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I think it’s good to see cases dropping which indicates that vaccines might be very effective beyond a certain point. But I wouldn’t start the celebrations jus

I think it’s good to see cases dropping which indicates that vaccines might be very effective beyond a certain point. But I wouldn’t start the celebrations just yet. What we could also be seeing is a drop from what was an extremely high peak caused by the Euros. The UK was seeing 50k+ cases, which is equivalent to 250-300k cases in the US, a threshold the US never reached even before the vaccine was ever created. Also, Boris Johnson had gambled many times. And it has cost tens of thousands of UK lives. Flipping heads twice on 9 tries is not something to be thrilled about.

mrkramer 5y ago
Allies gambled with Hitler and it costed them millions of life but history is written by the winners. It seems like politicians like to gamble in general not only with money but with people's lives.
- loopz 5y ago
  Many countries set the example of taking precautions before risk and gamble. They've done well handling the pandemic and there's not much economic difference in the end.
smorgusofborg 5y ago
The trouble with giving non-technical leaders direct control and responsibilities for outcomes (as opposed to background people management roles with mostly indirect credit) is that the only way for them to demonstrate their "leadership" skills, which become the only requirement for their position, is by making decisions that stand out from ideas suggested by competent technical staff.
- jjeaff 5y ago
  Going against expert recommendation gets attention, and that's about it. I think a good leader stands out by selecting good technical advisers getting their input, weighing the options and compromising between conflicting suggestions of those experts (e.g. doctor says shut down, economists say shut down will be disaster). And most of all, a good leader articulates the decision they made well and gets everyone in the leadership team on the same page, singing the same song, and leading by example (like wearing a mask in public) so that the people they lead follow along.
salamandersauce 5y ago
The US peaked at 300K cases in January. They're still trending up right now.

mrkramer 5y ago

Allies gambled with Hitler and it costed them millions of life but history is written by the winners. It seems like politicians like to gamble in general not only with money but with people's lives.

loopz 5y ago
Many countries set the example of taking precautions before risk and gamble. They've done well handling the pandemic and there's not much economic difference in the end.

smorgusofborg 5y ago

The trouble with giving non-technical leaders direct control and responsibilities for outcomes (as opposed to background people management roles with mostly indirect credit) is that the only way for them to demonstrate their "leadership" skills, which become the only requirement for their position, is by making decisions that stand out from ideas suggested by competent technical staff.

jjeaff 5y ago
Going against expert recommendation gets attention, and that's about it. I think a good leader stands out by selecting good technical advisers getting their input, weighing the options and compromising between conflicting suggestions of those experts (e.g. doctor says shut down, economists say shut down will be disaster). And most of all, a good leader articulates the decision they made well and gets everyone in the leadership team on the same page, singing the same song, and leading by example (like wearing a mask in public) so that the people they lead follow along.

salamandersauce 5y ago

The US peaked at 300K cases in January. They're still trending up right now.