The airlines have borrowed hundreds of billions of dollars to finance their airplane fleets. If they get into 'dire straits' they will default on those loans. And there will be a financial crisis. And that will affect everyone.
1
The airline industry tanking doesn't do any good for anyone and will have, as various people have pointed out, negative effects on the very real people who are employed there.
Since flying in a plane is utterly incongruous with the recommended social distancing people should currently be practicing, however, perhaps the airlines should come up with some kind of creative marketing and sales ideas to blunt the major blow of such decreased demand--something like selling packages of vouchers now to be redeemed for future travel...which many people will surely be fantasizing about during the coming weeks.
3
So, we are going to bail out an industry that we are further hurting with a travel ban policy that is, according to experts, not an effective way to stop, or flatten, or slow a pandemic.
Wow.
So what if someone who lives in Berlin takes a flight from there to London and then comes to the US? What a bunch of - to quote Joe Biden - malarkey.
Excluding the UK from the travel ban is a hilarious inconsistency. The official policy of the UK's new government is to have 60% of the population infected asap in order to cultivate "herd immunity" against next winter. The infection rate is intended to be exponential, beyond continental Europe's efforts to contain spread. (The Prime Minister of Canada's spouse apparently contracted COVID-19 in the UK last week, and the family is in quarantine.)
Trump's dinosaur brain continues to function optimally. Everyday, his brain says, "What's bad for them is good for us." He's strictly following ancient, totally logical orders.
Of course, modern negotiators have overcome their residual dinosaur brains to resolve problems in search of "win-win solutions," but never mind that.
4
How can a flight ban that doesn’t include Americans and exempts a country, the UK, which may have 10K or more cases, stop a virus?
The overwhelming idiocy, incompetence and dishonesty of Donald Trump and his administration is just mind-boggling. You wouldn’t believe it in a bad movie, let alone playing out in reality.
We all prayed we wouldn’t have to face a crisis with this despicable person and his anti-science, anti-reality party in charge. Here we are and things are about to get very bad indeed.
25
And just why is the U.K. exempted from flight restrictions? That’s easy - it’s because Trump has businesses (golf courses) in Scotland.
6
Welcome to Trumpville.
8
When does the NFL start?
1
@buaya
Being locked in wouldn't be so hard if they hadn't cancelled March Madness!
The cognitive dissonance here is astounding. People here trashing the airline experience but it’s been empirically proven 80% of passengers pick the cheapest ticket in the search results.
So price wars turn airlines into a commodity business with razor thin margins and the only way to eek out a profit is to make the planes more dense.
Meanwhile you guys are celebrating their downfall, but when they re-emerge they’re going to have to reinvest any profits into rebuilding their cash buffer rather than into improving their business, leading to an even worse customer experience.
But in the end people would much rather complain than pay an extra 20% for premium economy. People talk, money talks louder.
12
Yes, as Tim Ferris said, "The people who pay the most complain the least." In the same vein, Will Rogers declared, "People that pay for things never complain.
It's the guy you give something to that you can't please."
3
This is a small example of the obvious programmatic nature of the virus meme: no decision, action, policy, judgment, position, precaution, strategy or intention made by the Trump administration is treated with rational consideration, but rather accusatory blind discrimination. Which means two things: one, the press is obviously sensationalizing, even manufacturing, crafted special interest commentary, reporting and influence journalism; and two, it thereby completely de-legitimizes the entire virus narrative.
3
Oh, I do hope you’re volunteering at your local nursing home and homeless shelters.
It’s certainly needed where I live where several hourly workers at both have tested positive for the ‘hoax’ and are quarantined because of the ‘manufactured commentary’.
Please, come and volunteer. You have nothing to fear. We need bodies.
3
I'd just as soon see flights canceled in Salt Lake City. I don't fly much anyway. Maybe a local can finally get a seat on a ski lift. I should plan a trip to the National Parks as well. I wouldn't mind getting quarantined in Moab. It's like getting quarantined in Venice only drier. Every cloud has a silver lining.
2
T's decision to ban travel from Europe stemmed from his resentment of the continent. It has been disastrous across the board.
26
This is not a world with borders that any limited travel ban will affect to any reasonable extent.
Yes banning flights will greatly reduce the NUMBER of passengers travelling. But others will travel. Others already have travelled.
The horse has bolted. Close the stable door by all means. But it aint going to change the status quo.
