclothing.com they used to decline to make masks due to possible liability reasons. Now they are making custom ones with all manner of fabrics.
Many of us already own and use 'real' masks, before the covid situation started. People absolutely have the right and the duty to protect themselves and those around them to the best of their abilities (without detrementally impacting others). While those hoarding, reselling at markup, and wasting supplies deserve any and all shame leveled at them, the quality of their PPE is in no way an indicator of such. Many are likely healthcare workers themselves.
Security through obscurity is a fantasy, and a dangerous one. You start thinking your screen door matters to the bear sauntering by, smelling what you're cooking, and coming in for a snack.