To Lockdown or not to Lockdown?

Someone pointed out this very interesting debate over lockdowns the other day. One author argues that the lockdowns have caused far more harm than good and will go down as one of the great policy mistakes in history; the other counters that they have in fact saved numerous lives and that things would be far worse without them.

Both writers are sensible and make good points. It's not short, but it is interesting reading. I incline toward the lockdowns-have-been-necessary side of the debate myself, because I am persuaded that coronavirus is indeed considerably more deadly than an ordinary flu. But it is a good argument, and especially worth considering now that we are facing questions about how and how quickly to open things back up again. In general, it nicely illustrates one of the central problems of public policy, how to make decisions under conditions of uncertainty. (The same problem, incidentally, explains why the pandemic is and must be a political issue, not simply one that can be resolved by experts.)

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Chinese Painting

The Wall Street Journal has been running some interesting articles under the heading of "The Staying Inside Guide," offering suggestions for artistic or cultural resources to view online during the pandemic. Yesterday I came across an interesting one entitled "Immersive Painted Worlds," on Chinese painting, about which I know virtually nothing. (The article may be behind a subscription firewall.) The article has an impressive number of links to various things online, and I watched the first couple, a pair of 15-minute videos from a former BBC program called "The Culture Show," which together form an episode on "The Art of Chinese Painting." I thought they were quite interesting. The first episode introduced me to the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang , which I had never heard of before. Located in the Gobi Desert, they contain a wealth of wall paintings and statues that are well over 1000 years old and were unknown to the outside world for cen...

Church Again

Maybe I should take a temporary break from posting about things I'm reading to write about something else for a change. How about church? Today was the second Sunday we were permitted to return to church in person again. Last week I was there just with a few of my children, today the whole family was back. It's not quite the same, of course. Everyone is required to wear masks. And of course there is social distancing enforced, with many pews blocked off. For now we are permitted to operate at only 25% of capacity, which in our small parish means no more than 31 people present. (Though we can sneak in a few more if need be by having my family sit up in the choir loft with me.) To make sure we don't exceed the limit, we have set up a system for people to reserve a spot if they want to attend, which they do by contacting yours truly. I then keep a list. So far it hasn't been a problem, though--I don't think word has fully gotten ...

Paris Cafes Open Again

Now this is good news: I just read in the Times that cafés in Paris are once again able to open for outdoor service . I've never even been to Paris, but that is still a welcome sign. I have written before--it probably deserves another reflection sometime--that this lockdown has not been a big deal for me. I worry about the college, and naturally I'm not thrilled about a salary cut forced by the college's losses. But in terms of my day-to-day life, the lockdown is more or less irrelevant. It makes grocery shopping more of a pain, and it keeps me away from my office, but otherwise interferes with little that I want to do. But the thing that I do miss is the opportunity to get to Europe once in a while. I had to cancel a planned trip to Germany with students over Easter. And this very morning, as it happens, I was supposed to arrive in Poland for a conference of the Austrian Studies Association. Alas, those trips were not to be. And ...

Plague Time

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