Commentary
Nearly 20 years ago, in 2005, as avian influenza (bird flu) threatened, I wrote the following. If the government ever purports to manage a pandemic, “the worst part of government failure will present itself. ... Even if the flu does come, and taxpayers have coughed up, the government will surely have a ball imposing travel restrictions, shutting down schools and businesses, quarantining cities, and banning public gatherings. It’s a bureaucrat’s dream!”
