This thought came to me yesterday while listening to NPR radio while

[NRaleighLiberal]

doing errands. The topic was "economic recovery". It has been a well beaten topic since the pandemic began.

All this focus on money, business, the stock market, profits...we are doing it ass backwards.

Why so much so-called brain power and time in recovery when we are still dangerously deep into the shit storm? What is wrong with our species that we value money and wealth and profits over life itself?

I can't help but figure that, generally speaking, we are getting exactly what we deserve (given that one side is blatantly wrong about everything and exacerbating the situation with willful ignorance and politics, of course).

[Chainfire]

1. To me, the real disconnect is that

the fools think that the economy can be forced to improve while the virus is raging. If they shut the country down for three weeks and mandated mask for a couple of months, the virus would be defeated. Instead we are sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.

It is a total failure of leadership on a national level. A direct responsibility of the President and the Congress, who have failed in their most important function; protecting the people. If the government can't protect us, then they have no legitimate purpose.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. You're absolutely right. rump is always doing things half-a&& backwards, what does it matter ...

when people still can't shop safely, work safely, do anything safely?

They need to get off the stupid stock market indices and quit measuring 'success' via these mechanisms, it's like taking a test on math, but providing instead, a test on the English language.

Idiots. We're going to be repairing the damages that the republicans and rump are doing to this Country, its people, its economies, everything, for a while, but I'm up to the game as I think a lot of us are. Get the PINO POS out of office (top priority), take control of the Senate and increase our House membership, and rock and roll.

[frazzled]

3. People's lives depend on economic recovery at the same time they depend on

pandemic recovery. You can't not focus on both.

A job lost because of a sinking economy means no food on the table and no roof overhead. Inability to pay for the electricity during a heat wave. Falling into despair.
Even the stupid stock market affects ordinary people's lives: people with pensions or a savings plan to retire on. Suddenly their lives are upended ... and dramatically reduced.

Right now, in addition to fighting the pandemic, we must focus on saving the economy—not letting it go totally under—by having the government step in to support business and individuals who have lost jobs. Once the pandemic is under control, we must focus on rebuilding the economy, more justly and equitably so that it benefits all.

It's obvious that the current executive and Senate are not going to take care of either the pandemic or the economy. Both are needed for a healthy nation. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about what SHOULD be happening on both fronts.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. yes, ideally. but neither our current social/behavioral, or political

culture can, as you say, do either, never mind one. and, dead people don't spend money.

[frazzled]

5. But as a corollary

people without money with which to eat or live easily die.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. yep. quite a situation we find ourselves in.