Lockdowns Stymied Economy, Not COVID
Unemployment shot up in blue states due to draconian lockdowns, whereas red states’ rates remain much lower.
Have long-running lockdowns stopped the spread of the coronavirus? Nope. Have the states that maintained lockdown measures experienced significantly fewer numbers of COVID-19 cases than those that did not? No. Have the lockdown states recorded fewer numbers of coronavirus-related deaths than those that did not? Once again, the answer is no. In fact, observing a graph comparing all the states and the numbers of COVID cases and deaths in each, the most significant factor appears to be most correlated with a state’s population. In other words, lockdowns appear to have had little impact upon the rate of cases and numbers of deaths by state.
Naturally, the question then arises: Have those states that maintained lockdowns suffered more economic damage than those that did not? Well, according to recent Labor Department data, the answer is an unequivocal yes. Those states (almost all with Republican governors) that did not enact draconian lockdown measures have faired far better economically than those states (almost all with Democrat governors) that opted for the tyrannical approach.
The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board observes, “Despite the virus surge, employment increased in 15 states last month including Texas (64,000), George (44,700), North Carolina (33,600), Wisconsin (15,100) and South Carolina (14,600). But these gains were more than offset by losses in Michigan (-64,400), California (-52,200), Minnesota (-49,800), Pennsylvania (-37,600) and New York (-37,200).”
Furthermore, employment levels from 2019 to 2020 declined by signifiant margins in the lockdown states of Michigan (-10.9%), New York (-10.4%), and Massachusetts (-9.1%), while states that didn’t maintain lockdowns, like Georgia (-1.7%), Texas (-3.3%), and Florida (-4.6%), saw significantly less employment loss. Republican-run states saw an average unemployment rate this past December of 1.6%.
Is it any wonder that blue state governors are now easing up on lockdowns? Evidently, now that their guy Joe Biden is in the White House, it’s “safe” to reopen. Besides, the Leftmedia will be sure to credit the inevitable economic growth from suddenly reopened states to Biden’s leadership. Such is the cynical mindset of the Left and leftist politicians.
