Mnuchin said the U.S. shouldn't shut down the economy again even if there is another surge in case

[still_one]

"“You create more damage, not just economic damage -- medical problems that get put on hold,” Mnuchin said Thursday on CNBC. “We can’t shut down the economy again.”

Mnuchin added that he believed President Donald Trump made the right decision to urge states to ease social distancing rules that have crippled the U.S. economy.

He said that in the event of a resurgence, it will not be necessary to impose restrictions again because Covid testing and contract tracing are improving and they understand more about how to contain outbreaks"


https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/mnuchin-says-u-s-can-t-shut-economy-even-if-virus-resurges-1.1448979

[C_U_L8R]

1. So the strategy is die, workers die?

Nice.

[DBoon]

16. Capitalism is a death cult

it turns living human beings into profits

[RKP5637]

17. Capitalism has always been horrible for many. Generally only those standing on top of

others worship the system.

[C_U_L8R]

19. I'm a capitalist and I don't want you to die.

That's called killing your own customers. It's just insane stupidity.

[Squinch]

2. The economy will shut itself down. People will not be roaming around and

dining out if they are afraid that their lungs will turn to mush.

[roamer65]

5. I haven't changed my habits since the stay at home was imposed.

I ask myself if is it necessary.

[Squinch]

9. Where do you live?

[roamer65]

11. MI.

The restrictions are getting relaxed, but I am not relaxing mine.

I take care of an elderly parent.

[RKP5637]

21. Same here, I'm not relaxing mine either. Also, until an effective vaccine is developed/produced and

mass distributed, this virus is going to linger.

[roamer65]

29. ..

Smart move.

[Chainfire]

44. Neither have I

My only contribution to the economy is buying groceries every two weeks, and I do that reluctantly and while using all protections available to me.

My state is still getting over a thousand new cases a day. I am as vulnerable to the virus as I was a month ago. Medical advances have not decreased the likelihood of getting the virus nor has it improved the treatment. If I get the virus, it will probably kill me, then my wife. Local people have given up on masks and social distancing. People have grown bored with surviving and are willing to leave their life to fate. This kind of behavior is being encouraged by the Trump administration to the detriment of the entire nation.

The government is trying to force a political and economic cure to a medical issue; it is akin to faith-based medicine and it is not gong to work. Trump seems to think that he can deny the virus until November and I think that the hill he must climb will be getting steeper and steeper has time goes forward. If he can survive the election, he will not give a damn how many people die.

[gibraltar72]

48. Mi. also a rural hot spot

Was just asked to attend a meeting for a township project next Monday for a planning session. When I originally said yes I told them perhaps in August. If this thing is over. I kinda got on a roll when they called. Told them it isn't close to over and It wouldn't be good to be around them as I have so much rage about what they have done to my country. Board is 100% Republican.

[roamer65]

55. ..

Hillsdale sucks.

[gibraltar72]

57. Beautiful town beautiful area

2 miles from Lost Nations. The people suck I agree. It isn't my old area that's for sure. Every wacko has been emboldened.

[roamer65]

58. Hillsdale College has made it nutbag central.

Fundamentalism is poison.

[gibraltar72]

62. Yeah they are a project of mine going back to ten years old.

The Wackos don't understand College wouldn't piss down their throat if tonsils were on fire.

[RKP5637]

12. Yeah, I think that will happen as most people finally get that this virus really is

lethal. Also, if TPTB gave a damn, they would declare a war emergency and mass produce/distribute standardized masks and sanitizer for the entire populace. There are lots of ineffective masks and hand sanitizers on the market and shames/rip-offs.

[SoonerPride]

13. Exactly.

See all these graphs!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/upshot/pandemic-economy-government-orders.html

[DBoon]

14. And even a minority of people holding back will crash the economy

If say 20-30% of the population changes their habits, the economic impact would be huge

[still_one]

18. Exactly. Not only did did some states open too soon, those same states didn't implement

a phased approach consistently, and with some not wearing masks in public, and not following social distancing rules, it potentially be worse.

[Squinch]

26. And the re-openings have not resulted in the rushing back to commerce that the

idiot republicans thought it would, so all that suffering is for nothing.

[still_one]

37. Everything he touches is a disaster

[Newest Reality]

3. He would say that, now wouldn't he?

Don't fear the Reaper!

[roamer65]

4. The states decide, you don't Munchkin.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

6. Not having jobs or CONSUMER CONFIDENCE will shut down the economy.

Damn, is Steve Mnuchin FUCKING DUMB!

Does he not know the economy is consumer driven?

