1. Lockdowns were first proposed by Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, the former head of pandemic policy for the Gates Foundation, while working for George W. Bush's White House in 2005.
2. The lockdown idea was developed by a computer scientist with no medical training named Robert Glass, who was inspired by his daughter's science fair project.
3. The decision to close schools during the COVID-19 pandemic was influenced by ideological fanaticism and fear rather than scientific evidence.
The article "How Fanatics Took Over the World" by Jeffrey Tucker provides a critical analysis of the origins and impact of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the author raises some valid points about the negative consequences of lockdowns, such as their impact on civil liberties and economic activity, the article is marred by several biases and unsupported claims.
Firstly, the author presents a one-sided view of lockdowns as an idea that was foisted upon society by a small group of fanatics. While it is true that some individuals played a key role in promoting lockdowns, such as Dr. Rajeev Venkayya and Robert Glass, it is misleading to suggest that they were solely responsible for their implementation. Governments around the world adopted lockdown measures based on advice from public health experts and in response to rising infection rates.
Secondly, the author makes several unsupported claims about the negative impact of lockdowns on public health. For example, he suggests that natural immunity is a viable alternative to vaccination without providing any evidence to support this claim. He also implies that school closures were unnecessary despite evidence showing that children can transmit COVID-19 to others and may suffer from long-term health effects.
Thirdly, the article contains several missing points of consideration and unexplored counterarguments. For instance, while the author criticizes lockdowns for their impact on businesses and civil liberties, he does not acknowledge that these measures may have saved lives by reducing transmission rates. He also fails to consider alternative strategies for controlling pandemics or address how countries with less stringent measures fared during the pandemic.
Finally, there are elements of promotional content in this article as it promotes Brownstone Institute's subscription service at its conclusion.
In conclusion, while "How Fanatics Took Over The World" raises some valid concerns about lockdowns during COVID-19 pandemic, its biases and unsupported claims undermine its credibility as an objective analysis of this complex issue.