8 Comments

I am beginning to enjoy The Line and the sane response to much of the insane political rhetoric that flows from politicians and main stream media, not to forget the health experts report so called scientists that supply the infamous models. I have only one thought as to models and the very words from the writer of this article. “But these models — at least as they have been displayed to the public — aren’t science. They’re communications, and communications intended to persuade politicians into making specific policy changes, and the rest of us into adopting particular behaviours at that. If we were less kind, we’d call them something else.” Reminds me of the models that are prepared and announced to the public on climate change. Need I say more.

Expand full comment

There is some insightful and well reasoned journalism at TheLine. Most of what has been written lately on the pandemic does not fit particularly well into that category. To the extent that much of the media can be accused of peddling disaster porn, much of what is written here on that topic can be characterized as Anti-Establishment porn. Instead of “you should all be scared” it is “you should all be angry and trust nothing”. I have read here that locking down at all was unnecessary because of vaccinations to the government missed the boat by not blocking flights from India earlier than it did. How do those two views mesh?

Not sure what the point of assessing inaccurate modelling is if 800 and counting ICU patients is considered significant. Does it mean that locking down isn’t necessary or that it is? (or is it, as Marylou contends, a way of convincing us that modelling of any sort is not to be trusted) On what basis, then, would TheLine suggest future action be taken?

Expand full comment

Maybe they should have prepared an additional model showing the effect of models that are so dire, they scare the absolute crap out of everyone.

Expand full comment

You guys forgot to mail my digital news subscription tax slip for my payments in 2020. You must be on the state-approved list, right? Right?

Expand full comment

I love The Line. Glad I subscribe. It would be one of the two last to go if I had to drop subscriptions, the other being Action Cookbook.

Expand full comment