Blindsight is 2020: Reflections on Covid Policies | Gabrielle Bauer

Did the Covid-19 lockdowns and mandates serve society’s best interests? Science alone can’t answer the question. Philosophers have important things to say about it. So do psychologists, economists, novelists, and lawyers.

The 46 thinkers showcased in this elegant book by Gabrielle Bauer, drawn from a variety of disciplines and political persuasions, agree on one thing: the policies crossed the line and the world lost its way. Some are internationally famous, others merely brilliant. Together, they hone in on the social and ethical breaches of the Covid era, such as emotional manipulation, disregard for civil liberties, and a stubborn refusal to consider the harms of freezing society. The author also recounts her own efforts to make sense of the Covid landscape, from Zoom psychotherapy to a visit to lockdown-free Sweden.

The book challenges us to survey the damage of the Covid-19 policies from diverse angles, its voices offering fresh perspectives on the greatest social upheaval in modern history.

Gabrielle Bauer obtained her Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and her Bachelor of Music in composition, both Magna Cum Laude from McGill University. A brief stint in a graduate biochemistry program at Harvard University confirmed what she already suspected: she wasn’t cut out to be a laboratory scientist. Her career took several twists and turns after that, from composer to translator to scientific patent editor in Tokyo.

Over two decades ago, following a job as managing editor for a Toronto healthcare publisher, Gabrielle launched her career as a freelance writer. She now divides her time between writing books, articles for the general public, and clinical materials for health professionals.

Gabrielle has received two National Magazine Awards, three Kenneth R. Wilson trade journalism awards, and a Canadian Nurses Association Award for Excellence in Health Reporting. She has written two books to date—Tokyo, My Everest, co-winner of the Canada-Japan Book Prize, and Waltzing The Tango, which was short-listed for the Edna Staebler award for creative nonfiction—and has two other books in progress.

A longstanding member of the American Medical Writers’ Association, Gabrielle has developed and delivered several workshops on magazine and medical writing.

Gabrielle and her family recently moved to the Beaches area of Toronto. There’s something about living near a lake….
https://gabriellebauer.com

The Covid event has revealed that it was about more than just public health and the political, economic and societal aspects of the response are of far greater significance than the virus itself. There remains a continued drive toward the transformation of our societies in ways that threaten democracy and our existing ways of life. Open Society Sessions aim to examine the political, societal and economic dimensions of our recent experience and analyse developments in the future.

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