4 ms·

I thought this was a pretty decent article until the very end when the author asserts: > ...nobody could be bothered to develop a nationwide program to test pe

I thought this was a pretty decent article until the very end when the author asserts: > ...nobody could be bothered to develop a nationwide program to test people for infection and trace their contacts if they were positive, or to adequately support a pause of economic activity... As for nationwide program to test people, of course nothing was built yet; it's a novel virus and therefore novel tests are needed. If a government had built out contact tracing pre-covid, they would be (rightly) criticized for taking steps in an authoritarian direction. Apple and Google have stepped in and built contact tracing, so to say this hasn't been developed is also factually inaccurate. Finally the comment about the ability to "adequately support a pause of economic activity" is kind of silly. To pause economic activity is to pause everyone's lives. What does it mean to adequately support people when they're no longer allowed to do the things they enjoy? It was a breath of fresh air to read an article that admitted that this is a difficult trade off, not some kind of easy decision that's being ruined by the other guy. It was disappointing that it was concluded with a similar tone.

verall 6y ago
> adequately support a pause of economic activity They mean to support people & families that lose their jobs. A good example is Florida and a couple states with intentionally byzantine and understaffed unemployment offices - claims are being handled so slowly that tons of at-risk people who have lost their jobs and are eligible for federal dollars will not see them. Adequately supporting a pause in economic activity might have included overhauling or providing alternate systems for states with broken unemployment or paying wages private wages to prevent layoffs. I don't particularly like the latter option but I certainly feel like a competent government could have paused economic activity and then supported its frozen citizens better. 3 of my favorite local restaurants have closed since the pandemic. There are "nonessential" businesses still expected to make $6k/mo rent without any customers. The private equity that owns most of the land in the area seems not to mind at all; construction is still booming...
- aaronbrethorst 6y ago
  Florida’s junior senator brought this upon the state. I hope Floridians remember in 2024: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/florida-unemployment-benefits-desantis-trump-rick-scott.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/florida-unemployment...
  - michaelcampbell 6y ago
    They will. They'll remember he's the nominee of the party they don't hate because of some single stance on some single issue, and vote for him.
    - aaronbrethorst 6y ago
      "Some single stance on some single issue" is millions of Floridians having to fight with terrible software designed to keep them from getting benefits they deserve—which they need to pay their rent, pay their mortgage, put food on the table, put gas in the car, or purchase medications.
      - michaelcampbell 6y ago
        For some. For others it's abortion, or gun rights, or a desired theocracy (but only for their own religion).
pjc50 6y ago
Other countries (eg South Korea) have built contact tracing from nothing in this time.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

verall 6y ago

> adequately support a pause of economic activity They mean to support people & families that lose their jobs. A good example is Florida and a couple states with intentionally byzantine and understaffed unemployment offices - claims are being handled so slowly that tons of at-risk people who have lost their jobs and are eligible for federal dollars will not see them. Adequately supporting a pause in economic activity might have included overhauling or providing alternate systems for states with broken unemployment or paying wages private wages to prevent layoffs. I don't particularly like the latter option but I certainly feel like a competent government could have paused economic activity and then supported its frozen citizens better. 3 of my favorite local restaurants have closed since the pandemic. There are "nonessential" businesses still expected to make $6k/mo rent without any customers. The private equity that owns most of the land in the area seems not to mind at all; construction is still booming...

aaronbrethorst 6y ago
Florida’s junior senator brought this upon the state. I hope Floridians remember in 2024: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/florida-unemployment-benefits-desantis-trump-rick-scott.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/florida-unemployment...
- michaelcampbell 6y ago
  They will. They'll remember he's the nominee of the party they don't hate because of some single stance on some single issue, and vote for him.
  - aaronbrethorst 6y ago
    "Some single stance on some single issue" is millions of Floridians having to fight with terrible software designed to keep them from getting benefits they deserve—which they need to pay their rent, pay their mortgage, put food on the table, put gas in the car, or purchase medications.
    - michaelcampbell 6y ago
      For some. For others it's abortion, or gun rights, or a desired theocracy (but only for their own religion).

pjc50 6y ago

Other countries (eg South Korea) have built contact tracing from nothing in this time.

deleted 6y ago

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