The big topic no one's talking about: Who are the most vulnerable to the social and economic devastation of the coronavirus quarantine? It's probably not the group you suspect.
Dennis also replies to some arguments made: memes, tweets, and direct disagreements. Enjoy.
Referenced in this Fireside Chat: COVID-19 — Navigating the Uncharted https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2002387
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hi everybody, I'm Dennis Prager, and this is my home enough. It's a lot of time in my home, I might add,
I should have been in Hungary, where I was supposed to give a speech, but of course,
Very few of us are going anywhere
why do go into the radio station to do my radio show every day? But here I am at home,
and this is my weekly fire.
Should chap my fire, the side of the fire, my doggie,
these are, for whatever reason very eliven awake today, I have no idea. Why is usually so placid than I am reassured people? It's not a stuffed animal.
But now you really see Otto at the at his prime anyway,
This is a very rare time, in fact, unprecedented time, certainly in not certainly its unprecedented. I dont know when a certainly any indeed
three lie, civilization or even not industrialized has ever gone. It's locked down, as so many societies have in the world today. So I want to know,
before anything else. I just want to share with you some thoughts because a lot of people of written in and I said, certain things which people are challenge.
Which is perfectly all right. You should challenge it's. A very good thing
and you hear the answer you either find a persuasive or not persuasive, but if you don't find a persuasive, let me know why. So I commented in the last fireside.
Chat about a comment made by the governor of New York State Andrew Cuomo, and base
Please saying it
everything I have done, in other words, shutting down all of New York state if everything
I have done so
he was one life? I am happy, that's pretty much exactly his words and I thought that was absurd
that is morally absurd, its rash?
really and morally absurd. You you are, you are causing huh.
Thick in millions of people's lives? You weren't depriving millions of people of an income you are,
Putting people who live alone into solitary confinement
and
all of that is worth it to save one life. This is this. Is it so preposterous to me that I I
I realize we are in an age that doesn't have much wisdom. I mean I'm it.
I have studied moral thought, my whole life. I have written books on it. I am certainly
of being wrong on these matters, but I have never met,
religious or secular moral philosopher,
Who was ever said that you can deliberately create
massive destruction like that.
To save one life, it's as as
pointed out no social policy as ever been made. That way, and I gave the example of speed limits when we
in America have gone from fifty five to sixty five miles per hour. Little autism,
we five.
It is no- and I remember the time talking about it, knows that
from me he's leaving. I think this discussion might have gotten to, but
Look you want to leave you gonna. Let him go. One thing you cannot do is
force a bull dog to do anything, which is why they are known as bulldogs there very stubborn, that's the other door
and were good right out anytime. You want to come back, you. Let me know, K, I'm sorry, folks, sitting next to an empty bed and empty dog bet. It's sad.
Anyway, the speed limit every time it is raised, which they know x number of people will die as a result. So I would ask any of you
Should we have the speed limit at thirty miles per hour on on high ways, for example, then
we will presumably save thousands of lives and that's the speed limit that that's that's, not jobs, that's just the speed limit. But of course we don't do that. We always ask, while every individual is infinitely precious. We also ask what is better for the whole society. You can't make social policy on what might adversely affect one person.
I dont know why this is not self evident, so I won't spend more time on it. Somebody wrote in a question about that. What is on the other schebitz was it about. The hairy go begins with, but just sort of cutie way of putting this quest.
The number of people will die as a factor that impacts whether or not it is appropriate to raise the speed limit. Don't you think that is
we don't have unlimited speed limits,
That is why we don't have unlimited speed limits. What's your point.
It's also why we don't have thirty miles per hour, so we have tried to find a sort of happy medium.
We need more, people will die at sixty five or seventy five bucks
not allowing a limited and by the way in Germany on the autobahn. They do allow unlimited. So what what do you say to that is that the Germans, not care of Germans, die.
We are still able to go out for essential means and if we are mature, hopefully this will pass flat line similar to how it has other nation situations. There is
other nation situation like this, we dont know what will be afterwards except the tremendous havoc.
I was just reading a piece in the New York Times which, as I said on my radio, show very it came close to bringing me to tears and other than music there's not much. That brings me to tears and
about a people already relapsing into addiction and alcoholism, because they, the worst possible thing for recovering attic, is-
we alone not have access to a meetings and two to be to be anxious. This is like the perfect storm to resume drinking.
