Trump finally got a medical adviser who doesn’t just spout the prevailing propaganda on Covid-19, and of course both he and the adviser are subject to a torrent of criticism. From Tom Howell Jr. at washingtontimes.com:
President Trump’s embattled coronavirus adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas, isn’t backing down under intense criticism that his guidance runs counter to established science.
He says his views have been distorted in media and too many people in the public eye have been “instilling fear” instead of addressing the damage caused by lockdowns on schoolchildren and workers who are less vulnerable to COVID-19.
“We know the harms are tremendous to closing schools and businesses. I don’t know why that is not front and center. That is the most important reason why I’m here,” he told The Washington Times.
He said the Trump administration has taken aggressive steps to shield nursing homes, a “tinderbox” for COVID-19, and has given Americans the protective equipment and know-how to make their own decisions about leaving their homes.
“We know who dies from this virus. It’s not equally impactful on different parts of society. Children have extremely low risk,” he said. “We also realize that small businesses have especially been hurt, including restaurants, travel, hotels and regular jobs where people do not have the luxury of working from home.”
His aggressive push to reopen the schools and businesses is resonating with Mr. Trump, who wants the country to fully reopen, but runs counter to much of the 24-hour news cycle and cautious approach endorsed by some governors and prominent federal officials. They are tallying cases and leaving restrictions in place for bars and other businesses, fearing the infection will reach the vulnerable.
Dr. Atlas, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, said the focus on cases and “stopping COVID-19 at all costs” glosses over the societal fallout from students who have been harmed by distance learning, low-income workers who don’t have the luxury of sipping coffee at home with their laptops and others hit by lockdowns.
STRAIGHT LINE LOGIC 