20 April

On the one hand, you had an economist saying that the cost of lockdowns exceeds the benefits, and causes more human suffering than it relieves through loss of social life, livelihood, health etc. Valid argument. On the other you had people saying we don't just let tens or hundreds of thousands of people die in Australia, when we can prevent it, and that lockdowns actually make for a faster economic recovery too. My two cents a bit at 90 degrees to both these positions. I ask why we don't tend to hear those who use an economic model of society argue for the terrible effects of poverty and loss of livelihood when we *don't* have a pandemic i.e. during 'normal' times. Why they consistently argue against things like a living wage, better working conditions, unions, affordable education and health care etc. I think it highlights that modern economics was actually invented as an attack dog in defence of the status quo. https://www.abc.net.au/qanda/2020-20-04/12141184