It’s OK to Say It: The Lockdown Was a Catastrophic Error

Let’s review. “Reopening” is a sham. Shops, restaurants and small businesses, under “reopening”, are being micromanaged by the government–Communist-style. There’s no way they can make a profit and stay open this way. Hair salons can’t survive on two customers at a time, with everyone wearing a gas mask. Retail stores don’t survive on curbside service. You’ve got the Internet for that! Restaurants have the thinnest of profit margins to begin with, and can’t afford restrictions like one-third or one-half capacity. And they’ve already been closed for two months. Plus, we’re told that if someone so much as sneezes, everything will shut down totally again. The message from our tyrants: “You’re lucky we even let you stay open this much. And don’t get used to it.”

Originally, the lockdown was temporary–just to “flatten the curve.” That has long since happened. Now the lockdown is until we get a vaccine. When will we get a vaccine? Will there ever be one? And here’s another question nobody (yet) is asking: Let’s say we have a vaccine tomorrow. How do we ensure that every single person will get the vaccine? Let’s assume that everyone submits and agrees to a vaccine. That won’t happen. Vaccines are (to some) controversial and risky. Even people OK with vaccines will be shaky about this one, because it will clearly be a rush job managed by a government desperate to say “we did something”. But even if every single person submits to a vaccine, how can the government guarantee nobody was left out?

Clearly, that’s impossible. So that will be the next excuse. People like the Michigan governor (who will be in office literally forever, since her permanent emergency order will permit the suspension of elections) will say, “So long as there are holdouts on the vaccine, we clearly can’t reopen.” You can expect that attitude in all Democratic states and probably most Republican ones too, eventually. Why the latter? Because Republicans usually cave, in the end. At least, they always have. And red states can turn blue, and once they do, it’s all over.

And remember: All of this happens in the context of an ever-declining GDP and 25 percent unemployment (as of now). What happens when we get to 50 percent unemployment? Or a negative GDP? On our present course, we will. At what point do we wake up one day and realize we’re … Venezuela? The government cannot print money forever. As much as the sheep would like to believe that everyone can be guaranteed a $50,000/year national salary for sitting at home merely because the government wills it, that salary doesn’t do you much good if (1) there’s little to spend it on, because everything is closed; and (2) the currency becomes worthless, which is what happens when the government hyperinflates the money supply (as it must, to keep sending out stimulus checks). Google “fiat currency” and read what economists have to say about this.

I don’t mean to be negative. But the facts are all negative. Everything the government is doing is WRONG. Virtually all of the gullible assumptions most of us hold right now are WRONG. And the premise that nothing can change until we have a vaccine that there’s no way every single person will inject is fatally WRONG.

The only way out of this mess? To concede that everything we did in the last few months was incredibly, stupidly and savagely WRONG. Like “the greatest mistake in all of human history” wrong.

It’s hard to admit such a big mistake. The arrogant SOBs who inhabit political office will NEVER admit it. They are hopeless, and should be punished, although you can never get back all the lives, wealth and hopes they have already destroyed.

But we the people had better admit our errors, and fast. Because there will be a point of no return, on our present course. I hope we’re not already there.

 

 

Follow Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on Twitter at @MichaelJHurd1, and see drmichaelhurd on Instagram.