Conrad Black’s Objective Look at the Coronavirus

Schematic of how a coronavirus infects host cells. This process is similar for all RNA viruses, the large class to which coronaviruses belong. This image is courtesy of U.S. GAO.

A chance to pin blame President Trump for the coronavirus has gone from a standing start to the race is underway, as Democrats and media pundits, with neck-snapping speed, attempt to discredit the Trump administration.

Pelosi Unctuous and Sepulchral

After dusting off her “praying for the President” pretense, Pelosi, now “unctuous and sepulchral,” is charging the President with engaging in half-measures, presumptively blaming the administration with anticipated coronavirus deaths.

Meanwhile the House Speaker is opposed to extending liability for manufacturers of respirator masks, which are essential to coronavirus health-care providers.

Mr. Black doubts that serious dislocations in China or elsewhere will be especially damaging to the U.S. economy.

There is a fairly extensive pipeline of most vital imports, and considerable latitude to select different or even domestic sources of supply.

Any economic damage to the United States will be after much more severe damage to other countries, so the administration should be able to portray America as comparatively fortunate and take some credit for that.

Has the Dow Already Overcompensated? Corrected?

The heavy hit to the Dow Jones Industrials last week indicates the market has already overcompensated for anything that has happened or become likely.

A Nerve-Wracking Waiting Game

Neither optimists nor alarmists know what to expect, continues Black.

Trump has done better with a strong show of awareness and readiness than the Democrats have with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) asinine allegations of “towering and dangerous incompetence,” and the fatuities about Trump being “anti-science,” and only interested in Wall Street. (Donald Trump has never cared a rap what Wall Street thought about anything, one of his more endearing traits to his followers.)

So far, the depredations of coronavirus in the United States have been slight, and the excesses of the fear mongers have been impetuous and irritating.

The Trump Administration has won the first round, but this is a voyage of discovery for everybody and certainly possesses the potential to be a very unpleasant episode.