Turbo Pascal's Wager vs. Coronavirus "truthers"

Ah, Pascal's wager. Published in the posthumous Pensees or Thoughts or Thinks, French philosopher Blaise Pascal posits that you might as well believe in God because if you're wrong, so what. If you're right, then you don't end up in Hell. Here's translation of the argument from wikipedia.

• God is, or God is not. Reason cannot decide between the two alternatives
• A Game is being played... where heads or tails will turn up
• You must wager (it is not optional)
• Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing
• Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. (...) There is here an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain, a chance of gain against a finite number of chances of loss, and what you stake is finite. And so our proposition is of infinite force when there is the finite to stake in a game where there are equal risks of gain and of loss, and the infinite to gain.
• But some cannot believe. They should then 'at least learn your inability to believe...' and 'Endeavor then to convince' themselves.

It's a fairly thrilling thought exercise and I believe it can be applied to the current Covid_19 situation. As you know, this old reporter believes in the science and he believes that without following the protocols initially set forth (and now being foolishly eased) this will cause death. Death will abound. I've never been one to care much about your pocketbook and I certainly don't place this ideal of the economy above human life like you seem to. So, let's apply the wager.

A game is being played.. Where heads or tails will turn up.

You must wager, it's not optional.

If you (anti-masker anti-vaxxer xenophobic money hungry racists) are right what do we gain? I've already dismissed your complaints about the economy and you've already shown yourselves to be dogs, unable to stop yapping and shooting each other. So, you gain this idealized version of America that doesn't now and has never existed. But, I'll be fair. You'll gain "life returning to normal" — trips to the ice cream parlor and your gun dealer.

If I'm right you lose nothing substantial. We have much more to gain. We have the countless lives that can be saved. We have an evolving maturity as a nation. We learn to be with our family. We learn what really matters. But, I can not stress this enough: You won't kill your own grandparents so you can go to the damn beach. That outweighs your but freedoms argument.

So, If you're wrong.. what do you lose? Possibly your life and the lives of people you care about and the lives of strangers.

If I'm wrong what do I lose? Nothing substantial and nothing that is more important than innocent life.

But, Pascal does add such an important detail. Some will be unable to believe. Is that you? Why do you believe the things you do? Where is the foundation of your belief? Are you someone who is only seeking out news sources *ahem* ideas and people that agree with your already held beliefs? Are you engaging in confirmation bias? Defined as the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories, we all do it. I do it too. I would only hope that my core beliefs of "Die if you must but harm no one" are at least noble ideals.

If I'm wrong? So what. You're shitty business selling shingles loses money. If I'm right, your family may be saved. Which is more important, shit bag? —Dales