Only Social Darwinians Worry About the Harm Caused by COVID-19 Lockdowns, Andrew Cuomo Says. The point of shutting down the "nonessential" economy, New York's governor explains, is to "save lives, period, whatever it costs."

Reason ^ | March 24, 2020 | Jacob Sullum

[karpov]

Anyone who was looking for some assurance that politicians are giving appropriate weight to the potentially devastating economic impact of aggressive COVID-19 control measures will not find it in New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's comments at his press conference today. "We're not going to put a dollar figure on human life," said Cuomo (D), who last Friday announced that "we're all in quarantine now" while ordering all "nonessential" businesses to close. The goal, he explained, is to "save lives, period, whatever it costs."

In a world of finite resources, where government agencies routinely and appropriately weigh the cost of potentially lifesaving regulations, that attitude is utterly irrational. Worse, Cuomo portrayed concerns about the millions of Americans who have been deprived of their livelihoods by lockdowns like his as cruel indifference to the fate of Americans who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because of their age or pre-existing medical conditions.

"My mother is not expendable, and your mother is not expendable, and our brothers and sisters are not expendable," Cuomo said when asked about "conservatives" who have noted the heavy burdens imposed by sweeping restrictions on movement, business operations, and work. "And we're not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable."

Here is what lockdown skeptics are really saying, according to Cuomo: "We'll just sacrifice old people; they're old people anyway. And the old get left behind….We're going to move on, and if you can't keep up, well, you just fall by the wayside of life." He described their philosophy as "some modern, Darwinian theory of natural selection."

That interpretation is not just uncharitable; it is cruel in its own way, treating the human costs of shutting down the "nonessential" economy, which fall disproportionately on people of modest means, as a minor consideration

[SkyDancer]

All these Dem’s act like tin-pot dictators.

[MNJohnnie]

There are about 5000 critical cases in the USA. So why does Cumo needs 30,000 ventilators for NY alone?

PAST TIME for these Democrat scum to STOP lying

[Sacajaweau]

He could outlaw abortions in NYS. Except, like Gay Marriage, it brings in some bucks.

[real saxophonist]

The goal, he explained, is to "save lives gain power, period, whatever it costs."

[jerod]

Cuomo will pay a large political price for his nonsensical meanderings.... This is a pandemic unlike any other pandemic. The reason why... Social media.

There have only been 19,000+ deaths over 4 months worldwide. There are 7.8 billion people on earth and every day 360,000 more people are born to this earth. Meanwhile the corona death toll goes up by minuscule increments.

So the question is... Just how much of this hype is real, and just how much of this hype is hype?

It’s hype folks... Worldwide more people die every day from brain aneurysms than die from corona. Are we shutting down the economy because of the brain aneurysm crises? Like global warming, this ‘crises’ is complete foolishness and it’s being hyped up by scientist and the true damage from this crises will be from the economic downfall of our society, not from the deaths.

[ClandestineGuy]

“The goal, he explained, is to “save lives, period, whatever it costs.””

So I expect Cuomo will be banning cars in 3, 2, ...

And we should lockdown every flu season, ban bathtubs and showers (falls), bicycles, subways (deaths on tracks) ...

And the abortion point is spot on as well

What a ridiculous statement by Fredo Sr

[mewzilla]

NYS is $6+ bil in the hole.

If you’ve seen our budget, you know why.

We’ve also lost almost half our House seats in the last 60 years.

WuFlu won’t finish us, but Cuomo and Albany might.

[gogeo]

The dreaded “We’ve got to do something!” syndrome. The more it hurts, the more effective it must be!

[mewzilla]

And since states can’t print money, Fredo’s bro’s mouth is writing checks his butt can’t cash.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Of course, the point is to hijack the crisis to advance collectivism. If they can also use the economic side effects to defeat Trump, they would consider that a nice side benefit. “Saving lives” is clearly not the priority.

[Blood of Tyrants]

If he really wanted to “save lives, whatever the cost”, he would oppose abortion on demand. As it is, this is political posturing bullcrap.

[Crucial]

...and keep control of people by the left leaning authorities.

[littleharbour]

Government’s make decisions every day that increase the risk of people dying, or which fail to alleviate known risks. Where to put guardrails and traffic lights, how may police officers and fire fighters to hire, speed limits, the number of health inspectors for restaurants and food processing facilities, giving early parole or light sentences to violent criminals and drug dealers. And, of course, the decision to protect violent illegal aliens from being arrested by ICE. All government decisions have consequences, and they always involves a balancing of risks. Up until now, Cuomo and the Dems in Washington and leftist states, have been content to put the public at risk through numerous wrong-headed decisions.

[VideoDoctor]

The goal, he explained, is to "save lives, period, whatever it costs."

Spoken like a TRUE POLITICIAN ( blowing to the galleries )

Too long a wait to fire up the economy and they will probably create a Pyrrhic Victory economy-wise.

 

Kind of a Heads YOU LOSE.. Tails YOU LOSE!

 

A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Someone who wins a Pyrrhic victory has also taken a heavy toll that negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress

Trump has already stated, "we should be very careful that the CURE is NOT worse than the disease."

[DesertRhino]

Whatever it costs? That must be why New York has a warehouse of ventilators just waiting. That must be why Cuomo built free apartments complete with food for the homeless. And that must be why he gave away his personal Fortune to pay for healthcare for people. Because you dont even think of money when human life is being discussed.

[DesertRhino]

These are the same people who pushed for death panels because certain procedures aren’t worth the money when elderly people are involved. Hell they’ve been discussing that up till 3 or 4 months ago

[McGavin999]

So they control their state, they can kill the economy if they want, the rest of us will go back to work. I think the treatments will start being proven and in a few weeks there will still be a virus, it won’t require all those ventilators and these dem politician will look stupid.

[sima_yi]

If it saves just one life, it is worth shutting down the world economy. If it saves just one life, it is worth it to ban automobiles. If it saves just one life, it is worth it to repeal the Second Amendment. If it saves just one life, it is worth it to send conservatives to the Gulag. If it saves just one life, it is worth it to elect me to Dictator for Life.

[stanne]

My Long Island housewife mother rolling in her grave at St Pats

[House Atreides]

The dreaded “We’ve got to do something!” syndrome. The more it hurts, the more effective it must be!
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Anytime politicians who tout “I’ll get things done”, without specifying which “things”, win election, I grab my wallet.