Whatever happens, economically the signs are clear. The market reacts instantly, there's no market "incubation period" due to Covid-19.
On the other hand, people have a longish incubation period. So the guy you're sitting next to today is fine, seems fine, looks fine, but he just gave the virus to you and then you passed it to 7 others today without knowing, just going about your normal every day business. And so you will do the same for a week or more till you feel sick, then maybe get a test. By then you've spread the virus to 100+ people. And they've followed suit.
This will grow and grow and grow before it ever tapers off. Meantime, banning assemblies of more than 250 people let's say, or travel on planes, or cruise ships, is baloney in the scheme of things.
What's done is done. Watch, wait and then count the cost. And then for goodness sake, elect someone who can govern a good team and the country the way it should be governed.
Sadly, for now, you got what you asked for in 2016 and will be paying the consequences for months to come.
30
Am I right... an airline passenger got a positive test result relayed to him while on the plane?????? Who flies when they're in that situation? That's why I stay home right now. I cannot trust the judgment of other people in this crisis.
I feel compassion for people working in this industry. They and passengers deserve respect for their safety!!!
13
@HotGumption Yes it was a JetBlue flight. Worse, when the passengers disembarked somewhere in Florida, an airport official told the other travelers on the same flight not to self quarantine themselves or stay at home. She literally told them ‘ You are free to move around and you don’t have to stay at home’ because the infected patient didn’t cough or sneeze on them ( she asked them). There is a video of it on Daily Mail online (daily mail.co.uk). Unbelievable stuff but the US response to this crisis is so complacent, we’ll be worse than Italy in a couple of weeks.
7
@Jules M
Missed that part. But, you're right, soon the National Guard will be condoning off all sorts of neighborhoods.
(Next supermarkets will start offering home delivery only because check out workers will be affected.)
I am thinking I'm fortunate to have had so much fun in my life because I imagine at my age I'm vulnerable despite my vigor and optimism. Who knows. Makes me pretty wistful.
Guy travels by air awaiting a test result and I'm so prudent I don't know when I'll be able to hug my very adult kids again because they're so out in the world and exposed. Very sad.
6
Oh,boo-hoo for the airlines. Except,the opposite of that.
They have been making passengers (& their own employees) more and more miserable for DECADES. Higher prices. Smaller seats. And they are making money from planes full of very unhappy & painfully uncomfortable people circling the skies every day.
The airlines don't deserve a penny. They are getting what they deserve.
18
@Nadia
You're another one who doesn't understand business.
Nadia, dahlink, the employees are the ones who will suffer. Not "the airlines" per se.
So next time in 2021 when you can get back on a plane, think about that when you're "greeted" by an aging diva hostess who lost her superannuation (401k) in the Pan Am collapse, then suffered through Continental and various mergers, and has only just started back at work after being laid off for 9 months due to Covid-19 and has no more savings to retire on, aged 69 and is just a tad narky about it all.
While you're sipping your white russian and eating caviar.
19
Well there are real people that work for those airlines...
12
@Nadia Your always free to buy a more premium seat or chose a lower cost airline. Airlines are one of the most competitive industries in the world. Thank god for capitalism, otherwise it would only be the rich that fly.
12
What the Southwest Airlines do I care?
7
The airlines are awful - this is when you need to take care of your people, NOT leave them to fend for themselves.
The worst part? In a few months' time the airline CEO's will be in Washington looking for a bailout while they didn't provide the same to the very people that built and ran their companies in the first place.
This country is just an endless money-grab.
29
Totally agreed. Although I worry for the employees, there are a few airlines that I wouldn’t mind going under. Between their ridiculous fees, rock bottom fuel costs and government subsidies, they should be able to weather this storm.
And of course they’ll crawl to DC with their hands out! Except Southwest. Their CEO is a mensch.
5
@Michael ... Except in a few months time there won't be bailout money for anyone. Not to be rude, but you have no idea how bad this is going to get. 1929 is going to look like a picnic.
While I don’t wish any airline to go bankrupt, as a very frequent flyer I hope this crisis makes the airlines analyze how they have taken advantage of their customers over and over again.
Luggage fees, exorbitant change fees, surly flight attendants, cramped cabins, filthy seats,tray tables and bathrooms, raising prices often in spite of gasoline prices, poor service, horrible food, and coffee/tea water we are told is contaminated.
Do these care about customer service and their passengers? Maybe Jet Blue. Perhaps Southwest. The rest, even in business class, a C- at best.
