What a good leader can do.
Australia and New Zealand are currently reporting only a few new cases of the coronavirus each day. At one point they had hundreds daily, but now both countries believe they may soon eliminate the virus entirely.
Australia has a conservative prime minister; New Zealand's prime minister is very liberal. Both governments, however, mobilized early, followed the lead of scientists, worked closely with local and regional governments, and operated cooperatively. Politics was put aside for what was seen as a national emergency.
What a concept. In the U.S. we politicized this issue from the beginning. Trump is treating states differently depending on their level of support. McConnell is talking about states declaring bankruptcy, which will eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs and allow states to cut pensions. The Republicans are bailing out large businesses, including hedge funds. Trump supporters are rallying against medical advice. Bleach is suggested as a cure. No wonder we are leading the world in deaths.
See Damien Cave, "New Zealand and Australia Squash Curve," New York Times, (Apr. 27, 2020), pp. 1, A7.
In regards to Moscow Mitch's saying that states should declare bankruptcy. I think the states that support his state and others should stop sending monies there by way of the federal government. That way his state could also file bankruptcy. What Kentucky and other states get compared to what most blue states pay is downright criminal.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet they don't appreciate it and look down on New York.
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