The question about when to re-open the economy is not un-askable. To ask it is not cruel or evil. It is a vitally important question. Even more important is getting the answer right. We can do it too soon; we can also do it too late.
The goal here is to move from the Chinese model to the South Korean model, as I've been saying for weeks. The question is when we reach a viable tipping point to do that. No metric has yet been provided by the states or federal governments. Creating that metric is top priority.
So stop with the #NotDying4WallStreet bulls***. Nobody wants millions to die to shore up 401(k)s. The question is how to balance the rolling effects of a pandemic about which we have insufficient data with the jobs, savings, and investments of hundreds of millions of people.
This is called public policy. We do it every day. This is just on a far grander and more important scale. Which means we must get the answer right. And the only way to get the answer right is data, data, and data -- and willingness to ask serious questions about risk tradeoffs.
