Trump is not fit for a crisis
It is now abundantly clear that President Trump has command of a very limited range of possible human responses to situations of any kind (“Trump’s virulent state of denial,” Editorial, March 13).
Basically this range is circumscribed by the characters permitted in a Tweet, or perhaps a degrading nickname blurted out in an uncontrolled fit of pique.
That’s it. There’s nothing more complex in the president’s social repertoire. That’s why Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, rather than the president himself, is negotiating the salvation of the US economy with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Meanwhile the Senate sits on its hands.
If we elect clowns to represent us, it should not surprise us to be living in a circus.
John F. LeBaron
Acton
There’s a way to avoid layoffs
Jon Chesto suggests that layoffs are coming to the financial services industry (“Bear market could mean job losses at fund firms,” Business, March 13). This is quite unnecessary and counterproductive. During the last great wave of downsizing, in the 1980s, these cuts rarely met their financial and productivity goals.
The best way to proceed is for all employees — from CEO to the shop floor — to take a temporary pay cut; though, after 11 years of record profits, this may be unnecessary. Share the wealth, and do not add to the downturn.
Martin G. Evans
Cambridge
The writer is a professor emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Why we need extensive testing
It’s understandable that we want extensive testing for the coronavirus in order to know where we are in our communities during this health emergency. But testing also tells us who doesn’t have the virus — thus, who can go to work — but most important, who had the virus, and got through it. How else would you know if your flu-like symptom is Covid-19 or just a seasonal flu? Testing should be free, abundant, and quick, and should confirm who has gotten through with only a mild case and can help with front-line responders to this global pandemic.
Ken Buesseler
Falmouth