Ranger from the North

Of course: New Orleans would have canceled Mardi Gras if feds had taken coronavirus more seriously, Mayor says.


Glenn Reynolds:

A lot of blue cities and blue states failed the test here, and they're all going to be singing this tune. It wasn't the feds that told New Orleans to have Mardi Gras when other events were closing down, and it wasn't the feds who told NYC to encourage people to go to Lunar New Year parades and ride the subway.

Steven Hayward:

We'll be arguing for months/years about the efficacy of the COVID-19 response from all levels of government, but one aspect of the matter ought to be setting off alarm bells. Ever since 9/11 we've been told that we need to prepare for potential mass casualty terrorist attacks, including bombings, chemical attacks (Anthrax), and . . . biological weapons. And New York City is obviously Target One for any such attack, along with every other major American city. You'd have thought that our Homeland Security apparatus would have been making plans along with serious preparations and materiel procurement for a significant surge capacity for hospitals, including respirators, masks and other PPE, as well as quarantine facilities, etc. Yet New York seems to have caught desperately short of the necessary facilities to accommodate a biological pandemic, whether from Chinese negligence or a terrorist bioweapon.

Also, from John Hinderaker:

Now, of course, the same incompetent reporters who are swooning over Cuomo blame President Trump for longstanding problems in New York's hospital system.

In a sane world, the idea that the governor of the state with by far the worst coronavirus record would be singled out for praise by reporters would be unthinkable. But of course, we do not live in a sane world–not a sane media world, anyway.

How much have New York taxpayers spent on the diversity racket since 9/11?

Allahpundit:

Seven million people, many infected, left Wuhan and started seeding outbreaks around the world during the first three weeks of January while the Chinese government was busy assuring everyone that there was no cause for alarm.

Two months later, we're staring at a global depression and potentially millions of people dead before this thing burns itself out.

However much we end up punishing them, it'll never be enough.