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The Left Wing Case Against Lockdowns
I want to try to steel-man a possible left-wing argument against broad lockdowns and stay-at-home orders as a way to deal with coronavirus. And I want to be really clear — this is just what a left-wing case against the shutdowns would look like. There are plenty of bad right-wing arguments, such as “the lockdowns are tyrannical,” or “we should kill grandma to save the stock market. “ Let me present a more realistic left-wing case against the full lockdown as a thought experiment.
We recognize as a guiding principle that in the American economy, it is the working class and blue-collar workers who make the system function. Yet these people are the most vulnerable and are most likely to be at risk of being unable to pay for their living expenses. If we think about who is most hurt by a broad lockdown, it's the very people that we on the left have always prioritized. What we really need is continued financial assistance for those who are struggling, wide-scale testing to ensure workers are safe, and a paradigm shift about how we view essential workers in this country. But Trump and the Republican-lead Senate appear unwilling or unable to accomplish that.
Live Calls
A number of viewers called in today to express both concern about Joe Biden, as well as concern about Bernie supporters not voting for Joe Biden. The horrifying story in Minnesota involving police and George Floyd was a topic of discussion. And we heard from a caller who was unsure about why the left is so displeased with Donald Trump.
Lt Gov: Trump Preparing to Challenge Results If He Loses
Donald Trump has been lying about mail-in voting, saying it will lead to fraudulent election results. Recently, Trump argued that Michigan is doing something wrong or illegal by sending every registered voter an application for an absentee ballot. This has Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist worried that Trump is opening up “a conversation about the legitimacy of an election that he is looking to lose.”
It is no surprise that Donald Trump is trying to cast doubt on the election process, he did the same thing in the lead up to the 2016 election. In fact, he questioned the legitimacy of the ‘16 vote even after he won the election. He will try these tricks again and this time he has the power as president to be more effective with them. The only way to really prevent Trump from arguing that the Michigan results were bogus is to defeat him in an overwhelming landslide in November.
--More on the show:
--Caller talks about getting justice for George Floyd
--Caller asks what it was like for David's parents to live in a military dictatorship in Argentina
--Caller addresses the Twitter feud between Cenk Uygur and Kyle Kulinski
--Caller is unhappy with Kyle Kulinski over not supporting Joe Biden
--Caller discusses coronavirus unemployment benefits
--Caller thinks Joe Biden will be a terrible president
--Caller discusses online voting and takes issue with the left's treatment of Donald Trump
--Audience Question: Are you a hypocrite for profiting off the system you criticize?
--Audience Question: Should businesses be immune from coronavirus reopening lawsuits?
--On the Bonus Show: Third night of protests in Minneapolis, Trump wages war on Twitter, and much more...
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