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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump is begging for an Election Day recession
Reopen the economy, virus be damned. This is President Trumps latest pivot as he tries to figure out what it means to be a wartime president.
Like everybody, Trump is growing impatient as nearly half the country stays home and thousands of businesses shut down. He keeps saying he wants to reopen the economy by Easter, which is April 12. But the coronavirus spread hasnt been contained anywhere in the country, and we could have quadruple as many cases by then. Or more. Yet a chorus of conservatives is now saying, so what, open things up anyway.
The idea is to ease up on areas that have low infection rates, as if low infection rates are locked in place and cant go up. Texass Republican Lt. Gov., Dan Patrick, suggested recently that some coronavirus deaths among seniors might be a tolerable price to pay to restart the economy and spare others the despair of economic hardship. Trump himself has argued that the recession were plunging into will lead to massive depression, where people commit suicide, where tremendous death happens. There are deaths with coronavirus, and deaths without coronavirus, see? Wouldnt you rather have deaths with a functioning economy than with a moribund one?
Theres a crucial fallacy in this argument, which assumes that a president reopening the economy would put everything back to normal, even if the virus is rampant. Nothing of the sort would happen. Mayors and governors wouldnt go along with the president if it meant letting the virus metastasize on their turf. Businesses wouldnt reopen with the potential liability of knowingly infecting customers and employees. Ordinary people wouldnt go out, either. Many (though not all) are smart enough to tell when their elected officials are lying to them and putting them at higher risk than necessary.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-is-begging-for-an-election-day-recession-140914328.html
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)He would have less Social Security and SSI payments going out, let alone saved Medicare dollar$. If you believe he cares about the lives lost, hang that hope up. It$ the dollar$ and never forget that.
keithbvadu2
(36,369 posts)Pay attention to Trump when he says the economy is going down the drain if he is not reelected.
He is telling us what shape he will leave the country in.
Despite his excuses, Trump gets full credit for any bad in the economy just as he takes full credit for any good in the economy.
Victor_c3
(3,557 posts)He had three years to fix all of the supposed wrongs perpetrated by the Obama administration. If he is so smart and hired only the best people, why didnt he identify these issues and address them years ago?
The job creators even got a huge tax cut. Isnt it crazy that a bunch of low-wage workers not working or spending money in the economy can grind the economy to a halt despite the job creators having plenty of wealth? Its almost like trickle-down economics is a bunch of shit.
Victor_c3
(3,557 posts)I hate to say it, but only quadruple the number of cases by 12 April is hugely optimistic. Quickly glancing at the spread in the US over the last month or two, the number of cases consistently increased by ten-fold every 7 days. At this rate, well have close to 1,000,000 infected by next Saturday and 10,000,000 infected by the following Saturday (11 April). The only reason I believe we might not have that many cases reported in two weeks time is because the capacity to test that many individuals simply doesnt exist.
keithbvadu2
(36,369 posts)Anybody that wants a test [for the coronavirus] can get a test.
Ask your local republican org where anyone can get a test.