This is big.
John Harris, founding editor of the inside the Beltway paper, Politico, is warning of a backlash to the shutdown.
Harris writes:
The imminent libertarian surge is not a sure thing but it more than a hunch. In informal conversations, one hears the sentiment even from people I know to be fundamentally progressive and inclined to defer to whatever health officials say is responsible and necessary to mitigate the worst effects of coronavirus. It is possible both to support the shutdown and powerfully resent it — the draconian nature of the response, and the widespread perception that to voice skepticism of any aspect of its necessity is outside respectable bounds.Politician power freaks will take note of this. Let's hope it helps cause them to start recognizing the anti-lockdown sentiment and start to recalculate their power freak orders.
The absolutist nature of the country’s shutdown and the economic rescue package have democratic consent—enacted by a bipartisan roster of governors and overwhelming votes in Congress—but it was the kind of consent achieved by warning would-be dissenters, Are you serious? There is no choice!
Many people concluded that for now there is nothing to do but suck it up. It won’t be surprising if some of those people eventually have an intense desire to spit out.
-RW
Just recall all politicians and other elected officials (judges?). Flood the courts with individual or class action lawsuits so you can start the discovery process and request information under the FOIA act. Did any states suspend their sunshine or open meetings laws?
ReplyDeleteIt should be clear that Governors do not have the authority to violate private property rights without due process. However, the people are so full of fear and hysteria about Covid-19 that they are stunned into inaction. Rather than lawsuits which recognize the government as legitimate I would rather see the people just get back to work. I fear that most are like a deer in the headlights and will end up strapped to the hood of a political vehicle.
ReplyDeleteJust stop cooperating. It is all up to us. We need to take risks. Health, economic and personal freedom.
DeleteBetter to offer a continuum of options to individuals to get them to think about and assess for themselves what they are currently comfortable doing. Depending on the circumstance, how do you deal with the police? Why not put them on the spot or the record when you record your interactions with them? If they behave politely, file a report complimenting that officer. If they don't, file a complaint. Think of ways to use the system against the system. I walk in the afternoon to get my daily dosage of free Vitamin D as part of my "neighborhood watch" waving to anyone to reduce the social isolation being imposed and hopefully encouraging them to feel -- I'm going to say it -- we're in this together.
DeleteYou have to be smart. As Sun-Tzu wrote:
DeleteSo in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak. (VI.30)
Creating fear and hysteria was the whole idea! Makes people want the government to come in and take control
ReplyDeleteLet us hope this becomes policy all of the time:
ReplyDeletehttps://cis.org/Arthur/96Minute-Turnaround-Migrants-Southwest-Border
Now if we can send the H1's home who are not working and give them no extensions and get most of the illegals to self deport. I realize libertardians would have to pay a bit more to hire an American and RW does not have access to his $5/day illegal immigrant to run errands for him.
Get ready folks. Up next real martial law: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/inside-us-militarys-plans-stop-civil-disturbances-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-something-they-1493485%3famp=1
ReplyDeleteThis is all a moot point now economically as a spooked and broke Idiocracy is not going to resuscitate the corpse.
DeleteThe psychopaths will try to exert even more control out of fear if predicted deflation occurs and their wealth is washed away by the market. The new depression will make the old one look civilized by comparison.
ReplyDeleteGood comment I read on another blog:
“I’m a CPA & we’ve stopped preparing tax returns for over 2 weeks now to assist our small business clients obtain SBA loans. We’re overwhelmed and our clients’ businesses are dying. There’s the child care operator – an “essential” service, but she has zero customers & calls daily crying. There’s the 50 year old independent RV sales & servicing firm that survived 9/11 & the 2007/2008 bank crash, but now they’re going under. Dad founded it & the three children, now in their late 50’s / early 60’s, are watching their legacy & live’s work crumble. As one told me: “even if we can get a loan we’ll spend the rest of our lives paying it back, leaving no funds to complete our retirement savings”.
Then today we find out that the SBA funds for small businesses have been depleted, with Congress in a stalemate on replenishing the fund.
I simply cannot believe what it happening. Never, ever, did I think our governments & leaders, federal, state, & local, Republicans & Democrats, would ever actively destroy our economy. Who ever thought that shutting down the economy was even an option? It’s never been done. You can’t swing a dead cat & not hit a COVID-19 projection model, but did anyone at all model the economic impact of such a radical strategy?! I’m a Christian, but even Easter could not relieve the bitterness I feel, & I suspect it will never go away.
I appreciate the risks taken by our medical professionals, although I question why those at greatest risk (older nurses & physicians) were put in action given that the strain on the system (other than for a short time in NYC) has not materialized. But with all due respect, they are getting paid. So while I’ll gladly tie a white ribbon around my trees to show my support, I’ll also be tying a black ribbon around those same trees to mourn those who have sacrificed their jobs & businesses.
This must stop now. Everyone must go back to work. Assistance for small businesses must be passed now. All the judges, governors & “experts” who supported the shut down should stop taking salaries now. Finally, we must never again divide our country into “essential” & “nonessential” work – there’s no such thing as a non-essential job or business, if for no other reason than they pay the taxes that support our great healthcare system.”
and noone blames the Wall Street bankers or the Fed for the economic chaos. They all blame the government.
ReplyDelete"one hears the sentiment even from people I know to be fundamentally progressive"
ReplyDeleteBut don't mistake this for a change in their opinion or even a permanent life lesson.
Libertarians resist because they are eternally skeptical of The Man. Progressives resist The Man only when he is orange.