Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by xnyan 2288 days ago
What are you talking about? Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude but what do you mean that there is no need to speculate? That is literally what humans do all the time for all of human existence.

Our medical situation, that is say that of the United States, is much worse than that of italy and it is so by design. That is an objective fact even though it’s not pleasant to think about. What makes you think we will be better off than Italy, even though we are in a weaker medical position? My argument is that panic is warrented.
1 comments
asdfasgasdgasdg 2288 days ago
> What are you talking about?

I am talking about it being rude to tell a person who needs a surgery, potentially for an issue that threatens their life, that they will not get it, when you don't actually know. It's just basic decency.

link
jacquesm 2288 days ago
Your presumption is fairly incredible. (1) I wasn't talking to you and (2) maybe that person would rather be informed than bamboozled with feel good news that ends up being false.

Basic decency is to assume that people can think for themselves and do not need to be treated like toddlers with feel good lies and cotton balls.

link
asdfasgasdgasdg 2288 days ago
Along the lines of assuming people can think for themselves, the person who originally commented clearly knew that there was a possibility that their surgery would be cancelled. They expressed as much in their comment. What did your blunt speculation add? You know less about the situation than the person you were replying to, and on the basis of that ignorance jumped to an unfounded conclusion.

I would have written what you said this way: "you should reach out to your doctor. In my neighborhood a lot of surgeries have been getting cancelled." It is not one whit less truthful or honest than your comment, but it is more sensitive, at least to my ear.

Your approach to this thread calls to mind an imaginary surgeon who leaves the OR and tells the family, "sorry, he's dead." Nothing wrong with that bedside manner, is there? No need to treat them like toddlers.

I'm finished with this. I've said my piece and you disagree. Ah, well.

link
jacquesm 2288 days ago
You are ignoring the fact that there are official calls to suspend all non-emergency surgery and that there are a lot of hospitals already doing this. My comment was meant informative, not to put that person down.

Your strawman is ignored.

link