Barackface: Imagine FDR Delegating World War II To Governors

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Imagine FDR Delegating World War II To Governors

World War II did not go to every country on earth. This pandemic has. World War II did not freeze national economies and supply chains, although there were unmistakable disruptions. My point is, on scale, this is big. World War II seems to be the only available metaphor. But that is like using earth as a metaphor to talk about Jupiter. Jupiter is also a planet, alright.

And Trump has been botching it.

He spent precious weeks in denial. He was going to tweet the pandemic away.
A nationwide lockdown lasting three weeks would have been the least disruptive economically and the most effective medically. When testing everyone is not an option, putting everyone in isolation for three weeks is enough time for the infected to start showing symptoms and qualify for further self-isolation.
Just like FDR needed airplanes in huge numbers, this pandemic is asking for supplies: masks, gloves, ventilators, hospital beds. This pandemic would be a good reason to call a truce on the trade war with China. China seems to have an immediate capacity to produce those things plenty. If not, the wartime act for this needed to be put to practice. Domestic production needed to be ramped up.
Trump is in a hurry to get America back to work. Because if the economy does not go back to pre-pandemic, he is toast in November. The fastest way to get America back to work is through widespread testing. Everyone who needs to or wants to get tested should be able to get tested with results showing up within the hour. Then you become much better at identifying and isolating people. And the rest can go to work.
But is is already late. The sky has already fallen. The unemployment numbers already have passed Depression levels. Numerous businesses have already gone belly up.
With Trump not only is the national dimension missing, but the global dimension is also missing. This pandemic is global. Only a coordinated global dimension will work. In the aftermath of 9/11 the FBI and the CIA learned to work together. Now national governments will have to learn that same lesson. Otherwise you are looking at massive deaths and massive economic disruption.
Trump is unfit for the moment. He has failed to rise to the occasion. Trump has botched it bigly.

This has such a North Korea feel. https://t.co/xNyUkiPhqG
— Not Bill Murray (@StayWonked) March 28, 2020

Out of work & facing an uncertain future, millions of our brothers & sisters across India are struggling to find their way back home. It’s shameful that we’ve allowed any Indian citizen to be treated this way & that the Govt had no contingency plans in place for this exodus. pic.twitter.com/sjHBFqyVZk
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 28, 2020

Imagine FDR Delegating World War II To Governors https://t.co/JoENYNQDsd #TrumpMadness #TrumpPandemic #TrumpGenocide #TrumpCrash #TrumpPlague #trump #DonaldTrump #coronavirus #CoronaLockdown #CoronavirusOutbreak #pandemic #lockdown #CoronavirusUSA
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) March 28, 2020

My mom works an hourly job.

This is personal to me. https://t.co/QLaR0jIjqK
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 27, 2020

'Come as you are in the family car.' Drive-in church services are taking off during the coronavirus pandemic https://t.co/LyWynBjqo0
— TIME (@TIME) March 28, 2020

My Pediatric ER doctor friend posted this, from Dr. Josh Lerner, on his FB page. Everyone needs to read it. pic.twitter.com/CL2tbhpoU3
— Amanda Guinzburg (@Guinz) March 21, 2020

"We had time to right the plane before it crashed. But the pilot’s been too busy blaming the clouds and spouting lies over the loudspeaker. If I’m sick and can’t get a test, how do we even know that the attack rate in New York City is...?" -- @dcopaken https://t.co/USEIkOfDMG
— Amanda Guinzburg (@Guinz) March 28, 2020

Not sure how it’s even physically possible to write something this searingly beautiful while plague-stricken. But @lsjamison did. https://t.co/YjxwCraoCx
— Amanda Guinzburg (@Guinz) March 28, 2020

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

Imagine FDR Delegating World War II To Governors

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