Things I’ve learned these weeks…
A story from a doctor or nurse treating Covid patients is compelling, but it shan’t direct policy or big-picture decision-making.
A story of someone gently and comfortably recovering from a minor case of Covid is compelling, but it shan’t direct policy or big-picture decision-making.
A story of adaptation and thriving in quarantine is compelling, but it shan’t direct policy or big-picture decision-making.
A story of absolute ruin brought on by quarantine is compelling, but it shan’t direct policy or big-picture decision-making.
Statistics, biology, economics, social science and a deep understanding of the role of government, no matter how impersonal and cold, in any direction, shall direct policy and big-picture decision-making.
Individual action, within the confines of policy and big-picture decision-making, can and should be informed by stats, biology, economics, social science, and anecdotes. We are a largely responsible citizenry. We have individual liberty and power to effect great change.
Policy and big-picture decision-making shall be driven by outcomes, not methodology. Desired outcomes will be identified by cold, cruel calculations. And averaged, generalized, oversimplified values. By design, half the population should find the desired outcome to be too conservative and half should find the desired outcome to be too aggressive.
What you think should be done will depend on what you think the outcome should be. It is a lot easier to think about what should be done than what the outcome should be.
Good scientists should inform good mathematicians. Good mathematicians should inform policy makers. Good policy makers should inform good government executives. Good government executives should execute.
Good communicators should seek good information from good executives, good policy makers, good mathematicians and good scientists. Good communicators should inform the public.
Good citizens should seek information from good scientists, good policy makers, and good communicators. Good citizens should represent themselves, scientists and mathematicians to good policy makers.
