Harrop: Every country made mistakes; we didn't learn from ours
By Froma Harrop /syndicated columnist
Europe took dramatic steps to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Its shutdowns were so tight that the eurozone economy has fallen into a recession even deeper than ours.
But guess what. Despite occasional spikes, Europe has beaten the virus down to size. With a public reassured that it could return to the beaches, bars and restaurants in relative safety, it reopened. That’s why Europe “is having a much bigger snapback” than the U.S., Berenberg Bank economist Holger Schmieding told The Wall Street Journal, “and there are some indicators that it may be getting ahead.”
Both the U.S. and Europe pushed aggressive stimulus plans, that is, injected oceans of government money into their economies. The big difference today is that Europe contained the cause of its economic misery, and the U.S., with the exception of a few states, just let it grow.
And why has America’s performance been so inferior? The answer is Donald J. Trump.
The president denied COVID-19’s existence at the beginning and continues to downplay the virus as it rampages through the heartland. He undermined governors who mandated lockdowns (Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer) and praised governors who wouldn’t (Florida’s Ron DeSantis). He peddled fake cures, some dangerous, and gave moral support to the idiotic campaign against mask wearing. He attacks public health experts.
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https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/harrop-every-country-made-mistakes-we-didnt-learn-from-ours/