Thread by @davekarpf

Oh Bret.

Why do you do this, Bret?

Why do you make me do this?

https://twitter.com/nytopinion/status/1253867604676141057

Bret Stephens is not an epidemiologist.

I am also not an epidemiologist.

But Bret Stephens likes to start from his preferred conclusion and then work backward.

I was taught in school not to do that.
(2/x)

Bret explains in this week’s column that COVID-19 is really just a New York City problem, so the rest of the country should return to normalcy.

He says that’s because NYC is such a dense city, and the rest of the country is not-so-dense. So it’ll all be FINE.
(3/x)

That sounds *nice.*

But here’s another explanation:

New York implemented social distancing too slowly. Other cities and towns got their act together quicker. New York is suffering as a result.
(4/x)

If that’s the case, then the reason Nashville should keep social distancing in place is because *otherwise Nashville will face the same calamitous problems as New York, BRET!*

(5/x)

Again, I’m not an epidemiologist. And I’m not up-to-date on the studies.

I’m just a very very tired parent who has watched far too much Frozen 2 in the past month and a half.

But if I was writing a column on this stuff, I’d maybe consider BOTH explanations.
(6/x)

Because otherwise I’d worry that the position I was advocating for in the paper of record might get adopted and might, in turn, contribute to mass casualties.

50,000 Americans have died. Folks like Bret have been arguing that everyone is overreacting since zero had died.
(7/x)

Bret had ONE GOOD COLUMN, a few weeks back, where he admitted that his own mother basically called him on his bullshit.

She pointed out that she didn’t recall him getting a degree in epidemiology.

It was a brief moment of humility.

It didn’t last.

It never lasts.
(Fun)