Grandma or the GDP?

A new paper illustrates the false choice presented by the president’s narrative

I have been particularly disturbed by the (far) right’s embrace of a troubling idea: the economy is worth more than grandma. Figures such as Dan Patrick, the Lt. Governor of Texas, Fox News hosts and President Trump have all adopted various views akin to the idea that the outbreak of covid-19 will have serious consequences for the economy that may not be worth the toll on human life. Trump this week said America was “not built to be shut down” and promised a return to normalcy by Easter.

Such optimism is foolishly misguided. The pandemic will almost certainly persist beyond mid-April. So will its economic consequences. Research shows that nations don’t fully recover from recessions (and we are certainly in the midst of one now) for years, perhaps even a half-decade. Before America gets there, things will probably get worse before they get better. Jobless claims rose by more than 3 million last week and are likely to be similarly severe in the next ones.

The president may be ignoring a…