[blitzen]

7. Is there proof that contract tracing is increasing sufficiently, or is this more Trump BS? n/t

[SoonerPride]

10. Of course it is a lie. More magical thinking bullshit.

[DBoon]

20. I just read that contact tracers are getting death threats from RWNJs

Something about FEMA camps, socialism, deep state conspiracies.

We are just starting as a nation to implement contact tracing and already the right wing is trying to destroy our best tool for containing the pandemic.

[blitzen]

31. We, the people, need to demand contract tracing! If New Zealand and S. Korea can do it...

why can't we? I know the answer, which is basically we've been reduced to shithole country status, not to mention fascism.

[dalton99a]

32. Trump has poisoned that well.

[uponit7771]

59. No, go to COVIDact.org ... 90% of all counties are failing

[SoonerPride]

8. The economy was shutting down on its own with or without the government

There were detailed economic analysis done showing that as news of widespread outbreaks occurred people were stopping dining out, buying up toilet paper, stopping unnecessary consumption, and staying home on their own.

State governments imposing limits came AFTER the people themselves were doing it.

See all the pretty graphs here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/upshot/pandemic-economy-government-orders.html

So it won't matter if governors do or do not impose stay at home orders when we have a resurgence, because the people themselves will stay home. A few mouth breathing science deniers may go out but they will be alone in a world devoid of people.

[still_one]

33. The problem is they are encouraging people NOT to wear masks, and exercise

social distancing in public, contrary to what the medical experts recommend.

The mixed messaging coming out from trump and the administration, has and is doing tremendous damaging.

[SoonerPride]

39. This is 100% true.

But if there is news of a huge spike in any locale, the majority of people will shut themselves down.

Sure, some idiots will ignore it, go out, not wear masks, etc. And most of those will be trumpists who only watch Fox News.

But the economy will stall on its own accord with or without government guidance.

More guidance would be better. Consistent messaging would be IDEAL.

But that isn't happening.

Not until 2021.

[still_one]

41. I agree

[dalton99a]

38. +1. It started out at municipal levels, by public health officials and mayors

[soothsayer]

15. Well he also said this, so...

Link to tweet

?s=21

[still_one]

24. He seems oblivious also to the precautions of mask wearing and social distancing in

public to reduce the spread of infection

[sop]

22. Caveat Emptor.

We're in the Trump era of Laissez-faire Leadership. "Leaders" take a hands-off policy and allow group members to make their own decisions.

[bigtree]

46. then they sit back and criticize them for those choices

...

[Caliman73]

47. That would actually be an improvement to what we have.

Trump is not taking a "hands off" approach. He is very much putting his thumb on the scale. What he is doing is offering ZERO leadership. He pushes for the approach he thinks will help make him look good in the short term. Then he stands back and if things fail he blames other people for doing what he told them they should do and accepts no responsibility for the situation his pushing created, and offers no solutions to the problem.

That isn't laissez-faire. That is starting fires, watching them burn, and blaming the owners of the property and fire department for not saving the structure.

[sop]

52. You could give Trump the benefit of the doubt for not actually causing initial COVID-19 infections;

the moron simply did nothing to stop the spread for weeks, even calling it a hoax. Now, this second time around, after ordering reopenings despite having been warned of all the dire consequences, it's Trump's fault...100%. It's not laissez-faire, it's negligent genocide.

[Caliman73]

56. I don't give Trump the benefit of the doubt.

I usually reserve that sentiment for actors who may be ignorant, may not have bad intentions, first time offenders, etc...

Trump deserves no benefit of the doubt. He acts in bad faith almost every time. There isn't any thing you can really point to that says that Trump was attempting to do the best thing for others.

Harding thought that allowing the markets and business to do their thing would right the economy. He knew that he was in over his head and was more like a dear in the headlights. He was a very flawed man but I would not call him evil. Just dumb and weak. That is the benefit of the doubt.

Trump is ignorant but arrogant (whether valid or not). He pretends to know it all but knows nothing. He lies constantly. He used government resources as a cudgel and as a way to make himself look good during a Pandemic. He downplayed it, stating that he was "the country's cheerleader". He thinks that if he avoids bad news or lies about numbers, that things will get better. 115,000 Americans are dead because he spent over 6 weeks trying to find a way to avoid blame and responsibility.

The leaders of South Korea, Taiwan, and other countries that have held back the virus ALL had the same information that Trump did. They were also "Lied to" by China, yet they were able to make it so that their countries contained the spread, and they didn't have to close down their economies for extended periods like we have had to. We are supposedly the richest, most advanced, "best" country in the world according to a bunch of ignorant fools, yet we are not anywhere near the top of any category used to measure progress against the pandemic. We continue to grow in cases where other similarly positioned countries are stable or shrinking.

