There seems to be a bit of confusion about the prospects for the economy right now, so let's make this simple. There is only one way to get the US economy going again: get COVID-19 under control. Trump's utter failure to do so is why the prospects are so bleak. Thread:
1/ There is a tremendously dangerous and irresponsible narrative that we have to choose between public health and economic growth. The latter is impossible without the former.
2/ It doesn't matter whether the President, your Governor or a member of Congress says to "re-open" unless you feel safe going back to normal. As long as going to a Cubs game, or Lollapalooza is seen as a life-threatening risk, the economy ain't open.
3/ And while we all sit eagerly in hope of a therapeutic or vaccine, we cannot guarantee when they will be available, how quickly sufficient doses will be available, or whether they will be suitable for everyone.
4/ So what should we do? What every other country except the United States has done: test, trace and isolate. Identify people who are positive, identify who they've been in contact with, then provide them with resources to quarantine and heal before they infect others.
5/ (And of course, put public health experts in charge of these decisions, not politicians.)
6/ That is what most countries have done. It is exactly the opposite of what the Trump White House has done. We still don't have a national testing strategy. We still don't have a national contact tracing database. We hear too much from Trump and too little from Fauci.
7/ 150,000 Americans are dead as a result of that failure. Last week, we lost twice as many Americans as we lost on 9/11. Not because we don't have the tools to get COVID under control, but because the Trump WH is incapable of leadership.
9/ Unless and until we have that leadership in the White House and science-affirming majorities in the House and Senate, the economy is not coming back.
10/ That's really depressing. But as long as folks are afraid to travel, employers of good conscience don't want to bring folks back to work & Americans look at elected leaders and say "these bleach-promoting, anti-mask idiots are killing us", the economy isn't fully open.
11/ SOMEDAY, we might have vaccines and/or therapeutics. Come January, maybe we'll have responsible leadership in the White House and Senate to complement the leadership in the House. But I'd like to see the economy come back sooner.
12/ It would, if Trump could get out of his own way defer to experts and admit that other countries have done this better. Then copy them!
Unfortunately, he doesn't have the intellectual ability or emotional maturity to do that. So it's on us.
Unfortunately, he doesn't have the intellectual ability or emotional maturity to do that. So it's on us.
13/ Here's what you can do:
(a) Wear a mask.
(b) If you feel sick & you can afford to, isolate yourself and get tested
(a) Wear a mask.
(b) If you feel sick & you can afford to, isolate yourself and get tested
14/ (c) If you're an employer, make resources available to your employees who can't afford to isolate themselves and get tested.
15/ (d) If you're a public figure, model good behavior.
(e) If you're a public figure who ever told voters you were capable of leadership, LEAD.
(e) If you're a public figure who ever told voters you were capable of leadership, LEAD.
16/ (f) If you're a publisher, or a media outlet or just have a social media page with a "retweet" button, don't share information unless you can independently verify it. Bad information about public health is deadly. Be responsible.
17/ If you're fortunate enough to have more than you need right now, support your local food pantry, homeless shelter, mental health services group or other charities that help get resources to those who can't otherwise afford to isolate.
18/ And through it all, keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of American people are good. We will get through this if we elevate that majority and don't allow ourselves to be distracted by the minority who happen to hold positions of power.
19/ IF we do that, we will get this public health crisis under control even in the presence of White House incompetence before November. And IF that happens we can start to restore the economy.
20/ But if we don't, we are in for a long downturn, and lasting damage. The loss of small businesses, the rise of structural unemployment are not easily fixed once they start. None of us want to see that happen.
21/ So pitch in. The absence of leadership in the WH simply means there is a void that every one of us can step in to. Put science first, and the economy will follow.
And lead with love. /fin
And lead with love. /fin
