Blaze TV’s Glenn Beck unabashedly urged older Americans, like himself, to do their patriotic duty and go back to work in order to save the U.S. economy, even though the elderly represent a much higher risk category of dying from the coronavirus.

On Tuesday’s The Glenn Beck Program, the eponymous host clearly appeared willing to sacrifice untold number of the Baby Boom generation to keep the country’s businesses and financial  markets afloat.

Glenn Beck says older Americans should return to work: “Even if we all get sick, I would rather die than kill the country”https://t.co/CQdDAMByXK pic.twitter.com/sgLZ32aJ8C

— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) March 24, 2020

“I mean, I’m in the danger zone. I’m right at the edge, I’m 56. In Italy they’re saying if you’re sick and your 60, don’t even come in,” Beck noted. “So, I’m in the danger zone. I would rather have my children stay home and all of us who are over 50 go in and keep this economy going and working, even if we all get sick, I would rather die than kill the country. ‘Cause it’s not the economy that’s dying, it’s the country.”

Beck’s framing was yet another example of a emerging right-wing narrative that the “cure” of social distancing and business shutdowns to stop the spread of COVID-19 cannot be allowed to be worse than the “problem” of an ongoing stock market collapse and possible economic depression.

After dismissing the coronavirus threat for nearly two months, the Trump White House suddenly recalibrated its messaging to highlight the need for drastic social and economic measures to prevent mass deaths. But then on Monday, as the Dow Jones continued in free fall and unemployment numbers skyrocketed, the president abruptly pivoted again with a very public tweetstorm suggesting it was time to move one. Barely 24 hours later, this same talking point has been dutifully echoed by Trump administration economic advisers, Republican politicians, and even one Fox News White House correspondent.

Hat tip, Jason Campbell, Media Matters.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2UDn0Y9