Dr Sanjeev Sabhlok: An economist reviewing public health from first principles Co-opted Care

This episode features an interview with Dr Sanjeev Sabhlok. Sanjeev is an economist and former civil servant from India. He obtained a doctorate in economics in 1999 from the University of Southern California before moving to Australia, where he has mostly worked as an economist in the Department of Treasury and Finance in Victoria.
In September 2020, Sanjeev resigned from his role in the Treasury, loudly protesting against the Daniel Andrews government's refusal to conduct a cost-benefit analysis or risk assessment for what ultimately became the world's longest lockdown in Melbourne, Australia, under the state's COVID-19 policies.  

Sanjeev's blog: https://www.sabhlokcity.com/ 


Note

 Evidence demonstrating there was no increase in mortality rate in Sweden (as would have been expected during a pandemic) once we control for the dry tinder effect of 2019:
- Sanjeev’s 2020 article in The Australian: https://sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/Misc/Op-ed-TheAustralian-30December2020.png 
-  Nick Hudson's piece: https://pandata.org/lockdowns-dont-save-lives-sweden/ 
- Chart based on original Swedish data: https://www.sabhlokcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/sweden-mortality-to22-lowres.png
- Mainstream news: https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/sweden-has-the-lowest-excess-mortality-rate-after-the-pandemic-despite-refusing-to-lock-down/news-story/df50001366bb09b6a20421520cbfbf53

Time stamps
1:20 – Sanjeev’s role in the Department of Treasury and Finance in Victoria; and what happened in the lead up to COVID-19 and subsequent resignation.
7:02 – The Victorian government did not undertake a cost-benefit analysis or risk assessment of the lockdowns; and how the usual Victorian decision-making processes were completely disregarded during lockdowns.
11:46 – Many in the Victorian Treasury did not voice their concerns for fear of losing their jobs; how the Victorian government made decisions in the absence of a cost-benefit analysis; and the incentives of using epidemiological to drive fear and panic in the public.
17:50 – Sweden is the world’s only control group and demonstrates the complete failure of lockdowns; and using economic analysis to predict ever-increasing expansion and power in public health and continued delusion in the public.
28:39 – Deferring to experts and not asking questions is a betrayal of the enlightenment and the scientific method.
33:05 – A complete package for people to never wake up or question what happened; and how the wealth and power gained by politicians and public health officials during the lockdowns has changed life fundamentally.
39:02 – The decisions during COVID-19 were made for political benefit and to be re-elected; and how public choice theory predicts politicians will continue to act without ethics to gain power.   
42:00 – Sanjeev’s policy on truth and having principles in life; the incentives for media, politicians and pharmaceutical companies are a win-win for everyone to lose their mind; and how public health betrayed their own, 200-year-old scientific discovery that lockdowns do not work and only cause harm. 
47:43 –  Sanjeev’s analysis on the incentive and information problem in public health; errors of socialism and the importance of humility in economics; and a recommendation to be happy with what public health has achieved and realistic about what can be control