Prisoners about to be executed are sometimes asked what they want for their last meal. (I used to fantasize about what I would want — maybe grouse served with a ‘66 Romaneé-Conti — until I learned the choices were limited to like, steak.) Scott Atlas — he of “herd immunity” fame — wants to condemn a lot of people to have turkey for their last meal.
On Fox News, Dr. Scott Atlas encourages large holiday gatherings: “For many people this is their last Thanksgiving”
DR. SCOTT ATLAS: This kind of isolation is one of the unspoken tragedies of the elderly who are now being told don't see your family at Thanksgiving. For many people this is their final Thanksgiving, believe it or not. What are we doing here? I think we have to have a policy, which I have been advocating, which is a whole person, whole health policy. It's not about just stopping cases of COVID. We have to talk about the damage of the policy itself.
Good question: What are we doing here? Starting with not recognizing that you’ve just shot off your foot while it was in your mouth.
Side note: I have a former colleague (not State) and current Facebook correspondent who is adamant that she is the QUEEN (her caps) of her own home and the government has no right to tell her what she can and can’t do in it. She insists she knows how to guard against Covid and no damn government is going to tell her what to do. (Forget about the fact that she learned how to protect herself because of the government.) I keep corresponding with her mainly because it’s important to know how these people think. And once in a while she calms down and admits I have a point.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Stanford University, normal locale of the hapless Atlas, has just about had it:
The university has been asked to comment on recent statements made by Dr. Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution who is on leave of absence from that position.
Stanford’s position on managing the pandemic in our community is clear. We support using masks, social distancing, and conducting surveillance and diagnostic testing. We also believe in the importance of strictly following the guidance of local and state health authorities.
Dr. Atlas has expressed views that are inconsistent with the university’s approach in response to the pandemic. Dr. Atlas’s statements reflect his personal views, not those of the Hoover Institution or the university.
That’s academic-speak for “You fucking idiot! Shut up before you get more people killed!”
Enjoy your socially-distanced, Zoom-attended Thanksgiving!