HotAir sings the praises of Vinay Prasad today, a man remarkable chiefly for his insistence on data and properly conducted experiments before he buys into the daily exciteable expert pronouncement. The feds probably need to round this guy up.
I've never listened to Mr. Prasad before, but I like his content and delivery. I appreciated his comment about how you don't try to push something like boosters on the mere ground that there's something bad out there you're worried about. You're responsible for arguing that this new measure (1) will make the bad thing better and (2) won't have side effects greater than the good effect. The opposite, in other words, of the standard "We have to do something. This is something. We must do this."
T-99: [i]the standard "We have to do something. This is something. We must do this."[/i]
Sounds like: Here we sit in a branchy row. Thinking of beautiful things we know; Dreaming of deeds that we mean to do. All complete, in a minute or two— Something noble and grand and good, Won by merely wishing we could. Now we're going to—never mind. Brother, thy tail hangs down behind the standard "We have to do something. This is something. We must do this." .... By the rubbish in our wake, and the noble noise we make, Be sure, be sure, we're going to do some splendid things!
I'm encountering the same kind of thing in my county about stray dogs. The shelter has reverted to being a kill shelter. I try to persuade people not to take stray dogs there. But the stray dogs need help, they say. No doubt they could use some help, but if taking them to the shelter means they (or some older resident they're displacing) will be killed, then how is that helping? But I have to do something, they say. OK, how about actually helping the dog? I couldn't possibly, no time, no space, no money. So we're back to killing it, in order to help? Sometimes, if you can't really help, you're better off butting out.
https://committeetounleashprosperity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/240313_CTUP_COVIDCommitteeReport_Doc.pdf
ReplyDeleteI like the wheels. It really does feel that way; and given the replication crisis, who knows if any of it is true?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, Tex. This is a round-up I haven't seen before and it's very useful.
ReplyDeleteI've never listened to Mr. Prasad before, but I like his content and delivery. I appreciated his comment about how you don't try to push something like boosters on the mere ground that there's something bad out there you're worried about. You're responsible for arguing that this new measure (1) will make the bad thing better and (2) won't have side effects greater than the good effect. The opposite, in other words, of the standard "We have to do something. This is something. We must do this."
ReplyDeleteT-99: [i]the standard "We have to do something. This is something. We must do this."[/i]
DeleteSounds like:
Here we sit in a branchy row.
Thinking of beautiful things we know;
Dreaming of deeds that we mean to do.
All complete, in a minute or two—
Something noble and grand and good,
Won by merely wishing we could.
Now we're going to—never mind.
Brother, thy tail hangs down behind
the standard "We have to do something. This is something. We must do this."
....
By the rubbish in our wake, and the noble noise we make,
Be sure, be sure, we're going to do some splendid things!
I'm encountering the same kind of thing in my county about stray dogs. The shelter has reverted to being a kill shelter. I try to persuade people not to take stray dogs there. But the stray dogs need help, they say. No doubt they could use some help, but if taking them to the shelter means they (or some older resident they're displacing) will be killed, then how is that helping? But I have to do something, they say. OK, how about actually helping the dog? I couldn't possibly, no time, no space, no money. So we're back to killing it, in order to help? Sometimes, if you can't really help, you're better off butting out.
ReplyDelete