Trump's Declaration "Well by Easter" Spells Serfdom for Working Americans

[McCamy Taylor]

Business owners are pissed. How dare city and state government tells them that they cannot run a titty bar or casino or Christian themed craft store (Hobby Lobby) during a pandemic! The nerve of them! It isn't as if the owners are at any risk. They can retreat to their summer homes in places like Nantucket to ride out COVID 19.

But their serfs are sitting at home, trying to stay alive and praying for extended unemployment benefits so they do not starve or lose their homes or cars. Ordinarily, hunger would drive many of these people back to work. However their kids have no school to attend--meaning no daycare, meaning that most minimum wage employees would see no net income if they had to pay for daycare in order to go back to work.

What happens if Trump declares "There is no emergency!"?

People will be forced back to work. They will not have the option of saying "No, I don't want to die!" Schools will be forced to reopen. Teachers will die. Malls will open. Salesclerks will die. (Trump) casinos will reopen. The maids who change your sheets (that we now know can harbor Covid 19 for up to 17 days!) will die. The stimulus money will not flow into workers hands, because there will be plenty of "safe" jobs for them---we know that they are "safe" because Dr. Trump says so.

The really insidious part of this--those who are 40 or older or who have underlying health problems will resist the call to return to their "safe" jobs. They will be declared AWOL and fired for cause--meaning no unemployment benefits. And then the employers will replace them with lots of workers in their older teens and early twenties--those who are least afraid of COVID 19. Meaning we will see a repeat of 2008 when employers used the recession as an excuse to enact "First hired first fired"--eliminate the job positions of those with seniority and chronic medical conditions so that the could replace them with a bunch of youngsters.

Here is an idea. If Trump decides to force all workers back to their jobs, the owners and CEOs and administrators should be placed on the front line, waiting tables, serving as airline stewards, teaching kindergarten classes. I want to see Trump changes sheets in one of his hotels.

[leftstreet]

1. DURec

[Yonnie3]

2. Many states will not follow his instructions

In the end it is up to the individual states what to do.

He can apply pressure by various means, but he can't mandate a return to work.

[jimfields33]

6. States who ignore it better have a financial cushion

Because the money to states stop after emergency is over.

[JenniferJuniper]

9. Exactly.

Good luck, red states.

[McCamy Taylor]

11. He can deny federal aid. Wa, NY and California (blue states)

still haven't gotten their aid yet.

[C_U_L8R]

3. Could it be an unemployment scam?

Go back to work or you're fired.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Governors and mayors are making these decisions, and if a state's governor

has declared a stay-at-home situation Trump can't overrule it.

[CaptYossarian]

8. This will become his first civics class.

He thought the president was the king. Unfortunately, a majority in the Supreme Court and Bill Barr, as well as one side of the Senate, want to play Demented Donnie's games too. Their collective fingers were crossed when they all swore to honor the Constitution.

The irony here is that social conservatives worshipped states' rights when it only meant institutionalized racism. Now it's having a major feast on their hindquarters.

[ooky]

5. Trump's idea is a fantasy. We can see what's going on and use our common sense to

realize that this stupid idea will dissipate over the next several weeks as more communities become engulfed in increasing numbers of new cases and deaths. Fear is going to increase and few people are going to have an appetite for going back to work and sending their kids into coronavirus infested schools.

Trump and Fox News and any other Republican/magats that are pushing this stupid shit are going to have egg on their faces very soon.

[HotTeaBag]

7. Trump's declaration will be forgotten by Friday.

He'll probably begin walking it back today at his rally.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. That's what I expect. We need to remember that Trump thinks in 2-week increments.

He says he'll be doing something or deciding something in 2 weeks, but when that time is up he either claims he never said he'd do something in 2 weeks, or walks it all back, or has forgotten about it altogether and never mentions it again.

[McCamy Taylor]

12. The 2-3 week increments is because he takes bribes.

He will promise anything for cash in Jarad Kushner's hand now, even if he cannot deliver.

[central scrutinizer]

13. Time for a general strike

But it’s not safe to be in streets in a picket line