As we continue to struggle with Covid, some aspects of our nation’s and state’s responses to the pandemic have been troubling. This week’s about-face of a number of Democratic governors who are now calling for the re-opening of the economy should be deeply concerning to anyone paying attention. The numbers, both cases and deaths, are not going down, but they are ready to reopen. Here are a few stories.
- Democratic Governor Cuomo says some COVID restrictions may be lifted imminently
- TUES: Governor Says Schools Will Re-Open And Calls For More Spending on Public Schools
- Gov. Whitmer administration: Plan is to reopen restaurants Feb. 1
Why did they do this? Why now? (I am asking this rhetorical question because the answer need not be spoken.)
I believe that Covid is a terrible problem that we have handled terribly at all levels of our government. What was happening in the rest of the world and in our own country while we were staring at one variable (i.e., Covid numbers)? This book, The Price of Panic, seeks to answer this question. It was done quickly, and is wrong about some medical guesses concerning the future of the virus. Most notably, hopes that the asymptomatic infection rate will lead to quicker herd immunity seem to be false. Set that aside. The deep questions of the book still have to be considered. What if we destroyed much more than we protected with our Covid reaction? What if our reaction–like a student’s overactive allergic reaction to nuts–harms or kills our Republic? Richards, Briggs, and Axe make this very case. It is one worth considering.