The 2006 Origins of the Lockdown Idea

American Institute for Economic Research ^ | May 15, 2020 | Jeffrey A. Tucker

[george76]

We didn’t lock down almost the entire country in 1968/69, 1957, or 1949-1952, or even during 1918. But in a terrifying few days in March 2020, it happened to all of us, causing an avalanche of social, cultural, and economic destruction that will ring through the ages.

There was nothing normal about it all. We’ll be trying to figure out what happened to us for decades hence.

How did a temporary plan to preserve hospital capacity turn into two-to-three months of near-universal house arrest that ended up causing worker furloughs at 256 hospitals, a stoppage of international travel, a 40% job loss among people earning less than $40K per year, devastation of every economic sector, mass confusion and demoralization, a complete ignoring of all fundamental rights and liberties, not to mention the mass confiscation of private property with forced closures of millions of businesses?

Whatever the answer, it’s got to be a bizarre tale ... this mess was invented 14 years ago, and not by epidemiologists but by computer-simulation modelers. It was adopted not by experienced doctors – they warned ferociously against it – but by politicians.

...

it was a high-school science experiment that eventually became law of the land, and through a circuitous route propelled not by science but politics.

...

That explains why Dr. D.A. Henderson, “who had been the leader of the international effort to eradicate smallpox,” completely rejected the whole scheme.

...

Dr. Henderson was convinced that it made no sense to force schools to close or public gatherings to stop

....

The answer, he insisted, was to tough it out: Let the pandemic spread, treat people who get sick and work quickly to develop a vaccine to prevent it from coming back.

[Rurudyne]

“ How did a temporary plan to preserve hospital capacity turn into two-to-three months of near-universal house arrest that ended up causing worker furloughs at 256 hospitals, a stoppage of international travel, a 40% job loss among people earning less than $40K per year, devastation of every economic sector, mass confusion and demoralization, a complete ignoring of all fundamental rights and liberties, not to mention the mass confiscation of private property with forced closures of millions of businesses?”

To try to defeat Trump and let politicians who set policy snap up investments for pennies of the dime ... what else?

[FreedomNotSafety]

Time for the Fearpers to weigh in with:
Hockey Stick death graphs
Case fatality rates
Shutdowns save lives
Listen to the Experts
A new scary story everyday
Lots of data about the spread.
We need shutdowns to protects us (the gang at home drawing government checks).

Now they are explains that they never agreeed with it getting to this point. They just wanted a little gov enforced safety.

[happytrumper]

but did A CERTAIN SEGMENT of the USA think about the advantage of having mail-in elections? HMM? or how it could have enabled the socialist idea ? HMM?

[foreverfree]

Bump

[foreverfree]

There was a big flu in 1949-52? That’s news to me. Please explain, folks.

[norcal joe]

Also, we were told how China locked up their citizens, and the curves quickly flattened off with only a few thousand deaths. So we must do the same.

[foreverfree]

Never mind - it was polio... [Blush]

[Buckeye McFrog]

Listen to the experts. HA!

No group has more thoroughly humiliated itself in this episode than so-called experts.

[Edward Teach]

"Also, we were told how China locked up their citizens, and the curves quickly flattened off with only a few thousand deaths. So we must do the same."

...and people were dumb enough to believe the numbers coming out of china?

[george76]

As you sit at home ( house arrest with no court order from a judge) watching the media lie about covid death counts, please note the CDC guidance is : any death where the disease is *assumed* to have caused ..

[george76]

Trish Regan said that this China virus was another impeachment scam against Trump all over again..

Then, Fox Business ( RINO Ryan ) pulled her show

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

The quarantine was supposed to slow the expected growth of the virus, and prevent healthcare facilities from being overwhelmed.
The politicians and the epidemiologists set the goalposts.
Well, the virus grew and the nation totally shut down : jobs, economy, sports, conventions, schools, restaurants, group meetings, etc.,etc.
Then the Federal government provided the PPE's, respirators, ventilators, and necessary medical equipment and staff
that the States were supposed to already have, and rescued the States.
The Fed emergency response was there as backup due to the States not being sufficiently prepared; instead, the Fed became the primary supplier.
Due to the computer program contagion 'guestimate', many of the States became panicked, and so the Fed supplied additional mobile hospital equipment and staff.
At last count, the Mercy ships treated only 15% of their capacity as did the Javits Center, and other mobile hospitals some of which became totally ignored.
The politicians and the epidemiologists relied on a theory, and an unproven computer program ,
and now they want to adjust the goalposts so that they can maintain control of the population, as they consider themselves our "betters".

That is why the computer axiom of applies:" Garbage in,..garbage out", or GIGO.
Politicians and epidemiologists relied to heavily on unproven computer programs for control of this virus.
Now the same GIGO computer programs are telling us all about the "Climate Change" model.
No wonder why the Liberals want to increase taxes to fight Climate Change from and equally unproven computer program.
"Fool me once,..shame on you ;
Fool me twice,..shame on me ".

[george76]

Democrats, like Bill Maher, told us how much they crave an economic collapse as a way to get rid of Trump

[reformedliberal]

...wanted a little gov enforced safety.
_____________________________________________
Which they got good and hard.

Hope many will be able to admit that they were played. It’s part of becoming mature.

[reformedliberal]

Garbage in,..garbage out”, or GIGO.
___________________________________________

Or, as seen today:”Garbage in, GOSPEL out.”

[livius]

Very interesting article.

[Vendome]

I’m convinced most people who are fearper types are not being affected by this economically so, they don’t see down the road how this really is hurting and loved ones

[silverleaf]

Fabulous historical overview of policy decisionmaking
Thanks for posting

[silverleaf]

Except...people earn nothing cant pay taxes
D’ oh!

Economics is also a science