Posted on 03/24/2020 7:49:10 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
WASHINGTON — As the United States entered Week 2 of trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus by shuttering large swaths of the economy, President Trump, Wall Street executives and many conservative economists began questioning whether the government had gone too far and should instead lift restrictions that are already inflicting deep pain on workers and businesses.
Consensus continues to grow among government leaders and health officials that the best way to defeat the virus is to order nonessential businesses to close and residents to confine themselves at home. Britain, after initially resisting such measures, essentially locked down its economy on Monday, as did the governors of Virginia, Michigan and Oregon. More than 100 million Americans will soon be subject to stay-at-home orders.
Relaxing those restrictions could significantly increase the death toll from the virus, public health officials warn. Many economists say there is no positive trade-off — resuming normal activity prematurely would only strain hospitals and result in even more deaths, while exacerbating a recession that has most likely already arrived.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Doing the consensus is not always leadership. Leadership is making the hard choices for the good of the country.
The “Health Experts” have been wrong every step of the way.
“10 million dead...”
Tough call.
Reopen it. Maybe everything will be fine. Maybe it won’t.
All I know is I can’t go anywhere while this is going on, doesn’t matter what they do.
” a recession that has most likely already arrived.”
The consequences aren’t binary. Shutting down the economy for 2 weeks is obviously less consequential than shutting it down for 2 months or 2 years. And a global depression could be much more deadly than even the worst case scenarios for this pandemic.
MSM is terrified the economy will recover before November. They don’t give a damn about the safety of the American people.
Going to show my ignorance here: will President Trump’s order overturn those of the governors and more local leaders. They sure are on extensive power trips.
At the end of the day more people will get sick and die of the yearly 1919 strain of flu than from the Wuhan variety. Time to get America back to work!
Fake news
Absolutely true. Leadership is weighing the costs versus the benefits in a holistic way and doing what’s best in the long run. And often doing so with imperfect knowledge.
And then being criticized by all the opportunists.
Trump should do what HE thinks is right. Whatever Trump does the democrat/media response will be the same regardless of the results. I trust Trump’s read on this more than any federal bureaucrat doctor’s. It’s just like Trump knowing how to decimate ISIS when the DC generals promoted more of the Bush/Obama doctrine.
I agree with you, Gibsonguy. That is the greatest fear of MSM and democrats (but I repeat myself)
If he opens up the economy “too soon”, every virus death will be blamed on him.
If his approach is more cautious, his “indecision” will prove he can’t be trusted with the economy.
All these government health officials are not going lose their jobs and paychecks.
Obviously, the doctors and leaders of the US health industry are not worried at all about unemployment. How about including in the bailout for hospitals in the Senate bill the stipulation that all treatment of unemployed patients will be free? Perhaps they would then be more concerned.
Very good point re ISIS.
The DC bureaucrats have parochial perspectives and interests. I know — I’ve done a lot of work for numerous federal agencies.
This country could use a lot less “experts”.
Part of the question is “How much will ‘social distancing’, staying home when you are sick, and washing your hands do to reduce transmission?”
I suspect it is really a lot, if people actually do it.
Restaurants will likely still be a problem for both sides of this.
This country could use a lot less “experts”.
************
The problem with DC is that there are too many “experts” and not enough people with widsom.
Dear NYT, we fought a revolutionary war so that we don't have to do what Britain does.
Also, using the up to the minute data from the Johns Hopkins site, the death rate in the US from the coronavirus is 1.3%; In Britain, it's 5%. Why would we want to copy them?
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