This is a cascade failure, pure and simple. COVID-19 was coming to the US no matter what. The result could have been anywhere on a 1-10 scale depending on how much planning was done and the quality of that plan’s execution.
But there was no plan, except Trump’s PR step of halting flights from China, which he either wrongly thought would be enough, or more likely enough for a later PR strategy. And while a pandemic was a common model for disaster response planning, they didn’t do it and figured they’d just take their chances and wing it.
Early testing deployment probably would have reduced the economic impact because those who contracted the virus could be isolated while those found negative without contact could go about their business, perhaps with reduced activity. There would still be some economic slowing, but nothing like what we’ll have now. But Trump didn’t want testing widely deployed because then the numbers would go up, the market would go down, and he’d lose the PR battle anyway. His administration was not prepared, and Trump had already shot his mouth off too much to turn back.
Now, Trump and his minions are ready to march us all off to battle the virus on our own in hopes of saving the economy only in tatters because of his administration’s lack of planning and execution, and his own PR efforts to minimize the risk. It won’t work because hardly anybody would choose to sign up for this war. Some people may ignore the risks, or flaunt them like Trump does, or decide they are better off accepting the risk to themselves and others out of desperation to survive economically.
But it comes back to that cascade failure. Trump’s incompetence and ego and self-interest and utter lack of concern for anyone else’s life and health gave us this disaster. No wonder he’s willing to gamble our lives and livelihoods to attempt to prove he was right all along. He’ll claim it either way, so he can count me OUT.
