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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat good is increasing G.D.P. if it kills you? By Paul Krugman
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/opinion/coronavirus-economy-death.htmlWhat good is increasing G.D.P. if it kills you?
By Paul Krugman
Opinion Columnist
May 28, 2020
America is now engaged in a vast, dangerous experiment. Although social distancing has limited the spread of the coronavirus, it is far from contained. Yet despite warnings from epidemiologists, much of the country is moving to open up for business as usual.
You might think that such a momentous move would come with elaborate justifications that politicians pushing an end to social distancing, from Donald Trump on down, would at least try to explain why we should take this risk. But those calling for quickly reopening have been notably silent about the trade-offs involved. Instead, they talk incessantly about the need to save the economy.
That is, however, a very bad way to think about economic policy in a pandemic.
What, after all, is the economys purpose? If your answer is something like, To generate incomes that let people buy things, youre getting it wrong money isnt the ultimate goal; its just a means to an end, namely, improving the quality of life.
Now, money matters: There is a clear relationship between income and life satisfaction. But its not the only thing that matters. In particular, you know what also makes a major contribution to the quality of life? Not dying.
snip//
One way to put it: Trump and his allies dont want us to wear face masks but do want us to wear blinders.
How will this exercise in denial end? Again, theres a lot of uncertainty in epidemiological projections. Trump and friends could get lucky; their insistence that we should quickly go back to business as usual might not lead to a large number of deaths.
But it probably will, because the push for reopening rests on a foundation of willful ignorance. Never mind G.D.P.; the most fundamental job of any leader is to keep his people alive. Unfortunately, thats a job Trump doesnt seem interested in doing.
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What good is increasing G.D.P. if it kills you? By Paul Krugman (Original Post)
babylonsister
May 2020
OP
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)1. We need UBI
As proposed by Andrew Yang
lark
(22,993 posts)2. He is profiting by killing us, satisfying his 2 greatest urges - greed and absolute hate.
He's going to do everything humanly possible to keep the carnage going because it delights him so to see cops hurting minorities. Also it provides a distraction for his absolute failure and blame in pushing the country to open up unsafely and kill extra tens of thousands or Americans - or more.