Brief Notes, 12/15/21

Brief points.

When the HBDers talk about all the scientific papers coming out of Asia, or by Asians in America, remember the following. Many, perhaps most, scientific journals (at least those in biomedicine/life sciences, which I am familiar with - but I assume other fields may be similar) request that authors supply the journal with a list of potential reviewers. In other words, the authors provide to the journal of list of people to peer-review those authors' papers. While the journals are under no obligation to accept the suggested reviewers, they very often do so, as long as the suggestions are at least superficially plausible. This of course advantages authors from ethnocentric highly networked ethnies, who have a stable of reliable "go easy on me" reviewer buddies to exchange favors with. White Gentiles do not behave in this manner and instead mostly review objectively. Also keep in mind there are a growing number of Chinese journals, well suited for easy publication of their co-ethnics.

Against anti-vaxx lies:

See this.

And this.

And also this.

Putting aside the issue of to what extent the covid vaccines inhibit infection and transmission (which, with Omicron, will be significantly weakened), let's focus on the issue of the prevention of illness and especially the prevention of severe illness. The right wing freedom brigade (you know, the same folks who don't seem to believe that freedom of association is at all important), tells us that it is purely a matter of personal choice whether a person decides to avoid self-illness and possibly hospitalization and death via vaccination. These asocial misfits seem to not understand the concept of negative externalities. If Billy Bob decides to make a stand for freedom (Jesus is King!) and refuse the "jab" and then Billy Bob ends up in the ICU with covid, does that affect only Billy Bob? What about the person who doesn't have access to those medical resources for their cancer or heart disease or whatever? What about the diagnostic tests and treatments delayed because of covid hospitalizations? Who ultimately pays the costs for Billy Bob's hospitalization? What about the economic losses from all of the Billy Bobs who are out of work? What happens if Billy Bob drops dead? Who cares for his family? There are countless societal impacts. Is Billy Bob really - REALLY - taking responsibility for all of these consequences?