John Podhoretz of Commentary magazine questions the close link between COVID-19 government lockdowns and an important political milestone.
Did the official in charge of public health in Los Angeles County give the political game away in early September about the true purpose of the lockdown in her area? In a conference call with school administrators, obtained by Steve Gregory of the radio station KFI, Barbara Ferrer spoke these words: “We don’t realistically anticipate that we would be moving to either Tier 2 or to reopening K–12 schools at least until after the election, in early November…it seems a more realistic approach to this until we are done with the elections.”
Ah. And what does the timing of the November election have to do with the spread of a virus that has afflicted this country since January?
Ferrer insists on being called “doctor”—the honorific is all over every bio of her on the Internet, which, of course, she wrote—but she is not a medical doctor. She has a “Ph.D. in social welfare,” whatever that means, from Brandeis. Which is to say, she is neither physician nor epidemiologist, but a left-wing political activist and an official appointed by a liberal Democrat. What role do you think she was playing on that conference call?
On July 30, the deputy mayor of the nation’s capital also used the date of the election (November 3) as a moment in time after which Washington’s schools might reopen: “We are moving forward with an all-virtual start to the school year for students in pre-K through the 12th grade, through Term 1, until November 6.” Ah, yes, November 6. What better way to celebrate the result you want in the election than the announcement that school is back in session? …
… Liberals are actively fighting to keep the COVID-19 status quo ante in place.
They want the lockdown to continue. Where it has not been imposed, they want it imposed.