Here comes "the spike..."

The Doctor 4 Liberty joins the show of ideas to disucss trade-offs during
the COVID-19 lockdowns.

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Like clockwork, we are now seeing a modest spike in COVID-19 cases in states like Arizona, which mostly avoided the first wave of infections that hit big cities like NYC. The lockdown pre-empted many people from getting sick early only, flattened the curve, and delayed the inevitable. Now the spike in cases, and accompanying blip in fatalities, is being hyped by the media to stoke fear and continue lockdowns indefinitely.

Dr. Jeffrey Singer is one of the handful of “voices of reason” I turn to during times like these. The founder of Valley Surgical Clinics in Arizona has joined my show many times to discuss the “seen versus the unseen” in areas like the opioid epidemic. The news tells us all about the overdoses, but never talks about those living with chronic pain who are denied necessary prescription painkillers from their doctors because of draconian regulations.

Likewise, with COVID, we are seeing “Bastiat’s Law” writ large across the entire economy.

Jeff was recently interviewed by Reason’s Nick Gillespie, in which he presented a case study in that which is seen vs. that which is unseen (COVID edition #1,427):

"At first, [Singer] says, the idea was "flattening the curve," or slowing the rate of infection so medical providers were not overwhelmed by the number of cases. Now, he says, the discussion is about making sure no one gets infected, an unrealistic goal for a viral infection in the absence of a vaccine."

Jeff and I pick up where they he and Nick left off – talking about the recent spike in Singer's home state of Arizona - and whether it's something to worry about relative to other causes of death, such as suicides caused by economic desperation, cancers gone undiagnosed or treated, or preventable diseases from children who are falling behind on their vaccination schedule. The last thing we need is a measles epidemic on top of COVID.

We also discuss Jeff’s recent article in the Washington Examiner and the unseen costs of one-size-fits-all government policy.

Don’t miss the live shows – Sundays, at 8am PACIFIC TIME - streaming live online and broadcasting on AM stations across the West Coast. Or subscribe to get the podcast/read the transcript next week – newsletter subscribers get my free PDF guide to the administrative state, The Shallow State.

Links:

Even in a Pandemic, Elective Surgery Doesn’t Mean Nonessential, May 15, 2020, Cato Daily Podcast

That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen by Friedrich Bastiat

Will This Novel Virus Revive Older Ones? | Cato @ Liberty, May 9, 2020. 

Jeffrey A. Singer discusses how solely focusing on COVID-19 is hurting other patients on the Reason podcast, with Nick Gillespie

@Dr4Liberty, Follow Jeff Singer on Twitter

Related Shows:

Unprepared: Government Failure at the CDC/FDA with Alex Tabarrok

Big government can't save us from coronavirus with Jeffrey Tucker, February 2020

How to Stay Sane as a Libertarian on Lockdown, with Jacob Sullum, March 30, 2020

The Single Most Common Economic Fallacy in COVID-19 Reporting, with Don Boudreaux, April 5, 2020

The Other War on Drugs, with Jessica Flanigan, Aug. 10, 2018

The Shallow State:

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