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According to "smart people who believe in science" groupthink, masks work. Period. It's settled science. Don't ask questions. Only deniers ask questions. Despi

According to "smart people who believe in science" groupthink, masks work. Period. It's settled science. Don't ask questions. Only deniers ask questions. Despite all the pro-mask science being based on in-the-heat-of-the-moment research done in the middle of a highly politicized pandemic. Prior to all this, the science on masks was completely inconclusive. And there was literally no research done on the effectiveness of shutting down large swaths of human life for more than a year. Though it shouldn't take an expert to deduce that it has profound negative impacts on economic, social and mental health. We are in the middle of a massive, uncontrolled experiment with billions participating without any consent. The idea that smart well meaning people are supposed all just fall in line and agree with the prevailing groupthink is almost despotic. I shudder to think of what would happen if "the experts" even so much as hinted at it being okay for people to use violence against non believers. It's terrifying, honestly.

amanaplanacanal 6y ago
Unfortunately, by the time we could actually do all the experiments to find the best ways to handle the pandemic, it would already be over. Everybody is just doing the best they can with the knowledge they have. With any luck, we will learn some things that will help us deal better with the next pandemic.
- spookthesunset 6y ago
  > Everybody is just doing the best they can with the knowledge they have. Then say that. Saying that masks work is a lie. The truth is nobody really knows. Public health officials are treating the people they work for like children. Public health officials are not our parents. We are their customers and they serve us. Big difference.
  - amanaplanacanal 6y ago
    I don’t know exactly what you mean by “masks work”, but my best guess based on the evidence available is that masks provide some protection.
- splitstud 6y ago
  We have learned, over ages, that quarantining the sick and isolating the vulnerable works about as well as you can expect. Yet we decided to do something different this time.
  - amanaplanacanal 6y ago
    I believe it was the discovery that people were contagious before they showed symptoms, plus the specter of overwhelmed hospitals in other countries, which led to the restrictions that we are seeing.

amanaplanacanal 6y ago

Unfortunately, by the time we could actually do all the experiments to find the best ways to handle the pandemic, it would already be over. Everybody is just doing the best they can with the knowledge they have. With any luck, we will learn some things that will help us deal better with the next pandemic.

spookthesunset 6y ago
> Everybody is just doing the best they can with the knowledge they have. Then say that. Saying that masks work is a lie. The truth is nobody really knows. Public health officials are treating the people they work for like children. Public health officials are not our parents. We are their customers and they serve us. Big difference.
- amanaplanacanal 6y ago
  I don’t know exactly what you mean by “masks work”, but my best guess based on the evidence available is that masks provide some protection.
splitstud 6y ago
We have learned, over ages, that quarantining the sick and isolating the vulnerable works about as well as you can expect. Yet we decided to do something different this time.
- amanaplanacanal 6y ago
  I believe it was the discovery that people were contagious before they showed symptoms, plus the specter of overwhelmed hospitals in other countries, which led to the restrictions that we are seeing.