What is the Economic Value of Extending a Sickly Life?

[DGS49]

I heard Gov. Cuomo (D-NY) telling reporters yesterday that, in effect, no cost is too great to save a couple thousand lives.

Seriously? It's OK to throw the entire country into a recession, to lose trillions of dollars in investment value, to throw our most vulnerable workers out of work for a couple months, to bankrupt thousands of micro-businesses (and I won't even mention gross inconvenience to everyone in the country)...

...if those measures will help to prolong the lives of a few thousand sickly, elderly people for a few more months or years?

I have often said that the best illustrations of bi-partisanship occur when our political leaders unite to do stupid things in the face of a real or imaginary crisis.

Exhibit A is what we are seeing now.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

I heard Gov. Cuomo (D-NY) telling reporters yesterday that, in effect, no cost is too great to save a couple thousand lives.

Seriously? It's OK to throw the entire country into a recession, to lose trillions of dollars in investment value, to throw our most vulnerable workers out of work for a couple months, to bankrupt thousands of micro-businesses (and I won't even mention gross inconvenience to everyone in the country)...

...if those measures will help to prolong the lives of a few thousand sickly, elderly people for a few more months or years?

I have often said that the best illustrations of bi-partisanship occur when our political leaders unite to do stupid things in the face of a real or imaginary crisis.

Exhibit A is what we are seeing now.

So what you're saying is that after listening to Republican, Conservative, and Right Wing bullshit for close to 2 years about Death Panels when the ACA was being negotiated, you'd like to see the real life implementation of that scenario? Please tell me I'm reading this wrong.

 

[danielpalos]

I heard Gov. Cuomo (D-NY) telling reporters yesterday that, in effect, no cost is too great to save a couple thousand lives.

Seriously? It's OK to throw the entire country into a recession, to lose trillions of dollars in investment value, to throw our most vulnerable workers out of work for a couple months, to bankrupt thousands of micro-businesses (and I won't even mention gross inconvenience to everyone in the country)...

...if those measures will help to prolong the lives of a few thousand sickly, elderly people for a few more months or years?

I have often said that the best illustrations of bi-partisanship occur when our political leaders unite to do stupid things in the face of a real or imaginary crisis.

Exhibit A is what we are seeing now.

Let's abolish our useless wars on crime, drugs, and terror; the right wing can't win any of them anyway. Participation on a for-profit basis should considered unethical and immoral.

 

[SweetSue92]

I heard Gov. Cuomo (D-NY) telling reporters yesterday that, in effect, no cost is too great to save a couple thousand lives.

Seriously? It's OK to throw the entire country into a recession, to lose trillions of dollars in investment value, to throw our most vulnerable workers out of work for a couple months, to bankrupt thousands of micro-businesses (and I won't even mention gross inconvenience to everyone in the country)...

...if those measures will help to prolong the lives of a few thousand sickly, elderly people for a few more months or years?

I have often said that the best illustrations of bi-partisanship occur when our political leaders unite to do stupid things in the face of a real or imaginary crisis.

Exhibit A is what we are seeing now.

I tried this argument in different places mid-week and of course was screeched at "IF IT SAVES EVEN ONE LIFE!!!"

Okay I might be cynical but I'm so so tired of really stupid arguments.

Our society does not operate that way. We lose 100+ Americans to car accidents DAILY, yet we're still driving cars.

I see the screw turning on this already. I think a LOT of people don't know one single person with COVID but at LEAST one person who has been laid off. The tsunami of rage to follow will not be pretty

 

[danielpalos]

...we could discover a cure, with that "one more try".

 

[Manonthestreet]

He also mouthed the tired platitude.....if it saves just one life all his wreckage would be worth it....

 

[DGS49]

Regardless of anything else, at some point our "Leaders" are going to say that we can "open the door" a crack and let some people (who have heretofore been shut down) go back to work. Maybe it will be construction workers. I hope it is golf courses.

The decree will say, "If you've been good, and observed the social distancing nonsense, and neither you nor anyone in your posse has shown signs of sickness, and if your job itself doesn't involve large group gatherings, then you can go back to work."

And I tell you, that opening will involve some risk, and inevitably result in A FEW DEATHS! If millions of unemployed people get back to work and it costs a few deaths - mainly elderly and sick people - will the risk have been worth it?

Of course.

What I'm suggesting is that this happen earlier rather than later. Even if a few more people die prematurely. Even if it's me (I'm 70).

 

[Weatherman2020]

I heard Gov. Cuomo (D-NY) telling reporters yesterday that, in effect, no cost is too great to save a couple thousand lives.

Seriously? It's OK to throw the entire country into a recession, to lose trillions of dollars in investment value, to throw our most vulnerable workers out of work for a couple months, to bankrupt thousands of micro-businesses (and I won't even mention gross inconvenience to everyone in the country)...

...if those measures will help to prolong the lives of a few thousand sickly, elderly people for a few more months or years?

I have often said that the best illustrations of bi-partisanship occur when our political leaders unite to do stupid things in the face of a real or imaginary crisis.

Exhibit A is what we are seeing now.

You owe Sara Palin an apology.