Mask Mandate Advocates Championed ‘Science’ and ‘Experts’ — Until They Didn’t

"Now that the CDC has new guidance, to keep mask mandates in place would be to go against their initial justification"

For most of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask, especially indoors, was the official guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But, on May 13, the CDC announced that vaccinated people — whether they be indoors or outdoors — no longer have to wear masks except under special circumstances.

While this was cause for celebration in most parts of the country, Democratic politicians in various states and cities have decided to leave their mask mandates unchanged — even for those who have been vaccinated. Reason reported that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and California Gov. Gavin Newsome are among those who made that decision.

Lightfoot justified her decision by saying, “People need to continue to follow the public health guidance that has gotten us this far, and masks are a big and important part of that.” Gov. Murphy tweeted that New Jersey’s mask mandate remains in place because many people in his state are still not vaccinated. Gov. Newsome said that he did not change mask policy in his state because he was unsure how to deal with kids in schools or businesses that want to keep requiring them.

Whatever the merits of mask mandates when they were first implemented, they have clearly overstayed their welcome. Now that the CDC has new guidance, to keep mask mandates in place would be to go against their initial justification: namely, that research and expert authorities suggested that we must have them.

At this point, the science is clear: once people are vaccinated, they are essentially immune from COVID-19. A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that vaccines had a 97 percent efficacy at stopping symptomatic cases of COVID-19 and an 86 percent efficacy at stopping asymptomatic cases of COVID-19.

A CDC study showed that the risk of COVID-19 infection was reduced by 90 percent after being fully vaccinated, and another CDC study showed that even for older people — those most at risk from COVID-19 — the vaccine is 94 percent effective at preventing hospitalization.

After all of this research came out, the last viable pro-mask-mandate talking point was that there are variants out there, and there is simply too much uncertainty about them to lift mask mandates. But, a study on the variants showed that Pfizer’s vaccine was 89.5 percent effective against the UK variant and 75 percent effective against the South African variant.

Even with this new science, it has been argued by people such as Gov. Murphy in New Jersey that there are still people who are unvaccinated, and therefore we cannot lift the mandates just yet.

The truth is that for those who are unvaccinated, nobody is preventing them from continuing to wear a mask or taking extra safety precautions. In fact, they are still being encouraged to take those measures. And, it is also true among vaccinated people that if they would like to ensure an extra level of safety, then it is 100 percent their prerogative to wear a mask as well.

But the converse must also be true. For those people who are unvaccinated and make — in my view — the ill-advised decision not to wear a mask indoors, that is a risk they are freely taking on. And, for those who are vaccinated, there is absolutely no reason to impose mask-wearing in indoor and outdoor settings alike because studies tell us that they are essentially immune from COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated.

We are at a point where it is more clear than ever that each person can make an individual choice, based on their own situation, whether or not they want to wear a mask. Some people will be more cautious than others, and that is okay.

At the start of the pandemic, many Americans looked to the government for guidance on how to best protect themselves, and deferred to their recommendations. However, times of crisis have always been a pretext for the expansion of government and limitations on liberty for exactly that reason: it is easy to justify at the beginning of that crisis.

However, regaining those liberties on the back-end of a crisis is hard. When government officials act in their self-interest — as one would expect them to do — it invariably means not only expanding and maintaining their own power, but also continually trying to impose their preferred version of the world onto others.

In F.A. Hayek’s book, Law, Legislation and Liberty, he wrote:

“‘Emergencies’ have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded – and once they are suspended it is not difficult for anyone who has assumed emergency powers to see to it that the emergency will persist.”

That politicians are justifying continued mask mandates even after the recommendation from the CDC has changed is a clear example of what Hayek was talking about. They are stubbornly trying to maintain the state of emergency to cling to the power and importance it gives them.

Embracing individual choice and liberty now makes more sense than ever because we are on the last stretch of the pandemic and more and more people are not only gaining access to vaccinations but also actually being vaccinated every day. It is past time that our government policies start to reflect that.

Source: Foundation for Economic Education

4 Comments
  1. Ultrafart the Brave says

    “At this point, the science is clear: once people are vaccinated, they are essentially immune from COVID-19.”

    Just like Al Gore loved to say, “the science is settled”.

    This coming from agencies up to their necks in vested interests and subversion by creepy Bill and his Mini-Me Fauci. Sure, we can trust them, sure we can.

    I’d much rather place my trust in the Government of Norway which actually gives a rat’s arse about the welfare of their people. (Hint – Norway stopped “vaccinating” when they figured out that the “vaccines” kill more people than the Corona Chan bug!).

    1. Ultrafart the Brave says

      Just to emphasize the point –

      “At this point, the science is clear: once people are vaccinated, they are essentially immune from COVID-19.”

      No it is not – the science is not “clear”. This is a bare-faced lie masquerading as “truth”.

      If this were true, then why do Corona Chan infections SPIKE in each country immediately after the “vaccines” are rolled out? Why did Cambodia, which had ZERO Corona Chan deaths, have an avalanche of Corona Chan infections and deaths immediately after they commenced their Corona Chan “vaccinations”? Why is the mainstream media now spinning the numerous fully “vaccinated” people who are catching Corona Chan as “breakthrough cases”?

      “Essentially immune from COVID-19” my arse!

      The Corona Chan “vaccines” will kill you – if not in the next few weeks, then within the next 12 months. Don’t take my word for it – here’s some reading material on the subject – all credible sources of Corona Chan information you absolutely will not see in any of the mainstream media channels -:

      Vaccines are more dangerous than Corona Chan
      ====================================

      [ https://anti-empire.com/norways-health-authority-says-further-use-of-astrazeneca-riskier-than-covid-recommends-pulling-vaccine-permanently/ ]

      [ https://www.unz.com/gatzmon/the-israeli-people-committees-april-report-on-the-lethal-impact-of-vaccinations/ ]

      [ https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/experimental-vaccine-death-rate-for-israels-elderly-40-times-higher-than-covid-19-deaths-researchers ]

      Current Assessment of the Danger of Corona Chan “Vaccines”
      ==============================================

      [ https://www.unz.com/mwhitney/the-covaxx-19-scorecard-bleeding-blood-clots-and-the-whole-nine-yards/ ]

      Interview with Dr.Sherri Tenpenny – 10 ways the mRNA “vaccines” will kill you
      =========================================================

      [ https://www.bitchute.com/video/fhhNpDM9Ahwf/ ]

      Dr. Peter McCullough speaks on the Corona Chan “vaccines”
      =============================================
      Short Version (16 minutes)
      [ https://rumble.com/embed/vf328h/ ]

      Full Version (1 hour 45 minutes)
      [ https://rumble.com/embed/vf31sl/ ]

      There’s way more truthful information out there for anyone with the motivation to find it.

  2. Ronnie says

    It now official.
    America has gone insane.
    Followed by Goon Britain and Europe.
    With Australia makings an outside dash, the jockey using the whip with Liberal gusto.
    Destined to win by a head or arse which every way the donkey crosses the finish line.

    Wonder how the sheep vote next time ? ………………MOAR stimulus will do the trick.

  3. Andra says

    The politicians demonstrate their ignorance often and willingly. Power grants them nothing in the way of discernment; practical knowledge…in particular about the experimental injections with their deadly nRNA effects. Never mind the unnecessary isolations; face coverings and separations. Follow the money, as usual.

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