A woman called my radio show were thirty year old Son, who had been sober a few years has already gone back to drinking. He has nothing. To do boredom is boredom, is a very, very scary thing. I've thought about this, often in my life and
so this this here. Here's the irony.
I acknowledge the the the possibility of tens of thousands of deaths and we once we reach hundreds of thousands, then I agree. We could talk about that, but I, but I acknowledge the
possibly but you who or on the other side on this, you have to acknowledge that the tragedies that the the quarantine creates.
I have in ninety four year old aunt, whom I love very much lives in Florida and she had a full time caretaker. The full time caretaker no longer comes because the full time caretaker,
fourteen with her family, my my aunt, my ninety four year old and who was mentally perfectly there, but it's physically in decline, she's alone.
She will all have ended up being alone for, for the two months, solitary confinement up. I can't stop thinking about my aunt
I call a rope I try to cheer up and so on, but I'm not there. We that's that's a big deal in how many people are in solitary confinement now you know and that and of course the number of people in
sing homes, you can't see, or or anywhere who are seeing their children or grandchildren. Please don't act like this. The price being paid for what, with the cure, is not it ferocious.
Now, if you believe two million people are at stake than I
understand why you would say, look we're gonna hurt a lot of people's lives, but it's worth it because two million people were,
The wise guy I've never believed that I dont believe it now and by the way. Let me read you something this is from Anthony fetching
the head of the of the entire issue in the United States of America March, twenty sixth, twenty twenty
New England Journal of Medicine the most that one of the two most prestigious journals of medicine in the United States.
If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic
or a minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatal.
I'll be right may be considerably less than one percent. Does that make sense? In other words, why
percentage of people who have the virus die. This
Anthony forty riding in the
we want journal of medicine this week. Well, apparently,
it's way less than one
percent the mortality rate, the head of the
World Health organization said
a few weeks ago. It was three point: four percent.
I was hysteria I said, then I call it the world history hysteria organization- this,
just at the overall clinical consequences of covert nineteen may ultimate
please be more akin to those
To be severe seasonal influenza or a pen
chemic influenza rather than a disease,
similar to Sars or mares, which have had case fatality rates of nine to ten percent and thirty six percent respectively.
In other words, this is basically a severe flew season, Anthony Forty New England Journal of Medicine, more needless to say, as they say, look it up.
Corbett, nineteen navigating the uncharted its by Anthony Forty and two other medical doctors hit something else for you, but consent,
that I'm sure most of you are not even aware of their is
major industrialized, western democracy, that is not quarantining its people, Sweden,.
Which I am stunned by the way I'm just stunned, I was sure Sweden would go the way of every other western nation in this regard. But the way they did they didn't they. They feel that of people who that people who are
vulnerable the very
Elderly or anyone with an underlying condition will self quarantine, which would be the wise thing to do for such people, but that other wise, if you
Eventually, you just develop so many people with who were immune, that the society can function, because the vast majority of people who were get get of the virus don't even know it. They might think they have a cold or even nothing.
So let's watch Sweden if quarantining a saving millions of lives, as many of you might believe than Sweden- must be obviously proportions.
Lay Sweden has ten million people the? U S has three hundred thirty million people, so this is what is at one, no one thirtieth or one thirty third right. So what I want is one thirtieth of two million that still a vast number of people and let let us see what happens in Sweden and compare it to Norway, which has half the number of people, but compare it similar country, Denmark. Will these people did quarantine? What of it?
stop that that that it's the same as a seasonal flu, when I keep reminding people why Don T want the media put up a chart every time they put up a chart with regard to to the to the Cremona virus, why don't they put up a chart with regard to the regular flu.
Between thirty and fifty thousand Americans have died. This season from the regular flew eighty thousand died of the flu last time.
If eighty thousand died of this everywhere,
she locked down locked down. Why? Why not locked down for the other flew? So I wanted to make a lot of things. These things clear. None of us knows the exact right ads.