They can do better but have been unwilling to do so. Profits over passengers.
Hopefully, they will appreciate us a little more in the future. Perhaps even with a smile.
17
@It’s About Time :
Of course airlines take advantage of customers every time. They are supposed to do that. That is capitalism. It is what Americans choose.
The alternative is Russian communism with gulags for badly behaved customers.
8
Um, no. That’s not what capitalism means. Causation is not correlation. See: Southwest or JetBlue, two airlines that DON’T gouge their customers, treat their employees well and don’t seem to be mentioned in these articles.
4
@It’s About Time
Just don't fly. Seriously, too many people travel now because it's the thing to do and not because they really need to go somewhere. Thirty years ago when far fewer people flew around the world all the time the fares were cheaper, the crew was friendlier, the seats were more comfortable and the food was even pretty good.
Any idea why Trump is not including the UK & Ireland in his travel ban? Does he own stock in Ryan Air, Air Lingus, and British Air?? Their flights will be full of Europeans and Americans hopping through the UK to get to the US...
5
Probably because of the golf clubs there.
8
Who would have thought a pandemic is so complicated?
Obviously not trump. But don’t worry folks, pence is praying and Jared took
Biology 101.
21
Donnie says I am helping the Aeroflot.
No ban to Russia ,
Even deep in pandemic crisis , Russia is favored.
8
Using Trump's preferred method of quarantine (if things were up to him, as with the ship the Diamond Princess) any flight that is identified with a known coronavirus afflicted passenger on board should have to remain flying around, never to touch down (one assumes refueled in mid-flight) so that "our numbers" don't get any worse.
The blind leading the blind.
10
This feels like October 1929. Beginning of the Trump Depression. Next comes the run on the banks. Have you checked if your bank is government guaranteed?
The Republicans own this.
42
Unfortunately, a recovery may occur by August and the Republicans will also own that.
5
@Rock Winchester
Exactly correct. If this abates, you can be sure Trump will be covering himself with praise and credit. Democrats had better be preparing a counter-narrative.
9
Well, the ban doesn’t cover Great Britain. That leaves Trump’s golf courses ready and waiting for business. He hasn’t figured out yet that his golf course in Ireland is in his no-fly zone. I’m betting he’ll figure that out right before Dt Patrick’s Day.
33
Trump has two course in Indonesia and at least one in Bahrain. I don’t realize that those countries were part of the UK.
4
Yes, but those aren’t in Europe. The ban only covers Europe. Early days, though.
5
I work at a health club—my clients are bailing because they’re afraid. Rightly so. Meanwhile, I don’t work full time. Cant collect unemployment.
Who’s going to bail me and my co-workers out??
66
@Emma Johnson
Don't worry. Joe Biden will make sympathetic noises.
5
At least he is not trying to prevent paid sick leave from being part of the congressional aid package, unlike Republicans
6
hobbled airline industry..?? give me a break....Some years ago, they jacked up prices because of high fuel costs, at the same time introducing all kinds of additional fees, and cutting services and amenities left and right...
Fuel prices have gone way down from 3 or 4 years ago, prices didn't... And service has gotten even worse....And now there is talk about bailouts for the airlines.... pathetic
69
@Michael T Alaska Airlines, however, might have to straight up fold when this is all said and done though, which is sad. Their main hub is in Seattle, which is for now the hardest hit part of the US by coronavirus and Trump is considering a domestic travel ban there.
In my view their service is truly better than the "Big 3" and I'm always happy to fly them. Unfortunately there's a chance they will fail and be bought by (probably) American Airlines, which will further consolidate airlines and possibly make service/prices even worse.
13
@Michael T
Would it make you happier if all the airlines go out of business without a bailout?
I would like to know who the genius is behind this travel ban. Kushner, Miller???
27
Hmm. Restricted travel means less carbon emissions.
Corona 19: the virus that saved the world.
Maybe we’re on to something here.
Get Tom Hanks on board. This just screams box office $$$.
10
@King Of The Beach I think Tom and Rita are faking the whole thing out of the goodness of their hearts to de-stigmatize the whole virus thing. I don't even think they are being paid to do it. I just think they care about the planet.
Also, surveys say that more people would elect Tom Hanks as president than all of the other candidates put together.
(Oprah still beats Hanks, though)
4
@Nadia
Don't think Nadia. It hurts my brain when you do. You're like Trump, when he has a hunch without any shred of evidence.
