One of the most insane bits of propaganda being injected into the dual coronavirus and economic catastrophes of the moment is the Trump-marketed gibberish about how “the cure can’t be worse than the problem.” It’s an infuriatingly simplistic zinger, condensing myriad complexities into a facile bumper-sticker slogan that will ultimately result in more dead Americans.
There’s a better solution that we’ll get to presently, but “the cure,” in the context of Trump’s zinger, is of course the stay-at-home mandate being exercised in most states. The worry, according to Trump and his disciples, is that maintaining social distancing and therefore keeping Americans safe — the “cure” — will precipitate a worsening economic calamity.
