However, as more than 90% of the population do wear them and since the number of coronavirus cases is very low in Korea, the ones that refuse to wear masks most likely will not become infected with COVID-19.
Korean news media reports on the number of new coronavirus cases in the previous day, related deaths and other information daily.
From that information, Koreans have seen, themselves, that a group of people refusing to wear masks and socially distance can cause hundreds, if not thousands of infections.
Korea has a national medical insurance system, contract tracing, free testing and mobile phones alerts with information on locations visited by those infected coronavirus along with recommendations to be tested to those who may have been in contact with an infected person or just want to check.
If President Moon acted like Trump, then Korea's situation definitely would be much worse.
There are groups in Korea that claim coronavirus is a hoax, refuse to socially distance and such. If Trump had led Korea, these groups would have created even more problems.
Korea has a population of over 50 million. It has had in total 25,775 coronavirus cases and 457 related deaths as of midnight on October 23. The number of new coronavirus infections yesterday was 77, of which 11 cases were from people who were tested after arriving from overseas (free of charge, I think).
If the US had taken the same approach as Korea or Japan and obtained similar results, it would have less than 200,000 coronavirus cases and 4,000 deaths.
A majority of deaths, loss of jobs and other misfortunes in the US due to coronavirus are, in my thinking, due to Trump's misguided efforts to become reelected and those that empower him. What is going on in their minds? Talk about being selfish.
Unintentional murder? Definitely thought about the consequences of playing down the coronavirus and very likely increase in deaths. Intentional murder, but done anyway because they could get away with it? Either way, it's a type of murder.
Holding large rallies? Korea let a mass rally be held a few months ago which resulted in hundreds of new cases. Accordingly, large rallies are not being allowed in Korea for now. People are allowed to go to sports events but at a 30% capacity limit with social distancing and masks required.
Holding large rallies without masks? I doubt that would be allowed, much less held, by any sane leader of a country with a coronavirus epidemic.
It's ironic that many of Trump's supporters wear MAGA hats. Trump has definitely not made America great again in the eyes of the world. Albeit, he stood up to China.
Interestingly, both China and Trump do not seem to be interested in fair play. Ditto for most corporations.
Why do people listen to demagogic politicians instead of reason? Cognitive dissonance?
I remember they used to have smoking sections on airplanes and Koreans weren't allowed to go overseas without government permission. You could get permission if you had government duties (diplomatic, etc.), for business, college education and other limited purposes.
Koreans could go abroad freely a few years after former President Park Chung-hee, often titled dictator by American media and many mindful Koreans, was assassinated.
Did you know that Koreans fought in Vietnam, mostly due to Korea being an American ally and that Americans fought in the Korean War? Some state that it was also to fight communism.
Some things have changed for the better, while some things, like climate change and pollution, have become worse. Wonder what the future will hold?
Most of the rich in Korea push out the message that capitalism is ideal and angrily contend that distributing wealth and opportunities more equitably equates to communism or socialism.
Some of them attend church. I think they will secretly disagree with the Pope's thoughts on capitalism.
Used to go to mass and church services when I was young, but stopped for many reasons.
Really hope people stop envying and paying too much credence to wealthy people, like Trump.
Seems like people, especially the elderly, have been severely brainwashed by capitalism, from what they learned in school, picked up from broadcast programs and the media (usually controlled by the rich).
Add in a big dose of cognitive dissonance and that would explain why the world is the way that it is, at least to me.
To many, a good life seems to mean to be rich, powerful, free to do as they will, have fun, and such.
To some, it seems to be a feeling of contentedness and satisfaction with life in general.
For some undecided, a good life is a mixture of the above.
How can people be contented or satisfied, when they envy wealth, power and such? They can be for, like, a few minutes, but not in general about their life.
I know many ridiculously rich people, but most of them compare themselves to people who are even more wealthy, or more powerful. Always looking for fun things to do, like golf...
Do a lot of rich people enjoy showing off their wealth and resent people who do not envy them? Are they really living a good life? I wonder...
If you take the whole meaning of "good" into consideration, then obviously not.
Compared to all the technological advances, progress towards a more equitable and fair society appears to have stalled.
