what are some brutal choices.
If this was a typical "choice" question we would be assessing the benefits and costs on both sides of the ledger... or even with multiple choices we would assess the decision making criteria (Pugh matrix for the nerds out there) for each choice and determine the best option.
But the hyperbole (both sides) seems to keep people away from the discussion.
Lock down the country ..... Clear benefit is saving lives - but we need to have a view of how many? for how long (are we only saving the old and infirm?) and ensure that we are measuring what portion of those would be addressed by the existing medical system or would not survive anyway (people are dying from this virus and we are unable to save them with the current treatments)
..... and I am not sure that the costs are being well defined other than vague unemployment numbers. I don't know the answer, but the societal costs must be massive. As you note, as closed businesses... recession/ bailouts/ expanded gov't/ joblessness/ suicide/ drug abuse (all the ills that we have been associating with a "non-livable" wage)
I am trying to understand the balance here and it scares me. And I part of a small business.... we already expected to be off ~20% this year and that was before the end of April date. This is about to get really hard for us... meeting this morning to discuss staffing and salary adjustments (or more clearly, who goes and who gets less.) And at the same time, a neighbor is recovering from Covid and a parent on my wife's college room mate just died from the virus. I expect we are seeing both sides of this and that may also impact our view.
In any event, be safe and let's hope the best and brightest are defining our path.