As states and counties across the United States begin to relax social distancing measures and “reopen” the economy, just remember—it’s the economists and politicians driving those decisions, not infectious disease doctors. The curve is definitely not yet flat.
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The White House is, of course, the main venue where economists push to relax social distancing measures. But not just any economists, bad ones who have repeatedly been wrong about economic predictions and policy advice. Now Trump’s right-wing economists are trying their hand at public health policy.
From Kevin Hassett’s rosier outlook to Stephen Moore’s “modern day Rosa Parks,” there is a battle between medical science and conservative pseudo-science. It looks like the pseudo-science is winning.