Radical Times Require Radical Measures
There have been protests in Oklahoma and Michigan calling for the “reopening of the economy,” protests that very likely can be classified as AstroTurf — or organized and supported by (in this case) the Republican Party but made to look like spontaneous grassroots uprisings. This likelihood makes them seem easy to dismiss, but progressives need to be cautious about how we respond.
Yes, these calls are connected to the GOP. And, yes, ending restrictions now would be premature and dangerous, especially to the already overworked and vulnerable workers on the front lines — warehouse and factory workers, drivers, field hands and produce pickers, and of course the medical professionals tasked with treating those who have fallen ill.
But we can’t dismiss the motivations of some — possibly many — of these protesters, given the economic damage that is happening in parallel with the medical fallout. The federal government reports that about 22 million have claimed unemployment benefits over the last four weeks, an obscene number that should not be viewed as just another statistic. There are 22-plus million who are now subsisting on a temporary benefit and living under precarious economic…
