This is a massive failure on the part of OSHA. And also 100% government working as the GOP wants it to--i.e., doing nothing to further the well-being of working and middle class Americans while allowing employers to do whatever they want. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/opinion/coronavirus-osha-work-safety.html
Since the early 20th century, the US built a federal government capable of protecting the rights and well-being of people in the workplace. A gov't capable of saying "no employer, you can't force your workers to take on X risk just because it's better for your bottom line."
From the moment that governmental apparatus came into existence with the power to constrain employers on behalf of employees, conservatives have complained about it & tried to dismantle it. That's been one of the GOP's primary missions since it was taken over by the right in 1964
OSHA is just one of many federal agencies who could have helped the US manage the coronavirus effectively, like so many other other countries in the world have. But decades of GOP assaults on "burdensome regulation" have left us with a hollowed out shell of a regulatory state.
This thread talks about this far right long game that's been part of GOP strategy for a very long time now. These folks are true believers that the US federal government is a threat to liberty and must be shrunk significantly to avoid catastrophe. https://twitter.com/SethCotlar/status/1017083607158906880?s=20
You can follow @SethCotlar.
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