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> AIER denies climate change, thinks herd immunity is a good response to COVID, and has been dismissed by public health experts. None of this is true. Frankly,

by timr 5y ago

> AIER denies climate change, thinks herd immunity is a good response to COVID, and has been dismissed by public health experts. None of this is true. Frankly, I'm not even sure what the middle part means...herd immunity is not a "strategy"; it's just a fact. It's like claiming that "gravity" is a "strategy" for landing an airplane. > So I'm really not even sure where to start It's always good to start with something that isn't a fabrication and an ad hominem.

kgarten 5y ago
All positions from AIER are mentioned on their Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_for_Economic_Research https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_for_Economi... Try to change that if you think it's wrong. Their "Herd Immunity Strategy": Keep the elder parts of the population locked up and let children and younger parts get it without vaccination: https://gbdeclaration.org/ https://gbdeclaration.org/ "In October 2020, AIER sponsored the “Great Barrington Declaration,” a controversial statement advocating for a herd immunity strategy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization and other health experts have suggested a herd immunity strategy would be “unethical,” dangerous, and deadly." More info: https://www.desmog.com/american-institute-economic-research/ https://www.desmog.com/american-institute-economic-research/
- timr 5y ago
  > In October 2020, AIER sponsored the “Great Barrington Declaration,” a controversial statement advocating for a herd immunity strategy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization and other health experts have suggested a herd immunity strategy would be “unethical,” dangerous, and deadly. Again, herd immunity is not a "strategy". It is a fact. Global vaccination is also a "herd immunity strategy", in that it tries to achieve herd immunity in the population. But now that I've cleared that up, you should also know that's not what the GBD says. Maybe you should actually read it, instead of repeating what other people say about it? This willingness to rely on hearsay explains a lot why you're eager to dismiss a page full of links to studies (which is honestly the only reason I used the AIER page), instead of, you know, considering that there might be a debate here. Obviously, it's much easier to pretend that you're right when you impugn any source that disagrees with your opinion, for disagreeing with your opinion.
  - kgarten 5y ago
    I read it. They redefined herd immunity: "We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity – i.e. the point at which the rate of new infections is stable – and that this can be assisted by (but is not dependent upon) a vaccine." https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2 if you are right, fix the Wikipedia entry ;) Did you check who co-signed it? Mr Banana Rama, Dr Johnny Bananas, Dr Johnny Fartpants, Dr Person Fakename, Harold Shipman, Professor Notaf Uckingclue, and Prof Cominic Dummings. Also the study your sit you are in good company ...
kgarten 5y ago
How about that your evidence article uses some blog posts (not peer reviewed papers) as evidence ... Surjit Bhalla, Indian economist, author and columnist, ... And does not address any articles published in that year that showed effects. Here's one: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2405-7 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2405-7 You can find way more than the "sources" your article cites. AIER is partisan and does not give you "the evidence."

by timr 5y ago

kgarten 5y ago

All positions from AIER are mentioned on their Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_for_Economic_Research https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_for_Economi... Try to change that if you think it's wrong. Their "Herd Immunity Strategy": Keep the elder parts of the population locked up and let children and younger parts get it without vaccination: https://gbdeclaration.org/ https://gbdeclaration.org/ "In October 2020, AIER sponsored the “Great Barrington Declaration,” a controversial statement advocating for a herd immunity strategy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization and other health experts have suggested a herd immunity strategy would be “unethical,” dangerous, and deadly." More info: https://www.desmog.com/american-institute-economic-research/ https://www.desmog.com/american-institute-economic-research/

timr 5y ago
> In October 2020, AIER sponsored the “Great Barrington Declaration,” a controversial statement advocating for a herd immunity strategy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization and other health experts have suggested a herd immunity strategy would be “unethical,” dangerous, and deadly. Again, herd immunity is not a "strategy". It is a fact. Global vaccination is also a "herd immunity strategy", in that it tries to achieve herd immunity in the population. But now that I've cleared that up, you should also know that's not what the GBD says. Maybe you should actually read it, instead of repeating what other people say about it? This willingness to rely on hearsay explains a lot why you're eager to dismiss a page full of links to studies (which is honestly the only reason I used the AIER page), instead of, you know, considering that there might be a debate here. Obviously, it's much easier to pretend that you're right when you impugn any source that disagrees with your opinion, for disagreeing with your opinion.
- kgarten 5y ago
  I read it. They redefined herd immunity: "We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity – i.e. the point at which the rate of new infections is stable – and that this can be assisted by (but is not dependent upon) a vaccine." https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2 if you are right, fix the Wikipedia entry ;) Did you check who co-signed it? Mr Banana Rama, Dr Johnny Bananas, Dr Johnny Fartpants, Dr Person Fakename, Harold Shipman, Professor Notaf Uckingclue, and Prof Cominic Dummings. Also the study your sit you are in good company ...

kgarten 5y ago

How about that your evidence article uses some blog posts (not peer reviewed papers) as evidence ... Surjit Bhalla, Indian economist, author and columnist, ... And does not address any articles published in that year that showed effects. Here's one: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2405-7 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2405-7 You can find way more than the "sources" your article cites. AIER is partisan and does not give you "the evidence."