The case for libertarian lockdowns — “don’t be a dickhead”

Tim Harford: laws cannot cover every situation but common sense is not always enough. "The next stage in the fight against Covid-19 requires a subtlety that the law cannot provide. With coronavirus spreading rapidly, there was a strong case for a blunt, one-size-fits-all message: "stay at home, save lives". But now the task is different. We are not trying to suppress a spreading epidemic; we are trying reopen our countries where possible while preventing a second wave." Undercover economist, Tim Harford, comments on his Financial Times column.