As the pandemic stretches into months then seasons, perhaps years, it becomes less the exclusive preserve of healthcare professionals and ever more the playground of other experts, especially those who cast is as an economic crisis.
In the business section of today's Globe there's an article about four leading economists who wrote a paper for Brookings contending that, in the event of a Covid-19 second wave, there is no justification - economic or epidemiological - for another round of lockdowns.
In the comments section, two readers drew upon this same quote from John Kenneth Galbraith:
"The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable."
Good one, JKG.
The masses love predictions especially from economists or soothsayers.
ReplyDeleteThe problem then becomes that they are often believed much more than the facts around the issue.
We have only to look to Alberta to see the effect of soothsayers!
Previous soothsayers gave BC site C!
TB
The 'Dismal Science'
ReplyDeleteAmen
ReplyDeleteMelbourne is into its second lockdown now. There isn’t any reason to believe this won’ happen here and especially the US. Won’t surprise me at all. Anyong
ReplyDelete