Against the “Noble Lie” – COVID-19 Edition

Alex NowrastehThe main political conflict in recent years is between experts or elites and non ‐​experts. For lack of a better word, the non ‐​experts are called populists. Their complaints have been specific: Elites and experts are arrogant, they have different values, they condescend in annoying ways, they ignore the sometimes legitimate concerns of populists, among others. Experts say that they should be listened to because they’ re more knowledgeable. We see it in debates on every issue from climate change to trade, immigration, and everything in between.The COVID-19 pandemic exposes another criticism of experts: They lie with noble intentions. And the consequences of those noble lies are quite negative.A recentNew York Timesop ‐​ed by Zeynep Tufekci exposes the danger of noble lies when it comes to limiting the transmission of COVID-19. She details the claims by public officials and health experts that masks don’t limit transmission. She wrote:Many health experts, no doubt motivated by the sensible and urgent aim of preserving the remaining masks for health care workers, started telling people that they didn ’t need masks or that they wouldn’t know how to wear them.Those claims were simply untrue. Yes, healthcare workers need masks, but masks also reduce transmission outside of hospitals and clinics. Sick people who wear masks reduce their likelihood of transmitting the virus and healthy people who wear them reduce their likelihood of becoming in...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs