My latest in PJ Media:
One of the worst aspects of the ongoing Covid hysteria, among many, is that the mask requirement has made airline travel even more uncomfortable and annoying than it already was. But at the beginning of December, the mask mandate for air travel was extended through March, and it is certain to be extended beyond that as well, as the political and media elites show no sign of giving up their hysterical fearmongering anytime soon. Dr. Peter Hotez, director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, who can always be counted on to stoke Covid fears among the lumpenproletariat, appeared on CNN Thursday to disparage mask skeptics as the foes of science and levelheadedness that everyone knows they are.
“We have data from the National Academy of Sciences published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a systematic review,” Hotez insisted. “And we also have randomized clinical trial designs out of — that were done in Bangladesh by Stanford and Yale. So the data supports use of the masks, use of masks.”
Yet despite all this sweet reason, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly and American Airlines CEO Doug Parker have dared to question the need for masks on planes, and Hotez was fuming. “But, also,” he continued, “why say this now, when we have the most transmissible variant of all accelerating? I don’t know. Some of these CEOs, they have the emotional intelligence of a doorknob. I don’t know why they would say that kind of thing.” Hotez did not mention, of course, that the omicron variant, while highly contagious, is extremely mild, a fact that the purveyors of the current hysteria are trying desperately to conceal.
Meanwhile, Hotez’s choice of words was extraordinarily revealing. “Emotional intelligence,” he said. The CNN sycophant who was interviewing them didn’t ask Hotez about this, and that is a shame. What does “emotional intelligence” have to do with the supposedly irrefutable results of scientific studies demonstrating the efficacy of masks? Hotez’s words were telling: he betrayed the fact that the mask mandates are not actually based on solid scientific fact, but on emotions. The masks are really just symbols, signals to others that one is taking the Covid threat seriously, and behaving as a responsible citizen. But they are more safety theater than they are safety measure.
Don’t believe it? Remember that none other than the guardian of the health and safety of all of us, Dr. Anthony Fauci, wrote in an infamous February 2020 email: “Masks are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection. The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you. I do not recommend that you wear a mask, particularly since you are going to a very low risk location.”
There is more. Read the rest here.
Kesselman says
For one reason or another, the Western authorities are bend on keeping the public alert to the Chinese Virus. In the last decades, the liberals have got a taste of control. Suddenly they got an eye on the success performed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A seemingly genuine socialist country turning dominant in the international capitalist market. What marvel! Furthermore, pressure from the young idealists, now turning woke did the trick more conveniently.—The globalist elitist’s envy of the CCP’s success is so easy to see. Officially, they condemn the concentration camps and all the other misconducts of the communists but behind the scene, they try to make a copycat.
Namer says
“Emotional Intelligence” There lies the problem. Feelings over science. When I was an Army officer years ago my soldiers, male and female, learned very quickly that I didnt give a rats behind about how they “feel” about a operations problem. I wanted to hear what they KNEW from their experience and training. Decisions based on emotional FEELS was worthless and always failed.
gravenimage says
+1
Infidel says
Finally, most airline CEOs, except United, have the guts to tell the truth about the air quality in planes and why masks there are a bad idea. I just hope that the airlines stay w/ the previous definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ and don’t start requiring boosters, since we all know that this virus is endemic, and that more vaccines are likely to just create more variants
JOHN says
He’s being charitable, at best.
revereridesagain says
“CNN doctor” is an oxymoron. Sort of like ” ‘The Atlantic’ doctor”. There are more snake oil salesmen out there at this moment than in the whole of the 19th century.
There have been two cases of omicron reported in my small town. Two. So, yesterday they slapped the across the board mask mandate back on the senior activities center I attend. That means much-needed exercise classes will be conducted in face diapers. Those who refuse to cooperate — myself included — will do without, to the further detriment of our actual health.
Infidel says
Do you have a bike? A real one, not an exercise one? Then take up biking for, say, an hour a day, and keep yourself fit. Or, if you can afford it, look into exercise equipment
somehistory says
Airplanes filter the air multiple times so there are fewer particles of all kinds circulating for passengers to breathe.
This fool is giving out misinformation. And a doorknob has more intellect than he.
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
You are correct regarding cabin air. It is much cleaner than the air in the terminal, and there should be no need for masking.
“A new study conducted for the Department of Defense adds credence to the growing belief that airline passengers face minimal risk of contracting coronavirus when flying.
The study found the risk of aerosol dispersion – transmission of the virus through the air – was reduced 99.7% thanks to high air exchange rates, HEPA-filtered recirculation and downward ventilation found on modern jets.”
https://www.ustranscom.mil/cmd/docs/TRANSCOM%20Report%20Final.pdf
somehistory says
Thank you, James Lincoln.
Rarely says
It seems that mask wearing, social distancing, restricted numbers and the like are mostly for the protection of the unvaccinated. It’s very kind and humane for those of us who are fully vaccinated to suffer such minor inconveniences to give some consideration to the idiots among us. Of course there are those who can’t be vaccinated for various medical reasons so they, at least, are entitled to whatever protection we can give them.
We could, of course, just take a “wait and see” attitude rather than going with the science we’ve got. Good luck with that.
Infidel says
The ‘science that we got’? Once upon a time, the ‘science that we got’ claimed that the sun revolves around the earth
spiro says
Maybe that CNN doc is a proctologist
It would fit his diagnoses
gravenimage says
CNN Doctor Says Airline CEOs Opposed to Masks on Planes Have ‘Emotional Intelligence of a Doorknob’
………….
What does “emotional intelligence” have to do with this? Masking is either scientifically useful or it is not.
The only time “emotional intelligence” should come into play with medicine is in the case of it being best for doctors to have a good “bedside manner” with their patients if possible. But even here, competence and sound ethics are of *much* greater importance.
Lorensacho says
A dear friend who has had three vaccinations for Covid-19 attended a large family gathering and came down with Covid. He was spared from having to to go to the hospital but is really sick. Those big babies who find it too inconvenient to wear masks and get vaccinations will contract covid and they will go the hospital maybe to die. I’d rather find travel annoying than to expose myself to a deadly virus but that’s just me.
OLD GUY says
It is Simple, you gotta keep mask sale up, the guy that Owens the Company like the cash flow.
Just remember the FDA approved the opioids as being safe and nonaddictive so the drug companies could make BILLIONS in profits at the expense of addicting and killing our young people.
The FDA didn’t do a vary good job with that one, but some of the FDA leadership got good jobs with the drug companies after approval of their opioid drug. And some of our congress persons got MILION dollar political donations an own STOCK in the companies selling that poison.
Our government is complicate in the profits of private industries and not always interested in the well being of us citizens, BEWARE.