November 17, 2020

Dear reader,

The nation surpassed 11 million reported COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with the daily average of new cases up by 80% from just two weeks ago.

A New York Times headline yesterday read “With 11 Million Cases in the U.S., the Coronavirus Has Gotten Personal for Most People.” The article refers to “a pandemic so widespread that every American knows someone who has been infected.”

Throughout his campaign, President-elect Joe Biden touted he would lock down the entire country again if that’s what his scientific advisors said to do in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board said Americans should start preparing for a Biden lockdown, and suggested the country should close again for four to six weeks.

Yet we remember all too clearly how six weeks turned into 12… and spring became summer and then fall… and of course we’re still nowhere “back to normal.”

And what of the already failing businesses that haven’t even begun to recover from being shut down (or are still closed)? Not to worry, the government could borrow enough money to pay for a package that would cover lost income for individuals and businesses during a shutdown.

So, the economy will be hit twice by a lockdown and then even more bloated borrowing and printing dollars out of thin air? Seems wise…

Even leaving money out of it, we’re not sure the U.S. could pyschologically or emotionally handle another lockdown… And this one would be in the dead of winter, with cold days and long, dark nights.

In more positive news, drugmaker Moderna announced on Monday that its coronavirus vaccine was 94.5% effective, based on an early look at the results from its large, continuing study. Researchers said “the results were better than they had dared to imagine.”

Enough vaccine for about 20 million people would be ready sometime in December, with the first doses going to health care workers, emergency medical workers, and elderly residents of nursing homes. A vaccine that would be widely available to the public is still months away.

Here today with more on the many complicated facets of the COVID-19 pandemic is former U.S. Congressman and American Consequences contributor Dr. Ron Paul…

Will Biden Listen to the Science?

By Dr. Ron Paul

Former Vice President Joe Biden has not been officially declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, but that has not stopped him from forming a coronavirus task force. The task force is composed of supporters of increased government control.

One idea Biden and his task force are considering is a four- to six-week nationwide lockdown. However, supporting a nationwide lockdown would violate Biden’s campaign pledge to “listen to the science.” The evidence regarding lockdowns is so overwhelming that even the World Health Organization (WHO) has been forced to admit the truth: lockdowns do more harm than good.

Lockdowns result in more instances of depression, suicide, domestic violence, and alcohol and drug abuse. Lockdowns also cause people to not go to hospitals or doctors’ offices, leading to people dying because they failed to obtain medical assistance in a timely manner.

Biden also is working with governors, mayors, and other state and local officials to create a de facto national mask mandate. Biden has also declared he will mandate mask wearing in all federal buildings and for people traveling interstate.

A mask mandate for interstate travel could mean you will be required to wear a mask on airplanes, trains, and even when driving in your own car if you cross state lines.

Yet again, Biden is ignoring the science. In this case, the science has demonstrated that most masks are ineffective at preventing the spread of a virus. Medical science also shows that wearing a mask for extended periods of time can cause health problems. For example, mask wearing interferes with proper breathing. Long-term mask wearing may also cause serious dental problems.

Ironically, major victims of mask mandates include low-wage workers Biden and his fellow progressives claim to care so much about. Many of these workers are required to wear masks on the job.

Biden has also proposed raising an army of “culturally competent” contact tracers. According to the University of California, San Francisco, which is helping train California’s contact tracers, contract tracers “…ask questions related to topics that can be sensitive, including health, work, living arrangements and food resources” in order to identify someone who should be quarantined.

These contract tracers could also be able to enforce masks or other mandates – including a potential vaccine mandate – by helping ensure that those who refuse to comply are indefinitely quarantined.

Biden is not the only politician pushing authoritarian “solutions” to coronavirus. The government of Washington, D.C. is considering authorizing vaccinating of children without parental consent. This ignores the science that some people will have a negative reaction even to a generally safe vaccine, so individuals should make their own decision in consultation with their physician.

This is especially important these days, as we are dealing with a vaccine that is being rushed into production for political reasons and that even the manufactures admit will have serious side effects.

Lockdowns, masks, and other authoritarian measures do little or nothing to promote health. Instead, they erode freedom and create their own health problems. Those who know the truth must make Joe Biden and other authoritarians listen to the true science.

While those more at risk – such as the elderly and people with certain health problems – could be encouraged to take extra precautions, all Americans should be given back the liberty to make their own health care decisions.

Dr. Ron Paul is a former member of Congress and former presidential candidate. While in Washington, D.C., he was one of the few voices advocating for limited government, individual liberty, and sound fiscal principles. He is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book The Revolution: A Manifesto and End the Fed.

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Regards,

Laura Greaver
Managing Editor, American Consequences
With P.J. O’Rourke and the Editorial Staff
November 17, 2020