See, you darned people have too much freedom that you are not willing to give up
Democracies that failed the Covid test will struggle on climate change
Efforts to address both issues are hampered by externalities and behavioural biases
The second wave of the pandemic continues to gather pace in Europe and the United States, but the optimistic news about vaccines has trumped these worries in the minds of investors.
Because they see the global boost to economic activity from the vaccine as potentially larger than any loss of fiscal stimulus in 2021, the markets have interpreted the news as a demand shock, raising bond yields and damaging the relative performance of technology stocks versus cyclicals.
For now, this seems to be a rational response. But the persistent failure of governments in the major western democracies to control the pandemic has lessons for the future, particularly for our efforts to tackle climate change.
Public resistance to lockdown measures made early and strict restrictions, accompanied by effective test, trace and isolation policies, politically infeasible in most of Europe and the US all year. But aggressive restrictions and testing regimes have worked well in Asia and the Pacific.
The comparative results are stark. The cumulative Covid-19 death rate per million of the population is nearly 740 in the US, and 760 in the UK, compared with 3 in China and 15 in Japan, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Opposition to enforced lockdowns in the major western countries is to some extent based on a libertarian belief in economic freedom. This is a legitimate political choice that is usually fully justified but has proved costly in current circumstances. Furthermore, public support for strict measures has been eroded by serious operational failings.
Now, obviously, Japan is a democracy, and a good one, but, the Japanese people can also be very rigid in bowing to authority, so, they were able to lockdown. China? Yeah, that’s more what the Cult of Climastrology wants, an authoritarian government. Does anyone actually believe the China death numbers?
The failure of most western democracies to accept these arguments for early restrictions demonstrates the potency of the behavioural biases involved and their fundamental political belief in free markets.
How dare you believe in Freedom!
The effects of climate change also increase exponentially, albeit over a much longer period than a pandemic. Time lags between cause and effect are very lengthy, making interpretation obscure to the public. Externalities are unavoidable, and apply across international borders, making them even harder to address. Human biases leave us systematically underprepared to address serious but remote risks.
The climate problem is therefore even less suited to free market solutions than Covid-19.
In other words, authoritarianism for all, and you will like it, Comrade. Or else.
Are tge anti maskers tge dame people who choose not to cover their mouth when they cough and sneeze ?
The American right has become a death cult.
There’s a difference between freedom and license. There is no constitutional right to infect others with a pandemic virus. Your ignorance and bullheadedness does not offset common sense.
Wear a mask, it’s not that oppressive. Wash your hands often. Don’t gather in groups inside. Businesses that face restrictions need to be compensated. The idea of natural herd immunity is lethally stupid. A vaccine will be distributed early 2021.
All this “advice†from someone with no knowledge of the subject.
Actually david7134, on the subject of subversion and anti American activities Elwood is an expert.
” There is no constitutional right to infect others with a pandemic virus. ”
I don’t recall anybody saying there was. But there is Constitutional rights to speech, gathering, going to church and earning a living. You want to eliminate them.
“The idea of natural herd immunity is lethally stupid.” really? And yet it works almost every time for almost every communicable disease. Had it been used with Wuhan we’d be over it by now. You leftist morons are killing people so you can train the people to jump when you say so.
Locking down healthy people is no way to treat an epidemic. You quarantine the sick and the most vulnerable, not the healthy. BTW, the more we test the more positives we’ll get, Duh! Testing positive means you have the bug in your system, that’s all. When about 50% of the positive tests are incorrect how much do they add to your phony panic? This is a Red Chinese scamdemic instituted with the Democrats to usurp the Constitution and the lawful President. All part of the coup.
If you’re willing to lie and call Slow Joe “President Elect” when you know damn well he isn’t we can no longer trust anything you on the left say. You’re all liars!
Just remember, science is all about consensus, not proof.
Jeffery likes the Deep State Dwarf’s attitude, do as you’re told.
Good if you’re a Commie, bad if you’re and American.
There’s a difference between freedom and license. There is no constitutional right to infect others with a pandemic virus. Your ignorance and bullheadedness does not offset common sense.
CDC says 95% of the people who got Peking Pulmonary Pox wore masks all the time and got it from a family member.
So much for common sense.
Wear a mask, it’s not that oppressive. Wash your hands often. Don’t gather in groups inside. Businesses that face restrictions need to be compensated. The idea of natural herd immunity is lethally stupid.
The only thing lethally stupid is you.
A vaccine will be distributed early 2021.
Only if Trump isn’t re-elected. And even then it’s iffy.
Formy please cite that figure you claim cdc said that 95% of the people who got Covid wore masks
I think you are lying
It was already cited before. Do your own homework.
Jeffery talks about how the Right is a death cult.
OK, who wants to kill babies, born and unborn, who wants to kill old people, who wants to kill off the Conservatives?
Sure aint’ us.
Freedom??
You mean line open borders ?
Freedom to hire illegal immigrants ?
Remember when the conservatives wanted to lock up anyone who tested positive for HIV ?
Freedom? You mean like freedom for a woman to control her own body ?
You mean freedom to enforce our borders with laws already on the books? You mean freedom for American workers from those taking their jobs by coming here illegally? “Conservatives wanted to…â€. In 1993 Congress unanimously renewed a law that was already on the books banning anyone with AIDS from entering the country, and signed by President Clinton. So John, not just conservatives…
Dr Scott Mengele er… Atlas calls for Michigan residents to “rise up” against the state public health policies. “You get what you accept.”
Since there is a leadership vacuum in DC, the American people need to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others.
Wear a mask. Social distancing. No large inside gatherings. Covid testing. Wash your hands.
The government does have the responsibility to provide funds for business losses and unemployment payments.
Of course President Trump has “checked out”.
BTW, America will hit a quarter million dead from Covid-19 today.
The case counts are still skyrocketing. President Trump is busy with other things, like his twit machine.
Anyone else remember the uproar when St Ronald Reagan forced states to make wearing seat belts mandatory ?
How is that different from wearing masks in public ?
Do the anti maskers enjoy their freedom to not cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing ?
No John, I don’t because it didn’t happen that way. Reagan was against that but a Supreme Court ruling went the other way https://www.history.com/news/seat-belt-laws-resistance