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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate? How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!' The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us' The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us'
The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!' The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'
The collective coordination state The collective coordination state
Test, trace, isolate, protect Test, trace, isolate, protect
Lockdown puts us on the path to totalitarian rule Lockdown puts us on the path to totalitarian rule
The state should not control the individual The state should not control the individual
The greater good must come first The greater good must come first
The UK lockdown model is false The UK lockdown model is false
Death rate predictions are rooted in lies Death rate predictions are rooted in lies
The government cannot be trusted The government cannot be trusted
Most people have already had the virus Most people have already had the virus
The pandemic will kill, lockdown or no lockdown The pandemic will kill, lockdown or no lockdown
We should relax the lines between the public and the private We should relax the lines between the public and the private
The role of the state must adapt in times of crisis The role of the state must adapt in times of crisis
Give the healthy their independence back Give the healthy their independence back
The state should end lockdown in phases The state should end lockdown in phases
We must trust Neil Ferguson's model We must trust Neil Ferguson's model
Public health supersedes any other consideration during the pandemic Public health supersedes any other consideration during the pandemic
Despot now, doughnut later Despot now, doughnut later
Lifting the lockdown will give rise to a police state, which must be avoided Lifting the lockdown will give rise to a police state, which must be avoided
Lifting lockdown forces workers to risk their lives during the pandemic Lifting lockdown forces workers to risk their lives during the pandemic
The lockdown solves a problem of private and social cost The lockdown solves a problem of private and social cost
We should stop the virus from spreading We should stop the virus from spreading
Contact tracing apps can potentially help individuals monitor their risk of exposure and transmission Contact tracing apps can potentially help individuals monitor their risk of exposure and transmission
More public health jobs would be created in the UK More public health jobs would be created in the UK
We need to support the test, trace, and isolation infrastructure We need to support the test, trace, and isolation infrastructure
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
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The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'

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Public health supersedes any other consideration during the pandemic

The fundamental role of the state is to protect its citizens. It is an aberration that anyone might argue economic growth should take precedence. As Chief Medical Officer Chris Witty has said, the only viable way out of this crisis is the discovery of a vaccine or a drug that will reduce transmission rates and impact. Any relaxation is dangerous, with the only known outcome being avoidable deaths.
Coronavirus Politics
Philip Hammond Simon Emeny Layla McCay
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The Argument

There is no question of comparing the value of the nation's health against economic growth. The two are incomparable. Lives are more important than cash.[1] The state has a responsibility towards preserving the lives of its citizens more than protecting the economy. If governments were to reopen the economy so soon, the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths would skyrocket. Most workplaces simply cannot guarantee 6 feet of social distancing for all employees. Minimum wage workers will be the most impacted by such working conditions. Since most of them lack adequate insurance or health literacy, death rates among them would surge upwards. The only time it would be safe to reopen the economy is when a vaccine or effective treatment against the disease is found. At the Imperial College of London, 300 people have already signed up to test a newly developed vaccine.[2] Volunteers are scheduled to get 2 shots every 4 weeks for an undetermined amount of time. These trials are proof that there is hope for a medical breakthrough. So, for the time being, it is wise to stay still and remain in quarantine.

Counter arguments

If reopening the economy is delayed any more than it already is, there are going to be devastating consequences. Unemployment in the UK has risen from 3.8% to 10%. [3] It is predicted that if the lockdown ends within 3 months, then the economy can still recover and unemployment can gradually drop. But, if the economy remains closed, then many businesses will simply incur too many expenses and would have to shut down. Shutting down their businesses would also mean firing many of their employees. Reopening the economy with proper and strict public health guidelines is the best way to go.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/26/coronavirus-us-economy-health-lives-trump
  2. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53061288/source.html
  3. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107870/uk-unemployment-forecast/source.html
This page was last edited on Monday, 26 Oct 2020 at 13:27 UTC

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