Posted on 03/25/2020 6:54:58 AM PDT by Kaslin
This week, President Donald Trump began openly considering at what point the American government ought to take steps to reopen the American economy. He explained: "Our country wasn't built to be shut down. America will again and soon be open for business," suggesting that the timeline will be weeks instead of months. "If it were up to the doctors," Trump said, "they'd say, 'Let's shut down the entire world.' This could create a much bigger problem than the problem that you started with." Later, Trump optimistically proclaimed that he "would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter."
Trump's projections drew fire -- as do all of his statements. These statements, however, caused inordinate faux heartburn among commentators, who shouted that Trump was weighing dollars against lives and deciding in favor of dollars. The hashtag #NotDyingForWallStreet began trending on Twitter, followed by the hashtag #DieForTheDow. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted: "My mother is not expendable. Your mother is not expendable. We will not put a dollar figure on human life. ... No one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market." Presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden said, "I don't agree with the notion that somehow it's OK ... to let people die."
That, of course, was not Trump's suggestion. Trump was merely pointing out -- quite correctly -- that since the federal government has now taken the unprecedented and justifiable action of completely shutting down the American economy, to the tune of millions of lost jobs and the greatest quarterly economic decline in recorded history, we must also have a plan to end this situation.
The economy cannot remain shuttered indefinitely; the federal government cannot engage in endless cash expenditures on the basis of treasuries nobody is buying. Nor is the economy merely Wall Street. The vast majority of those who will lose their jobs are not day traders but workers. Small companies are more likely to go under than large ones. The economy isn't an abstraction. It's the real lives of hundreds of millions of American citizens, and costs to those Americans must be weighed in the balance.
That's not controversial. That's a simple fact. Public policy is the craft of weighing risks and rewards, and policymakers do it every day. It's just that this time, the stakes are the highest they have ever been.
So, when do we reopen, and how?
The biggest problem is that we lack the data to answer the question. How many lives will be lost if we take heavy social measures after how many weeks? Moderate social measures? What will be the concomitant economic gain or loss? How many additional ICU beds and ventilators will we need to make available in order to clear the flattened curve such that we do not experience excess deaths due to lack of equipment, a la Italy? Our goal should be to move from the Chinese model -- total lockdown -- to the South Korean model -- heavy testing, contact investigations and social distancing. In order to accomplish that, we need to flatten the curve and stop the spread, allowing us to reset. How long will that take?
We're not going to have answers until some time passes -- until we test more, until the outcomes of cases are made certain. But we can certainly construct the formulas that should allow us to calculate possible outcomes as new data comes in, and that should allow us to collectively commit to actions directed at certain outcomes. We require a formula from the government. That's the transparency the markets need, that the American people need. And that, at least, should be attainable over the next two weeks.
Trump is leading, doing a great job. Starting with a “start” date is smart and focuses people and businesses. It may reopen in bits and spurts across the country, that’s fine.
In the words of Nike: “JUST DO IT!”
It must include a strategy to bring manufacturing HOME!!! Immediately focus on critical manufacturing but it should apply to general manufacturing and INCLUDE all of North America and Europe (if possible).
how about: a = dv / dt
Trump is a rather brilliant evaluator of people. “If it were up to doctors ...” How true this is with certain type of people. Take your security type of people, e.g, physical security, IT security, etc. They want endless budgets to shut things down to keep things secure. They would be successful at their jobs and be stress free because everything is secure. But business wouldn’t be able to operate. A balance is required. Trump is offering that balance while not completely doing away with what is required to solve the problem at hand. He knows there is more than one problem to solve.
For the next several? months:
Have clean up crews clean work areas.
Definitely break rooms.
I think the easiest, and cheapest, way would be to spray everything down with mild Clorox water solution.and wipe everything down. During off hours.
Continue to distance ourselves 6 feet.
Divide up breaks so there are less people in the break rooms at any given time.
Send anyone home with high fever and or more then one symptom. Or, anyone with a chronic cough.
Do not allow anyone who has immunity issues to work full time or maybe not at all? At least not until we are over the hump.
Also, It would be better to work 24 hour work week than no work at all. Not to mention the less ambitious would NOT “qualify” for full government assistance.
An intelligent, staged return to our lives is the logical thing to do.
Pipe down, Liddle Ben,grown-ups are talking.
President Trump (who you despise) has got this. He will mske America great again for the second time.
One of my favorites!
The most important tool in bio containment is between your ears. No system will work if the operator doesn’t understand it. That being the case, with droplet transmission, a person really could navigate freely through the environment with almost no PPE safely. But every thought would be required to be extremely conscious of every action. Every move. One slip and you are contaminated which is all the PPE gives you really, the chance to “slip” and not pay for it.
It’s about given that Liberals will stymie THIS effort too.
That fact has to be built into whatever plan the President develops.
It shouldn’t BE this way... but it is. Sad.
If you think of it, this whole pandemic scenario is a pure gold opportunity for everyone concerned to step up to the plate and demonstrate what they’re worth and WHY they are in the office they are in.
Instead, Liberals continue to cover themselves with shame. I guess they can’t help themselves.
For sure, Liberals take the ‘low road’ because it’s easier to destroy than it is to build... and of course, BUILDING, means team work. No glory there for them … no opportunity to grandstand. They sure don’t want to ‘appear’ to respect the President or the US in this crisis.
Trump has spend his entire career dreaming big and assessing risk/reward. In "The Art of the Deal" he speaks of structuring his transactions with worst-case backup plans so he can't lose. If he can't, he doesn't go for the deal.
My favorite is da/dt.
This Ben Shapiro dude is an arrogant jerk. Can’t stand him and his know-it-all attitude.
“Or, anyone with a chronic cough.”
I smoke. Guess I better go home! /s
LOL. Virus spread? ;)
Trump's projections drew fire -- as do all of his statements. These statements, however, caused inordinate faux heartburn among commentators, who shouted that Trump was weighing dollars against lives and deciding in favor of dollars. The hashtag #NotDyingForWallStreet began trending on Twitter, followed by the hashtag #DieForTheDow. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted: "My mother is not expendable. Your mother is not expendable. We will not put a dollar figure on human life. ... No one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market." Presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden said, "I don't agree with the notion that somehow it's OK ... to let people die."
Just remember, the virus is here whether we close or whether we are open. It wii not go away until it has run its course. There is one big difference, if we stay closed the nation is kaputt. If we stay open we are in business.
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