With our economy and sense of social normalcy completely upended to combat the spread of coronavirus, it was only a matter of time before we’d hear the calls for austerity. They come in well-messaged colloquialisms like “time to tighten our belts” and “we must trim the fat.” Many will join in. But just as we have to do everything we can to suppress the spread of coronavirus, we have to do everything we can to suppress the spread of bad, reactionary ideas that follow it.
Make no mistake—austerity measures are the exact opposite of what we should be doing. They will only perpetuate the economic contagion caused by this pandemic, and will hurt the people who need help the most.
