Science, Not Policy

 Pore 'ol Doc Faucci.  It seems that other experts are beginning to question his  statements durin the Covid plague.  No one can doubt that before he was i the public eye, he was a highly respected epidemiologist.  

But, he kept dragging the goalposts up and down the field in an attempt to shift public behavior, first with the advise on wearing masks, and later on the question of herd immunity.

I feel sorry for the guy.  He labored for decades in work that was demanding, important, and generally ignored by the vast majority o  the public sphere.  His work was important, but not of interest to most folks. Then, one day, the President called him and he seemed to be the leading expert on pandemics.  Suddenly, he was in the public eye.  As a respected scientist.  And, in the space of a year, hie ego got the best of him.

Of all the people that no one knew last year, Dr. Deborah Birx  and Dr. Anthony Faucci seem to represent those anonymous scientists that labor for our combined good in near anonymity.  Their reputations were secure and their expertise unquestioned.  Now, a year later, Dr. Birx is retired because she recommended one thing and did something else.  Doc Faucci is now regarded as a policy flack.  Science be damned.

It's a cautionary tale.  In the Army we had a saying, that one aw-shit wipes out a thousand atta-boys.  To her credit, Dr. Birx, when confronted with her hypocrisy, chose to retire with dignity.  We have yet to know how Doc Faucci's career will end, but if other scientists are questioning his judgement, it might be time for him to retire, before he's fired.