A sign is posted on the door of the Emergency Department at St. Barnabas Hospital on March 23, 2020 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo: Misha Friedman/Getty Images)
Mar 24, 2020
As President Donald Trump and business elites suggest the U.S. public should go back to work in the midst of the worsening coronavirus pandemic, the Twitter hashtag #NotDying4WallStreet went viral late Monday as progressives made clear they are not willing to jeopardize their own or their community's health to protect corporate profits.
"If we have to rent strike, general strike, whatever has to happen, we will not die for oligarchs' quarterly profit margin," tweeted progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon. "This system crashes without our participation. But they cannot force us to participate at the expense of our lives."
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Benjamin Dixon (@Benjamin Dixon) 1585012048
The hashtag erupted after Trump signaled Monday that he could move as early as next week to lift federal social distancing guidelines and encourage some people to return to work--even as the number of coronavirus cases in the United States continues to grow and the death toll rises.
"America will again and soon be open for business. Very soon. A lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting," Trump said during a press briefing Monday evening, ignoring dire warnings from health officials both within and outside of his administration.
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet and neither should you.\n\nPass it on.\u201d— Sema (@Sema) 1585019081
\u201cMy mother lives with my family, and we've got 3 children in the house. If I go back to work, I could infect all of them and likely kill my own mother. F*ck this noise. #NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Goody Weaver Cavorting In Camazotz (@Goody Weaver Cavorting In Camazotz) 1585029834
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet\n"The economy" is not more important than people's lives.\n\nThat should be obvious, but it apparently is not.\u201d— Kimberly Graham for Polk County Attorney (@Kimberly Graham for Polk County Attorney) 1585028152
Trump's call to send people back to work despite the threat to public health was echoed by Goldman Sachs senior chairman Lloyd Blankfein, who tweeted Sunday that measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 risk "crushing the economy, jobs, and morale."
"Within a very few weeks let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work," said Blankfein.
As progressive advocacy group Swing Left pointed out, other influential figures have since echoed Blankfein's recommendation, which flies in the face of health officials' calls to extend lockdowns nationwide.
\u201cTrump advisor Stephen Moore: "We can't have a policy that says we're going to save every human life." \n\nTX Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: "We can't lose our whole country." \n\nLarry Kudlow: "We\u2019re gonna have to make some difficult trade-offs.\u201d\n#NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Swing Left (@Swing Left) 1585052186
\u201cNo, we want you to listen to medical professionals instead of Fox News, stop tweeting and put people over profits. #NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Swing Left (@Swing Left) 1585059495
Author and activist Eric Blanc wrote in Jacobin on Monday that "we have now reached the point where, according to some experts, only a five-week national lockdown can avoid a public health catastrophe."
"Yet the Wall Street Journal and the Lloyd Blankfeins of the world are proposing the exact opposite: ending lockdowns rather than extending them," wrote Blanc. "Even the limited governmental measures taken so far are apparently too much for Wall Street to stomach."
"Unless we take action, Wall Street may get its way," Blanc added. "Stopping Trump from scrapping our existing public health measures is literally a matter of life and death. We need to do everything possible to force the White House and its corporate backers to take the urgent measures that experts agree are necessary to prevent a public health catastrophe. Our lives are on the line."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As President Donald Trump and business elites suggest the U.S. public should go back to work in the midst of the worsening coronavirus pandemic, the Twitter hashtag #NotDying4WallStreet went viral late Monday as progressives made clear they are not willing to jeopardize their own or their community's health to protect corporate profits.
"If we have to rent strike, general strike, whatever has to happen, we will not die for oligarchs' quarterly profit margin," tweeted progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon. "This system crashes without our participation. But they cannot force us to participate at the expense of our lives."
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Benjamin Dixon (@Benjamin Dixon) 1585012048
The hashtag erupted after Trump signaled Monday that he could move as early as next week to lift federal social distancing guidelines and encourage some people to return to work--even as the number of coronavirus cases in the United States continues to grow and the death toll rises.
"America will again and soon be open for business. Very soon. A lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting," Trump said during a press briefing Monday evening, ignoring dire warnings from health officials both within and outside of his administration.
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet and neither should you.\n\nPass it on.\u201d— Sema (@Sema) 1585019081
\u201cMy mother lives with my family, and we've got 3 children in the house. If I go back to work, I could infect all of them and likely kill my own mother. F*ck this noise. #NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Goody Weaver Cavorting In Camazotz (@Goody Weaver Cavorting In Camazotz) 1585029834
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet\n"The economy" is not more important than people's lives.\n\nThat should be obvious, but it apparently is not.\u201d— Kimberly Graham for Polk County Attorney (@Kimberly Graham for Polk County Attorney) 1585028152
Trump's call to send people back to work despite the threat to public health was echoed by Goldman Sachs senior chairman Lloyd Blankfein, who tweeted Sunday that measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 risk "crushing the economy, jobs, and morale."
