Democracies seem to select leaders who are good talkers, but the selectivity for actual competence looks to be very weak. This is not a surprise; it has been commented on for millennia. Have a look at how ancient Athens got into the disastrous invasion of Sicily which ultimately led to its defeat by Sparta for example.
Having done polling and talked to average voters it seems to me a miracle that sometimes half-decent leaders gets up. So an incompetent response is expected.
Some things not often mentioned with Taiwan’s response to the coronavirus 2 pandemic.
1. They are not a member of the WHO and thus were not misled by their very bad advice early.
2. They had experienced SARS1 and thus did not believe the CCP’s misrepresentations of the situation this time around.
3. Their government seems to be trusted by the population as to competence and as to having good intentions. By contrast from my times in the US, the populace seem to regard the government as a bunch of lying thieves. This makes it much easier for Taiwan to get cooperation.
4. Quarantine of arrivals was strictly and competently enforced.
5. Face masks were made mandatory. While annoying to wear, they do not prevent most business and commercial activities.
6. Checking of people at entrances to work, shops, transport, schools etc. Those with suspicious symptoms or a high temperature are sent home. Many have pointed out, irrelevantly, that this is not an accurate test for coronavirus. But it excludes a high percentage of the infected and, with face masks, helps get the R0 infectivity under 1.
7. Some high risk establishments like “hostess bars” were closed, though most businesses remained open and the economy only fell slightly.
8, Contact tracing was indeed well done and helpful but modeling suggests it is not enough on its own. You need to get infectivity down and keep from importing cases as much as possible.
These are all good points! They remind me of the “Swiss Cheese Model” in regards to COVID. No single solution is 100% effective, but combine enough layers and there won’t be any ‘holes’ in the strategy anymore.
Democracies seem to select leaders who are good talkers, but the selectivity for actual competence looks to be very weak. This is not a surprise; it has been commented on for millennia. Have a look at how ancient Athens got into the disastrous invasion of Sicily which ultimately led to its defeat by Sparta for example.
Having done polling and talked to average voters it seems to me a miracle that sometimes half-decent leaders gets up. So an incompetent response is expected.
Some things not often mentioned with Taiwan’s response to the coronavirus 2 pandemic.
1. They are not a member of the WHO and thus were not misled by their very bad advice early.
2. They had experienced SARS1 and thus did not believe the CCP’s misrepresentations of the situation this time around.
3. Their government seems to be trusted by the population as to competence and as to having good intentions. By contrast from my times in the US, the populace seem to regard the government as a bunch of lying thieves. This makes it much easier for Taiwan to get cooperation.
4. Quarantine of arrivals was strictly and competently enforced.
5. Face masks were made mandatory. While annoying to wear, they do not prevent most business and commercial activities.
6. Checking of people at entrances to work, shops, transport, schools etc. Those with suspicious symptoms or a high temperature are sent home. Many have pointed out, irrelevantly, that this is not an accurate test for coronavirus. But it excludes a high percentage of the infected and, with face masks, helps get the R0 infectivity under 1.
7. Some high risk establishments like “hostess bars” were closed, though most businesses remained open and the economy only fell slightly.
8, Contact tracing was indeed well done and helpful but modeling suggests it is not enough on its own. You need to get infectivity down and keep from importing cases as much as possible.
These are all good points! They remind me of the “Swiss Cheese Model” in regards to COVID. No single solution is 100% effective, but combine enough layers and there won’t be any ‘holes’ in the strategy anymore.