Elites Need a Reality Check

It started with hard-core cynics. Then came the rednecks, then blue collar people, and now the middle class is joining in. I'm talking about people who realize most of those making public health decisions not only have no idea what they're doing, but they don't realize they have no idea.

"This product is an ear loop mask, this product is not a respirator and will not provide any protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus) and other viruses or contaminants."

Some of their magical thinking would be funny if people weren't suffering:

From Portland, Oregon: "We’re seeing the number of people hospitalized going up at rates we’ve never seen before,” said Peter Graven, Ph.D., lead data scientist in OHSU’s Business Intelligence unit. “We had hoped to see the new statewide masking mandate make a difference in flattening the rate of infection, but we’re not seeing that yet.”

I noticed that people in the building trades, who probably wear masks for work or know people who do, were the first to shuck the cloth masks. This hit home when my fabric mask let in enough plaster dust to make me cough when I was replacing my bathroom fan.

From Cleveland, Ohio: [University Health], Cleveland Clinic CEOs worry COVID-19 vaccine mandates could lead to staff reduction, endangering patient[s].

Most of us instinctively know that people respond to incentives (or disincentives). The janitor could have told the CEOs that some of the staff would leave if they had to take a vaccine they didn't want--especially during a nursing shortage when they can find other work.

From the American Academy of Pediatrics:

Heckuva job, American Academy of Pediatrics.

AAP, Aug 5: The Delta variant presents pressing risks to kids, so we urge the FDA to accelerate vaxx approval for ages 5-11.

AAP, Aug 26: There's no evidence that Delta is causing more severe disease in kids than previous strains.
— Don Wolt (@tlowdon) August 27, 2021

I could have told them that. A friend of mine who has kids and common sense could have told them that. Heck, even an upper middle class person I talked to today didn't think the booster shots meant much for himself--and he's no youngster.

The pandemic didn't bring about this credulity and lack of common sense among "experts." James Randi observed in 2009 that academics and reporters were the most susceptible people to magical thinking. "They are over confident in their ability to understand how things work..." Children, he said, were the least susceptible because they were very concrete and didn't expect things to happen with hand-waving. I would add that rednecks, blue-collar people and anyone else who has to make things work on a daily basis generally don't expect things to happen with hand-waving. I say all this as a former engineer--a member of a group of that's full of magical thinking.

We've had a year and a half to see who's getting COVID, observe the results of masks, restrictions and lockdowns, and we have six-month vaccination results from other countries. At this point, believing in non-medical grade masks, lockdowns, school closures, and COVID vaccines for kids and mandated vaccines for adults is magical thinking. You might as well wear garlic to keep from getting sick. The only things I still see people doing--regular people at the hardware store and take-out places--are social distancing and staying home when they're sick.

Why do people believe in magic and fantasy? James Randi said,

Ultimately it’s not about intelligence or lack thereof. It’s about people not wanting to accept that life is random, suffering is inevitable, and there is no good reason for bad things happening.

It's almost like he had a crystal ball.

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