The nation hit two milestones within the last 24 hours. The official death toll from coronavirus surpassed 100,000 Americans, and first-time jobless claims since the onset of the virus went above 40 million. In reality, we know that both of these figures were reached a while ago. Analyzing obituaries gets at the excess death problem and reveals that far more Americans died above the normal rate for this time of year than are reflected in the coronavirus death statistics. And strained unemployment systems are likely just getting around to processing older claims, not just dealing with new ones. This Census Bureau survey shows that nearly half of all households have lost income, which is a closer depiction of reality in the crisis.
What’s happening in America right now is not complicated: More people are dying because of the coronavirus than anywhere else in the world, and this is the predictable and natural consequence of having a corrupt idiot as president. But a press that’s afraid to plainly state this obvious truth is not without blame, either.
Jason Linkins, Deputy Editor. The New Republic
1 comment:
I'd suggest the attack on the public institutions that would have dealt with COVID-19 effectively predates Trump by many administrations. In fact, it's a bipartisan project. Both Clinton and Obama worked to dismantle the public realm, and make progress with the plutocrats' agenda.
What's the agenda? Two words: "Labor discipline." The message is "You had better take whatever crappy job is on offer, or suffer the indignities of poverty, ill health, even homeless and starvation...and if you're extra ornery, we'll incarcerate you."
That's what has made a significant portion of the population into debt peons (40% of U.S. households can't manage a $400 emergency without selling something or borrowing, putting the creditors in the driver's seat.
Blaming it on Trump is both misguided and a distraction. Trump or no Trump, this is where both corporate parties have been guiding us.
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