Caution Is the Safest Policy

Caution Is the Safest Policy

Paul Craig Roberts

Many commentators are interpretating the reopenings as signaling the end of the pandemic.  Many of these commentators are those who deny the reality or seriousness of Covid-19, or deny the need for, or effectiveness of, the closedowns and social distancing and the need for, or usefulness of, masks.

The pandemic and the official responses have aroused suspicions that it is all a plot to further advance the police state that has been advancing on us since 9/11.  Others stress that it is a manufactured opportunity for Bill Gates’ mass vaccination program and multi-billion dollar profits for Big Pharma.  Whether or not the pandemic is a contrived plot, it is certainly being used to advance various agendas, including conflict with China.

These suspicions and beliefs have dangers of their own as they promote a lack of caution. For example, the belief that the crisis is over or was never real can leave us unprepared for a second wave as can the belief that the virus is burning out or mutating to a less dangerous form.  These beliefs are not supported by the experience with the Spanish Flu.  The second wave was more deadly than the first as the virus had mutated to a more dangerous form ( https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence ).  See also Pale Rider by Laura Spinney.

The notion that the pandemic is a contrived crisis is inconsistent with its worldwide extent and with the data compiled and reported by Johns Hopkins University.  As of the present time prior to a possible second wave there are more than 5,690,000 cases and 355,000 deaths. Of all countries the US has the highest number of cases and deaths ( https://sputniknews.com/world/202005281079438354-covid-19-live-updates-coronavirus-global-death-toll-surpasses-355000-case-count-nears-57-million/ ).

Moreover, many people remain sick. The US with 1.7 million infected, 100,000 fatalities and 391,508 recovered, has 1.2 million still sick with the virus. Yes, I know, there are data problems including under- and over-reporting.  Nevertheless, we know from the pressure the virus put on medical care and funeral services in heavily infected areas, such as Wuhan, New York City, and northern Italy, that the numbers are large. 

Another misconception is that the young are more or less unaffected by the virus and should be free to go about.  According to the World Health Organizaton’s Regional Director for Africa, “In terms of those who are infected [in Africa], younger people tend to be the majority who are infected, people between the ages of 25 up to about 45 years” ( https://sputniknews.com/world/202005281079438354-covid-19-live-updates-coronavirus-global-death-toll-surpasses-355000-case-count-nears-57-million/ ). Moreover, just because the young have a lower mortality rate does not mean they should be free to move about and spread the virus among those with a higher mortality rate.  Public policy can never be built upon narcissistic selfishness.

As we know little about the virus, and as the low-cost effective treatment of HCQ/zinc is under attack for being in the way of vaccination schemes and Big Pharma’s profits, greed can keep people dying until we accept Big Pharma’s profit-driven agenda.

For stating the obvious, conspiracy theorists will say that I am part of the conspiracy and morons will say that I favor a permanent lockdown, whereas what I actually advocate is caution.  

We need caution both about the health danger of the disease and the danger of its use for agendas that do not serve the public interest.  When we know so little about the virus, caution is the safest policy.

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