3 ms·

It is a political decision. The kind leaders are supposed to make, the kind they don’t like making. A leader has to decide on either pushing early and either

It is a political decision. The kind leaders are supposed to make, the kind they don’t like making. A leader has to decide on either pushing early and either saving/condemning hundreds of thousand of lives. Or playing it safe and condemning/saving hundreds of thousands to death while we complete years worth of trials. Oh because that’s not enough pressure the economy is burning, which will cost many lives as well. It’s a horrible decision to make anyway you slice it. Politician is going to be hated no matter what. If it works, they are bad for taking so long, taking risk. If it goes south...

ip26 6y ago
I think the common understanding of a decision 'driven by politics instead of science' is making the choice in the way that most advantages your own political career, instead of the way that saves lives or the economy.
- tux1968 6y ago
  Aren't those two things essentially the same thing? The best way to advance your career is to make choices that benefit the most people. You're not going to get ahead if your decision fails to save lives or the economy.
  - ip26 6y ago
    The best way to advance your career is to make choices that benefit the most people. You're not going to get ahead if your decision fails to save lives or the economy. Is this satire, or simply your first brush with politics? The subject of the vaccine is a tidy hypothetical example. Approve vaccine (with no actual regard to efficacy or safety). Bolster confidence in the status quo, reopen economy. People feel hopeful, things look up, re-elect current administration. Whoops, turns out the vaccine is actually poison. But it's too late to elect the other guy now, and the administration retains power four more years.
  - junipertea 6y ago
    You are, if you manage to blame the other party for sabotaging you.
gilbetron 6y ago
"political decision" in this context is making a decision to approve something to increase the odds of one candidate winning. It is not "a decision by a politician" but rather "a decision with the primary motivation being political gains only".
- CodesInChaos 6y ago
  Are you sure the polled people interpreted it like that? I for one read it as politicians pushing for a quick release because the effects of the pandemic are so bad while the risk of side-effects is difficult to predict.
- treeman79 6y ago
  In part. Politicians pander to their people. Most often by promising take stuff from group A and give it to group B Killing off your constituents is usually bad for re-election. So mutual self interest.
newacct583 6y ago
What you just described is a "policy" decision, one designed to optimize for good results. A "political" decision would be one designed to increase one's support among some sort of collective-decision-making class (voters, in this context). It's sort of the opposite, in context.

ip26 6y ago

I think the common understanding of a decision 'driven by politics instead of science' is making the choice in the way that most advantages your own political career, instead of the way that saves lives or the economy.

tux1968 6y ago
Aren't those two things essentially the same thing? The best way to advance your career is to make choices that benefit the most people. You're not going to get ahead if your decision fails to save lives or the economy.
- ip26 6y ago
  The best way to advance your career is to make choices that benefit the most people. You're not going to get ahead if your decision fails to save lives or the economy. Is this satire, or simply your first brush with politics? The subject of the vaccine is a tidy hypothetical example. Approve vaccine (with no actual regard to efficacy or safety). Bolster confidence in the status quo, reopen economy. People feel hopeful, things look up, re-elect current administration. Whoops, turns out the vaccine is actually poison. But it's too late to elect the other guy now, and the administration retains power four more years.
- junipertea 6y ago
  You are, if you manage to blame the other party for sabotaging you.

gilbetron 6y ago

"political decision" in this context is making a decision to approve something to increase the odds of one candidate winning. It is not "a decision by a politician" but rather "a decision with the primary motivation being political gains only".

CodesInChaos 6y ago
Are you sure the polled people interpreted it like that? I for one read it as politicians pushing for a quick release because the effects of the pandemic are so bad while the risk of side-effects is difficult to predict.
treeman79 6y ago
In part. Politicians pander to their people. Most often by promising take stuff from group A and give it to group B Killing off your constituents is usually bad for re-election. So mutual self interest.

newacct583 6y ago

What you just described is a "policy" decision, one designed to optimize for good results. A "political" decision would be one designed to increase one's support among some sort of collective-decision-making class (voters, in this context). It's sort of the opposite, in context.