UPDATE 10/31/20, 7:50 PM: I just checked the three video links below and found (not surprisingly) that YT had deleted them. Sorry.
Are you sick and tired of your new life under COVID-19 restrictions?
If your life has changed at all because of the new rules, I’m pretty sure you are.
I’ve had the feeling for some time that what we’re doing just isn’t right - and not just because it’s different and because I don’t care for it. There’s this other feeling deep down inside that I’ve found hard to explain. Part of the problem is that I don’t have enough knowledge about all that’s going on.
Fortunately, I think I’ve found someone who has the right words to explain it for me. In the interview at the link below, Alex Epstein says just about exactly what I would have said if I knew all that he does.
https://tomwoods.com/ep-1627-lockdowns-vs-human-flourishing-is-there-another-approach/
For those who don’t consider this significant enough to listen to, here are some of the more important points he makes. That said, I really hope you’ll take the time anyway.
The figures you hear about the death rate (or whatever phrase it’s termed as) are anything but certain. Here’s the formula most often used.
Death Rate = Deaths / Diagnosed cases
The “Deaths” number could easily be way too high because of what some people include in it. The “Diagnosed cases” figure could easily be way too low.
You do the math.
Epstein asserts that the government’s purpose is to protect our freedom. Note that there’s a period at the end of that sentence. That’s really all the government should exist to do. It’s purpose is not to extend people’s lives.
I agree. Don’t construe that into meaning that he or I want your grandma to die. Nothing is further from the truth.
He also says that with our freedom, we decide how to sustain our lives, including how to make different kinds of risk / reward trade-offs.
In certain cases (like epidemics), the government should intervene because, if this continues in a certain (bad) way, it will restrict our freedom.
In the case of COVID-19, should we be trying to eliminate it at all costs? ALL costs?
Trying to eliminate it is not compatible with human freedom or human flourishing. We should try to manage it, to slow the spread. We should isolate the most vulnerable, not everyone. Why isolate everybody when the virus is targeting certain demographics? Such action is destroying many people’s lives. Doesn’t that matter too?
The government could legislate specific virus protection measures, best practices, that have been proven to work, whether it’s masks, 6 feet, or whatever.
Again, what we’re doing now doesn’t feel right. There has to be a “Door #3”, Monty. (For the younger reader, this is a “Let’s Make a Deal” TV show reference, not a movie reference.)
Whether you listen to the longer interview above or not, you really, really should watch this shorter video. The interviewer asks all the questions you and I have been wanting to ask someone with all the answers. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has almost all of them and admits that no one has one of the biggest answers that you’ve heard on the news.
https://youtu.be/-UO3Wd5urg0
Spoiler: If you didn’t listen to the interview just above, I’ll let you know this much: There is a reason to hope that this may mostly, if not all, be over relatively soon.
If you want to know more, click. (These are not affiliate links. I wouldn’t try to make a buck off this kind of thing.)
UPDATE Interview #1: https://youtu.be/d6MZy-2fcBw [Deleted by YT.]
UPDATE Interview #2: https://youtu.be/lGC5sGdz4kg [Deleted by YT.]
I guess these two interviews can be considered Parts 1 and 2. They have the same interviewer.
Be sure to adjust the playback setting to 1.5x as they are still very listenable at that speed.
UPDATE Interview #3: https://youtu.be/NjjybyJ59Lw [Deleted by YT.]
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