A long time ago, kings and royalty used to control wealth and power. Then came the rise of the middle class during the industrial revolution, which helped to somewhat lessen inequalities between the rich and the poor. What comes next?
Should making the world better and "good" be the highest priority? We have enough money and resources to feed, house and educate everyone, but most people seem to not care, nor want to.
Some people ask why they should give away their "hard earned" wealth to others. Most of the wealthy people I know, probably over 96%, inherited the base of their wealth. Most inherited land, buildings, money, art, jewelry, and the like.
I know one who married into a wealthy family. Another who got rich from an interior design business.
Does Trump seem like the kind of guy to care about the poor? Or is he more likely to call the poor or unfortunate losers, or suckers?
Stocks could be one solution to help resolve inequities. In my world, poor people would be given first rights to promising IPOs or other lucrative offerings, and people or firms worth over tens of millions of dollars would be excluded (let the rich buy from the poor).
That would assume that the mass entering the black hole is exiting somewhere. That would probably mean that the black hole cannot indefinitely grow in mass and would lose mass eventually.
Maybe the wormhole is created only after the black hole has reached a certain mass, or the rate that mass is ejected out is slow enough to make detection almost impossible. Could be both.
Might take generations, or close to forever, to observe any loss of mass in black holes, while black holes gaining mass have already been observed.
Maybe the mass inside black holes are slowly being turned into something else that can escape gravity, some thing other than "Hawking radiation".
Does it take energy to create "space" or "time"? Maybe space-time and energy are inseparable...
Photons have no mass, yet cannot escape the gravity of black holes. Why? Photons have zero rest mass (when they are not moving relative to the observer). But by definition, they are moving very fast, so they have mass.
So, if photons are stuck inside a black hole, they achieve zero rest mass and cease to exist? What happens to their energy? Maybe they continue to zip around inside the black hole?
Does thought have mass? If thought is only the total of chemical and electrical processes, then indirectly, yes.
Also, what is God? Some thing mostly beyond our comprehension as many religions state?
Many people avoid deep thought? In many cases, yes. But why? Cognitive dissonance?
Religions say that God is, is the source of, or gives knowledge. Could be all of those...
Ever notice how "bad" people avoid deep or serious thought and tend to contradict themselves? Cognitive dissonance can do that.
Many cognitively dissonant ones are very outspoken about their right not to wear a mask.
Do they have the right to to kill people, albeit indirectly, by not wearing a mask?
If everyone wore masks and socially distanced, then there is no way that COVID-19 will spread. The rate of transmission will be so low, it is statistically and realistically impossible for it to become widespread.
Rights? People have the right to smoke cigarettes, but not everywhere. Why, it causes cancer even through second hand smoke.
Self inflicted miracle: I have had three bladder cancer surgeries in six years due to smoking, a couple of decades ago. Used to sneak in a cigarette or two every day, but still got cancer. A cigarette once in a while, still got cancer. Finally quit and no more cancer.
I thought I was a goner. Did all the things I wanted to do before I died, met old friends, contemplated in death, but failed to die.
Made and makes life seem and feel very different.
COVID-19 pandemic and closing of businesses versus everyone wearing masks, socially distancing, washing hands, avoiding crowded places. What is the logical choice?
In Korea, most people, I estimate over 95%, wear masks outside. However, there are some cognitively dissonant people who message over one million people for a mass protest (pro-conservative right wing), as well as churches that hold crowded services and lie to health authorities to hinder contact tracing, people who break quarantine, go to coffee shops, restaurants, bars and infect other people.
That is why we still have coronavirus in Korea.
In China, I read that everyone has an app that is used to enter places. If you are not infected and have had no contact or been in close proximity of an infected person, you can enter. If not, no. And I think they still wear masks.
If someone is infected in China, they close down and isolate the neighborhood for a few weeks. No chance of spreading the infection.
People seem to have too many rights that are essentially very wrong.
Right of free speech? Right to outright lie for questionable purposes?
Don't people have the right and obligation to speak in a constructive and polite manner to each other?
For me, knowing ridiculously far more than I should, as well as too many coincidences and synchronicities underlie my belief in a God that is mostly unrelated to religions.
