Disasters in Slow Motion (pt. 7) - Apr 4, 2020

March 27 (20:57 GMT) - Actual Numbers
Worldwide Cases: 590,013
Worldwide Deaths: 26,939 deaths
US Cases: 100,392 cases
US Deaths: 1,543 deaths

April 4 (14:44 GMT) - Actual Numbers
Worldwide Cases: 1,141,425
Worldwide Deaths: 61,205 deaths
US Cases: 279,500 cases
US Deaths: 7,457 deaths

These numbers are pretty sobering. As I predicted, the US passed the 250k cases number yesterday. We will likely pass the 10,000 deaths mark by tomorrow night and, unless something seriously changes, we will be at 500k confirmed cases in a week’s time. Keep in mind that, while social distancing is certainly helping, we haven’t caught up with testing all of the cases out there. To date 1,366,719 Americans have been tested (4,129 tests per million Americans) - the numbers are going to go up for the next few weeks regardless of what actions are being taken...simply because testing is starting to catch up.

Make no mistake though, things aren’t good.

Here in Florida, we finally have a statewide shelter in place, although they’ve exempted religious gatherings so, it is going to continue to spread through those communities - mostly evangelical - who ignore those warnings. Evangelicals essentially being a doomsday cult at this point, I’m not certain that they will care which is even more frustrating.

The CARES Act, passed by Congress to help out during these times? It is actually a good law. It should serve as a reminder of what happens when neither side gets everything they want and they are forced to compromise - ie the system functions as intended.

People are really hung up on the $1,200 payment (including the Congress-critters, who seem to talk of nothing else). But it is one of the least important things in the law. How about Pandemic Unemployment coverage that virtually everyone unable to work qualifies for? How about the Fed kicking in an ADDITIONAL $600/week ($2,400/month) to that coverage for up to 39 weeks? How about forgivable loans to businesses with less than 500 employees that allow them to keep paying their employees?

Seriously, the law is good. Trump had zero to do with it, but Congress actually did their job for once.

Things are bad on the state level though. Trump’s White House is releasing the Federal emergency reserve to businesses who are then price gouging states for that equipment. New York is paying 15x retail just to get the supplies they need. The Executive Branch has abandoned us - flat out - and is only looking to profit from this for themselves and their cronies. Additionally, the US Government is now seizing materials bound for allied countries which, while in some ways understandable, is going to seriously damage or destroy our relationships with allies around the world.

Forget the assholes hoarding toilet paper for a moment, because as vile as they are, they are nothing compared to what is being perpetrated by those who control the supply chain to begin with.

US States are forced to compete in bidding wars against one another for life-saving supplies. This is the face of unfettered capitalism. We are being price-gouged while we die.

The Federal government not taking control of the situation is why so many people are going to die. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of Americans are going to die because Donald Trump didn’t do his job. He was stillplaying GOLF until March 8th. He was first warned in DECEMBER, and was warned continuously afterwards but it was, as he claimed it was a hoax. In January he even said that we had it under control and it would disappear like magic. Well, people are really dying and despite him taking no responsibility (as one would expect) if you sit in the Oval Office? The buck stops there.

Those of you still alive come election time, please remember these things when you vote.

In the meantime, we will continue to die because our President is a sociopath interested only in lining his own pockets. #BlameTrump