Jung Haye
Image: foxnews.com
In a reversal of previous cuts to the Center for Disease Control and other health programs, President Donald Trump has signed a large aid deal to combat coronavirus as U.S cases rise above 233 with 14 deaths. This comes after 22 states have reported a case of coronavirus and the University of Washington has cancelled classes for the rest of the winter term. The huge additional funding is planned to go towards disease prevention and developing a vaccine for the disease.
The bill moved quickly through a divided house and senate and includes aid to Washington state and California, which have held the majority of cases in the U.S. The bill comes with many legislators have introduced bills for extra paid sick leave.
Questions:
COVID-19 has had a drastic impact on the U.S and global economy so far, with the Dow Jones dropping thousands of points in the past few weeks. Do you think this economic downfall will lead to another recession, or will economies rebound as COVID-19 fades.
Do you think Trump's aid bill is well timed or should the virus have been better addressed earlier?
Do you think the stockpiling of food by many U.S citizens is justified and appropriate?
Source:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/trump-signs-8point3-billion-emergency-coronavirus-spending-package.html
Addressing the third question, I believe that some preparation for the COVID-19 virus is appropriate, but many individuals have taken preparations to extremes that are ultimately going to harm the nation as a whole. Currently, everyone fears shortages of basic supplies, especially water, toilet paper, and sanitizing chemicals/products. So, people have gone to stores and cleaned out the shelves, buying quantities that would last several weeks or month, creating exactly what the whole population had been fearing in the first place. This is known as an "artificial shortage," and not only results in complete lack of supplies for even those that are not stockpiling, but re-instills the feelings of fear for those who have been buying ridiculous amounts of goods. As I said, being prepared is always good, but no one is going to need more than a week or two of supplies, even in the worst case scenario. Media has used dramatic coverage of the coronavirus to capitalize off of fear, and people have certainly responded to the excessive coverage. Ultimately, the stockpiling with wild disregard for the protection of EVERYONE will only result in a faster spreading, because those who actually need access to certain things will not be able to get them due to the shortages created by panic.
ReplyDeleteThe coronavirus has already proven to cause many economic consequences and I believe it will to continue to do so until it is no longer a serious threat. In my opinion, I do not believe that Trump's aid bill is well timed because it should have came sooner. Trump first tried to reduce the funding of agencies such as the FDA and NIH, and he is just not deciding to be proactive about the spread of this virus. It is understandable that people want to buy bulk and stockpile supplies because of the fear of being quarantined. I would not go to such lengths to separate myself from society due to the threat of the virus, but others may think it is a necessary precaution. It is hard to say whether it is justified or not because people have their own values and beliefs on how to handle the situation for themselves and their families.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sydney’s idea that a lot of the panic and fear in the nation right now due to the extreme actions that some people have taken. It is quite disappointing how some people are looking to take advantage of this situation to try and profit off of those that need these supplies. Some people have come up with the scheme to stockpile some of these fought over goods, with the intention of reselling these items at a higher price for those who have more dire reasons to be needing them. I think that one really ridiculous thing that people have been stockpiling is hand sanitizer. Especially now with the order to shelter in place, most people should have the better option to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water instead, defeating the need for an excessive amount of hand sanitizer.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the second question, I do think that Trump waited for the virus to grow large enough to a point where it would affect the entire nation in order to actually establish this kind of bill that would fund vaccine research etc. In terms of the third question, I agree with Benjamin that our country is in a state of panic and fear right now. For the past weeks, Safeways, Targets and Costcos have been full of people who are struggling to quickly get in and other of these stores with bags full of food. I think that although it is understandable as many people are afraid of going outside right now, especially with the state order of staying indoors, many of our producers of our food are localized in America. However, other suppliers that are international of course will be reduced are probably not coming in with shipments any time soon.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the administration's actions are too little too late. The president claimed that, “We have contained this. I won’t say airtight but pretty close to airtight” despite saying this; however, it is blatantly clear that this is not the case. As for the stockpiling of foods and other goods, regardless if it is justified or appropriate, it is to be expected. People know that once supplies disappear off the shelves it may not be for a while before they return; therefore, people know that these supplies may not be accessible to them when they need it. As the saying goes, always be prepared for the unexpected.
ReplyDelete