I agree with you 100%. Businesses and activities that can be conducted while observing social distancing rules should be allowed to open in a measured way. Things where people are packed like sardines unfortunately are going to have to wait.

There is only two options back to complete normalcy: herd immunity and/or a vaccine. Waiting out this pandemic under hard quarantine until a vaccine is available will not work. The earliest a vaccine is projected to be ready by is September. We won't make it until the end of May under these conditions.

Lets just for the sake of argument assume we sequester everyone in the nation indoors for three weeks. That would be enough time to burn the virus out. Now you have an entire population that hasn't been building any kind of natural antibodies and all it takes is a single vector out of hundreds of millions of people for it to come roaring back.

We should know relatively soon if a measured reopening really works. A few states are started and others never really implemented hard quarantine measures. Florida comes to mind.

I'm fine with a measured opening, a one size fits all approach is not appropriate at this time. I like how Florida is approaching it where different areas of the state need different restrictions. Yes I realize we need to open back up but we don't need a return to what it was right now.
FWIW, I am not cowering in my home, I am currently living at my place in WV that is deep into the woods. I still go to the hardware store,Tractor Supply and the grocery store. I could still be working but since I am a high risk individual (COPD, not fat) I have chosen not too. Yeah I worked hard and saved money for just such an occasion and have been blessed with otherwise good health. I know others are not so lucky.
The end game? I see a changed America, less dependent on China. I like being able to order online and have curbside pickup, I hope that continues as an option but I also understand that shopping in a store is needed at times. I've never liked large crowds so stadium events and such are not in my pervue, I'll leave that up to those that attend and support such events. What I would like to see is a vaccine but foregoing that at least an effective treatment before we go back to business as usual.
Having said all that I know it will be at least a few years to get back to normal and I'll have to put my retirement plans on hold for awhile, but at least I'll be able to retire instead of taking a dirt nap.

Watching Fox News today I see the mayor and governor of New York were pissed by the social gatherings cased by the fly-over and a funeral in the streets. People forget so easily.

Can you imagined what would have happened if this had hit Bethel NY in Aug 1969??? I was one of 500,000 folks having a good time. But I was one of the few getting paid to have fun. With as many girls I "spent time" with I still am amazed I did not get any Virus's back then. My two cousins did. Did not have time to put a "MASK" on.

But will it have the staying power to pass "The Epic Silly Thread"?

Can you imagined what would have happened if this had hit Bethel NY in Aug 1969???

Sure can, the world would be a better place for it today.

Or the old favorite paint your car with a brush and Rustroleme (bad spelling) paint.

Here are some things to ponder. Hmmm......

I recall the other "threads", but I think the Moparts Passon 5 spd "new" product thread is a Guinness Book world record holder at 10+ yrs/ 1.6 million views untold posts/pages for people still waiting on Jamie's Intergalactic "back order list" for a transmission...

Unfortunately, many to most americans have no nationalism (in a economic way). They seek out the cheap.
In defense of cheap manufacturing, remember all the lithograph stamped steel toys from post war germany and japan? They rebuilt their countries by making cheap disposable products for export for the pleasure of those with money. It's not beyond reality for cheap manufacturing to still produce low number runs of expensive hard to manufacture parts. It's when corporate policies (sustained quarterly profits) and desire to make more of the most basic items that problems occur. Once there is no more meat on the bone the the parts are cheapened and designed in obsolescence are incorporated (to generate replacement purchases by consumers) do we cry foul about the cheap chinese crap. It's up to the owner of the items being manufactured to specify and then do their quality control. The gig is the importers wanting junk to sell to us to take our money.
Once we totally alienate china and charge high enough tariffs (have the consumer pay more for the same cheap junk) will the next (africa) cheap labor force be sought. There is little chance (unless wages and benefits are decreased) will we see manufacturing return to us. Catchy slogans and all can not fix what ails our great country. We are becoming Metropolis.
As a post-script I'd like it clear that I for most of my adult life and to this day look at labels and refrain from buying anything made outside us when possible. Not as an attack on foreign peoples but for supporting our workers and living as I feel is right. Our house if full of old, antique, rebuilt, repurposed furniture and items, most appliances are unfortunately foreign (not light fixtures or some items). This, because it is difficult to find many items made here and at least when I buy from shops, yard sales, craigslist,..., I'm spending money here and supporting my neighbors.

This thread is only 21 pages behind the Passon 5spd threads 78 pages....
Epic Silly topped out at 1634 pages
Unless revived during these times of the virus, when we could all use a laugh(and kill a few days re-reading)...


Side note... CA Governor to CLOSE all the beaches again tomorrow... will the stoners finally revolt?

After the WW2 ended the US government sent US Army officers to Japan and Germany to help teach them how to recover and market items. From pottery, electronic and auto, we showed them how.

The US Gov sent RCA Victrola Corp techs to Japan and showed them how to manufacture electronics and even subsidized the JVC (Japanese Victrola Corparation) build up.

The food stuff that the Army was feeding troops was CRAP. Poor quality and bad tasting. So to make it, CRAP, taste better a US Army Officer went to Japan and helped a Lab make a byproduct from boiling seaweed. The byproduct was a white power that when sprinkled on CRAP food, it tasted better. POOF, MSG was made and is still used to make CRAP food taste better.

US Gov went to Stuttgart Germany and helped Dr Porsche bail out his Auto group. Same with Stuttgart's Mercedes group....

This went on after even the Korean war, the US Gov help bail out Southern Korea's industries.....

SO, WE shot our self's in the foot and have nothing to blame the foreign manufacturers for taking our money.

Splendid move by the governor.

Trade with first world countries of similar development is not the problem. American corps can compete with corps in Germany and Japan on a level playing field. What you can't compete with is a country with little to no environmental or labor laws, and uses prison labor to further subsidize its manufacturing.

...but yes, the American tax payer has not only defended for that last 100 years, but also rebuilt almost the entirety of the free world.

Lots right in that, but the MSG story is bogus. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2...msg-changed-culinary-world/#.Xqsw7GhKiUk

Yeah? Why is that ? You can't swim or burn easily?
Some types just walk past when they don't want to do something. Others just ban it so nobody gets to do it. Why would you be in the second set ?

You didn't list the real option...

Please enlighten the ignorant among us.

I always thought it was Ivan Hirst who got VW back on its feet?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Hirst

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan

Wacking weeds today along fenclines (tedius) I thought about Thomas Paines words "These are the times that try men's souls" and how the early minds that wrought us from monarchy would feel about what we are facing. It's rare to stand true to ideas that will save a country. For the life of me I cannot understand the short term return provided by going back to business as usual (at the cost of a few tens of thousands of insignificant lives, I jest).
Today, medicine says that the virus may be changing and affecting youngsters with some inflammatory malady. Seems we have a battle on our hands that we are ill prepared to fight. Fight it by throwing more bodies on heap? Run and hide? Isn't ther a middle ground. Extreamism sure will not solve the pandemic, nor will chasing false hope. Somehow that middle ground needs to be identified and the ground heald so that we get through this standing.