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By Nancy Thorner & Ed Ingold –
Unfortunately, in this wheel of politics, there are two sides diametrically opposed. Conservatives have reached the conclusion that no good will come of destroying the nation, while Progressives are determined to continue the present course of action.
Barely a month ago, the same factions were diametrically opposed on the same issues. The president, they said, was overreacting, being racist, xenophobic, and dismissive of experts who said the virus was no big no big deal. President Trump acted swiftly and boldly, despite the mudslinging, to stem the explosive growth of the disease, as opposed to those countries which chose to ignore history and the medical statisticians. His actions bought time to evaluate the situation more clearly.
We have protected the most vulnerable, and least vulnerable, with the same intensity. We have marshaled our resources to provide for those most severely afflicted and provided for the caregivers who administer that aid. It’s time to heal the nation. The opposition sees things differently, that the nation must remain under lock down until no trace of the disease persists. Those of us raised in the sulfonamide era were told anything that tasted that bad had to be good for you.
After working within a bi-partisan way, Senate Democrats sided with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who proposed a 1120-page coronavirus rescue bill which included a Christmas wish list of Democrats’ pet issues having nothing to do with the coronavirus. Watch here Louisiana Senator Kennedy aptly explain Democrat obstruction on coronavirus relief package with Fox News's Tucker Carlson.
It is just as well that bailouts have stalled in Congress. Money alone won’t solve the problem, with the disease or the economy. It is better to put our efforts in those directions which will yield the greatest benefit to the nation , not one political party or the other. One side wants to help business put people back to work, while the other wants to pay them to stay away. Our nation is ready and able to go back to work, at least if we act quickly. You can jump in the water to escape a swarm of yellow jackets, but sooner or later you must come up and get stung or drown. You don’t need someone to hold your head under the water.
A Shifting Mood
In the interim since March 16, 2020 when President Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued new
15-day guidelines to help protect Americans during the global Coronavirus outbreak, a shift of mood has begun. It is whether economic bloodletting is helping the nation in its battle against COVID-19, or hurting.
On March 23, 2020, the 8th day of Trump's 15-day directive, several thoughtful articles appeared on the Internet which compare the cost vs benefit the continued shutdown to its effect on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article 1
As
George Rasley, CHQ editor wrote on 3/23/2020,
When the Collectivist Cure Is Worse Than The Individual Disease:
"There’s no doubt that the Wuhan virus or to satisfy those obsessed with political correctness, the COVID-19 virus, can produce a life-threatening condition, especially in the elderly, those with compromised immune systems and compromised pulmonary function.
There’s also no doubt that basic infection control procedures that hospitals, nursing homes, dentists and many other businesses undertake every day can help minimize the risk of transmission: hand washing, regular cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces, gloves, etc. are standard operating procedure in a host of non-medical industries, such as food service, cosmetology, etc. and they work to prevent infections from being transmitted.
We also now know that there are drugs that are both cheap and available that are efficacious against this new disease. So why are Governors and Mayors, mostly in Democrat-controlled jurisdictions using hitherto unknown executive authorities to shut down all economic activity in their communities? One answer that suggests itself is that, as author and political commentator David Horowitz once said, “Inside every Progressive is a Totalitarian screaming to get out.
What all these extra-constitutional actions have in common are that they are sweeping collective cures for what is an individual disease. And, they help grow the power of the state at the expense of individual rights and responsibilities and constitutional liberty.”
Article 2
Michael Levitt, a Nobel laureate and Stanford biophysicist, began analyzing the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide in January and correctly calculated that China would get through the worst of its coronavirus outbreak long before many health experts had predicted. Now he foresees a similar outcome in the United States and the rest of the world. While many epidemiologists are warning of months, or even years, of massive social disruption and millions of deaths, Levitt says the data simply don’t support such a dire scenario — especially in areas where reasonable social distancing measures are in place. “What we need is to control the panic,” he said. In the grand scheme, he says "We’re going to be fine."
Levitt believes that the number of cases in the United States is still increasing, but the rate of increase has already begun to slow. If that pattern continues and everyone gets on board with social distancing, we should hit a peak in a few weeks and then see a steady decline. Of course, he also warns us that it might not be the last peak, particularly if everyone goes back to normal interactions immediately.
Article 3
As Chicago's own
Dennis Byrne wrote in Chicagonow.com,
The coronavirus cure is worse than the disease:
"Call it science, but it's still speculation. That's because every single analysis about the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic is based on a fatal flaw. There's no way to satisfactorily predict how many people–what percentage of the population–will die from coronavirus. That's because you can catch the disease, but you may never know it. Neither will doctors, healthcare professionals or experts who are estimating the impact of the pandemic."
"Without knowing the total number of actual cases, you never,
not ever, will be able to determine the percentage of people who die from the disease. You can do a representative sample of the entire population, but as far as I know that hasn't been done prior to launching the economy killing hide-in-place policies. This, of course, is my opinion. But I'm not alone in it."
Bryne further notes that when examining the death estimates that involve extremely intricate calculations and poorly supported assumptions, they reveal the shaky foundation on which federal, state and local governments have based policies that in the end may have more far-reaching, long-lasting and destructive consequences than Covid-19
Trump Gets It
“We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself,” the
president tweeted in caps lock, before announcing the reassessment on March 23, 2020.
[Source: Fox News ]
Trump has made it clear he’s not happy about this “cure.” Not only is the economy suffering, but every American who can’t even buy a roll of toilet paper is suffering.
Trump isn’t promising to lift this shutdown, but come April 1 he indicated that something must change,
maybe even by Easter to get people back working again.
More and more medical, scientific experts are coming forward to dispute the W.H.O. claims of mortality rate of the covid virus. Trump's projection of Easter may not be too far off. Source: Haaretz:
https://bit.ly/3bsKpC3
Concluding Thoughts
The adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” has never been more appropriate. Besides its obvious connection to the COVID-19 epidemic, it applies to the economy as well. It should be clear, to anyone outside the Washington Beltway anyway, that we can’t spend our way to recovery, especially by printing money. That is a recipe for disaster, including runaway inflation. No amount of stimulus will replace getting America back to work.
It would be a grave mistake for Trump to accede to demands from the Left to finance their pet projects in an “offer we cannot refuse,” Instead, The President is seeking ways to get the economy restarted and should be supported heartily in this endeavor. Let us put money and effort into lubrication of the sticky parts of the restart. Maintaining the status quo is not only counterproductive, but ultimately futile. This is not a black or white decision. Any actions must be tailored to the situation, and the effects closely monitored.
Don’t expect Democrats to give up easily. COVID-19 is a crisis they are loathe to waste. The “crisis” in Illinois amounts to about 1200 cases in total and 12 deaths. In the worst scenario, our infrastructure is unlikely to be overwhelmed. The question is whether Pritzker will reopen Illinois for business, or cling to the idea that saving even one life justifies the most draconian measures.
This is the time to lead, follow, or get out of the way.
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