Economics: COVID19 Pandemic - No Discipline, No Economic Recovery

 (Drivebycuriosity) - It looks like that the economic recovery in the US is stuttering. Apple had to close most of their US shops again and other businesses are slowing as well (cnbc). Many (potential)  customers are scared by the spreading COVID-19 Pandemic in the US and they spend less because they skip shopping & going out to avoid getting infected.

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Customers & companies respond to the steeply climbing number of corona infections in the US, especially in the south.  Many US states, especially Florida, Arizona, Texas & California, report record numbers.

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Today the US has more than a quarter of the reported global corona infections! The development in the US is very disappointing because many other countries got the virus mostly under control, at least for the time being (charts below).

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What is wrong with America? Apparently many Americans behave different than the average Europeans & Asians. The virus jumps from person top person, it needs an intact chain. These chains can be broken by strictly performing social distancing (at least 6 feet distance),  wearing masks & washing hands (to avoid transporting the virus on the face). This needs a lot of self discipline. Disciplined behavior may be the main reason that countries in Europe & Asia have low numbers of cases, sick people, deaths,  even though they are follwing different policies.

It seems that many Americans do not have the traits that it takes to deal with a pandemic, they lack the self-discipline to deal with a pandemic. In my Manhattan neighborhood I spot a a growing number of people who don`t get it. Bowery Boogie, a website which covers Manhattan`s Lower East Side, observed that "drinking in groups on the streets – in daylight – is apparently the trend in Hell Square" (some blocks on the Lower East Side ( boweryboogie ). There is frequent congregating, often without face protection; it goes unchecked until the cops are forced to break up the crowd. The New York Post reports that a nightclub on the Lower East Side opened for an exclusive, invite-only party, in apparent violation of coronavirus lockdown orders ( nypost). Reports from Florida, Texas, Georgia and other US states show even worse behavior. Apparently a significant number of Americans don´t have the necessary self discipline, they sacrifice nothing, they respect nobody. Many are too short-sighted, too stupid, too selfish.

The large numbers of covidiots in the US keeps the infection chains alive and causes sharply rising numbers of new cases. The new trend is putting the economic recovery at risk. If the US numbers get even worse the governors of the federal states might be forced to revive the lockdowns and maybe even need to cancel the announced reopenings. And more factories & shops will get closed because their workers will get sick or stay at home. It seems that a significant number of Americans are sabotaging the US economy.

PS I found the image on top of the post on Twitter tagged with the name Joshua Bickel