A lot of discussion in Wisconsin lately about opening the state and ending Governor Tony Evers safer at home order. The Wisconsin State Supreme Court is juggling cases brought by the GOP legislators and a number of other Wisconsinites. The GOP leadership has finally gotten around to meeting with the governor in virtual meetings. (note: it’s safe to open the state but not meet face to face in Madison). And business leaders are pushing for a start to open the state on May 11 instead of the governor’s date of May 25.
One telling quote from the president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Tim Sheehy:
“The governor asked us ‘what’s changed in your position?'” Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce President Tim Sheehy said Tuesday. “What’s changed is the ability in southeastern Wisconsin — the hospitals are not in a crisis capacity.“
emphasis mine
I didn’t realize the goal was to fill the hospitals. I thought it was to prevent people from getting sick with COVID-19 and prevent some of those from dying. So what happens after we re-open and we fill the hospitals? What is Mr. Sheehy’s plan then?
people need to realize that there IS NO PLAN.
The goal was to “flatten the curve” so our healthcare system would not be overwhelmed. The curve has been flattened. Any more EOs from the Governor are just bits of tyranny.
Former UK Supreme Court judge LORD SUMPTION said it best: “To say that life is priceless and nothing else counts is just empty rhetoric. People say it because it is emotionally comfortable and avoids awkward dilemmas. But they don’t actually believe it…There is more to life than the avoidance of death.”
“To say that there are no limits is the stuff of tyrants. Every despot who ever lived thought that he was coercing his subjects for their own good or that of society at large…We, too, have to ask ourselves what kind of relationship we want with the State. Do we really want to be the kind of society where basic freedoms are conditional on the decisions of politicians in thrall to scientists and statisticians? Where human beings are just tools of public policy?”
so you are not ‘pro-life’.
The glib response would be to point out the tyranny will cost more lives in the long run.
A more nuanced response is twofold.
1) The virus is everywhere. Even people who have taken precautions are getting it. A vaccine is a long way off if ever, so the only answer is herd immunity. Protect the at risk, free the rest.
2) As I tried to explain to Zach in a previous comment thread, what we have with the Wuhan Flu is what ethicists call a Trolley Problem. The “lock up forever” types are only looking at the people on the COVID track and not seeing the other rail. That other track has tied to it constitutional rights, economic dreams, and individuals that include people that have been diagnosed with cancer that have had their treatment suspended because the therapy or surgery was classified as elective by our Dear Leader. Put yourself at the switch Ed. We already know how many constitutional rights and economic dreams you (and our Governor) are willing to sacrifice for promises of safety, but how many people are you willing to kill to potentially save a few virus victims?
“Even people who have taken precautions are getting it.” Because they unfortunately have to encounter scoundrels like the the protesters on Bluemound Road and the gun nuts at the Capitol who won’t take precautions.
And you are angry at the wrong dear leader here. If there had actually been any leadership at the national level (and there still isn’t), the governors would be in this fix.
I hope that no one from your family or any of our readers are affected.
But to me, not social distancing, not wearing a mask, and not staying home is akin to the overwrought quote about yelling fire in a crowded theater where there is none.
Ed, first thanks. I hope that you and yours stay healthy and happy, too.
That being said, no. The protesters did not have anything to do with 66% of new cases in New York that got it at home. It’s in the environment. Unless we get a vaccine or take the herd immunity route, we will get it (if we live long enough). Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day. Think the flu. We don’t surrender our constitutional rights during a bad flu season. We don’t destroy our economy during a bad flu season. And we don’t sacrifice other peoples lives on the alter of promised safety during a bad flu season. We shouldn’t damn well do it now.
And exactly how do you think it got home? This isn’t the flu. Many of us have a limited immunity to the common flus from having experienced them before and we have vaccines for them as well. The biggest issue with this coronavirus is you can be symptom free but actively spread it to others. Few flus work that way…you know you are sick when you are contagious with the flu. And if you don’t think the death of tens of thousands of people isn’t having an effect on the economy, you are wrong. If you want to talk flu, the 1918 flu had an immense negative effect on the economy…
Just to be clear, you are saying we have to burn down our economy to save our economy, sacrifice our rights to save our rights, and kill people to save people.
What ever happened to the left of the 60’s? The left that was horrified by My Lai. The left that defended civil rights. And the left that, in the middle of a pandemic that killed over a million (Hong Kong Flu 1968-69), held Woodstock. Snowflake-ification: Fear it.
What I am saying is: your life and my life is more important than the economy. Life is priceless and all lives have equal value. There is no aggrieved class here, the civil rights analogy is bogus. It is all of us at risk…all of us staying safer at home. I don’t care to play Russian Roulette with COVID-19. As for My Lai…that’s interesting that you should bring that up…my take is President Trump is precisely fomenting another My Lai…except this time the perpetrator and the victims are both American. American’s made sacrifices to win their shooting wars…to save the world…to make it safe for democracy…without hesitation…without rancor. We just celebrated VE day. Today in history we mark the end of entertainment curfews imposed during WWII. But today we aren’t willing to be inconvenienced by staying at home to stay healthy as a nation. Talk about snowflakes.
And if the despotic governors solutions cost more lives that those saved, that’s just fine with you? You might not have caught the link in my last comment : Link Kill Americans to save Americans. (I’ll bold and italic embedded links in the future.)
Stay healthy, open minded, and free. Also stay away from bears. Good day sir.
I didn’t ignore your link. I had read it and digested it before you included it here. And I didn’t mention it not because it might support your cause…but because it hits a little to bit close to home. If after all I’ve written here and you don’t realize that..you aren’t paying attention.