The conceit of the article on ivermectin by Hooper and Henderson I discussed in my prior post is that medical authorities – mostly the FDA, but also Merck, the maker of ivermectin – are wrongly denying that ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID. They raise some issues that are worth discussing. For example, they […] The post Ivermectin, redux appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
On Roe, offer to compromise with Republicans, and vilify the conservative justices
It’s hard to focus as I struggle through my second round of Covid, but a few thoughts on Roe. Compromise: Josh Marshall has been advocating loudly for the Democrats to run this year on a pledge to restore Roe. ; Maybe this is their best strategy. ; But they should consider a compromise along the lines I […] The post On Roe, offer to compromise with Republicans, and vilify the conservative justices appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
COVID is not going away, and optimism is not a plan . . .
Here is what Biden said about omicron in December: “We’re looking ahead to a brighter and happier December,” Mr. Biden said on Wednesday. He ticked through a list of actions by his administration that he said would help ensure fully stocked shelves in groceries and retailers through the holidays. Asked by reporters if he was […] The post COVID is not going away, and optimism is not a plan . . . appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
The soft anti-vaxxness of the Great Barrington Declaration
I have pointed out many times that libertarian critics of lockdowns and vaccine mandates often promote vaccine hesitancy by downplaying the effectiveness of vaccines and exaggerating their risks and the benefits of natural immunity. I had assumed that this anti-vax angle was a later addition to the libertarian playbook, a response to vaccine mandates and […] The post The soft anti-vaxxness of the Great Barrington Declaration appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
What’s going on with covid death rates by age?
I assume/hope there’s a non-scary answer to this question, but I don’t have time to figure it out, so I’ll just throw it out here . . . From the NYT today: How can cases and deaths have declined by the same amount since January, given that older and more vulnerable people have been disproportionately […] The post What’s going on with covid death rates by age? appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
Economic insecurity, redux
Several comments on my last post on the economic difficulties of the people who attacked the Capitol took aim at their characters in one way or another. I certainly do not want to defend the Capitol invaders in any way. I think they should be vigorously prosecuted. However, it is critically important to step back […] The post Economic insecurity, redux appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
Libertarian David Henderson on Trump
Yesterday, David Henderson, a libertarian economist associated with Hoover and econlib, had a post at econlib suggesting that Trump has been unfairly accused of fomenting violence. I was going to stick a link to Henderson’s piece in the comments to my earlier post on the libertarian reaction to storming of the Capitol. But when I […] The post Libertarian David Henderson on Trump appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
Status quo bias and vaccine supplies
Here is a simple thought experiment on the use of scarce vaccine supplies. Suppose that we had tested the Pfizer/Moderna vaccines with one dose per person and discovered that they were 85% effective at preventing covid-19. However, due to an administrative error, we gave some people two doses, and when we analyzed the data it […] The post Status quo bias and vaccine supplies appeared first on Angry Bear. [Read More...]
Not ageing well . . .
A month ago, when the public health community was warning about the dangers of premature opening and our reality show President was turning mask-wearing into a culture war issue, David Henderson and Jonathan Lipow decided to use precious space on the Wall Street Journal op ed page to publish an essay titled “The Data Are In: […] [Read More...]
A simple plan to produce billions of N95 masks
We desperately need to increase our capacity to test for COVID-19, to trace contacts, and to produce masks and other forms of personal protective equipment. This will allow us to keep the virus under control and to cautiously re-start economic activity as we await development of a vaccine. Unfortunately, President Trump has made it clear […] [Read More...]