Dennis Prager argues US lockdowns were misguided, contrasting Finland's strict approach with Sweden's looser strategy. Finnish health official Arto Palmu said Sweden's method could end the epidemic faster despite higher mortality. Prager questions why governments shut down bars but not alcohol sales, and warns that protecting the elderly at all costs may weaken immunity and harm society.
They have not allowed the, the natural progression of the virus in Finland, and they'll suffer for it in a second wave. The spread is already a bit limited. If the disease spreads too slowly, it will take forever until we have overcome this pandemic. It's naturally good that old and sick people don't die, but this is a balancing act. Okay, which is a euphemism for what we do all the time in making policy. The moment you raise the speed limit, people will die. You know, of all the truly despicable things on the opinion page of the New York Times, I think the lowest of the low was the Republicans are the party of death. Was it Richard Egan? Timothy Egan? This is the moral and intellectual level of most of the people who write at the New York Times. You know, it's an amazing thing. When you're a kid, everyone goes through this. You're a kid, you think, whoa, adults know things. Then you become an adult and you realize how many other adults have not grown up. If you don't grow up, you have a much better chance of writing at the New York Times. Than if you do grow up. Grown-ups understand that there are prices paid. So is every state— why doesn't— why isn't every state's motor vehicle authority considered a death authority? Because they raise the speed limits, people will die. You want no highway deaths, and there are tremendous numbers of those. You want no highway deaths, then you just have a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit or ban cars, which many on the left would like to do anyway. Incidentally, what is the left's argument against prohibition? You know, prohibition saved lives, saved families, saved people from abuse. A lot of good things happened during Prohibition. Why isn't— that's government authority to suppress a dangerous thing that kills people. Why— what is the argument of a leftist who thinks that it's okay for Newsom to shut beaches in California? What is the argument against the government shutting down bars and banning alcohol? Can you— do you know what they are? I don't know what their argument would be. Do you? Because I always try to think, what is the— what is the answer to the charge that I just advanced? And I, I can't think of one here. It saves lives, use government authority. Now their argument is This is an unknown. This is an unknown. Okay, all right, so all right, but in principle it's the exact same thing. Use government authority to save lives. Ban alcohol, right? I mean, look, they did. They were— they're certainly okay. That's why I told you, it starts with the little stuff. Burbank, California, you can't smoke a cigar in a cigar store. Hey, we are going to use government authority to tell you what you can't do health-wise, and Americans overwhelmingly supported it. Okay, my friends, I was right, you were wrong. You want— you don't want to smoke in a cigar store? Don't go in. Who the hell are you based on the idiocy of secondhand smoke as a killer And if it's a killer, my God, alcohol is a much bigger killer. There's no comparison between cigar or between secondhand smoke and alcohol. I'm not talking about cigarettes directly. That is dangerous. Though two-thirds of cigarette smokers live as long as they would have lived if they didn't smoke. By the way, did you see the article about nicotine might be a help in combating coronavirus? Did you see that? Didn't get much attention, did it? Awesome, I agree with the guy, the oldest World War II vet died last year in Dallas. Some of you may recall Dallas paper interviewed him. About 106 or something. What's the secret to longevity? And he was a man after my own heart. God. What did he say? God and cigars. Yeah, God and cigars. That's what my father's secret was. God and cigars. 96. He would have lived longer, my dad, but my mother's death, uh, had a terrible impact on him. They were together for 72 years, married 60 69. Yes, indeed. So I wanted to read you about this from the Helsinki Times, what he said. Salminen reiterated that he does not believe it is possible to suffocate the epidemic and that a vaccine is unlikely to be completed by year-end, let alone by the autumn. The Health Security Authority has warned the government of the possibility of a larger second wave of the coronavirus. Arto Palmu, a research manager at the authority, told Dagens Nyheteren that a second wave of cases is practically unavoidable. Sweden has taken a less heavy-handed approach. This is from the Finland paper. In the fight against the new coronavirus, imposing only limited restrictions and not locking down the country. While its death toll from the virus currently stands at 2,355, estimates indicate that herd immunity could be reached in the coming weeks in its capital, Stockholm. Yep, they made a mature decision in Sweden, apparently. Salminen on Monday said to TT— what's TT? I don't know— that Sweden's strategy can lead to a higher mortality rate but also the epidemic dying out more quickly. You hear that? This is the head of health in Finland. Which has been very successful in keeping the number of deaths very low. And he is saying Sweden's strategy can lead to a higher mortality rate, but also the epidemic dying out more quickly. Wow. You're getting sick just staying indoors for, for 2 months, just telling you your immune system is getting weakened. It has— there's no question. You see, everybody is less relaxed. Everybody. In the best of situations, you shouldn't be in your house for 2 months. In the best. I have the best. I have an example of the best, and it's not good. It isn't good. And, uh, We have opted for only one criterion: keep the number of deaths as low as possible. And for most Americans, that sounds so moral and reasonable because mature people are a premium. Mature people ask, what is the price?
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