You see what’s happening in New York. The question is why is the coronavirus outbreak so especially devastating there?
New York City is the densest metro area in the country. That’s the most obvious answer — probably the biggest problem. The city also has an awful lot of people traveling to and from other infected countries, and that’s significant, too.
But it’s not the whole story. As this deadly virus that emerged from Eastern China and began to spread inexorably across the globe clearly headed here? Leaders in New York not only failed to shield their citizens from it, they took affirmative and aggressive steps to increase the risk to their population.
Why would they do that? Well, because they were worried far more about being called racist than protecting human lives.
That’s not an overstatement. That’s not hyperbole. Watch the city’s health commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, urge New Yorkers to spend as much time as possible in crowded public places.
Keep in mind this video was from February 2nd of this year. That was long after the threat from the Chinese coronavirus was obvious to anyone who was paying attention.
Oxiris Barbot, New York City Health Commissioner: The risk to New Yorkers for coronavirus is low and our preparedness as a city is very high. There is no reason not to take the subway, not to take the bus, not to go out to your favorite restaurant, and certainly not to miss the parade next Sunday. I’m going to be there.
“Take the subway. Go to dinner.” People cheer. They feel good about themselves. Future generations, though, are going to watch that video with their jaws open in disbelief. How could someone charged with protecting public health so recklessly endanger it?
They will watch this performance from State Sen. John Liu, too. Liu suggested that people who might be concerned in any way about contracting a deadly disease or who might be interested in where it came from must be — and you guessed it — bigots.
Leaders in New York not only failed to shield their citizens from it, they took affirmative and aggressive steps to increase the risk to their population.
State Sen. John Liu, D-N.Y.: But there’s really no need to panic and to avoid activities that we always do as New Yorkers. We are hardy people. As an Asian-American, I’ve been somewhat disturbed, if not outright appalled, at some of the comments or gestures that I have seen. Diseases originate from anywhere or from particular places in the world.
In other words, as a member of a protected interest group, I’m ordering you to ignore this threat to your family on moral grounds. Go to the parade, or else. That’s what Liu was saying.
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Let’s hope that in the wake of this disaster — after John Liu has lost his job, and we can all think clearly again — people will stop talking this way in public for good. It was always the most brutal form of social control, masquerading as sensitivity and caring.
Now, we know it was infecting the public with disease. But at the time, sentiments like this were universal among big city public officials. State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, for example, decided to embark on a crusade against what he called misinformation — a euphemism, as it so often is, for accurate information.
Kavanagh encouraged people to head to Chinatown for a festival.
State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, D-N.Y.: It’s very important that we recognize that this holiday and this festival is of tremendous significance for many communities in our state. And it is very important that we ensure that we don’t have misinformation, and many in the media have been covering this issue as if it’s, you know, a terrible plague that people have to avoid.
“If you don’t go to a crowded public place immediately, you’re racist.” Look at those people telling you that, demanding that you do that. Hectoring you, badgering you, exerting moral blackmail on you to expose yourself.
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By early March, coronavirus was clearly becoming a major problem in the United States. But for elected officials in New York, the only problem was their constituents’ racist worries about staying alive.
On March 2nd — this March 2nd — Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted this: “Since I’m encouraging New Yorkers to go on with your lives, plus get out on the town, despite coronavirus, I thought it would offer some suggestions. Here’s the first. Thru Thursday, go see “The Traitor.” If “The Wire” was a true story plus set in Italy, it would be this film.”
That’s right, go to a movie theater immediately. You must.
A week later de Blasio was still encouraging New Yorkers to live it up and mingle in large groups. On March 11th, which, keep in mind, was barely two weeks ago, de Blasio was still insisting that “If you’re not sick, you should be going about your life.”