Populist nations fared much worse during Covid outbreak, new research says

CNBC ^ | 27 January 2022 | Chloe Taylor

[zeestephen]

More than 40 countries were included in the analysis, with the U.S., the U.K. and India being deemed populist-led nations...In 2020, excess deaths associated with Covid were more than twice as high in populist governed countries than in non-populist governed countries...

[semimojo]

This article is a jaw-dropping endorsement of authoritarianism.

I don't see it as an endorsement, only an acknowledgement that insistence on individual freedom can have a cost.

It's a cost that I and most everyone here is willing to pay, but as they say, freedom isn't free.

[Mi-kha-el]

They are all unmasked! How dare they! OK, they will be issued gas masks at the front line. Oooof!

[Steve_Seattle]

The populist/non-populist dichotomy is forced. For example, the "populist" USA is divided into 50 states with varying approaches to Covid, and some of the most left-wing states had the worst records against Covid. Similarly, they call the UK "populist," but Boris Johnson governed much like a leftist as far as Covid is concerned. Furthermore, the "non-populist" Sweden was widely criticized on the left for NOT following the rigid protocols of most left-wing countries. And "populist" Israel has always had pretty strict Covid protocols.

The article also fails to consider the varying demographics of the countries and the degree of the comorbidities in those countries. Finally, by limiting itself to 2020, the article ignores the huge increases in Covid that have occurred in the most highly-vaccinated countries, "populist" or not.

[Tell It Right]

Them referring to the U.S. as a "populist" nation is such a big lie!

Of all the world's migrant population (people living in a country besides the one they're born in), 20% of them live here! And we have only 5% of the world's population. Obviously we four times as much of the migrant population as you'd expect.

And someone dares to call us "populist"? Really?

[Mi-kha-el]

Great analysis! Also, in many 3d World countries reporting and statistics just do not exist. Of course the numbers will be very low. My friend lives in South Africa and tells me that the population is poor and they just cannot afford to see the doctor for any reason.

[Steve_Seattle]

Here's a comparison of Covid deaths-per-million between some of their "populist" countries and Western European "progressive" countries:

POPULIST

Turkey - 1,050
Israel - 916
India - 351

PROGRESSIVE

Belgium - 2,477
Italy - 2,406
France - 1,985
Austria - 1,545
Switzerland - 1,544
Germany - 1,401
The Netherlands - 1,236

Of course, counter-examples can be found, but I'm just trying to show the idiocy of their simplistic generalizations. There are so many other variables besides this silly "populist" category: demographics, climate, population density, medical infrastructure, diet, and treatment protocols - even, possibly, DNA differences in various populations.

Nor did they even compare the Covid strategies used in various countries: chances are that many of the "populist" countries had strategies very similar to the "non-populist" countries, and progressive Sweden was criticized for not following the protocols used by most progressive countries.

[WMarshal]

Remember, when government looks out for the vast majority of its citizens and supports their rights it is BAD!