Most accounts say COVID-19 arose from the live animal market in Wuhan, possibly from bats. In that account the pandemic was an “accident” arising from negligence but not intention. In another account, dismissed by the experts as a conspiracy theory, the virus was created, and accidentally released, from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In either case, the pandemic was caused by some sort of “accident.” The main question at this moment is, how do we fix the accident?
The experts usually say that accidents are fixed by pre-planned responses from well-trained experts. So in the case of hurricanes, earthquakes, and bombings, having well-trained first-responders is the key. But Amanda Ripley in The Unthinkable shows case after case where the outcome for victims depends most on what happens in the time before the first responders respond. It depends on the alert, nimble, initiative of untrained bystanders.
What sort of society is likely to have alert and nimble bystanders: a hierarchical society where the prudent wait for approval from Beijing, or an entrepreneurial society where the bold act on their own?
The experts usually say that accidents are fixed by pre-planned responses from well-trained experts. So in the case of hurricanes, earthquakes, and bombings, having well-trained first-responders is the key. But Amanda Ripley in The Unthinkable shows case after case where the outcome for victims depends most on what happens in the time before the first responders respond. It depends on the alert, nimble, initiative of untrained bystanders.
What sort of society is likely to have alert and nimble bystanders: a hierarchical society where the prudent wait for approval from Beijing, or an entrepreneurial society where the bold act on their own?
Free to Choose a Possible Cure
Of course much is uncertain. The outcomes of racing in NASCAR, climbing Mount Everest, and launching into space are uncertain. Yet we allow adults to choose to race, climb, and launch. So, how can we forbid a patient with Covid-19 from taking experimental drugs?
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