Day: March 25, 2020
Impending disaster
That still rising curve for the number of US cases of Covid-19 since the 100th case signals impending disaster. Yes, the US is much larger than the European countries nearby, but it is far smaller than China, whose curve has (according to Chinese data) leveled off. We are still doubling the number of cases every 2.5 days or so. Ten more days of that and we’ll be at 400,000. By the time of Easter, that would mean 50 million cases, unless something dramatic bends the curve to the horizontal. Only extensive testing and distancing will make that happen.
But President Trump is doing his best to ensure it. He ensured from the first that testing capacity would be limited, apparently because he wanted the numbers reported in the press to stay low. He initially opposed social distancing. By mooting the possibility of churches being full by Easter, he is signaling to the 30% or so of the population that regards him as reliable on corona virus risks that they needn’t worry too much. He continues to express more concern about the economy than about the health impact of the virus. He wants Americans back at work, despite the likelihood that sending them there prematurely would create a second wave of infection.
You would think he’d be happy with the $2 trillion stimulus bill the Congress is on the verge of passing (hopefully). It will pump a lot of money into businesses and send cash to about half the adults in the country, no doubt with his name somewhere on the envelope. But no, that is not enough. He wants to prove the experts wrong in warning that a premature return to work will be catastrophic. He wants to be right and get credit for his genius.
The lies the President has indulged in about Covid-19 are legion and dangerous. He is trying desperately to deny responsibility and shape reality to his own self-image. His daily press conferences are bozotic. He says one thing and the experts say the opposite. Hillary Clinton was certainly correct when she said he lacked the temperament to be President. But he also lacks the knowledge, willingness to learn, wisdom to listen to experts, and judgment required to make wise decisions. He is steering the United States inexorably to disaster.
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Stevenson’s army, March 25
Not much besides coronavirus news. Stimulus bill details agreed, more info and votes later today.
Schumer brags about one provision:“Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has secured a provision in the
agreement that will prohibit businesses controlled by the President,
Vice President, Members of Congress, and heads of Executive Departments
from receiving loans or investments from Treasury programs. The
children, spouses and in-laws of the aforementioned principals are also
included in this prohibition.” Schumer’s Dear Colleague letter
Steve Walt says crisis exposes America’s diminished competence.
DHS halted pandemic modeling in 2017, doubting its value.
Commission on public service recommends registering women for the draft. Report due out later later.
House Rules Committee opposes remote voting.
Defense News questions two carriers in Arabian Sea.
NYT has more on problems in Afghanistan.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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