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The data didn't evolve, though. The only thing that ever changed was the political winds. Throughout this whole pandemic, experts have bent over backwards to de
by cltby 5y ago
The data didn't evolve, though. The only thing that ever changed was the political winds. Throughout this whole pandemic, experts have bent over backwards to defend and justify political decisions--and most humiliatingly, decisions that _directly_ contravene their prior advice. Two examples:
- Experts encouraged the George Floyd protests because "racism is the real virus," despite their prior anti-protest stance. Given the apparent magnitude and seriousness of the problem, it's curious they only noticed in May 2020.
- In Washington, there was a big battle around opening schools. Public health authorities insisted that this was a verrryyy fraught process that needed to be handled veeerrrryyy slowly and veerryyy carefully. In the middle of this, Gov. Jay Inslee suddenly demanded that the schools be opened in a matter of weeks. The authorities weren't perturbed in the least: after all, they suddenly claimed, "we've known all along that the risk to children is very manageable".
Most people understand that mistakes happen, and they are generally forgiving when those mistakes are acknowledged and corrected. But it's plain to see that the sort of "expertise" that's being held up is deeply and pathologically broken.
- Sohcahtoa82 5y agoPoliticians don't make decisions based on the opinions of experts, they make them based on what they think is going to win them the next election. Yeah, public health authorities might be saying we need to be careful with reopening schools, but if 70% (This is an example number pulled out of my ass, not an actual poll number) of the population wants schools to reopen because parents are tired of their kids being home all day, then dammit the governor is going to reopen the schools, expert testimony be damned.
- cltby 5y agoThe governor isn't the bad guy here. It's the supposed experts whose "neutral" opinions are politically contingent. Parents: open the schools. Experts: no, it's unsafe. Progressive politician: open the schools. Experts: great idea sir, just as we've been saying all along!
- Sohcahtoa82 5y agoI don't think I've seen any experts saying to open the schools. I'm sure you could cherry-pick a few doctors saying we should open them (And Fox News will absolutely give them a megaphone), but you can find doctors that think MMR vaccines cause autism. But the overall consensus AFAIK has always been to keep the schools closed.