burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Yes, people are unemployed. I'd rather be unemployed for a while than dead forever. That thought doesn't make it any easier if you're one of the unemployed! But it does make sense.

The big if is, IF we restrict our contact with others, can we slow the spread long enough to let the hospitals deal with the carnage and the researchers find treatment, or cure, or v*****e, or all three?

Keep the faith in the professionals... Trust the system...

Our medical community has cured and prevented many diseases over the last century or so. There are those who believe in voodoo and miracles. Well, if a miracle is doing scientific research, and conducting controlled, peer-reviewed experiments that yield real, tangible results, fine. But if it's blind faith in something else, my BS alarm is ringing loud and clear.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

The economic problem is further complicated because our economy had been inflated with hot air, tax cuts, and lower interest rates before they were needed. Now and in the near future, the fed has no more cuts to make unless they pay banks to take our money. Will the dollar be like the Deutschmark after WW-1 which required wheelbarrows full to buy food?

Our standing in the world has been defeated by Trump insulting our allies and cozying up to the dictators. He has abdicated the federal leadership and coordination by saying the states are on their own and giving false information beyond his grasp of science and reality. Tragic indeed.

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

Trump is taking care of everything. You’ll be ok.

Bill 45

You got my v**e.

pendennis

At some point, in the very near future, folks are going to have to decide if they can weather this current health p******c, or start starving. The government, at any level, just can't support 340 million people, and pay for a response to this p******c.

We have fifty different states, and each will have to start recovery efforts, letting folks get back to work, and let the economy start cooking. Regardless government orders, there are people working under the radar and living, but more people are going to have to emerge. We always live around risk, both physical and financial. Whether you're a shop keeper, restaurateur, barber, small manufacturer, etc., you're going to have to go back to work and just weigh the health risk for yourself.

Governments always politicize the dangers of any problem to the benefit of those governments. It's always "for the (insert group here)". We always live in the face of risk, and we'll never get around it.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Yes, feel confident in that, he has degrees in medicine, biochemistry, and economics. His intuition will guide us to the end... as he has in his life -- he has taken care of everything... He will be OK, but will you? He has abdicated his throne saying it is everyone's responsibility and nothing is his fault. Jack you and 39% of the population of the USA are delusional.

Jack, what will be your dying words... love for Trump? or a curse?

Bob Werre

My situation is of a studio owner. I received a call from a catalog customer who sells builder's hardware--when homes go up, he sells stuff. It took several projects for him to actually trust me. He was from the East and didn't trust me financially. He disappeared during the 2008 thing. Before that, he had several employees and his son had joined the company. The last time I visited him, the lights were off and the offices were vacant. His son and one long time employee were still there. Now he calls me back as his need for a new catalog had finally occurred, but he probably won't go ahead as the need for his product is now greatly diminished--obviously I can't blame him, but this job would be roughly 1/3 of my yearly billing! Ouch

Bill 45

"Love for Trump" will be on Jack's headstone.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Buy a couple wheelbarrows now before there is a run on them.

But the difference now is that we have credit cards so cash isn't needed.
The government can also save a lot of money by not minting pennies (or maybe even anything less than a quarter). Coinage is good because it does not wear out as fast as paper. That's why the smallest paper Euro denomination is a €5.

But yes, there will be inflation. Hopefully not that bad, but it will come. The government was running a trillion dollar deficit before they passed a 2.2 trillion dollar c****av***s bill. And I don't think that will prove to be enough. There are more such bills under discussion now. The government pays for that by one of two methods: borrowing (treasury bonds) or just printing more money.

OTOH, the USA is in better shape than some countries. Italy comes first to mind, but India will have real problems because social distancing is not practical in such a crowded country. And the impact on the southern hemisphere (heavy in poor countries) is still to come.

rightofattila

What a bunch of BS. Apparently you are not a fan of tax cuts and lower interest rates. Typical liberal. What allies has he insulted? Oh, he did tell NATO members they had to pay their fair share . . about time someone did. Cozying up to dictators? Pray tell, who would that be? He has implemented more sanctions on Russia, North Korea, and Iran than OButtHead by far. And if you want to look at a slow response to an epidemic, look at OButtHead's response to H1N1.

Tex-s

Absolutely. But also I recall the wisdom that is as follows :

A cat who jumps onto a hot stove will never do so again. Alas, neither will the cat jump onto a cool stove.

The world needs to learn a lot of things from this. 1) China is 3 for 4 in being the origin of these v***l outbreaks (Bird Flu, SARS, C****-**). 2) China has intentionally deceived the WHO and world at large about these outbreaks. 3) The first question to be answered in an outbreak should not be treatment, mortality, or blame, but rather means and ease of t***smission questions. 4) That the first action is RADICAL local containment, regardless of what the local authorities tell the WHO.

All of these must precede the readiness things. 5) Have a stockpile of PPE. 6) Have several ships to serve as emergency supply ships, as emergency hospital beds, etc. 7) Have lots of v***l testing facilities/kits, yes. The trick though, to me, is to contain locally rather than attempt to contain globally.

I just fear the economic devastation we are voluntarily unleashing on ourselves will mean we, as an entire world, will be financially incapable of supporting ANY of the objectives mentioned above, at least not promptly. And let's be real. If America sees 5 years of bad economic news, that need will take precedence over all others and p******c pr********n will slide down the list. Anyone who truly wants to avoid this kind of event in the future must prioritize surviving this one fiscally as well as physically. A crippled economy has a crippled ability to achieve any goal, and the citizens will prioritize eating, paying rent, and looking for work before they look to fund some global oversight co-op or look to build and stock medical ships with their tax dollars....

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I can't disagree with that. I do think we need to ride this out a while longer, until the rate of infection moderates. HOPEFULLY, by then, we'll have some sort of abatement — treatment, cure, or v******tion.

The good news is, there is a lot of pent-up demand for everything. It will take a while to get the economy going, but once re-invigorated, it should accelerate rather quickly.

CWGordon

I believe that each opinion expressed above has something of real value. However, I think the recovery will be really slow. Not a year, but a number of years will likely be necessary. The Stock market was good before, but that is not the economy. There already signs of a coming recession prior to C****-** hit us. A number of sectors were already in retreat. It is inevitable that some correction to the economy occur. The v***s just supercharges the problems. If estimates and prognostications are correct, roughly 25% of small businesses will not reopen. Some others will reopen, but not survive the damage done to their business. Between the owners, investors, suppliers, suppliers of the suppliers, etc. and the employees, and all of the families directly and indirectly affected and their financial ability to support other businesses, we can expect some relatively long-term financial/economic downturn. This should be realistically viewed as causing lengthy problems and not short-term solutions. Certainly some economic sectors will profit/benefit and some people will do better or worse than others. Still, no one should anticipate a quick recovery. Home prices, car prices will drop. Groceries and other consumer goods will rise.
All the loans and grants and bailouts are not going to wholly put Humpty-Dumpty back together again. Banks still are say ing they don’t know how to go about these things. No word on many of the promises that have been made to the people who need so much help digging out of this mess. Eventually, things will improve, just don’t expect that to happen any time soon.

radiomantom Loc: Plymouth Indiana

The money is there for small businesses to keep them up and running. I just got off the phone with the owner of a small business in our community and they applied for the stimulous plan in effect for paying their employees and they already received a check for $70,000 to do just that.

CWGordon

Awesome news! I hope every business can be approved just as quickly as that guy.