"Within a very few weeks let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work," said Blankfein.
As progressive advocacy group Swing Left pointed out, other influential figures have since echoed Blankfein's recommendation, which flies in the face of health officials' calls to extend lockdowns nationwide.
\u201cTrump advisor Stephen Moore: "We can't have a policy that says we're going to save every human life." \n\nTX Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: "We can't lose our whole country." \n\nLarry Kudlow: "We\u2019re gonna have to make some difficult trade-offs.\u201d\n#NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Swing Left (@Swing Left) 1585052186
\u201cNo, we want you to listen to medical professionals instead of Fox News, stop tweeting and put people over profits. #NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Swing Left (@Swing Left) 1585059495
Author and activist Eric Blanc wrote in Jacobin on Monday that "we have now reached the point where, according to some experts, only a five-week national lockdown can avoid a public health catastrophe."
"Yet the Wall Street Journal and the Lloyd Blankfeins of the world are proposing the exact opposite: ending lockdowns rather than extending them," wrote Blanc. "Even the limited governmental measures taken so far are apparently too much for Wall Street to stomach."
"Unless we take action, Wall Street may get its way," Blanc added. "Stopping Trump from scrapping our existing public health measures is literally a matter of life and death. We need to do everything possible to force the White House and its corporate backers to take the urgent measures that experts agree are necessary to prevent a public health catastrophe. Our lives are on the line."
As President Donald Trump and business elites suggest the U.S. public should go back to work in the midst of the worsening coronavirus pandemic, the Twitter hashtag #NotDying4WallStreet went viral late Monday as progressives made clear they are not willing to jeopardize their own or their community's health to protect corporate profits.
"If we have to rent strike, general strike, whatever has to happen, we will not die for oligarchs' quarterly profit margin," tweeted progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon. "This system crashes without our participation. But they cannot force us to participate at the expense of our lives."
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Benjamin Dixon (@Benjamin Dixon) 1585012048
The hashtag erupted after Trump signaled Monday that he could move as early as next week to lift federal social distancing guidelines and encourage some people to return to work--even as the number of coronavirus cases in the United States continues to grow and the death toll rises.
"America will again and soon be open for business. Very soon. A lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting," Trump said during a press briefing Monday evening, ignoring dire warnings from health officials both within and outside of his administration.
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet and neither should you.\n\nPass it on.\u201d— Sema (@Sema) 1585019081
\u201cMy mother lives with my family, and we've got 3 children in the house. If I go back to work, I could infect all of them and likely kill my own mother. F*ck this noise. #NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Goody Weaver Cavorting In Camazotz (@Goody Weaver Cavorting In Camazotz) 1585029834
\u201c#NotDying4WallStreet\n"The economy" is not more important than people's lives.\n\nThat should be obvious, but it apparently is not.\u201d— Kimberly Graham for Polk County Attorney (@Kimberly Graham for Polk County Attorney) 1585028152
Trump's call to send people back to work despite the threat to public health was echoed by Goldman Sachs senior chairman Lloyd Blankfein, who tweeted Sunday that measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 risk "crushing the economy, jobs, and morale."
"Within a very few weeks let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work," said Blankfein.
As progressive advocacy group Swing Left pointed out, other influential figures have since echoed Blankfein's recommendation, which flies in the face of health officials' calls to extend lockdowns nationwide.
\u201cTrump advisor Stephen Moore: "We can't have a policy that says we're going to save every human life." \n\nTX Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: "We can't lose our whole country." \n\nLarry Kudlow: "We\u2019re gonna have to make some difficult trade-offs.\u201d\n#NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Swing Left (@Swing Left) 1585052186
\u201cNo, we want you to listen to medical professionals instead of Fox News, stop tweeting and put people over profits. #NotDying4WallStreet\u201d— Swing Left (@Swing Left) 1585059495
Author and activist Eric Blanc wrote in Jacobin on Monday that "we have now reached the point where, according to some experts, only a five-week national lockdown can avoid a public health catastrophe."
"Yet the Wall Street Journal and the Lloyd Blankfeins of the world are proposing the exact opposite: ending lockdowns rather than extending them," wrote Blanc. "Even the limited governmental measures taken so far are apparently too much for Wall Street to stomach."
"Unless we take action, Wall Street may get its way," Blanc added. "Stopping Trump from scrapping our existing public health measures is literally a matter of life and death. We need to do everything possible to force the White House and its corporate backers to take the urgent measures that experts agree are necessary to prevent a public health catastrophe. Our lives are on the line."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.