by Gregory Gordon
Mises.org
Life in America has been reshaped dramatically in the last two weeks. The fear of the Chinese coronavirus has completely eclipsed all other news stories in the U.S. and abroad. Among these stories is the Democratic primary race, which is apparently still going on — and where Joe Biden has managed to stumble into near-presumptive-nominee status by outlasting an elderly democratic socialist from Vermont. Primaries are being postponed and forgotten, though, for the time being. Right now, the Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020 is front and center, and it is leading many Americans to demand sweeping government action at any cost. Needless to say, the national and state governments are happy to oblige.