Re: Todays rant

On 12/2/2024 10:17 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 12/1/2024 8:21 PM, AMuzi wrote:

>
Aside from general fiscal and monetary errors, the widespread overreactions to the Wuhan virus at State/local levels suppressed production while cash transfers (a substantial proportion of which were outright fraud*) enhanced demand amid that reduced supply. Classic error.

 "Classic error" is a strange term for an essentially worldwide response to a situation that was unique in modern times. Or perhaps you're claiming that the same mistake was made when dealing with the Black Death of the 1300s?
 I'm aware that you and a few others are still claiming all responses to COVID-19 were overreactions. But that's a combination of "Monday morning quarterbacking" and irrational worship of Free Market magic.
 Cast your mind back to hospitals so crowded that patients were being treated in parking lot polyethylene tents, in nation after nation. Despite some idiotic claims that COVID was no worse than a seasonal flu, people were dying by thousands and there were very legitimate fears of a near- total collapse of the medical system.
 On one hand were the most expert medical professionals in every western nation. Most skeptics, OTOH, were the usual crew who believe nothing but what they "learned" in their almost-completed high school educations and by watching their favorite YouTubers.
 As with certain other situations, we don't really know what would have happened if everyone would have pretended COVID wasn't happening. But it's silly to pretend this worldwide event should somehow have had zero economic repercussions.
 

One example:
Governor 'Queen Gretchen' Whitmer ordered Michigan manufacturers closed and even prohibited commercial carriers form servicing them so UPS/FedEx couldn't carry what inventory they had. Velocity, located in Michigan, was devastated and although we never closed one day our customers were unable to buy new wheels once we ran through our inventory. What possible advantage did that achieve?
Another:
Illinois Governor J B Pritzker, our nation's fattest governor, ordered churches closed but allowed casinos and liquor stores (State tax generating entities) to remain open.  Because... Science!!
I can go on across the country for pages and pages of similar without even searching period news reports.
'Overreaction' is the most polite term I could have used.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971