1
We ain’t seen Nothin’ Yet. Recession? NO. This will become like 2008, 9-11, and Katrina, all rolled into one. A Depression, lasting for Years. Not due to the Coronavirus, but to the grossly incompetent response from Trump and his merry band of sycophants and scammers. The worst time possible to have a Reality TV President.
Mitigate the Damage. Vote them ALL out.
89
How can United's bookings be down by 100%
18
@John It means as many customers are canceling their trips as are booking new ones.
6
Why do I feel so gleeful at the thought of the airline industry losing millions of dollars??
That industry has treated all but first class customers like garbage for years. No sympathy at all.
41
@Olive H And now even less sympathy for their own employees.
@Olive H Weeelllll...I agree with you. But they are going to make up all their lost millions by jacking up prices even higher and reducing basic comforts on planes even more.
@Olive H
I will tell you why you feel so gleeful, it's because you have no understanding of what is taking place now and it makes you feel better about your own life to see anyone else or big companies suffering. Think back to 9/11 and try to remember if you were gleeful about all those stock brokers who died in the towers in NYC. If you were then at least you're consistant but if you weren't then don't be so darn happy about anything now either.
1
What a stupid and hypocrite measure !
Its a political blow to EU and Nato allies, its not about public health. Meanwhile Brexiters Brits and liar Russians are welcome. What a farce !
29
@Jackson
No, NATO, for which we all pay...that army you refer to is all yours. You want to light up the sky with your "beautiful" bombs ....it's on your dime, thank you.
1
Once again, this is what happens when shareholder profits are the bottom line. Of all companies, airlines should be fully aware of ‘black swan’ events like COVID-19 and the impact on their industry. Yet, when they were making money hand over first, they chose to expand their routes and pay investors instead of creating a ‘rainy day fund.’ Because it’s much easier to have no social responsibility and just lay off thousands and thousands of workers instead. To say the least, the world economy is in big trouble due to lack of planning by many companies, government, and institutions, for a severe unknown future event like COVID-19.
34
Today after listening to Cuomo and Newsom here in CA voice concerns with reason and logic, I wondered why they cannot be in charge instead of our beloved president. CA finally received tests with pieces missing. Back to the drawing board. How many people are quarantined at home with no answers and no test?
14
@Anitakey I think everyone should stay home for 2 weeks. And get paid. Gig workers who deliver groceries should get raises.
4
Whoever has money to invest now will make a killing in a few years.
Hint: it's the rich.
If you bought the DJIA low in 2009 you nearly doubled your money in five years.
Same people who crashed the system benefited the most. It's a predictable shell game and it's pretty obvious at this point. Not sure why we allow it to keep happening.
19
@Dan Working lug here. I am one of those people. I saved my pennies to be an infinitesimal owner of some of some of the greatest companies in the world. Happy to have that chance. Happy to profit. You can open a brokerage account for nothing these day. If you think it is a stacked shell game for the investor class, stop whining and buy some shares.
4
@B
Exactly.
One person to thank for the confused reaction to this: Donald Trump. Doesn’t know what he’s doing but doing it by fiat anyway. The spiral continues.
17
Well well well.
Now the airlines who have treated their passengers like cattle, gouged them for money in every possible way, catered to the rich and furthered social inequality, reduced the comfort of passengers by packing them in like sardines, reduced services and generally made air travel a nightmare are going to be crying for public assistance from taxpayers.
Little sympathy from me. Its payback time.
115
The problem now is not payback for the airlines but how to protect workers in view of potentially massive layoffs and massive life disruptions. Maybe I don't like rich capitalists but I don't want a Great Depression to come just to see them suffer too.
51
@DM absolutely. nothing for sympathy for the minions who have to work for these bloodsuckers.
But it strikes me that if this country had adopted some of the "socialistic" concepts like paid sick leave, universal health care, and done a lot more for workers rights we would not be scrambling now to address many of these issues and would be better prepared than we are.
34
@tony What are you on about? The people affected by this will be the thousands of travelers affected by a policy the WHO says isn't that effective, if at all. The people affected are the baggage handlers, flight attendants and airport workers about to get laid off from lack of demand. This has nothing to do with some karma about checked-baggage fees.
18
Airlines and airport operators should be required to only allow persons who tested negative in aircraft/airports. It’s the only way to create safe environments and restore trust of passengers and employees. People who are otherwise ill (flu, cold, etc) should also be prohibited from entering.
