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Webcams to Enforce Singapore Quarantine
magarity writes "Singapore has hired a private security firm to install internet connected webcams in homes of persons quarantined for SARS in order to watch them to see if they go out. They are considering adding electronic wristbands as well. 9 of the 490 persons have broken the quarantine despite a fine of 10,000 singapore dollars ($5,621US). Just over 100 people worldwide have died from SARS so far."
So, who wants to take bets on how soon people will hack into these government quarantine webcams and then blackmail people to keep their private lives from being publicly displayed?
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Looks like we may get lucky this time -- hopefully. If a real killer virus hits, we're all doomed. :(
4% is a damn high mortality rate, especially considering we don't know how it's spread. And it could easily climb. Did you look up the remission/cure rate too? AFAIK, noone has 'got over' SARS.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
That's what they're doing here in Toronto. People that are refusing to obey the voluntary isolation are being forcibly confined. Some are also being changed by police. /. uhh, I mean working.
In fact one school and an office (HP in markham) have been closed because people refused to obey the voluntary isolation.
I even have family that works in one of the hospitals downtown. There's a lot of FUD about SARS on the news, but I'm not worried. I don't know anyone who's sick and while there are a few new cases being announced, the spread isn't rapid. So I'll just keep reading
This is left as an exercise for the reader.
Singapore is to authoritarianism as Sweden is to Socialism. It makes it look very nice and attractive and proves that it's a viable way to run a country. Singapore is Ashcroftism taken to a whole new level. Before you dismiss it, you have to deal with Singapore.
That being said, there's much to criticize in either example, and of course just because one place gets it right; a) doesn't mean it will work everywhere, and b) doesn't mean you would personally want that offal where you live.
NB, I am not saying that Sweden and Singapore are completely comperable, just that they are the standout "see, it's not so bad" exemplars of their respective political philosophies. Although both are well-kempt and relatively free of gum on the sidewalks. And both have controls on the content of movies and television. And both allow gun-running if you're rich en--ok, I'll stop.
Yes, but the flu is already beyond containment. Tell me, if we had a reasonable chance of eliminating the flu through a few hundred quarantines for a few weeks, wouldn't you agree it was worth it? What about the common cold? I certainly would think thats a pretty good trade-off.
Jeremy