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All those other "first world countries" you're talking about can thank us for all the money we give them and the protection our armed forces provide for them. But they never do.
Here's a quiz for you, my turn:
Name one "first world country" you're harping on about that isn't assisted by us, The United States, in any way?
All those other "first world countries" you're talking about can thank us for all the money we give them and the protection our armed forces provide for them. But they never do.
Here's a quiz for you, my turn:
Name one "first world country" you're harping on about that isn't assisted by us, The United States, in any way?
OP, my intent wasn't to say that your question is "ridiculous", but to point out some fallacies that are underpinning it. One of the easier ones to explain is your point about the medical staff that already have succumbed to the disease, RIP. That would have happened no matter what the test-positive count turns out to be. In fact, the losses would have been greater if businesses had stayed open, allowing more opportunity for virus circulation and more people getting ill.
I do share your concern about people put out of work (temporarily) and businesses having to shut down. In fact, I spent a couple of weeks leading up to the shutdowns questioning small business owners about their ability to survive the shutdowns. But your question implies, that, depending on what the final count turns out to be, businesses should have been allowed to stay open; the price the country has had to pay in creating conditions for a recession, is too high.
But you see, there's faulty reasoning involved there, too. If the numbers end up lower than expected, it will be because of the measures taken to limit spread of the disease. If the measures hadn't been taken, of course the ultimate count will have been much higher, meeting your "worth it" benchmark. Those same business owners and their employees could well have come down with the disease, some of them to a serious enough degree to end up hospitalized, fighting for their life, if they'd stayed open. The reason the count doesn't meet your "worth it" threshold is because of the success of the strategy used. But you're using that very success in limiting the virus cases, to judge the measures negatively.
Of course this is a terrible dilemma to face: unemployment vs. risk of death or potentially some form of pulmonary disability, or with a lucky roll of the dice--merely milder flu symptoms. But keeping businesses open would mean each worker plays Russian roulette by showing up to work everyday, while the virus would have an increased opportunity to circulate and affect the nation more severely.
The fact that the measures worked, saving lives, is the very reason the count wasn't higher and didn't meet your "worth it" standard. So what you're arguing, is that a higher death toll would have justified the isolation measures/business closures. But the fact is, that, for the higher death toll to have happened, businesses would have had to stay open, so there would have been no closure/isolation measures to justify. This is where the logic breaks down.
Furthermore, if we'd kept commerce going as usual, more people would have become ill, pushing the total over your threshold, which in turn would have had economic repercussions, anyway. An economic slowdown due to workers home ill for weeks and others dying, hospitals overwhelmed and more hospital staff dying isn't included in your "worth it/not worth it" balance sheet. You'd need to include that, in order to have a fair evaluation.
It's a Catch-22 situation. And a terrible bargain to have to consider: life/health and economic recession vs. unfettered economic activity but increased suffering from disease.
You are correct. The question should be was the economic price worth the lives saved by the measures to prevent infection, slowing the curve so patients can get necessary treatment, etc. We don't know the answer to that question. At some point, we may have a better understanding of that number. An interesting point of comparison may be Sweden's relaxed approach to determine if it was worth a shut down of economic activity.
If U.S. coronavirus deaths total less than 150,000, will the extreme measures taken have been worth it?
Yes.
As it is, hospitals will be over worked. Without forcing the extreme measures I can see where it would turn into pandemonium and panic.
Trump administration is doing a good job. We are all informed and we all know what to do. Most areas of the country have a working medical system; looks like it's going to stay that way.
Edited to address your response to ASSuming America was protecting CANADA versus Canada who as part of NATO and other Alliances stepped up to the plate when US started something that USA requested !
Sorry, Mister~ With DJT as POTUS, Most bridges of our ( CANADA) support plus Allies of the past have moved on~ US has lost ALL Credibility as DJT/+ sycophant supporters within his party's word means NOTHING!!
Your response bolded above is MUTE and has been a few years ago once POTUS got into "Cahoots" with previous types deemed "Counter" to "Free World" /"Democracy" beliefs!
NOW, that "Cult Leader" DJT is being exposed for his Incompetence and actually causing exponentially worse damages to your Citizens and Economy... Trying to use a 1 month data point to discredit the damage that will eventually be recorded and DJT trolls and supporters hide their heads in the sand to DEFLECT and Blame others for HIS Failures!!
Too Bad So Sad... The "GIG IS UP" Wizard of OZ moment has occurred.. Curtain Fell down.. Wizard EXPOSED for the small/incompetent Leader that millions voted for back in fall of 2016!
False deflective points are NOT going to Help GOP ( after 3 years of backing this idiot) + when votes actually get cast to elect new governance in 2020!
Actually, some Radical Evangelicals/GOP Reps/ Right wing Media/Foreign Trolls +POTUS may very well accuse Liberal's spreading Covid-19 for "Election" purposes.. FACTS MATTER and Conspiracy/spreading BS/Deflecting by DJT backers has LOST an enormous crds, they had hoped to garner support come "Re-Election Time"!
International Health CRISIS altering Events will overcome Trumps delusional behaviours and spreading alternate Facts to suggest alternate news is right and Facts are FAKE News! I thank Kelly Conway for that "Gem" of description mentioned during DJT's Campaign!
Question by OP~~ IS it worth ( course suggesting some mystical #) it? My answer~~
Yep, it's worth it because the #'s after one month is just the tip of the iceberg!! Damages/Loss of Life will be felt for generations.. American Debt load will be felt by generations to come.. But, Human Life means something .. though NOT so much if it costs too much for those who only think of themselves~ ~~~
How about we take care of our own citizens instead of flexing our imaginary muscles around the world?
No one is calling us for help these days - certainly we haven't led the world in the face of this pandemic.
I was making a hypothetical point.
As far as I'm concerned, cut off all foreign aid immediately ASAP.
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