8
@Marc You need to brush up on your microbiology knowledge. After coming into contact with an infectious agent such as a virus, it takes time for your immune system to mount a response. You might acquire a virus on Monday and not test positive until the following Monday.
Second, in another scenario, you might get a test on Monday, you acquire the virus on Tuesday, Monday's results come back negative on Wednesday, and you fly on Thursday.
5
@Marc
So, these prospective travelers would have to get a “magic” test where ?
There are not sufficient tests available in this “Greatest” country to test folks who actually need it.
4
@Marc
That's a great idea Marc except it isn't possible since among other reasons there simply aren't enough tests available to check everyone who wants to fly.
“Suspending travel on such a broad scale will create negative consequences across the economy. Governments must recognize this and be ready to support the industry.”
Actually, no.
That's socialism.
And we know that socialism is bad.
Sorry.
103
@Black Goose
privatize the profits socialize the losses. Let’s hear it for the “free” market system.
10
@Black Goose
Socialism is bad...except when businesses come hat in hand to the taxpayers for a bailout. Then it's just good economic stewardship by their stooges in government.
12
@Pat
U.S. passenger and cargo carriers employ 750,000 people worldwide and help drive more than 10 million American jobs.
How do you like them apples? Still think that bailing out the airline industry if it becomes necessary is just corporate socialism. You can put all the airline CEOs in a clown but what about the 10 million American jobs that rely on the airline industry or if you think that's too much of a stretch then how about the 750,000 employees.
2
Instead of a stimulus, Trump is shutting down an entire industry and throwing people out of work. The key to avoiding an economic disaster is to ensure that people's incomes are maintained via work and expanded unemployment subsidies and eligibility. We also need to expand eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare (with enrollment periods open now) to ensure that everyone has free or inexpensive access to health care.
With interest rates near zero, NOW is the time for a massive stimulus that enhances our ability to limit the impacts of this epidemic, AND which addresses the climate crisis. We need mass transit, tree planting, no-carbon office buildings and homes, and renewable power. Even after this epidemic is beat, we don't want the coming months and years to be dominated by wildfires, smoke, hurricanes, floods, droughts, and windstorms. Or maybe we do?
All of this requires an ethos of human solidarity and farsightedness. We need a federal government that is up to this challenge. Vote carefully.
32
He is an idiot. He doesn’t know the first thing about governance or leadership. He proves this time and again. And now he’s destroyed the economy to boot
30
@Kraig
One industry he will not shutter --> hotels, resorts, and golf clubs.
Reason: he is heavily invested in them.
Outcome anyway: his limited cash flow from operations at Trump Inc. will dry up and he will be bankrupt yet again.. and guess who will be at the front of the line for a Federal bail out? Trump.
7
This measure is a distraction at best, a vindictive, self-defeating swipe at our allies at worst. There are over 1400 confirmed cases of covid-19 already in the U.S. already, and in view of our meager testing capabilities, we should probably assume many, many, more undiagnosed infections. Any efforts at containment at the borders, which would always have proven too little, is now too late as well. Travel prohibitions will do little to decrease the spread of the virus at this point, though it will certain add to the economic carnage. We once believed the ship of state to be an aircraft carrier, slow to change course, difficult to damage. Unfortunately, we've blithely sailed straight into an epic typhoon, with a captain that can barely steer a golf cart.
64
So Trump expects the commercial carriers to effectively operate a shuttle/evacuation service for US citizens/residents?
Who comes up with these ideas?
21
Right now, it's who can survive the longest. Then, once a few airlines go bankrupt, the ones that survived will be able to capitalize on that and get more passengers. The big 3 airlines in the US will have an abysmal year but should be okay long term. European Airlines and other airlines like Korean are in a lot more precarious situations financially. As someone who works in the airline industry, I am expecting temporary furloughs this year. However, there is a huge percentage of flight attendants 55 and over and others with weakened immune systems. Financially they may not be able to take unpaid leave but may have no other choice if their chance of severe health issues from contracting the virus outweighs a few months of leave. Point being, this is a very fluid situation with so many variables. Unlike 9/11, this is very case by case basis as to whether a person can physically show up to work and risk exposure or not come at all. The big 3 airlines have a lot of tools to mitigate furloughs and still reduce costs. But airlines, especially United and Delta that spend lavishly on premium products, are going to have to cut back services. Whatever happens, my heart goes out to all the employees. We are all really, really nervous right now.
