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On the face of it the rules are very simple: stores selling essential goods are allowed to stay open, others must close. So taking each of those:

        Home Depot - construction industry is essential
        Walmart - groceries are essential
        Liquor stores -- groceries are essential
        Pot shops -- pharmacies are essential
        Gyms -- recreation is not essential
        Churches -- culture is not essential
        Salons -- culture is not essential
        Non-chain stores -- don't have groceries, therefore not essential
        Political gatherings -- opposed by the opposite side, nothing has changed
Now you can quibble with some of the categories, but the rules aren't inconsistent. They do just happen to benefit the powerful corporations, surprise surprise.

But specifically we went from "avoid overwhelming the health system" to "let's do the things that stops people from continuing to die". And those things involve avoiding human contact unless it is essential, mask wearing, and social distancing. It's not crazy that our government is asking us to do things that make us less likely to die. You know, unless you're a seatbelt truther.




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