We're not God, but we do have to think rationally and morally. At the same time, and by the way, what if this another virus in two years is now a precedent, this is what we do every time when now the president of the United States not Trump mentioned that a high drugs chloric when might be a possible cure for many people, he was marked marked by the entire american media. Virtually
Ty american media certainly the whole the left they mocked? Him turns out now that the FDA said: yes, they federal states, the food and Drug administration. Yes use it just a just two weeks after he said that a yes use it for the year for the corona virus. Anybody apologizing, don't start me on that.
This is the other thing I must the older, so it shows people sacrificing grandpa. Can you see that that clear see grandpas
hard is being removed like an angel.
Pagan there right now in this in South America and Central America,
I'm surprised they would even allow that arise and that in over considered to be anti indigenous people, but anyway
they ve. So what does it say now? Look here, so it shows the
me: that's that's the star, that's the sun, that is the God and for the
cover me, God, their sacrifice,
Grandpa see Trump.
And the corona virus and that's grandpa.
So this is a very common thing here.
I'll give you were another one
Here is a tweet. Let's see you should capitalism,
twenty twenty. You should be willing to die in order to save the economy for the top per cent.
So here here's the irony. The top percent- are minimally affected people who have the top percent over
talking about people with a hundred million dollars or more fifty million dollars bill billion dollars. It doesn't matter there, not the effective. The affected is the lowest class. You are heartless if youth,
I think that the economy issue is an economy issue for the rich you
foolish and you are heartless- you are mean because you ate Trump
it is mainly you mean the people most affected economically, are not the rich, the people most affected.
I'm are the poor and the middle class. It is it. This is
This is all over the play. The left look as opposed to liberals. Liberals, I think, are wrong, but I respect, but the left is vile. This is a perfect example of how awful these people are.
They don't think clearly and their mean you do not
who was really affected. We think that the people in luxury
the apartments and in New York City are affected. How would they affected it's? The people who are affected, the people are the. Are the people.
Who here like like an example
the guy was telling my wife.
He makes he he Prince out adverts advertisements, but
no companies or advertising the man is now out of business.
This notion, which a lot of you think apparently from the email we get- oh it'll, just come back hunky, Dory, really why
can people run a business or out of business to set the way things work? I live knowing
come for two months from the business that I spent ten years building, and then everything will be
it doesn't work that way. It takes a long time for everything to be fine, and by that time you you have not made enough money. You have lost your business, your restaurant, your printing
many or or whatever. It might be. One a wedding photographers doing right now:
Ok, you will. I can go down the line of a virtually every profession outside of the super rich. What is a wedding photography?
gonna do there were no weddings. So
What is it, what does a wedding photographer supposed to do for for income? You think their riches. I know these people think wedding photographers, a rich.
They live from wedding to wedding, to make it to make a living, but they love Photography and they do that work and their good at it. Ober drivers what what has happened to their income that so few people are doing, are working. What about all the people who work at the airports? The
Ports are essentially empty and you're telling me super rich that those of us who care about the economy care about the wealthy exclusive, the sick marks
nonsense that you have learned, which makes you
mean you dont care.
At the regular guy. You just so hate the wealthy that you don't care about the regular guy or you so hate Trump.
It is another one that you that was supplied to me.
From a guy named actually malicious, no actual militias, which is true, he knows no actual, malice ya. You knows himself, I have to say that concern
Motives and twenty ten all when g they're going to make death panels and allow people to die to make the system more efficient
going to kill my grandma conservatives in twenty twenty, if eight million
People die: that's ok, because their expensive to keep alive and not productive right. Eight million that's up to eight million.
Well I'm talking to you. What is the number one was the number of deaths in America. Almost three thousand
again I remind you of the flu. This season has killed between thirty and fifty thousand two years ago. Eighty thousand.
Ok and by the way for those of you who say well it's because of the the quarantining, maybe right, maybe you're not right. Let's look at Sweden Sweden's a test case.
All right. We begin with a video question.
And there we go the magic press. I.
Hey my name is patchy, twenty years old and from a and I'm a member Prager Force on my question is: do you believe that
Wrong for states to religious institutions stop congregated during the pandemic, antics
a man do.
