There is a lot of conflicting information about Sweden. Some claim that “open” Sweden has no higher infection and death rates than its neighbors, a claim contradicted by this report: https://www.zerohedge.com/health/swedens-covid-19-handling-failure-or-success
Others tauting the “open” Swedish model ignore that according to the Swedish Riksbank de facto the Swedish economy is closed. Sweden has experienced a sharper drop in first quarter GDP than the US, with the Swedish economy down 11%. The Riksbank’s estimates are a 70 percent decline in restaurants and cafes, a 90% decline in cinema, sports, and other crowd events. a 40% decline in car sales, a 23% fall in exports, a 30% decline in shoes and clothes purchases, a 75% drop in Swedish recreational travel.
The “open” Swedish model is a bet on herd immunity which at our present state of knowledge is merely an assumption.
Still others ignore population densities. What might succeed in a low density area would produce a different outcome in high density New York City.
It appears that arguments reflect the authors’ preferences, not the facts.
Some people think the virus is a hoax concocted to serve various agendas. Others think the threat is overblown and that the response is a result of fear and panic. Others understand that little is known about the virus, are confused by disputes about how to treat it, and puzzled by its differing effects on individuals. The claim that it doesn’t affect children is at odds with reports from pediatric hospitals.
President Trump and the neoconservatives are determined to blame China for manufacturing the virus in the Wuhan laboratory despite the fact that the US knew about the research and contributed to its financing, which was approved by Dr. Fauci himself. So when Trump and the warmonger neocons point at China the finger also points at the US.
Paul Craig Roberts
3 comments:
Sweden is the default model. Protect vulnerable groups and allow a virus to take its course. The Western Hysteria model is the new experiment, whose outcome is unclear, in terms of mortality rates. The tally will include deaths due to the virus + economic disruption.
Sweden is closed in some parts but far from all. It’s an export nation with a larger public sector than other countries. Export is down and money given to companies to survive but it’s as in rest of the west; large companies who could survive on their own are’s also given money while their stock owners are taking out profits right in the middle of the crisis.
SKF got millions from the five to pay salaries while at the same time gave billions to shareholders.
Small companies are struggling or are closing down with no help.
It’s the neoliberals in charge and they look after them self’s in first, second, third, forth, fifth, sixth......hand.
Of course PCR don’t see Sweden as a model. He hates public spending no matter what.
SKF got millions from the government to pay salaries while at the same time gave billions to shareholders.
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