6/15/2020

Alternate truth versus transient risks

Many people must have remember Trump's famous comment about alternate truth. Trump used this to describe his own truth or interpretation of things and events that is different from the truth or what was reported in the news. The truth of the matter is that truth is subjective and anyone can spread his own alternate truth from the truth. There is nothing but the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is no longer fashionable, only to be used in archaic organisations like the courts of law where truth has a different meaning.

Lately, with the Covid Pandemic, there is a big tussle between more restrictions and lockdowns and opening up the economy. Both are equally damaging to the financial well being of the people. Many countries could not resist the temptation of opening up despite their infected cases still on the rise. It is the in thing, fashionable because clown Trump did it and so far nothing serious has happened in the USA. This nice situation could be helped by not testing too many people and keeping the numbers of infected cases low.

Singapore is also struggling between extending the partial lockdown to opening up. Slowly more businesses are allowed to open and people are starting to get to work.  And with cars so expensive, many poor and not so rich Singaporeans have no choice but to take the Slow MRT to work. And in morning rush hours, the crowded train is still a normal thing.

This puts into conflict the prohibition against social visiting. This is still banned but cramming in trains is ok. When confronted by this kind of questions that is conflicting and contradicting, this is what Lawrence Wong's reply, introducing a new phrase called 'transient risks'. Below is quoted from theindependent.sg.

'Mr Wong, who is the co-chair of the Government’s multi-ministry COVID-19 taskforce, explained that the Government is taking other precautions like stepping up cleaning, making masks mandatory and asking commuters not to talk on trains since it will be difficult to maintain physical distance on public transport.

Asserting that current precautions minimise the risk of virus transmission on trains, the ruling party politician went on to qualify public transport journeys as “transient risks” for COVID-19 since they are generally not long.

Social interactions, however, “are of a different magnitude of risk all together,” according to the Minister. Explaining why the Government implements strict restrictions on gatherings, Mr Wong said:'

Transient exposure is surely a relative term. How long is transient ok and how long is not ok. Is 30min exposure in a crowded train ok, less risk of being infected versus an hour or two at home with visitors that are friends or relatives?

According to all the reports on Covid19, as long as there is an infected person around, symptomatic or asymptomatic, a few minutes are all it takes to be infected.  So who is wiser? Perhaps if our Slow MRT is moving a bit faster, the exposure time could be lessen and the risk equally lessen. Until the day when our slow trains move at a faster speed than a snail, then this 'transient risks' could be more meaningful, I think.

What do you think?  Are 'transient risks' an alternate truth? A risk is a risk. A calculated risk, a no choice risk, a risk forced upon us because of the unthinkable population density that is going to double when the population hits 10m?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, all his tens of thousands of lies are what he claims to be the truth.

Alternatively, all the truths about his lies are what he claims to be fake news.

How did the USA have such a President is indeed the most ridiculous thing in the history of mankind!

Notably, the USA is not at all embarrassed, but the rest of the world looks on with amusement at the circus in Washington.

Anonymous said...

As they cannot afford to let the lockdown continue and die die must open up the economy, his convoluting arguments about transient risks in the trains are pure hogwash.

Anonymous said...

Lockdown means economy a dead duck. Opening up means more human corpse.

Heaven is telling us, there is someone higher up more powerful than those trying to hold the world hostage with military superiority and economic hegemony.

Anonymous said...

Just speak the truth.

Social distancing is not possible in public transport.
- and therefore your risk of getting Covid19 in public transport is higher.

Anonymous said...

You want the truth?

If you want good jobs for you and your children ... you have to vote Opposition.

Anonymous said...

Call it hope or call it Harapan?

Anonymous said...

SDP chairman Paul Tambyah set to begin tenure as International Society of Infectious Diseases president in 2022

- Singapore's Dr Paul Tambyah is good enough to be the next President of the prestigious International Society of Infectious Diseases (like Covid 19)

- But Dr Tambyah is not good enough to lead Singapore's Covid 19 response

- is it because Dr Tambyah is an Opposition politician?


https://www.onlinecitizenasia.com/2020/06/15/sdp-chairman-paul-tambyah-set-to-begin-tenure-as-international-society-of-infectious-diseases-president-in-2022/

Anonymous said...

@ 11.30am

Because of Covid-19.
Employers will hire more foreign PMETs to reduce cost.

More Singaporean PMETs will be retrenched.
New Singaporean graduates will not be hired.

Vote Opposition to stop PAP's flood of foreign PMETs into Singapore.

SSO said...

In short, Minister Lawrence Wong has shown himself to the public that he is not too bright after all. Not only that. For six months now, yet his multi-ministry team of 15 members Task Force is still unable to check the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Daily confirmed cases still hover around 400-500 cases.

Therefore, he and the other ministers in his Task Force do not deserve the $million pay.

They are not outstanding talents. Not even average talents. Average talents have common sense. They do not have common sense!

Sad. Very very sad.

SSO said...

Voting in Opposition parties to form the next government is truly "transient risk", not permanent risk.

It seems that that is what Minister Lawrence Wong is telling the voters?