The religious institutions themselves have an obligation to stop congregated on during the pandemic or does faith
supersede the risk of a pandemic spreading. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much as a lot of questions. You got three in their well. Is this
Tough question. I don't know the answer on all of this. I know when the state has the right to close businesses. Forget closed churches,
I don't know the answer, should the see
self evident in a health emergency, the state can do whatever it wants, but
what a bad guy a bad president, a bag governor Abed, bad, whatever just says, there's a health emergency.
Besides the shutdown society, I dont have a terrific answer for this:
these are things that will have to be asked. However, as regards the with regard to a churches, its of its another, very good question. I don't know I don't know what the constitution.
Issue says clearly tansu third part, yes or your second. One. Synagogues and churches have the obligation, of course, to take care of their members.
My my ear,
our view, is, to a certain extent,
depending on the circumstances I
in a free society, you allow people to take risks.
It's amazing how the ease with which we ve
lies, marijuana, which I have
no doubt in my mind, affects young people's brains. I there is no doubt in my mind every piece of evidence. I've ever read.
Fourthly, the the cavalier all what's legalise marijuana, look
that matter, let's legalise alcohol. Alcohol kills more people than than almost anything because of the EU. The traffic deaths due to do too drunk drive
the number of crimes committed by people who are or intoxicated the IMF,
spousal abuse that happens when someone's drunk the amount of child abuse that have
when someone's been drinking, get we allow people to drink at great.
Force, that's why the way good example- you know, if I can,
to you that banning alcohol, as was done in the prohibition in the United States, the nineteenth twenties, if I can prove to you
that banning alcohol will reduce crime,
reduce child abuse will reduce spousal abuse. What would you before it? Why not?
because you believe in freedom. So you are
all of those who against prohibition on alcohol are saying all ok. Well, what's what some people die right? Ok,.
Brook twenty eight Marshall Minnesota what's our time factor here, how will we act.
The future going forward. If this happens again, will shutting down the country be our new norm for virus outbreaks. I fear that I do fear that, but the
I don't know I don't know the answer to your question. I will depend
What people believe? How many lives did we save it?
truly a million or more or even half a million. Then people will say maybe with truly worth it, and I would. I would add that at that number I would say it was worth it. But if, if they're not convinced,
that's what would have happened and if they see the decimation to people's lives caused by that by the shutting down of people's lives, the law
We missed the depression of e addiction of E Opie oil Use and, of course, the bankruptcy.
I don't know why India shut its country down, I
the ahead. I think twenty nine deaths when, when price,
Mr Mote, I decided to shut the country down and a vast numbers of people do not have food the next day they supply.
Country, India, it's gotta, it's got a rising middle class, but it's a poor country bent India four times
and I- and I worry about that- one of these people going to do.
As a man quarter in the New York Times in India said I
What is it I I rather get. The virus then die of Starvation- thirty five year old guy, because the chances are if he gets the virus, he's not gonna die, but what's gonna be with his life. Now.
Eyes at twenty three or via California should we hold China responsible for the corona virus? What is China, what China that we hold all chinese responsible? Of course not, but what I mean it didn't it didn't come from Armenia.
It's the the idea that we don't hold China at all responsible is is an extreme his view.
The idea that we hold all chinese responsible is an extreme is view about. But yes, if it is these
more than once it is originated in China, it is low.
Aren't Julie. Apparently these wet markets where these were the.
The animals in filth and squalor or are digested
should be shut down. These wet markets look look up the wet market because we don't have that in the west.
As a general rule and they they are a very serious problem, a health wise to the world,
And that's why it's it certainly not races to call it the wolf on virus, for example,
we call viruses based on where they originated. As a general rule,.
I assure you that, if the if it, if it originated in Nashville Tennessee, we call it the national virus. Noah Stephenville Texas, is the quarantine and for
when they were first amendment right peaceably, assemble. Well, are you I mean if it's it's every right, it's that's! Not the only right, that's my question. I don't know I think it's gonna have to be worked out in the courts. So very tough question.
Talk about scientists, oh yeah, saw and with that because of the river, a non corona related questions
Mentioned something on my radio show that Megan thought was worth mentioning to you and Megan runs the show
So there is a very interesting thing I have. I have understood life my whole life and I am, I really believe I've been vindicated that
with the death of religion in the west.
