Hi Graham,

Charles Lindblom wrote of policy implementation as 'muddling through', rather than any immaculate, smooth process emanating from the genius of planners. [Well, that's my take on him.]

In Australia so far, the Morrison government has overseen more or less a lock-down policy, with not just a flattening of the curve but a major reduction in it, and about seventy six deaths from the virus, only a handful in the last week.

In the US, with a confusing array of policies in practice, the Trump Circus has overseen the deaths of nearly fifty thousand Americans (as many as were lost in Vietnam), perhaps fifteen thousand in the last week, and maybe no flattening of the curve at all, certainly no reduction in it. Wow, what a genius. Pity the Americans, at least until November.

With relatively restrictive policies and closed borders, Australia may eventually have fewer than a hundred deaths from the virus, while the US looks like having a hundred THOUSAND deaths by the end of next month. Twice as many deaths as were lost by the US in the entire Vietnam War. But no matter, as long as we can get the economy going again and people can get their toe-nails done.

The US is a vast and varied policy laboratory at the moment: we will see which policies are most effective in all their splendour, over the next few months, leading up to November.

Joe

Well said Joe.

SR,

"Oh is that why we spends hundreds of millions of dollars trying to attract tourists and students from that country?"

We USED to spend money to attract tourists. That was in the past. We were talking about the future. Wanna borrow that thinking cap you so gratuitous and, its now clear, incongruously offered t'other day?

Yes we might have a 100% accurate test that would make visiting less arduous. But I suspect it'd work just as well on USians as Asians.

Now if only we could get a test for TDS.

"with a confusing array of policies in practice, the Trump Circus"

One of the unfortunate traits of the TDS crowd is a thorough misunderstanding of the US system. The only thing they know about the US is their primal hatred of the leader.
Being a federal system much of the decision making in the US is not Trump's to make. Remember when he talked of re-opening the economy and the various governors shouted that was their decision, not his? Probably not, it doesn't fit the narrative.

If you excise NY City from the US data, things look very different in regards to the US response. That is, 49 1/2 states of the US have outcomes better than most parts of the western world. 1/2 of one state is a disaster. So if Trump is responsible for that disaster, why isn't he also credited with the successes elsewhere? And if the successes aren't his, why is the NYC disaster? The answer as usual comes back to TDS.

The NYC disaster has many causes. A massive metropolis where people lived, work and travel cheek-by-jowl. A hub (perhaps THE hub) for international travel, taking people not only from the Chinese incubator (Wuhan) but also the soon-to-be disasters in Europe. Finally a place governed by an incompetent governor more attuned to a presidential run, and run by a thoroughly clueless mayor.

settle down Joe. There are other countries like Italy, Spain and UK that have not done to well. Your TDS is certainly giving you very blurred vision.

Dear mhaze,

Mate Trump Derangement Syndrome is really strong in you isn't it. The bloke is a walking disaster of incompetence yet in your eyes he could do no wrong.

Sure he went with a travel ban against Chinese visitors but then let over 40,000 people to fly in direct from China without quarantine and only spasmodic screening. That was 279 plane loads of people introduced into the country from China after his ban.

In fact from when China first alerted the WHO in 31st of December till now nearly half a million people entered the US from that country.

Then when Trump finally banned entry from most European countries he didn't include the UK because of his mate Boris. This as despite the UK adopting a herd immunity approach.

In poured the infected with gay abandon.

Yet you think none of this was his fault? That is indeed deranged.

Runner,

You're right, the US administration is as incompetent as those of Italy and Spain, and maybe Turkey as well. All sh!thole countries, with sh!thole administrations. Their policies should be studied closely to learn what not to do. "A basket of incompetents": maybe that should be the collective noun ?

So, when Trump's policies (whatever they may be from one day to the next) bring about 1000,000, then 200,000 then ..... a million deaths from this virus in the US, will you be nominating Trump for Genius of the Year ?

I'd prefer more urgent action to save lives than to rely on a fraud.

Joe