by Ethan Yang
The American Institute for Economic Research
If you’ve read my work, I often compare the manner in which skeptics of the prevailing narratives surrounding Covid-19 are treated to something akin to the Salem Witch Trials or the Spanish Inquisition. Those who try to make a good faith and well-reasoned argument questioning the efficacy of lockdowns or the overall manner in which Covid has been handled are immediately condemned. It’s as if they spoke out against the church, not made a contribution to an important discussion.
Oxford Professor Sunetra Gupta shares her experience with such attacks in her article here. You can also find some of my commentary on related instances here and here. Clearly, none of this is productive at all. The entire idea of the scientific method and a free democratic society, in general, is rigorous debate, not orthodoxy.