[16bytes]

IIRC, the early consensus wasn't that they were useless, it's that there was no RCT that said they were effective. That's a big difference. Our understanding now is different.

If this was Sen. Paul's only statement--that most masks are ineffective--that would have been a bigger judgement call.

Sen. Paul, however, continued by saying that not only is it a fact they are ineffective, but Dr. Fauci knows this and is thereby lying to the American people.

That's way out of bounds for scientific discourse, and even for differences of opinion in normal discourse.

[gibba999]

I read the studies back in March 2020. There was pretty evidence from:

* Studies on the spread of flu virus

* Case studies of COVID in Asia.

We know a little more today, but not a lot more. We have replicated the flu results with COVID19.

I didn't hear anything in that interview which felt out-of-bounds for normal discourse. It certainly was a step higher than discourse I hear from liberals all the time in my community, and discourse I hear from other conservatives.

I disagreed with a lot of what he said, but it didn't deserve to be censored. It was intelligent, reasoned, and I just happen to have a different opinion.