Rep. Jim Banks Demands U.S. Must Declare Debt Moratorium—against China

March 17, 2020 (EIRNS)—Perhaps the craziest response to the COVID-19 crisis comes from Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), who told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson last night that the way to save Americans from coronavirus is to declare a debt moratorium—against China!

“Many in Congress, from both sides of the aisle,” Banks said,

“are ready to join me in holding China responsible for its bad behavior. We have to start by forcing China to pay for the burden and the cost incurred by the United States of America due to the coronavirus. I think there are many ways we can do that. The President could force the Chinese to relieve a great amount of American debt.”

He goes on to argue for more tariffs, and proposes putting the money into a “coronavirus victim relief fund,” due to the “negligence on China’s behalf that led to the crisis in America today.”

Almost meeting this level of insanity is the (not unexpected) Malthusian lunacy coming out of British Empire. While a Telegraph business journalist said “COVID-19 might even prove mildly beneficial in the long term by disproportionately culling elderly dependents,” and the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance called for doing nothing, pretending that “herd immunity” could develop—after the virus takes its toll; now Matt Ridley, the former chairman of Northern Rock mortgage bank, who oversaw its collapse in 2008, demanded “reparations from the Chinese government” in response to the “terrible human suffering” caused by the pandemic. Social media are full of reminders to Mr. Ridley of the British Empire’s many crimes (opium wars, slaughter, famine) for which reparations have never been offered.