What is the economy

I keep hearing arguments about reopening the economy. What I hear leaves me scratching my head wondering so much. I hear the typical American thought process — that there are only two options. We either have to shut the economy down until the virus is no longer a threat to people’s health, or we have to open up the economy regardless of the cost to human life. That’s the basic arguments I hear.

But I think that this, like so many arguments in this country, is off base. Our dualistic thinking — that there are only two diametrically opposed options — is limiting us. We are so committed to in the…