Like the rest of the nation, my state of Michigan is under siege from the covid-19 virus and a loving, caring, but strict paternalistic government. Thankfully Governor Whitmer hasn't instituted martial law yet.
I thank her for that. But she hasn't taken it off the table either. So she is practicing the standard authoritarian policy of "Have gun, will nudge." As of midnight Monday all non essential stores are to be closed. All social gatherings forbidden etc. etc. I know she means well but here are some of my thoughts I wish the governor would consider
#1. is the fact that this virus transmits itself though the air. Airborne viruses are almost impossible to contain. The earth is a windy place. Even if small droplets can hover for about 6 feet, a gentle breeze can move them farther. Air conditioning and furnaces can move air around in buildings.
#2. A proper response to an epidemic is to quarantine the sick, that is, those known to be infected or exposed to the virus. But the healthy should not be quarantined. That is counter productive. Their healthy immune systems need to be out there killing the virus or slowing its spread.
In this regard, South Korea is doing the right thing. It's not shutting down its economy, but rather is unleashing its private markets in medicine and diagnostics. These in turn are mass producing things like masks, ventilators, test kits and whatever is needed.
Here in the US there were testing labs and diagnostic centers asking the CDC for permission to develop them. The CDC response? No. In fact, some of these labs were told to go get permission from the FDA first then come for permission from the CDC. Such permissions usually take 6 to 8 weeks. Meanwhile, people die. This is insane. Congress or the President needs to remove the permission granting powers from these two agencies. To his credit President Trump recently fast-tracked the permission granting powers of the CDC.
The American economy is the most productive economy in the world. It needs to be free to do what it does best; massively produce goods--like test kits and ventilators and other PPEs (personal protective equipment)--and services like delivery of these things.
A network of private labs would be working to develop vaccines. Just think of how it would be if all these private labs were free to jump in back in January.
In my view, we citizens have for way too long been turning over to government all the things we value. My generation, my father's generation, his father's generation and who knows how far back, have over time given to government all the values we hold dear and which a free market would be providing such as:
Our roads and bridges over to government infrastructure, our children's minds to public education, our health care to public health care, our insurance to Romney Care or Obama Care or what ever is coming next. We have to stop it.
Yes I'm afraid we have brought much of this on ourselves. We need to take back these things from the government and return them to the free market where it will provide for our needs and wants in abundance.
Dismantling the regulatory state, which happens to be the deep state, is in all of our interests. I think the Center for Disease Control should be completely privatized. It would make a fortune testing for private enterprise. The FDA should be completely shut down. It has been deemed the Federal Death administration. It's ridiculous waiting times for bringing new drugs to market has resulted in countless numbers of unnecessary deaths.
In the meantime I can only hope Governor Whitmer sticks to her three week deadline and even rescinds it sooner. It just isn't needed.
I thank her for that. But she hasn't taken it off the table either. So she is practicing the standard authoritarian policy of "Have gun, will nudge." As of midnight Monday all non essential stores are to be closed. All social gatherings forbidden etc. etc. I know she means well but here are some of my thoughts I wish the governor would consider
#1. is the fact that this virus transmits itself though the air. Airborne viruses are almost impossible to contain. The earth is a windy place. Even if small droplets can hover for about 6 feet, a gentle breeze can move them farther. Air conditioning and furnaces can move air around in buildings.
#2. A proper response to an epidemic is to quarantine the sick, that is, those known to be infected or exposed to the virus. But the healthy should not be quarantined. That is counter productive. Their healthy immune systems need to be out there killing the virus or slowing its spread.
In this regard, South Korea is doing the right thing. It's not shutting down its economy, but rather is unleashing its private markets in medicine and diagnostics. These in turn are mass producing things like masks, ventilators, test kits and whatever is needed.
Here in the US there were testing labs and diagnostic centers asking the CDC for permission to develop them. The CDC response? No. In fact, some of these labs were told to go get permission from the FDA first then come for permission from the CDC. Such permissions usually take 6 to 8 weeks. Meanwhile, people die. This is insane. Congress or the President needs to remove the permission granting powers from these two agencies. To his credit President Trump recently fast-tracked the permission granting powers of the CDC.
The American economy is the most productive economy in the world. It needs to be free to do what it does best; massively produce goods--like test kits and ventilators and other PPEs (personal protective equipment)--and services like delivery of these things.
A network of private labs would be working to develop vaccines. Just think of how it would be if all these private labs were free to jump in back in January.
In my view, we citizens have for way too long been turning over to government all the things we value. My generation, my father's generation, his father's generation and who knows how far back, have over time given to government all the values we hold dear and which a free market would be providing such as:
Our roads and bridges over to government infrastructure, our children's minds to public education, our health care to public health care, our insurance to Romney Care or Obama Care or what ever is coming next. We have to stop it.
Yes I'm afraid we have brought much of this on ourselves. We need to take back these things from the government and return them to the free market where it will provide for our needs and wants in abundance.
Dismantling the regulatory state, which happens to be the deep state, is in all of our interests. I think the Center for Disease Control should be completely privatized. It would make a fortune testing for private enterprise. The FDA should be completely shut down. It has been deemed the Federal Death administration. It's ridiculous waiting times for bringing new drugs to market has resulted in countless numbers of unnecessary deaths.
In the meantime I can only hope Governor Whitmer sticks to her three week deadline and even rescinds it sooner. It just isn't needed.
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