Originally posted by: Boilerman
Trump must also consider the economy, amoung other things, and the experts that Kevin speaks of all come from a single management silo. The economy does not enter their minds, and possible it shouldn't. That leaves it to Trump to also consult those not in the medical field. If the virus kills 500,000 prematurely, and a depression kills 5,00,000, then we put too much credence in only the medical opinion. I'm confident that this is something that many on this site have failed to considered.
Actually, early on, I posted an entire thread where I wondered--without coming to a conclusion--if the effects of a nationwide shutdown might actually be worse than simply letting the pandemic run its course.
Since then, it's become obvious that due to lack of preparation by the Trump administration, the virus is much deadlier than was thought. It's also obvious that lockdowns save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Whether the reduced death toll is worth the economic disruption is more of a philosophical question than anything else. I prefer a strategy that saves the maximum number of lives. Corporate earnings can be restored. Lost human lives cannot.
But please, don't pretend that Trump takes any of this into account. He wants to open up the economy because he fears for his reelection prospects. PERIOD. Given two scenarios, one where 100,000 people die and he loses the election, and another, where 2 million people die but he wins the election, he would unhesitatingly choose the latter.
This is the man you worship.