Topic: Science

Joe Biden, the New York Times, ‘Dark’ Winters, and ‘Terrifying Surges’

– November 12, 2020

“The more a country tests, the more infections that country will unearth. Doctors and other experts can decide for themselves whether relentless testing is good, bad, or not terribly relevant, but it presumably explains a lot when it comes to virus spread in the U.S. More than politicians and sub-editors want to admit, their predictions and headers are really just statements of a not so dark or terrifying obvious.” ~ John Tamny

Crisis, Economic Education, Science

Tyler Cowen Is Wrong About Great Barrington Declaration on Lockdown Policies

– November 12, 2020

“Lockdowns are being re-imposed across Europe, and we’re in increasing danger of seeing them re-imposed in parts of the United States. Ironically, if policy makers heed the advice in the Great Barrington Declaration, which Tyler disagrees with, then the lockdowns would be behind us.” ~ Benjamin Powell

Crisis, Healthcare, Science

Sweden’s “Dry Tinder” Accounts for Many Covid-19-deaths

– November 9, 2020

“People have been criticizing Sweden’s health and elder care, but the failures of the Covid-19 period are in large part a reflection of the successes during the runup. Swedes did a great job in the two-year runup to March 2020 and were then punished by Covid-19. The data are clear: In understanding Covid-19-death tolls, ‘dry tinder’ is a major factor.” ~ Jonas Herby

Crisis, Policy, Science

The 2013 Lockdown Experiment in Boston

– November 4, 2020

“In April 2013, a citywide lockdown was cancelled in less than one day owing to concerns about health & commercial costs.” ~ Peter C. Earle

Authoritarianism, Crisis, Science

Attacks on Dissenting Voices Set Back Scientific Progress

– November 4, 2020

“Learning depends on open inquiry. Thoughtful, informed people know that something is terribly wrong with the Covid-19 orthodoxy. Others have ‘nagging suspicions.’ If dissenting voices continue to be attacked by those in positions of power, there is little doubt that decades from now historians will ask, How could they have been so blind?” ~ Barry Brownstein

Crisis, Policy, Science

A Sensible and Compassionate Anti-COVID Strategy

– November 4, 2020

“We should respond to the COVID virus rationally: protect the vulnerable, treat the people who get infected compassionately, develop a vaccine. And while doing these things we should bring back the civilization that we had so that the cure does not end up being worse than the disease.” ~ Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya

Authoritarianism, Crisis, Economic Education, Science

Lockdowns as a Political Tragedy of the Commons

– November 3, 2020

“All of this because of a political tragedy of the commons created by governments who insist on their right and duty to nationalize decision-making over all the private actions and activities of the citizenry subject to their control. Maybe we need a new slogan: Locked-down lives matter, and governments should stop doing it.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Authoritarianism, Crisis, Science

Death by Lockdown

– November 2, 2020

“We attempted to intimidate a virus with PhDs and political power, hoping that it would shrivel and die, and in so doing dramatically disabled human freedom and social functioning. What do we have to show for it? Massive carnage, and a virus that is still with us.” ~ Jeffrey A. Tucker

Crisis, Media, Science

A Contagion of Hatred and Hysteria

– November 1, 2020

“The simple truth is that Covid-19 will not just go away if we continue to impose enough meaningless restrictions on ourselves. And the longer we fail to recognise this, the worse will be the permanent economic damage — the brunt of which, again, will be borne by the disadvantaged and the young.” ~ Dr. Sunetra Gupta

Authoritarianism, Crisis, Science

How Spreading Covid-19 Hysteria Will Backfire for the Covid-19 Vaccine

– October 30, 2020

“Risk can be mitigated and it can be proportional to the threat. We cannot let panic or the terrible damage inflicted on numerous populations by unwise lockdown efforts change this strategy.” ~ Michael Fumento

Crisis, Government, Science

Why So Gullible About Government in the Face of Covid-19?

– October 27, 2020

“Tamping down the Covid hysteria by making available accurate information about this disease is what well-informed and public-spirited governments would do. Yet such governments are largely mythical. Real-world governments behave quite differently.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Crisis, Economic Education, Science

Tyler Cowen Doubles Down

– October 27, 2020

“Both of Cowen’s pieces resemble the work of a mainstream journalist ignorant of market economics. The essence of economics is tradeoffs. Precious little in his two pieces talks seriously about tradeoffs.” ~ David R. Henderson