DC EKG: Economist Tomas Philipson, Part III

Part III of Joe and Eric’s talk with economist Tomas Philipson focuses on his role as acting head of the Council of Economic Advisers from the start of the Covid crisis. What it was like to watch the “blue collar boom” and 3%+ GDP growth get undone by the pandemic, and how public health attitudes toward prevention at any cost, cost us dearly. And how the two tier approach (protect venerable / keep economy open) advocated by CEA lost out to fear and public health virologists who were not okay with getting healthy people information to decide for themselves.