China News Service, April 30 (BBC) Chinese website reported on the 30th that the new crown epidemic in the United States is still severe and the number of confirmed cases has exceeded one million. However, in the past two weeks, there have been repeated protests in the United States calling for the lifting of the blockade.
The report pointed out that from following the Constitution to maintaining livelihoods, from lifestyle to values, the protesters have many demands. Others even said that the new crown epidemic was just a flu, and there was no need to "hysteria." The BBC commented that looking at the reactions of the American people, I was puzzled and worried about the United States: Is n’t the ban on home to save lives? Why can't Americans wait for the unblocking?
The BBC also pointed out that President Trump ’s self-contradictory attitude towards the wave of protests makes one wonder whether the protests are also one of his campaign strategies for the election.
On April 28 local time, the lawn in Central Park, New York, USA under the new crown epidemic set up warning signs to remind people to maintain social distance.
What is the current status of the US epidemic?
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, as of April 28, the number of diagnoses in the United States has exceeded one million, with more than 57,000 deaths related to the new coronavirus, both ranking first in the world. However, there are also signs that the rate of increase in some parts of the United States has slowed.
On April 16, Trump announced that he would gradually restart the US economy. The federal government has issued a "three-phase" guiding plan, and the state governors will decide when and how to lift the blockade.
Now, some states have begun to relax the blockade, parks and beaches will gradually open, and shops will gradually resume business. But most of the areas are still in a state of home forbidden.
What are the appeals of the protesters?
Over the past two weeks, there have been protests demanding unblocking in more than a dozen states in the United States. Demonstrators rushed to the streets to rally demonstrations. Drivers blew car whistle and blocked traffic. They said that strict blockade measures such as restricting travel, closing businesses, and shutting down factories would cause unnecessary damage to livelihoods, while a long-term blockade would bring long-term and irreparable damage to the local economy.
Some demonstrators described the blockade measures as "overreacting". They said that "the new crown virus is just flu, and there is no need to be hysterical." Some demonstrators said that even Trump has warned that "the treatment cannot be more serious than the disease itself." "Oh bad"; even demonstrators brought guns to protest. They believed that the blockade, like the ban on guns, restricted the rights and freedoms granted to American citizens by the Constitution.
On March 13, local time, US President Trump declared a "national emergency" at the White House in response to the new crown epidemic. China News Agency reporter Chen Meng Tongshe
The report pointed out that the data released by the US Department of Labor on April 16 showed that in the past four weeks, the number of people applying for unemployment relief in the United States has accumulated more than 20 million, which is equivalent to the total number of new jobs in the United States since the 2008 financial crisis. Decades of continuous job growth and performance have been cancelled by the epidemic.
However, the report said that not all demonstrators demanded immediate and complete deblocking. Some organizers have called for blockades and segregation to be restricted to vulnerable groups, more testing must be added to allow more people to resume work, and redefining which industries are "must" and can operate as usual.
What is the scale of the protest?
Protests from south to north and east to west have spread to more than a dozen states, including Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Minnesota, Utah, Virginia, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Oregon, Maryland, Idaho, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Mongolia Danah, Pennsylvania, etc.
The scale of the protests varies from state to state. For example, in Virginia and Oregon, there may be only dozens of participants, but in Michigan and Washington, there are thousands. In mid-April, the largest protest occurred in Washington State, with up to 2,500 participants. Washington State was a hot spot in the early days of the US epidemic.
However, the report said that the protest may represent some of the concerns of Americans in rural areas, but it does not reflect the mainstream of public opinion. A poll by the Pew Research Center in the United States in mid-April showed that 66% of Americans expressed concern about the premature release of the blockade, and only 32% were concerned that the blockade would last too long.
The same poll also showed that most Americans believe that the epidemic has not yet reached its peak and may further deteriorate.
On April 27, local time, employees of a waffle shop in Madison, Georgia, celebrated "resuming work."
Who is the organizer behind?
The report said that most of the organizers behind the protest came from the conservative, Trump-like and gun camp.
According to American media, many protests look like Trump's campaign: Participants played banners supporting Trump, wore shirts with Trump's avatar, and baseball caps.
The report pointed out that another more obvious theme of the protest is "to be free." Some demonstrators accused the governor of being a "dictator", and the slogan often shouted was "not free or die".
However, not all demonstrators belong to or support a particular organization or group, and many people ’s grievances come only from the continuous blockade that affects their livelihoods. In a few demonstrative activities, the far-right organization has also appeared and spoke.
What does Trump think of the demonstration?
As the head of a country, Trump's statement on the unblocking protests seems to be contradictory. In the past few weeks, Trump has publicly expressed support for the protesters. For example, just one day after announcing that the United States would be lifted in three steps, Trump issued a slogan on social media that called for the liberation of the Democratic state.
Within two days, Trump told reporters again, "Some governors have gone too far ... These people (demonstrators) love our country and they want to resume work."
But when Georgia, a Republican ruling, decided to unblock, Trump also said that considering public health, he was "unsatisfied" with the urge to unblock.
Data graph: US President Trump. China News Agency reporter Chen Meng Tongshe
Does protest have anything to do with politics and elections?
It was the year of the US election, and whether the protest wave was related to the election was also a concern. Although in front of the protest rally, many demonstrators said they were forced by economic reasons, the Trump re-election flags, baseball caps, and t-shirts among the demonstrators were also very obvious, especially in the Democratic Party. It looks quite like Trump's rally rally.
The report pointed out that the high-profile politicians calling for the release of the block mainly come from Trump ’s Republican Party; and governors who have not imposed a blockade order in the United States, such as the Governor of South Dakota, also belong to the Republican Party.
Although the Republican Party does have a liberal orientation, Harvard professor of government and sociology and author Theda Skocpol believes that many people and politicians who protest the blockade are also watching Trump's actions. She said that there is evidence that Trump is worried that this terrible plague, his actions in the early stage of the epidemic, and the impact of the epidemic on the economy may end his presidential career.
Skopel said, "You can't expect Trump himself, his party and his supporters to be indifferent. What other options? Blame Obama, blame China, blame the World Health Organization, and now blame those who are unblocked. "
In the final analysis, whether to unblock or not to unblock, the final decision rests with the governors of the states. However, their choice is quite difficult: on one side is a virus, still robbing lives every day; on the other side is huge economic and political pressure, which may claim the livelihood of countless people and even their own political life. How to weigh?