Joshua, regarding your comments yesterday on Wuhan’s very draconian lockdown (no one allowed out of their homes for 9 weeks) while sound good in the long run, would totally decimate most western world economies, not to mention most psyches. Even our considerably softer lockdowns, have permanently destroyed a fair number of businesses (many restaurants). Even our own MBTA is seriously considering drastic cuts in service, even cutting off service for the South Shore from the city of Boston (Commuter Boats).
What is the current economic situation in Wuhan, Joshua?
Good points. I wonder if we had done that from the start if we could have stopped it then and shutdown would have been shorter duration.
Yes, if I recall, Joshua pointed that that out yesterday. Unfortunately, to go “draconian” now would only finish off the businesses that were able to recover from the previous lockdown.
As it is, many restaurants just in downtown Boston will never reopen again.
Not sure. I understand others I respect, including you, disagree and I sure understand why. If we drag this on, I have a feeling more business’s will be lost than if we shut for a period of time and open healthy on the other side.
I know this won’t happen in this country since far too many refuse to do what science has proven works
Moments ago, the FDA just approved the drug Remdeservir for Covid-19.
Philip, I respectfully disagree on the comment “decimating our economies” if there was a 9 week lockdown. I agree with you that I don’t think we would tolerate a draconian lockdown. But, I think that in the long run we weaken our economy more through a very slow, fragmented, and painful `recovery’ by not addressing Covid-19.
An economy can revert to normal quite rapidly as has been shown in Taiwan, New Zealand, China, and even Japan, if it really flushes out the virus so that everything can get back to normal. So long as the virus is still circulating in relatively high numbers and there isn’t yet a vaccine nothing can get back to normal. Hence, the permanent shuttering of businesses here. I don’t think that many of those businesses would have shuttered had there been a 9 week lockdown followed by almost immediate normalcy, so long as government stepped in as a bridge during the 9 week period.
Wuhan’s economy is actually doing well. Everything is back to normal in the city and Hubei province (including manufacturing – it’s a major export hub) and has been for quite some time. Taiwan’s economy is doing well. So is Korea. New Zealand is in full recovery mode. Taiwan and Korea did not have a lockdown, by the way. They opted for a systematic test, isolate, and contact trace system, as did Denmark.
During any lockdown the government has to intervene to support businesses and employees, and it must be systematic and not slipshod (as in differences between the states and municipalities). But, for 9 weeks any Western government could have pursued the short term investment. Instead, they opted not to, or for half-hearted measures. I do understand why they didn’t do it. People in the West just won’t tolerate it.
C-19 for 10-23 is ready.
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My latest Forbes piece is on how people of faith hold divergent views on the Affordable Care Act: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2020/10/22/people-of-faith-hold-divergent-views-on-the-affordable-care-act/#25d08a4f6c13
Joshua, regarding your comments yesterday on Wuhan’s very draconian lockdown (no one allowed out of their homes for 9 weeks) while sound good in the long run, would totally decimate most western world economies, not to mention most psyches. Even our considerably softer lockdowns, have permanently destroyed a fair number of businesses (many restaurants). Even our own MBTA is seriously considering drastic cuts in service, even cutting off service for the South Shore from the city of Boston (Commuter Boats).
What is the current economic situation in Wuhan, Joshua?
Good points. I wonder if we had done that from the start if we could have stopped it then and shutdown would have been shorter duration.
Yes, if I recall, Joshua pointed that that out yesterday. Unfortunately, to go “draconian” now would only finish off the businesses that were able to recover from the previous lockdown.
As it is, many restaurants just in downtown Boston will never reopen again.
Not sure. I understand others I respect, including you, disagree and I sure understand why. If we drag this on, I have a feeling more business’s will be lost than if we shut for a period of time and open healthy on the other side.
I know this won’t happen in this country since far too many refuse to do what science has proven works
Moments ago, the FDA just approved the drug Remdeservir for Covid-19.
Philip, I respectfully disagree on the comment “decimating our economies” if there was a 9 week lockdown. I agree with you that I don’t think we would tolerate a draconian lockdown. But, I think that in the long run we weaken our economy more through a very slow, fragmented, and painful `recovery’ by not addressing Covid-19.
An economy can revert to normal quite rapidly as has been shown in Taiwan, New Zealand, China, and even Japan, if it really flushes out the virus so that everything can get back to normal. So long as the virus is still circulating in relatively high numbers and there isn’t yet a vaccine nothing can get back to normal. Hence, the permanent shuttering of businesses here. I don’t think that many of those businesses would have shuttered had there been a 9 week lockdown followed by almost immediate normalcy, so long as government stepped in as a bridge during the 9 week period.
Wuhan’s economy is actually doing well. Everything is back to normal in the city and Hubei province (including manufacturing – it’s a major export hub) and has been for quite some time. Taiwan’s economy is doing well. So is Korea. New Zealand is in full recovery mode. Taiwan and Korea did not have a lockdown, by the way. They opted for a systematic test, isolate, and contact trace system, as did Denmark.
During any lockdown the government has to intervene to support businesses and employees, and it must be systematic and not slipshod (as in differences between the states and municipalities). But, for 9 weeks any Western government could have pursued the short term investment. Instead, they opted not to, or for half-hearted measures. I do understand why they didn’t do it. People in the West just won’t tolerate it.
C-19 for 10-23 is ready.