27
In all honesty, I'm from Belgium (you know, part of the beautiful country of Brussels). BE is an international hub being the 'capital' of the EU.
My point, I work at a university hospital ... we're doing tests left, right, center, up and down. And I trust our government to be correct about the numbers ... we're at around 400 with three confirmed (80+'sers deaths). Honestly, I looked at your President's display today and cannot shake the feeling that it was as cheap electoral ... whatever it was.
What I personally fear, is that in a few weeks, the EU will have to say 'we ban all incoming from the US'. I think you have been kept in the dark for a long time and I feel for you.
132
@Wim "In all honesty, I'm from Belgium (you know, part of the beautiful country of Brussels)." --- Yes, we DO know. Do you honestly think that readers of the NEW YORK TIMES ~WOULDN'T~ know? But you just couldn't resist taking that swipe at Americans, could you? .... Not a real good way to build goodwill, regardless of what our respective governments do. For cripes sakes .....
2
@AG
Thank you AG. Couldn't have said it better.
1
Can anyone do simple math? You say:
"Yet, United’s president, Scott Kirby, said at the conference that the company’s net bookings to Europe were already down 100 percent in recent days..."
If bookings were down 100%, they would be at exactly 0. I doubt that was the intended meaning.
20
@Jimmy You beat me to it.
1
Trump stated last night that international flights will be halted for thirty days, with the exception of those coming from the UK. So anyone wanting to come to the US could fly into Heathrow and then connect a flight into the US. From reports so far not all passengers are getting tested or being quarantined coming into the US. His statement that health care providers will cover all health cost regarding this pandemic. That is incorrect. They will only cover the test kits. This kind of mismanagement and misinformation only causes more confusion which then creates heightened panic.
And yet no one in the GOP will raise issue with this man, silence utter silence. Finally, there is mention of mail in ballots for the upcoming election. One has to ask just who does this benefit? do tell.
Can't imagine the what kind of electoral fraud will take place with this process. There is already one Florida woman being charged with tampering of voter registration already.
44
@Susan No, it's not flights. It's passengers. No foreign nationals will be allowed into the US if they have been in a Schengen country in the prior 14 days. So coming through the UK or Canada won't help. And it only applies to those who are not US citizens or permanent residents.
Of course it might be hard to get a flight, even if flights are cancelled as a result of this.
14
The ban is on anyone who has been in the Schengen area (26 of the 27 EU countries) over the last 14 days, except American nationals.
10
@Susan
So, let's say that I am British. I haven't been in France or any other Schengen country. But I can board and plane in the UK then and head to the USA no problem ?
What nonsense. And who's to check if I am telling the truth ? My Brit passport (whilst we're still handling the ever so great Brexit) shows no stamps for me entering or exiting any Schengen country, so I could just lie and freely travel.
4
You would think there is some kind of business interruption insurance that would cover an airline for losses due to things like the coronavirus. If not, there ought to be.
2
@Jay Orchard A worker in walmart has to go through unpaid leave if he sits in quarantine while the airline industry receives a bailout in form of insurance? That doesn't sound fair to me.
83
@Jagdeer Haleed
Catch up with current events please.
Walmart has expanded their policies to cover employees impacted by forced quarantine or sickness.
4
Insurers do write some sorts of business interruption insurance. Yet, they often have exclusions, and government decrees and certain acts of god/force majeure such as a pandemic might be such.
2
So, what? We bail out the airlines? We bail out airport workers? Hotels? Restaurants? How does all this get paid for? Is there no limit to how much we can borrow?
2
@RT
We are told there is a bail out in the making for hotel operators.
Now let me see. Who in a high ranking U.S. government position owns some hotels?
I'm thinking...I'm thinking.....
157
@RT It is the amazing reality that there is no limit to the money the US can create. It does not borrow in foreign currency.
The only real limits are on real assets, like how many beds or test kits or doctors.
Healthcare privatization has increased limited healthcare facilities & all that goes with them. Access is limited by privatization.
It is a bad thing to have profit as the goal of healthcare.
Meantime we have a crisis. It is extreme. It shows clearly that our healthcare system is no good. It shows privatization is the problem.
It is our Treasury and the struggle is all about who gets to wield or deny us the use of it.
7
Socialism for the rich, no limit. Health care for the people? No way!!
17