Is this the beginning of a war with guns?
Several news sites reported that Philippine's president gave permission to the army and police to enforce lockdown by shooting those who disobey (e.g., CBC news, Channel Asia, Forbes).
'Shoot them dead' -- the permission to shoot -- is the president's reaction to protests due to lack of food in the slums. The news say protests are occurring. People took to the streets because they did not receive any food for two weeks, i.e., since lockdown.
'Shoot them dead' -- the permission to shoot -- is the president's reaction to protests due to lack of food in the slums. The news say protests are occurring. People took to the streets because they did not receive any food for two weeks, i.e., since lockdown.
Lock-down is not be enforceable in the developing world without violence since many live on day-to-day wages that go away when everything closes. They then have no reserves and no food, and go hungry -- the first to suffer from malnourishment are children because they are smaller with the youngest dying first. People who have been hungry before are aware of this and try to protest before it harms their family. Harm caused by malnourishment is never fully reversible and induces vulnerability to all disease including COVID-19. This will be true in many parts of the world -- India, Pakistan, South Africa, etc. If developing countries want to enforce the lockdown, they are likely to take the same approach since hungry people cannot be stopped otherwise. Of course, the alternative is to stop the measures that induce hunger or to make sure food is available.
What is the biggest threat? COVID-19? or hunger? or the police? will there be another war with guns that extends and cannot be stopped?
What is the biggest threat? COVID-19? or hunger? or the police? will there be another war with guns that extends and cannot be stopped?
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