It doesn't mean there's no religion, people simply of crew,
it secular religions, for God centred or Bible centred religions. That's all that's happened. There's no such thing as no religion or is
Chesterton put it at the end of the nineteenth century is a great line. When people stop Ali
in God, they don't believe in nothing, they believe in anything
So as a brilliant line, that's exactly what has happened so what we?
have is in in in religion, you have priests, right ministers, priests, rabbis,.
And they are the is, as as it were, the clergy, the spokesman of the religion too, to the to the late population, Sir,
what what has supplanted religion? If you ask a lot of Athos
What are you believe him?
I know their answer. Cause I've debated them. You could see it on the internet. I talked to them on my radio show for thirty years, science, that's what the lantern,
We believe in science. Ok, fine! So guess what? Let's ask the question: who are the priests, rabbis and ministers of the religion, culture, science answer scientists.
That's the clergy, so they have the role that the many.
Your hand in in people's churches, the priest had been people's catholic churches and the rabbis at it in the jewish synagogues. They are the the spokesman of the rule of the religion,
So scientists have this special place that no other group in the world has no one group people, don't listen,
Any group was unquestionably as they do to scientists, but
Here is something you should bill. Scientists are not the same.
A science any more than
Energy were the same as religion. There were a lot of bad court.
As we well know lot: corrupt clergy, as we well know, some clergy are awesome, some scientists are awesome
But scientists run the gamut with regard,
to decency and truth the same as baseball players the same in Cairo.
Actors, you you just you name it scientists
are all over the place in terms of honesty, decency, you name it synonymous.
Icon scientists, it's just that
hey there, no different than
nobody else there now
the clergy of science,
So when I hear a scientist give advice, I'm not sure it's it's
its unbiased, I'm not sure that it's it's
only science based I'm not sure of anything when the
Mayo clinic them want to most prestigious medical.
Institutions in America puts on its website.
There is no difference in danger between cigars and cigarettes, and I'm only using this as an example, because I happen to know it's a lie. Its one hundred percent lie. Cigarettes are far more dangerous than cigarettes.
Why do they do it because they think they're doing good?
so they lie on behalf of good this, that's what they think. That's how they justify, though, that lie.
Another, why can't you societies years ago, would say women?
They would exaggerate the likelihood of women getting breast cancer and they admitted it later and why they want
to scare women into getting mammograms Europe
to lie to do good, so I
The only thing I am interested in water scientists tells me is what
he knows scientifically period. Now,
the advice. Now. Yes, my doktor, of course I want his advice. Obviously thought
You saved my life, my brother's a doctor.
I observe against doctors. I gratitude that I wouldn't be here talking to you without doctors.
But when it comes to wisdom and advice,
I'm not sure why they should be the people up there in the EU.
It states of America? Do you know who runs the armed forces, not a general, not an admiral,
not any one. In the military, a civilian called the President of the United States. There call the commander in chief now. Why would that be?
Does it does a civilian president of the United States, a politician? In most cases
No more about military logistics battles, equipment, of course not, but that's that we don't want. We don't want those people to make the ultimate military decisions. We want a civilian too that's the case. Here too, I want civilians to make
People that we ve entrusted with wisdom, may you may believe this guy has wisdom where this guy or this woman? That's fine, that's that's a separate issue, but I dont regard them as a whole.
Group or any better than any other group. They simply no more science. That's all they do, but just as you
I wouldn't assume that if somebody knows more Bible, they are necessarily more wonderful kind, decent and wise than anybody else, and I'm religious.
So that's welcome
into the real world, it's a complex, put its a complex place, so complex place five times.
All right, everybody looking forward to your reaction
and in the
meantime do do what you can to make this time that you're stuck in your home
Meaningful and remember my first rule, if you're with people, you have to have a happy this position, you owe it to the people who were stuck living with you. That's why my basic belief about happiness, it's a moral abolition.
You could can see that in my video for Prager and talking about the videos, won't you watch more, the fireside chats that have nothing to do with the virus.
And the videos and Canvas Owens
I call knolls and will work
we got a lot of wonderful stuff up Prager you so until
sweet take care of yourself. Thank you for watching I'm Dennis Prager. Thank you for watching. If you'd like to keep these fireside chats free, please do by donating to Prager you.
Transcript generated on 2020-04-22.