We live in an open society, in which social relations are marked by individual freedom, personal responsibility, and mutual trust. In an open society, we rely on people to make their own risk assessments in matters of personal and public health, without the need to carry health certificates on them at all times, or be […]
When respected scientific experts sitting on prestigious governmental advisory committees warned citizens early last year that the only way to protect themselves against Covid-19 was to shut down their businesses and stay at home until public health officials deemed it safe to come out again, most complied, even at great personal and economic cost. The […]
“It has not yet been decided how many people can visit each other at Christmas.” So read a recent Irish Times report on the imminent scaling back of Covid restrictions. Many of us have become so accustomed to being instructed by government officials how to conduct our private life that this sort of statement, instead […]
Several Western governments, including Ireland’s, have taken it upon themselves in recent weeks to legally incapacitate a large number of citizens – in Ireland’s case, those unfortunate enough to work in the retail or pub and restaurant sectors – from opening the doors of their businesses. The rationale for such prohibitions is that we must […]
On Tuesday, the Irish government, at the recommendation of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), announced a series of new measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 and to minimize its impact on vulnerable groups. Few would dispute that Covid-19 poses a serious threat to our health and well-being, and that an intelligent and […]
Ireland has been slower than most other EU countries to re-open its borders to inward travel. A certain narrative is taking root, endorsed by prominent voices in the scientific community as well as in Dáil Éireann, to the effect that we should spare no effort in keeping Ireland “Covid-free.” This narrative has radicalized our thinking around […]
One of the most shocking elements of the global response to Covid-19 has been the involuntary confinement of entire populations to their homes – barring certain exceptional activities such as essential shopping, exercise, and medical attention. Lockdown measures of this sort are usually associated with wartime, and should not be taken lightly, not only because […]
This time last year, if someone had told me that I would soon see a pandemic sweep through the world, that I myself, and several of my friends, would contract the virus, and that citizens would be instructed to stay at home for weeks on end, with the exception of essential trips to the supermarket […]
A recent Irish Times/MRBI pre-election poll (20/1/20) has indicated that an overwhelming majority of Irish voters – no less than 75% – now want a change of government. Significantly, over one in three voters believe “it is time for a radical change of direction for the country.” Given the abysmal failures of judgment and leadership […]
Earlier this month, picking up on the 2019 United Nations Human Development Report, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tweeted out, “Worth reading. No country is without its problems but overall we’re doing pretty well. At least according to the @UN: Ireland has third highest quality of life in world…” But the amount of evidence that can […]
Former President Barack Obama last week launched a scathing attack, during an interview on youth activism, on the smug, judgmental attitude of people under the spell of “woke” culture. Obama was responding to the increasing trend of using social media to express outrage, disgust, and moral disapproval toward language and behaviour that is not politically […]