| of 326218 | | | I don't think we are prepared for the long haul and I worry we will see terrible conditions like we saw in the Great Depression, in the 1920's.
CNN reports today that Dr Lipstick and Dr Osterholm, two of the top epidemiologists in the world, are leading a team of researchers and they say this pandemic will last 18 to 24 months and the federal government needs to prepare for the long haul.
They also said the constant talk of this being over the worst of it is not only wrong, but dangerous.
Trump and the Republicans, who rave against so much the Democrats and liberals believe, are now trying to do the same thing with a disease; and so are now drinking the cool aid they pour out all the time for everyone else, like global warming and the virtues of small government and supply side economics.
The right wing is walking head long right into this pandemic with magical thinking, and it looks like they will pay a very high price for their foolishness in a very real way.
The thing I keep thinking about, is that we are only at the very beginning of this crises and already we are having significant civil unrest. And now imagine what is going to happen over two years as people get increasingly desperate e.g. how will they pay their rent, buy food, and pay other bills?
As well, the Republicans have been doing everything in their power over the last 50 years to destroy our social safety nets and they have prevented Democrats who knew what needed to be done from addressing those things.
And making things worse with their privatization of needed public services like prisons. And as bad, is another nutso idea the Republicans have that business leaders know how to run a government better than professionals with degrees in social science and social administration.
So now we find ourselves in the position of not only having Republicans working to destroy more of our social safety nets, but as bad, having them in control when they have NO idea how to do social planning, nor do they care.
The Republicans worked against Obama for his entire eight years and prevented him from doing so much that was needed e.g. while they put forth a huge stimulus bill now, they kept Obama's to a minimum. And the moment Trump got in he started getting rid of social programs even the pandemic prevention office Obama set up and cutting 700 positions from the CDC.
And again, just this last month or so, we just saw the Republicans outsmart the Democrats on these rescue appropriations by intimidating them.
If the docs are right about this pandemic lasting 18 months to two years, the average person, and states, are going to need much more federal help, but the Republicans, having gotten what they wanted for the super rich, are now putting the breaks on for people and states funding.
The country is going to need to spend much more money and involve much more help from social scientists to keep the civil unrest from turning this country into a version of Mad Max.
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