Wear a mask, because Stone Cold said so

[Bloomberg]( Follow Us //link.mail.bloombergbusiness.com/click/20319522.42698/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9ib3Bpbmlvbg/582c8673566a94262a8b49bdB234c8a1b This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a tag team of Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. [Sign up here](. Today’s Agenda - It’s not weak or communist to [wear a mask]( or [stop a pandemic](. - We don’t need an [Iran war]( or another [China trade war]( right now. - We’ll need [circuit breakers to reopen safely](. - Don’t let women [lose all their workplace equality gains](. It's the cool thing. Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images AsiaPac Not Enough Masks Former professional wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, a WWE Hall of Famer, is generally not the sort of person you’d think of as weak-willed or in any way prone to shrinking from physical challenges. And yet when he posted a [picture]( of himself on Instagram wearing a mask — with the University of Alabama football team’s logo on it, no less — somebody complained he was not only soft but also conforming to communism: Steve Austin Steve Austin First, let’s admire the simplicity of that rebuttal. Second, you must respect Austin’s obvious pride at driving a Ford Focus, even if you don’t understand it. Most important, though, this exchange says much about where we’re headed as a country right now. One of the most quintessentially Macho-American human beings who ever lived sets an example by protecting himself and others from a deadly virus, and he gets called a weak communist. Some people resist wearing masks simply because they think it looks weird. It certainly feels weird, bordering on miserable. (Stone Cold’s mask looks a little hot for Los Angeles, much less Alabama.) But then others are like that Instagram commenter, claiming it signals suspicious lefty anti-Americanism, as if the wearer would rather be sheltering in place taking socialism instructions from NPR. This is a totally upside-down way of looking at it, Justin Fox writes: The evidence keeps growing that widespread [mask-wearing will actually make it more likely]( we can end pandemic lockdowns safely, letting us get out and about without spreading germs. “They’re the ultimate pro-freedom, pro-life fashion accessory,” Justin writes. That argument should be good enough for many mask-skeptics. But it probably won’t satisfy those armed protesters storming legislatures demanding to be allowed back into Chuck E. Cheese ASAP. [Those seem motivated by darker impulses](, writes Francis Wilkinson, the sort of violent dreams that helped propel President Donald Trump (who [refuses]( to wear a mask, even in a mask factory) into the White House. His campaign and presidency have one unifying theme: a promise to destroy the country rather than hand it to the mask-wearing types. He seems to be making a lot of headway. This impulse also manifests itself less violently, as in Wisconsin’s high court overturning that state’s lockdown order. Noah Feldman writes [the court invented a technicality]( to express the sort of right-wing panic that sees all of this, from lockdown orders to masks, as a plot to install a socialist government. Take it from Steve Austin: It’s not. Too Many Wars While the world fights this pandemic, it may be about to get a couple more wars. Trump is [ratcheting]( up trade-war rhetoric against China again, increasingly making a mockery of that deal (remember that?) announced way back in January. Now World Trade Organization director-general Robert Azevedo is stepping down, in what is likely the death throes of an organization Trump has spent his term killing. David Fickling finds some upside here, noting trade regimes never last long, but their [demise often leads to better world-trade orders](. Maybe the next will inspire less populist backlash. Meanwhile, America and Iran keep stumbling toward violent confrontation, like a couple of drunks at an Alabama football game. Trump’s [stance on Iran swings between belligerent and confusing](, raising the risk of violence, writes Senator Dianne Feinstein. He probably doesn’t want war, especially in an election year; but to avoid it, he must start talking to Iran now and ease off his high-pressure campaign, at least during the pandemic. Further Trade-War Reading: Trump [threatens Chinese companies listed in the U.S.](, but China doesn’t want them back home either. — Shuli Ren How to Reopen Safely Like it or not, many states across the country are lifting lockdown orders, even if White House guidelines say they shouldn’t yet. At the very least, they need [hard infection and hospitalization metrics]( that will trigger fresh restrictions to keep fresh outbreaks from getting out of hand, Max Nisen writes. We certainly should be [skeptical of economists using models to tell us when to reopen](, warns Noah Smith. Epidemiologists generally have a better understanding of epidemics than economists, who often don’t even understand economics. Further Virus-Fighting Reading: - Italy forgot basic economics: If you [set the price of masks too low](, you’ll quickly run out of supply. — Ferdinando Giugliano - Without more coordination, the race for a vaccine risks [breaking down into a winner-take-all scramble](. — Lionel Laurent Workplace Upheaval Ahead Although men may be more [vulnerable]( to Covid-19, this pandemic has been especially hard on women. They’re fighting on the front lines more often than men in hospitals, nursing homes and other high-risk places. They’ve also taken the brunt of the job losses so far, writes Elisa Martinuzzi. Worse, they [risk losing decades of gains in workplace equality]( almost overnight. Governments and companies have too much to lose to just let this happen. The pandemic’s impact on worker safety has already led to strikes over conditions in Amazon warehouses, slaughterhouses and elsewhere. This could be just [a hint of the labor unrest to come](, writes Stephen Mihm. Every turning point in the recent history of American labor relations has been driven by worries about safety. On the upside, a widespread culture of working from home should [lift real-estate markets far from the expensive coasts](, writes Conor Sen. This could be a progressive boon to economic growth generally, taking money from already wealthy landlords and giving it to regular people. Further Reading Jair Bolsonaro [must be accountable for abuses of power](, but impeachment may go too far in a pandemic. — Bloomberg’s editorial board Senator Richard Burr’s [insider-trading defense is plausible](, if you assume pandemic intel briefings weren’t more informative than TV news. — Matt Levine A false dawn of [less-awful economic data this summer]( will make it harder to give the economy the help it needs. — [International travel will be a nightmare maze]( of often non-scientific quarantine rules. — Chris Bryant Zoom [won’t dominate video conferencing](; many other startups will get business too. — Alex Webb [How to postpone your wedding]( in the pandemic. — Alexis Leondis ICYMI Americans’ [commitment to social distancing]( is waning. A quarter of American [restaurants may not reopen](. The [Jersey Shore will be open]( by Memorial Day. Kickers Maybe a [gigantic floating vacuum]( will solve our ocean-plastic problem. (h/t Alistair Lowe) Medieval arrows caused [injuries similar to gunshots](. (h/t Scott Kominers) Paleontologists find [dinosaur footprints on a cave ceiling](. Can a [science of history]( predict the future? Note: Please send arrows and complaints to Mark Gongloff at mgongloff1@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Twitter]( and [Facebook](.  Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](.  You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022