[djsumdog]

> They still have not come clean for their initial mask guidelines that was blatantly wrong

I don't think they were. There is a 2013 study that shows cloth masks would be ineffective at preventing spread of respiratory illnesses, and posts by UIC Health early on that said they weren't necessary (which they've added a notice to). I wrote about this here:

https://battlepenguin.com/politics/secondary-effects/#masks-...

Fauci originally said masks were not very useful (quite convincingly I might add) and then turned around and said they were. When pressed, he said he was afraid of health professionals running out of PPE. He admitted he made a noble lie. So if he was lying then ... how do we know he's not lying now? How do we know he's not pushing masks because it's causing political strife and fear? After all, his wife has a major role at the NIH for approving emergency drugs and vaccines, and Fauci has vested interested in big pharma. You cannot trust a liar and he admitted to lying directly to us!

In Canada, a man was pepper sprayed at a Tim Horton by a cop for not wearing a mask. Another man refused to wear one, went home, and the cops came to his house. The resulting altercation lead to the cops fatally shooting him. A woman with a medical notice in Melbourne was choked by cops and arrested (granted she did flip them off instead of handing them her note like she should have).

Masks have really torn everyone apart, and have been used as a big source of shame. By mandating them, you break the social contract, and you're asking people to accept certain beliefs, for which there are 10+ scientific papers published on both sides of the fence. They make it harder for us to "see" one another. The hurt our trust because we evolved to depend on facial expressions. And if they don't do very much as far as preventing spread of infection, than they might even cause more harm than good. Am I the only one who sees the normalization of the mask as contributing to those who are rioting?

There are plenty of nations and States within the US without mask mandates and we see similar infection rates based on population density. In the end, I think they'll end up being a political statement. Nothing more, and everything less.

[yryan]

In your writing, you say: "A study publish in 2013 by the journal of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness found that cloth masks wouldn’t be effective during an outbreak of a respiratory infection"

However, the study you referenced states the opposite: "Both masks significantly reduced the number of microorganisms expelled by volunteers, although the surgical mask was 3 times more effective in blocking transmission than the homemade mask." AND "Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a homemade mask should only be considered as a last resort to prevent droplet transmission from infected individuals, but it would be better than no protection."

[craydandy]

And from the same report:

"However, these masks would provide the wearers little protection from microorganisms from others persons who are infected with respiratory diseases. As a result, we would not recommend the use of homemade face masks as a method of reducing transmission of infection from aerosols."

[rootusrootus]

> Masks have really torn everyone apart

No. No, no no. Masks have torn nobody apart. They could have brought us together. One segment of the population embraced politics and decided that masks was the last straw among all of the rules they otherwise accept in their lives, and decided to turn it into a public statement. These people are the ones that have torn everyone apart and ripped up the social contract.

The rest of us are just quietly sucking it up and doing what little we can to improve outcomes for all of society.

[DuskStar]

> One segment of the population embraced politics and decided that masks was the last straw among all of the rules they otherwise accept in their lives, and decided to turn it into a public statement.

Let's not pretend that there isn't a "wear masks because of politics" segment in the US, too. It's been turned into signalling on both sides, to the detriment of us all.

[hehsjsbb]

Why would you wear a mask solely because of politics? It's a good thing to do that has no downsides and it might help other people. It might even help you. Worst case it was a little inconvenience.

[rootusrootus]

Would that side exist if the other side hadn't taken a political position first? Are they only a response?

[FabHK]

> Masks have really torn everyone apart

Everyone?

In nearly all countries, people simply wear masks when appropriate. The common fight against the virus brings people together, if anything.

To watch the self-destruction of the USA about the "great mask debate" is somewhat baffling.

> There are plenty of nations and States within the US without mask mandates

You need to look at mask wearing, not mask mandates (believe it or not, there are people who wear masks voluntarily); and correct for a whole lot of factors, such as density (compare Hong Kong and Alaska). Then, from what I gather, evidence supports masks.

[obmelvin]

>Am I the only one who sees the normalization of the mask as contributing to those who are rioting?

Please, just no.

[black6]

It’s similar to the anonymity offered online. People’s worst characteristics come out when their faces are hidden.

[DoreenMichele]

Anonymity is also sometimes a critical part of letting people be their best selves.

Anonymity lets people express their extremes, for both good and bad.

[Kye]

Do we use a different online? Some of the worst rhetoric comes with a legal name and a face.

[Rapzid]

Two points.

Everybody is a liar.

You don't have to take Fauci's word for it so whether he is or isn't lying, you do or don't trust him, is not a good argument for or against masks.