While studies now show that shutdowns made little or no difference in the spread rate of COVID-19, they did make a huge difference to our economy by destroying 37.5% of small businesses in America. That includes over half of businesses in the leisure and hospitality industries.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/victoria-taft/2021/06/13/covid-shut-downs-destroyed-nearly-40-of-american-small-business-for-no-damned-good-reason-n1454271

However, by allowing big box stores and major chains to stay open while forcing small businesses to close, even if they followed the same safety rules, the shutdowns resulted in a huge transfer of wealth from the middle class to the rich. You’d think that because of that, so-called “progressives” would agree with me that it’s way past time for all the lockdowns to end. Yet many, like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, continue to resist letting people reopen their businesses.

The only conclusion I can draw from this is that no matter how much leftists talk about the suffering of the poor and middle class or the unfairness of wealth inequality, all that becomes perfectly acceptable if it means increasing government power.