The Public Is Astonishingly United

[PSPS]

The Public Is Astonishingly United

Pollsters have finally found an issue that transcends partisan divides, with the overwhelming majority of Americans siding against President Trump.

The complaint that Washington is out of step with Main Street has been circulating for roughly as long as each metonym has been in use. But it’s seldom, if ever, been more true than at this moment in the coronavirus pandemic. The most active debate in politics at the moment—in the White House, in state capitols, and in the press—is about whether and how much to reopen the economy. President Trump has been fitfully pushing for the country to get back to work, has boosted fringe state-level protests demanding that restrictions end, and yesterday took his first trip in weeks, visiting a mask-manufacturing plant in Arizona.

But even as the national political discourse has adopted reopening as the central debate, polls repeatedly show that Americans overwhelmingly back restrictions and do not support reopening most businesses. The consensus is especially notable in an era when nearly every poll question seems to serve as a referendum on Donald Trump, with his supporters lining up against his opponents. Here, despite Trump’s pleas for reopening, Americans are remaining united—and not heeding him. What if government reopened the country, and no one came?

“I’m viewing our great citizens of this country to a certain extent and to a large extent as warriors,” Trump said yesterday. “They’re warriors. We can’t keep our country closed. We have to open our country.”

Apparently most Americans are not eager to think of themselves as warriors—or are simply wise soldiers, with strategy as their strength. A poll from The Washington Post and the University of Maryland released yesterday finds that eight in 10 Americans oppose reopening movie theaters and gyms; three-quarters don’t support letting sit-down restaurants and nail salons reopen; and a third or less would allow barber shops, gun stores, and retail stores to operate. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll last week found similar numbers: Nine in 10 Americans don’t think sporting events should have crowds without more testing; 85 percent would keep schools closed, and 80 percent would keep dine-in restaurants shut. There is no significant difference in views between residents of states that have begun loosening restrictions and those that have not.

More at: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/what-if-they-reopened-country-and-no-one-came/611182/

[C_U_L8R]

1. Listening to Trump isn't on Maslow's hierarchy

Americans are fending for themselves, thank you very much. And if a handful of magats want to run off the reopen cliff, well good riddance.

[Salviati]

2. This is why any model which presupposes "opening up the economy"

will trade lives for an economic boost is fundamentally flawed. People are not going to sacrifice themselves on the altar of capitalism. There will be no widespread economic boost, only increased transmission as the diehard death-cultists try to go back to their normal lives in the face of a pandemic, not enough to support any sort of economic boost, but enough to doom everyone to an even longer struggle against the virus.

[callous taoboy]

3. I had an uncomfortable dream

last night that I somehow found myself in a room, perhaps a restaurant, full of people. So, no I won't be participating in crowds of any size for the foreseeable future.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Warriors that will kill their mothers and grandparents for the American Way!

Woo-Hoo!

[captain queeg]

5. Gotta have a rally. The withdrawals are really getting him.

[2naSalit]

6. Intersting.

About a month ago I was advocating for people to not go back to work for the purpose of survival biologically but also politically. The economy is frozen but these greedy assholes are wanting to force people to return their precious economy to siphon off our wealth as a nation. Our best weapon against the regime, at this point in a massive shut-down, is to wait them out as long as possible. The worst thing for them is for us to stay home and deny them the power to force us to comply with their destruction of our democracy and our republic. We can do that, it's our power and we need to use it to our advantage.

[Chainfire]

7. They can't make people go to the mall

It should be crystal clear; if you wan't to protect your health and those around you, it is up to you, not the government.

Patience, until such a time as there is a prevention or a cure, is a quality you can live with.