Trump deserves no benefit of the doubt...at all. He actively interfered with a proper response to the pandemic. I would have preferred if he kept his stupidity out of the way and allowed the proper authorities to respond.

[uponit7771]

61. +1, then blame group members for thousands of deaths of fellow citizens

[grumpyduck]

23. Mnuchin can go fuck himself on a truckload of counterfeit money.

[Blues Heron]

25. this evil dweeb is spewing dangerous misinformation

yes your bunion operation can wait until after the pandemic, no your heart attack cannot.

Defeating this virus will require everybody masked at all times when out, and no group events whatsoever.

This guy sounds anti-life like so many pukes. No conception of the value of each and every life. We're just disposable work units to these demented maniacs.

[Bengus81]

27. Covid19 isn't frightening at 40,000 feet in a Lear Jet

Looking down on all the peons that must do the work of the task master.

[uponit7771]

28. He's really stupid, even if it was localized shut downs in big states it could affect GDP horribly

[spinbaby]

30. No one will be willing to go out

I notice, too, that Florida reported a record number of new cases today, even as Disney World is planning to reopen. What could possibly go wrong?

[ScratchCat]

50. The number is misleading

There are only a significant number of new cases in the areas where most of the cases were already - SE Florida, Tampa/St Pete, Jax, and Orlando. Over 600 were in Broward/Dade/Palm Beach Counties and they HAVE NOT rescinded all orders there yet. There are a few other scattered areas in SW Florida where they are seeing larger increases, and those areas are packed with senior citizens. The other areas are seeing minor increases. We are averaging five a day in Leon County.

[spinbaby]

54. I get that it's like two states

But the southern part of Florida is bad news.

[uponit7771]

63. No they're not go to covid-19 org relative Ro is still above one for most Florida counties (link)

https://covidactnow.org/us/fl?s=44750

[Yonnie3]

34. You first, Mnuchin

Maybe you could set an example for us. Spend a few weeks as a janitor at a bus station or clerk at Walmart. Mask optional.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

35. So, the Swedish model is proven correct.

In the mind of Mnuchin, anyway.

[MoonRiver]

36. Who cares what that asshole says!

[Thomas Hurt]

40. The servile lackey wants to keep his job for another 4 years.

[bigtree]

42. neither he, nor Trump 'shut down the economy'

...governors made that choice based on the needs of their states.

Of course, if Trump had made the decision to direct all of that from the federal govt. from the time he learned the virus threatened the nation, we would be looking at far less infections and deaths right now.

Mnuchin dictates nothing to the states, not by edict or persuasion.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

43. Rich Republicans living in gated communities are prone to say shit like that.

KY.......... ......

[MineralMan]

45. "Essential Workers Are Expendable Workers" - Mnuchin

While he didn't actually say that, that's how it is. Old people and people of color are the most numerous among people who die from COVID-19. What Mnuchin is saying is that they don't matter. If those people are in the working class, they can easily be replaced if they die. That's the current administration's attitude.

Trump Don't Care!

[still_one]

51. Very good points MM

[duforsure]

49. Trying to force workers back during an active and deadly pandemic

To help trumps political future risking our lives I suspect will make trump a laughing stock in this country. No one's life is worth making trump look better, or the economy. Trump is behind stalling the stimulus, for more for himself or he'll refuse to sign it unless he gets his first. Trump claims the opposite of what he really wants, you to get zero, and he and people he can shake down should get most of it.

[hunter]

53. The virus doesn't care about your stupid "economy."

It will not hear your tough talk.

A surge in virus deaths will be just as damaging to the economy as any restrictive measures taken to slow the spread of the virus and protect our most vulnerable people.

It seems to me that people are planning to ignore the virus. It will be the leading cause of death for the next year or two, ahead of cancer and heart disease, but people are acting like that's no big deal. We've got the credit card out today, let's all support the economy. But this bill will be paid in lives, not money.

How much are those airline or stadium seats going to be worth when U.S.A. deaths exceed a million?

Will shoppers be crowding into the stores the day after Thanksgiving?

How many people will attend your conventions?

The saddest thing is that this is just a preview of worse things to come. Climate change is about to hit home hard. People around the world are going to be displaced by it, even within the U.S.A.. This will cause friction between states. During the Dust Bowl states like California did not welcome the victims. They were met at the border by police with clubs. If they managed to cross they were abused by employers if they managed to find work at all. They were homeless and starved. I'm not optimistic things have changed.

[spanone]

60. STFU mnuchin