Hysteria-Driven Government Coronavirus Policy.
[A conversation between Peter Hitchens and Lord Sumption]
This is a recording of the astonishing interview of Lord Sumption, a former member of the Supreme Court and last year's Reith Lecturer, on BBC Radio 4's World at One today , Monday 30th March 2020. It is by far the most high-powered criticism , made in public by a senior figure of considerable reputation and merit, of government policy on the corona virus. I shall be providing a transcript as soon as I can, but in the meanwhile I ask you to disseminate it as widely as possible, as I fear that other media may not do so in these strange times. [Peter HitchensHere is a transcript of the whole interview.
The real problem is that when human societies lose their freedom, it's not usually because tyrants have taken it away. It's usually because people willingly surrender their freedom in return for protection against some external threat. And the threat is usually a real threat but usually exaggerated.
That's what I fear we are seeing now. The pressure on politicians has come from the public. They want action. They don't pause to ask whether the action will work. They don't ask themselves whether the cost will be worth paying. They want action anyway. And anyone who has studied history will recognise here the classic symptoms of collective hysteria.
Hysteria is infectious. We are working ourselves up into a lather in which we exaggerate the threat and stop asking ourselves whether the cure may be worse than the disease.
