The favored non-pharmaceutical intervention of the COVID-forever crowd seems to be limiting in-person social interactions, which are some of the most meaningful parts of being a human. A world built to maximize social distance would immiserate humanity in profound ways. It’s hard for me to even understand their worldview.
I wish I were as sanguine as you about "stolen base politics" being doomed.
> And if you try to impose it anyway, you’ll eventually have to stop, or (like Democrats in Virginia) you’ll be voted out and replaced by someone who will.
Plenty of positions where you can't get voted out. Only father time votes out supreme court justices.
For an additional data point, the entire automotive industry is still requiring (surgical) masks even in engineering offices and looks likely to hold onto that, as the official quarantine time is still 10 days despite relaxed CDC guidance. I expect that we'll be masked inside until at least the late summer but very possibly until the end of the year.
Against Stolen-Base Politics
The favored non-pharmaceutical intervention of the COVID-forever crowd seems to be limiting in-person social interactions, which are some of the most meaningful parts of being a human. A world built to maximize social distance would immiserate humanity in profound ways. It’s hard for me to even understand their worldview.
Yong is really one of the best general science journalists out there and it is sad to see him get captured by MPH, Inc.
I wish I were as sanguine as you about "stolen base politics" being doomed.
> And if you try to impose it anyway, you’ll eventually have to stop, or (like Democrats in Virginia) you’ll be voted out and replaced by someone who will.
Plenty of positions where you can't get voted out. Only father time votes out supreme court justices.
It’s like the problem progressives run into when they push Single Payer: something like 80% of Americans are satisfied with their current healthcare
For an additional data point, the entire automotive industry is still requiring (surgical) masks even in engineering offices and looks likely to hold onto that, as the official quarantine time is still 10 days despite relaxed CDC guidance. I expect that we'll be masked inside until at least the late summer but very possibly until the end of the year.
Cf https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/01/opinion/height-short.html
Great post as always!
Are you sure this is a center left column?
Seems too balanced to have either left or right attached to it.
Please continue to be the voice of The Moderate.
We see "useful" on both sides.