Nearly a week after Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine began being used in Great Britain, the vaccine will start being used in America today. The delay was caused because Pfizer had to obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before it could release the vaccine. In the meantime, an unknown number of Americans died from…
When the lock downs were first enacted, we were told that it was a necessary step to “flatten the curve.” If everyone stayed home, spread of the coronavirus would slow. Eight months later new cases are now hitting 200,000 a day (versus less than 30,000 a day when the lock downs started). Clearly, the lock…
Defenders of lock downs often claim that individuals won’t do the “right” thing without such coercive measures. They believe that if individuals aren’t forced to stay home, many—if not most—will engage in irrational and irresponsible behavior. We must compel them to do the “right” thing. But when it comes to our individual lives, the right…
Many Americans wonder why some countries, such as China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have dealt with the pandemic effectively while other nations are suffering massive deaths. This question was recently asked on Quora, and one response stated: It’s not rocket science. There is no mystery here. China isn’t doing anything that any other sensible…
Writing for Forbes, Dr. Paul Hsieh notes that both the National Basketball Association and Disney World have been able to re-open and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The key was rigorous testing, contact tracing, and isolation of the infected. The economic self-interest of both organizations motivated them to take precautions for employees, vendors, guests,…
Dr. Amesh Adalja, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, offers President-elect Biden advice for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 has demonstrated, new deadly viruses can spread quickly and easily around the globe, causing significant loss of life and economic ruin. With nearly 200 epidemics occurring each year, the…
Philosopher Ben Bayer rejects the common notion that refusing to wear a mask is inherently selfish. In fact, he argues, wearing a mask is often the selfish thing to do. The problem, he says, arises from a widely held misconception about the meaning of selfishness. But if selfishness also means the dedicated pursuit of one’s…
The economic devastation from the lockdown continues to create more victims. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia estimates that by the end of the year, 1.34 million renter households will owe a combined $7.2 billion in back rent, or an average of $5,400 per household. Because of the moratorium on evictions imposed by the Centers…
At The Objective Standard, Aaron Briley addresses the anti-American ideas underlying Black Lives Matter. Many seem to regard BLM as a humanitarian organization that fights on behalf of the downtrodden—as a nonviolent movement dedicated to protecting the rights of vulnerable citizens. However, this is not true. Founders and leaders of the organization advocate an ideology…
On Tuesday, Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resorts, issued a statement criticizing the California government’s lockdown orders. And he didn’t “play nice” or grovel. We have proven that we can responsibly reopen, with science-based health and safety protocols strictly enforced at our theme park properties around the world. Nevertheless, the State of California continues to…
In late September, William Foege, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a letter to Robert Redfield, the current director of the CDC. In the letter, Foege calls on Redfield to “face the truth.” In a period of six months, the CDC has gone from the gold standard in…
An editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine provides a sobering and accurate assessment of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Covid-19 has created a crisis throughout the world. This crisis has produced a test of leadership. With no good options to combat a novel pathogen, countries were forced to make hard…