-
-
A Pro-freedom Approach to Infectious Disease
The government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was a failure on nearly every level. Initially dismissive of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus, government officials quickly reversed course and went into panic mode. Their response to impose a lockdown. This is the not the American way. “A Pro-Freedom Approach to Infectious Disease: Planning for…
-
An Unnecessary Crisis
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease expert Dr. Amesh Adalja wrote that the impending crisis was entirely avoidable. Despite warnings from Dr. Adalja and other experts, public officials refused to listen until it was too late. Driven by panic at a crisis they ignored for too long, policy makers are considering imposing…
-
Risks and Values
All of us must make choices in life. All of us must choose the values that we believe will bring us happiness. We must choose the means for attaining those values. And we must also weigh the risks associated with our pursuit of those values. Infectious disease expert, Dr. Amesh Adalja addresses this issue in…
-
By What Standard?
During the lockdown, businesses that were declared “non-essential” were prohibited from opening. In Texas, liquor stores were considered essential, but hair salons weren’t. By what standard was a business considered essential? Like many aspects of the lockdown, government officials weren’t very transparent regarding their criteria and standards. Instead, they issued dictates and expected the masses…
-
Without Property Rights, Flourishing is Impossible
The economic shut down has exposed a fundamental truth that few are willing to acknowledge: Without property rights, flourishing is impossible. This is true of individuals, and it is true of societies. The right to property means the freedom to create, use, keep, trade, and dispose of material values. This is precisely what the shut…
-
When we Disagree
Rational people do not always agree on the proper course of action. They may not possess the same knowledge of the issue or put more emphasis on some facts. They may have different values or goals. When rational people disagree on the proper course of action, they attempt to persuade one another. They present facts…
-
Protecting the Weak by Shackling the Strong
Many critics of opening the economy claim that it means sacrificing the weak. The truth is, not opening the economy means sacrificing the strong–those who can and produce the values that all of us–weak and strong alike–want and need. Regardless of our risk level, we must consume values in order to live. And before values…
-
An Insensitive A-hole
Even in normal times, it can be extremely difficult to make certain statements without being considered an insensitive a-hole. In these days of a pandemic, that has become even more true. Those who question the government’s actions are quickly labeled as caring more about money than people. But sometimes such statements need to made if…
-
Facts vs. Fear
A recent study conducted in New York State concluded that 13.9 percent, or about 2.7 million, of the state’s residents have been infected with the coronavirus. That number is ten times higher than the state’s official count of 269,000. While government officials were quick to point out that these are preliminary results, it supports a…
-
Altruism and the Economic Shutdown
A growing number of individuals are calling for an end to the economic shutdown. But with only a few notable exceptions, virtually nobody is questioning the moral code that gave rise to the economic shutdown. Virtually nobody is questioning the morality of altruism. As a moral code, altruism demands that we place the welfare and…
-
Tough Times
Tough times demand tough talkDemand tough heartsDemand tough songs Rush, “Force Ten” Tough times do demand tough talk. They demand an honest discussion of the issue at hand, all of the alternatives, and an explicit awareness of the full context. This is true of us individually and as a society. Tough times do demand tough…
