What the protesters want

This may be a bit moot in my area as things are already starting to open up but to respond to certain comments.

Protesters are not protesting just because they want a hair cut.

Protesters are not protesting just because they want to go to the bar.

Many of them are protesting because they are small business owners who could lose their business forever.

Many of them are protesting because they need to make money to feed their family.

Many of them are protesting because there are people in their life that are in desperate need of seeing them.

The right to peaceably assemble and petition government are Constitutional guarantees and when people claim this is the "new normal" of course there is backlash.

On the other hand, people could be responsible, by using common sense and not being too close.

If a business wants you to wear a mask, don't complain, that is their prerogative, they are free to make such rules.

(Note: I wrote this and posted this elsewhere before the protests against police brutality that are currently going on. I may address those shortly but this is about the shutdown protests)

Is the cure worse than the disease?

Throughout this pandemic, we are being told we should listen to the experts.  Sure, that’s always a good idea. We listen to the medical experts, but this is not merely a medical issue we need to listen to economic experts as well.  No, I am not saying to ignore medical experts, but they aren’t economic experts and we have to give equal weight to all aspects. The long lasting economic consequences of this shutdown. True, we did have that bill to pay the unemployed, but that is not a long term solution.  It is like a temporary bandaid on a broken limb, d\sedate you and tell you to walk without actually allowing the proper ways for it to heal. Now they are just wanting to print trillions of dollars more out of thin air. DO you want hyperinflation? That’s how you get hyperinflation.

They say to ignore the virus, people will die.  True, but to ignore the economy people will also die.

Suicide rates will go up as they did in the Great depression (and I have heard that SUicide Hotlines have already been getting overrurn).  Unemployment is higher now than at any time of the great depression (it was 24.9% at its peak currently they are saying it is it could get as high as 30% and 10s of Millions people out of work). We are also already seeing increased domestic violence and civil unrest will increase as this goes on.  Isolation is not good for someone psychologically, this is why solitary confinement is considered such an extreme punishment, but some locations have said you can’t even go hiking out in the fresh air. What about the businesses that will be permanently destroyed? So in the long run this cure we are currently trying could be worse than the disease. 

One more thing.  If you think the Patriot Act was bad, expect something worse to come out of this, something always does in an emergency in the guise of security. Yet some people are calling for even more restrictions. THere is talk by some governors of shutting down churches permanently if they don’t comply. 

But some of the countries that have had the most success with fighting the virus have done so without shutting down their society.  South Korea, Thailand, Sweden. SK did it with massive testing. I do think msks help a lot. 

Those who call Trump HItler want Trump to act more like Hitler right now/. 

My question for those who think we need a total shutdown indefinitely.  How do you deal with the economic fallout? How long should we shut down for?  

AT first it was 2 weeks now it’;s an extra month, how do we know they won’t keep increasing the time? Some say “s long as it takes’  That is not a plan, that is the sign of a lack of a plan.

Any solution needs to put all these aspects into consideration, not just one. 

I think we need to focus on those who are infected, and let those who are healthy go to work and avoid those who are sick. 

While we finally do have some people talking about it, but at the same time people are saying we might need 18 months of shutdown.