OPINION:
“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before,” said Rahm Emanuel, then-President Obama’s chief of staff in 2008.
It seems President Biden is fully embracing Mr. Emanuel’s sentiment — using the coronavirus pandemic to push the most expensive, expansive and partisan legislation in our nation’s history.
The Biden administration is walking a tight-rope: It wants to celebrate its vaccination rollout but not too much as to convince the American public the threat of the virus is abating. For they need to keep the “crisis” going to justify the passage of a massive $4 trillion public-welfare bill masquerading as infrastructure and the federal takeover of state-run elections. All in the name of the pandemic.
Yet, the U.S. is vaccinating about 3 million people a day — more than any other country in the world — and Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, anticipates the U.S. will reach herd immunity this month. That means masks can be taken off, stores and schools can be reopened, restaurants can serve at full capacity, vacations can be resumed, and our economy can come roaring back without federal intervention.
We’re already seeing signs of a national comeback. The Institute for Supply Management’s survey for services businesses hit an all-time high in March, indicating rapid growth and optimism as our country opens up. Last month’s job report was also a blowout, with a total of 1.07 million new jobs and rising wages.
But the Biden administration doesn’t want you to celebrate too soon — you may be able to have small gatherings with other vaccinated people on July 4th. For they need to buy more time to pass their radical liberal agenda, all under the guise of a “rescue” plan.
Dr. Anthony Fauci has been ignoring natural, antibody immunity to the virus in his calculations on when the U.S. will reach herd immunity, artificially extending the timeline, Dr. Makary wrote in The Wall Street Journal last month. Dr. Markary notes Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky maybe underestimating the prevalence of natural immunity by half.
Both doctors’ warnings have been dire — advocating for continued lockdowns. Last week, Dr. Walensky teared up in a televised off-script remark, cautioning the American people of “impending doom” and a fourth-surge in cases if people don’t live by restrictive CDC guidelines.
Although the seven-day average for deaths in the U.S. has decreased compared to last week’s data and reported daily coronavirus deaths dropped to the lowest point in a year last Sunday, Dr. Walensky was still somber in her press conference this week, still warning of a potential fourth-surge and directing state governors not to open up.
And yet, we’ve seen no scientific data or evidence proving the point that lockdowns work. Texas has fewer coronavirus cases than Michigan, despite nearly 20 million more people and no restrictions. Michigan leads the nation in new cases by population and it’s governed by Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, who issued some of the most draconian and controversial lockdown orders in the U.S.
Continued lockdowns, mandatory mask mandates and dire warnings are being used by the Biden administration to scare you. For if you’re scared, you’re more easily controlled — and that’s what they want — for you to be submissive and/or not pay attention to their underlying radical agenda. They cancelled the Easter egg roll and masked the bunny for Pete’s sake.
Still, growing evidence suggests the coronavirus will be under control this year because of vaccinations and herd immunity, and that our economic crisis is over as more states reopen.
When the Biden administration will admit that to you, however, remains to be seen. They need to make sure this pandemic doesn’t go to waste, and will milk it for as long as they can to accomplish the radical, progressive agenda, they never felt possible before.
• Kelly Sadler is commentary editor at The Washington Times.
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