Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Renew Deal

(81,801 posts)
Wed Jun 24, 2020, 10:05 PM Jun 2020

Trump had three choices for coronavirus lockdowns. Bad, Worse, Catastrophic

Bad: Stringent lockdown for three months. Economy suffers for a few months, but lives are saved.
Worse: No lockdown. Economy suffers from disruptions, but >1 million die.
Catastrophic: Quit on lockdown early: Economy suffers indefinitely because coronavirus never goes away. Hundreds of thousands die.

Guess which one he picked? Catastrophic is the answer. In an attempt to pretend that the virus is a "hoax" and the economy is fine, BOTH SUFFER.

Trump quit on the lockdown early, because he is weak. He wasn't willing to do the hard things that would have ended this nightmare sooner. Now it never ends and every aspect of life suffers.

19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trump had three choices for coronavirus lockdowns. Bad, Worse, Catastrophic (Original Post) Renew Deal Jun 2020 OP
or a quick test/trace/isolation and sentinel process. We're doing little different from 1918 flu uponit7771 Jun 2020 #1
That is way beyond his capacity to understand Renew Deal Jun 2020 #3
+1 uponit7771 Jun 2020 #7
We're not getting out of this while Trump is in charge. Initech Jun 2020 #2
The lockdowns had nothing to do with him. D23MIURG23 Jun 2020 #4
+1 SoonerPride Jun 2020 #5
He influenced many states Renew Deal Jun 2020 #6
Especially the Trumpers. LisaL Jun 2020 #9
Yes Johnny2X2X Jun 2020 #17
You don't think he had a lot of influence on Governors? Especially the Republican ones? LisaL Jun 2020 #8
He literally muzzled the CDC because their reopening plan was too clear and specific. D23MIURG23 Jun 2020 #14
That's right chriscan64 Jun 2020 #16
I'm in the Australian state of Victoria canetoad Jun 2020 #10
Yeah, Good One! ProfessorGAC Jun 2020 #11
It's a bit strange canetoad Jun 2020 #12
Unfortunately the US is incapable of learning from other countries SouthernCal_Dem Jun 2020 #15
He chose catastrophic malaise Jun 2020 #13
Unfortunately everybody is going to pay for that. LisaL Jun 2020 #18
True n/t malaise Jun 2020 #19

D23MIURG23

(2,833 posts)
4. The lockdowns had nothing to do with him.
Wed Jun 24, 2020, 11:28 PM
Jun 2020

That was all lead by the governors. My state (MI) did a pretty hard lockdown and more or less turned things around - covid is still on the decline here. People gave Whitmer shit, but she's looking pretty smart IMO.

Florida's governor fucked around, and now that state is getting hammered.

Trump chose the "no leadership" option, and we got catastrophic by default, because states did not coordinate their responses to match a plan being recommended at the federal level. Trump is weak, but he is also stupid and only concerned with poll numbers and the stock market.

Renew Deal

(81,801 posts)
6. He influenced many states
Wed Jun 24, 2020, 11:33 PM
Jun 2020

Florida would have locked down if he encouraged it. People would be more likely to wear masks if he didn't say that wearing a mask was a form of dissent against him.

LisaL

(44,962 posts)
9. Especially the Trumpers.
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 05:44 AM
Jun 2020

If he wore a mask, his supporters might have been a lore more likely to wear a mask.

Johnny2X2X

(18,742 posts)
17. Yes
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 09:09 AM
Jun 2020

The President and his branch of the government have immense power and influence, if he would have put pressure on governors to lock down and stay locked down, it would have happened. Also, if he simply would have worn a mask and urged all Americans to do so we'd be a much better spot by now too.

He abdicated his leadership to the states. He did nothing when lives could have been saved.

D23MIURG23

(2,833 posts)
14. He literally muzzled the CDC because their reopening plan was too clear and specific.
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 07:50 AM
Jun 2020

What he clearly did not do was preside over any kind of a coherent approach to how commerce should be regulated during covid.

Sure he had "influence" - the same kind of "influence" as a Rorschach blot.




chriscan64

(1,789 posts)
16. That's right
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 09:05 AM
Jun 2020

He "authorized" governors to do what they were already doing, essentially just putting out a meaningless statement giving himself powers he doesn't have. In my state, Texas governor Greg Abbott is trying the "we can do both, reopen and be safe" approach.

Trump is beyond stupid and self-interested. He is so stupid, he can't act in his own interests right. You would think that a selfish president only concerned with how the virus makes him "look bad" would do everything possible to limit the effects of the virus.

canetoad

(17,088 posts)
10. I'm in the Australian state of Victoria
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 06:01 AM
Jun 2020

We have been far more proactive that most of the US and to date have 20 deaths, 1900 confirmed cases and 1700 recovered.

When things were looking good, we relaxed our restrictions. Couple of weeks later several clusters of infection have risen. We immediately reverted to more stringent measures.

Seriously, no one could have done more than our (Labor) Premier, Daniel Andrews to contain the spread. Yet it lingers.

Please, USA, learn from the efforts of other countries.

ProfessorGAC

(64,413 posts)
11. Yeah, Good One!
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 06:07 AM
Jun 2020

We're not doing that until, state by state, people start dying and illness gets so high that the economic impact rivals or surpasses that of a shutdown.
I'm glad Victoria was so alert, but only a few states here are likely to go full measure if it spikes there.

canetoad

(17,088 posts)
12. It's a bit strange
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 06:22 AM
Jun 2020

But we now know the recent outbreaks by name; the Keilor Downs family cluster etc.

Today was the first day that teams of roving health workers are door-knocking in the LGAs (Local Government Areas AKA counties) where the recent outbreaks and spikes have happened. They are equipped with translation material and aim to personally check every household and ensure they are aware of the risks and transmission methods.

This all happened after we relaxed, opened up and became slack about coronavirus awareness.

SouthernCal_Dem

(851 posts)
15. Unfortunately the US is incapable of learning from other countries
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 07:57 AM
Jun 2020

From healthcare to gun violence and now coronavirus, the United States rarely looks to other countries for guidance.

It's quite sad.

LisaL

(44,962 posts)
18. Unfortunately everybody is going to pay for that.
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 10:26 AM
Jun 2020

States that had a shut down, but opened up in the middle of it before bringing the virus under control, have their cases going through the roof (as expected).

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Trump had three choices f...