New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is back in the headlines with a fresh new hot take on the impacts of the coronavirus.
At the time of writing, the global disease has killed over 4,700 people — and infected over 130,000. While the nearly 70,000 who have recovered is a refreshing statistic, it doesn’t change the fact that people are panicking and government responses seem slow. The World Health Organization has officially labelled the coronavirus as a pandemic.
The illustrious AOC, however, has a different set of priorities. You see, her big issue isn’t that the disease is cutting off supply lines and bringing the global economy to a screeching halt. According to this genius, coronavirus is making people racist against Asians.
Her logic? Well, people aren’t getting takeout from Chinese restaurants anymore.
We’re not making this up.
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez made this bizarre claim during one of her infamous live broadcasts on her Instagram account. Because the coronavirus originated in the Chinese region of Wuhan, she assumes that most Americans are simply avoiding all things Asian as a response. There is precisely nothing to indicate that is the case.
Here’s what Americans are actually doing: washing their hands, stocking up on supplies, and avoiding large crowds. And yes, there is an economic impact that’s impossible to ignore. Businesses like restaurants — all restaurants, not just Asian ones — rely on attracting large crowds of people into a confined space. This is really the only way they generate a profit. The same can be said for the entertainment industry — theaters, concert venues, fairgrounds, and everything else in that category are going to feel the sting of this as well.
Really, this is no one’s fault — although there is an argument to be made that governments should have jumped on the situation earlier.
Remember: this is a woman with an economics degree. Granted, she spent most of her post-college career bartending, so it’s not surprising that she forgot a few macro-economic concepts.
Here’s Ben Shapiro with the full breakdown.
