If Half the Country’s Deaths Were in Montana, Would New York Shut Down?
To most New Yorkers, to leave New York is to leave the center of the world; it is leaving relevance for irrelevance.
According to The New York Times coronavirus report, as of Sunday, April 19, 2:48 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, there were 35,676 COVID-19 deaths in the United States. Of those deaths, 18,690 were in the New York metropolitan area.
(The New York metropolitan area is generally regarded as consisting of the five boroughs of New York City, the five New York State counties surrounding New York City—Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Orange—and the populous parts of New Jersey and Connecticut.)
That means that more than half (52 percent) of all deaths in America have occurred in the New York metropolitan area.
What makes this statistic particularly noteworthy is that the entire death toll for 41 of the other 47 states is 7,661. In other words, while New York has 52 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in America, 41 states put together have only 21 percent of the COVID-19 deaths. And all the 47 states other than New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have less than half (48 percent).
Now let us imagine that the reverse were true. Imagine that Georgia and North Carolina—two contiguous states that, like the New York metro area, have a combined total of 21 million people—had 18,690 COVID-19 deaths, while metro New York had 858 deaths (the number of deaths in North Carolina and Georgia combined).
ht/ c. steven tucker
It all has to do with population density, and forced use of public transportation. Even now, Japan, which has one of the highest population densities, is supposedly getting a second wave if infections.
“Escape from New York” was a documentary ?
Now they tell us.
“buy” … sheesh
Pandemics have occurred throughout history, and many scientists believe that they will occur repeatedly in the future. This China virus, while widespread, seems like a fairly mild pandemic as pandemics go, but what happens if there is an extremely communicable virus that has a mortality rate of 10% to 30%?
While I understand Mr. Prager’s argument about elitism, the fact remains that New York and other major congested cities will always bear the brunt of any pandemic. Rural or sparsely populated states and areas will experience some of the effects, but the fact remains that people in New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles all live on top of each other, and dangerous viruses just don’t have to work as hard as they do in Montana or Arkansas.
Fortunately, this China virus seems benign enough that urban dwellers aren’t scared enough to try to escape. But if something as dangerous as the bubonic plague or the Spanish flu hits and people start dying before they can get to a hospital, we are likely to see an urban migration that will be as dangerous as the pandemic itself. That is why New York needs to be more concerned about this type of thing than Montana, Wyoming or South Carolina.
Of course it’s rhetorical question. Not only would New York City NOT lock itself down if the situation was reversed with N&S Carolina but bet your ass there’d be a slew of slews and insults along the lines of “Where’s your god now?” or it’s a good thing when the herd of Trump’s supporters are thinned out.
Maybe Rick “the punk” Wilson could redo his rube accent on CNN and tell his geography & book joke.
SNL would be sure to come up with some equally tasteless shit. Anderson Cooper could work in his teabag slur too.
The list is endless, they’d revel in the curb stomping.
I live in Saskatchewan. When I moved here 6 years ago to retire, most of the people who I knew, thought I was crazy. “Why move to the middle of nowhere?” But I have been surrounded by horseshoes, own (with no mortgage) a lovely home, live in a good neighbourhood and have great neighbours. The only downside is travel requires a trip to a larger city to catch a flight to my destination. But since that only happens once every 12-18 months, it is “no big deal”.
Saskatchewan (above Montana and North Dakota) has had 320 cases, of which 4 resulted in death. We currently have 62 active cases and that number goes down daily. The most deaths in Canada are occurring in Quebec and in Ontario.
New York wasn’t even smart enough to shut down their subway. Because of that I don’t think they should have a voice in any of this.
The egocentric view of NYC, by New Yorkers, has been going on for at least two generations, some artwork to back that up:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_of_the_World_from_9th_Avenue
https://www.citylab.com/design/2015/07/a-new-yorkers-delightfully-stereotypical-map-of-america/400142/
As usual Prager is spot on and I say that as a native NYer as is he.
So spot on, Rushbo brought him up today, I am not sure I have even heard that?
@Diffrent Tim – the emergency service workers use the subways to get back and forth to work for the most part. That’s their excuse anyhow.
These NY assholes gush ever onward about how great, diverse, vibrant, and welcoming that shithole is.
All of that is why the virus likes it so much.
Fuck you New York.
New York. It’s a HELL of a town.
No. They would just make jokes about the dumb hicks deserving it and how much better they are than the ones dying. Empathy is not in the deck of cards they play with.
Apparently, you have to kill NY-ers to get their attention.
@Dadof4 – you have my attention. And that is only with a 2 x 4.
I live here, NYC edge.
Ga-head make your case.
Horatio Prim
If you’re looking for a fight, you’re not going to get it. If you don’t know NY-ers have this better-than-everyone-and-we-know-better attitude on a broad scale – not every freaking one of them – then you’re just in denial. Good grief! Middle America is derogatorily referred to as “flyover” country” by NY-ers. Meaning THEY AREN”T IMPORTANT TO US. Are you about to extol the virtues of and brag about NY-ers as rebuttal and completely deny it? Then that’s what it looks like from the inside.
Say what you want. You can have the last word. I won’t respond again, but a single one was needed. You’re not getting a fight here tonight. It is what it is.
@Dadof4 – where did I say fight fellow father??
I DO understand the elitist attitude that comes from NYer’s, but this is the same for Boston, Philly, LA, San Fran etc. to your point. Just think regional sports attitudes?
But Flyover Country people, maybe you maybe not, have this pre-existing notion of people, that are from NY or actually still live in NY, as being arrogant or something??
Yeah maybe there are those, but in Manhattan or parts of Crooklyn, those places are FLOODED with people from Fly Over Country so be careful. Turns out? THEY ARE THE KNOW IT ALLS. The ‘children’ that come to NY…SLAP and wake up.
We, the outer borough NYers, do not bite contrary to popular opinion ‘we’ just don’t walk away from a fight, a discussion if you will.
And if you need help it will be provided maybe you just have to be lucky, like any other place, and run into the right person.
In my experience many people are fucksticks. That idea comes from many years living on the east coast, and a few years living on no coast.
The only time I ever got telephone calls from the east coast motherfuckers was when they wanted a new motor, a new 220 outlet, a rebuilt transmission, a shitter ejector in the basement, a tree cut down, jackhammer work, how to build a deck (although they couldn’t just listen — I had to be there to build it).
I went out to MO and the ‘phone never rang again. Not even, “Happy Birthday, you fucking cunt!”
In the no coast territory I’m a non-entity.
I’m not being fair to the people who do love me as the asshole I really am. My Parents and my Father’s brother, my Uncle, call me frequently.
And none of them ever ask anything but how the family is doing.
#A Erik
You’re just like Trump.
You may be an asshole, but you’re OUR asshole.
LOL