In this monologue from The Dennis Prager Radio Show, Prager reacts to a United Nations and Reuters report warning that the COVID‑19 shutdowns could cause hundreds of thousands of child deaths and push tens of millions of children into extreme poverty. He argues that the shutdowns themselves are the primary driver of this humanitarian disaster, criticizing the media, elite commentators, and epidemiologists for promoting policies he deems hysteria. Prager cites IMF projections of a steep global downturn, references the 1957‑58 flu pandemic as a historical benchmark, and praises Sweden’s lighter‑touch approach. He frames the debate as a trade‑off between economic harm and lives saved, emphasizing a priority for American lives while acknowledging global consequences. Throughout, he dismisses expert authority in policy‑making, calls out specific liberal pundits (e.g., Dana Milbank), and challenges listeners to consider at what point the cost in child deaths would make him rethink his stance.
Chapters
From Reuters, from the United Nations. Okay, this is not coming from a conservative source. We're worldwide news network of Reuters. United Nations: hundreds of thousands of children could die this year due to the global economic downturn sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. And tens of millions more could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis. Did you hear that? Tens of millions. Tens of millions can fall into extreme poverty. The, uh, I wonder if this was reported on CNN. I mean, this is from the UN. They love the UN. Comes from Reuters. They love Reuters. Did CNN report this? I don't know the answer. If I had to bet my house, I would say they, they didn't. The world body also said in a risk report that nearly 369 million children across 143 countries normally rely on school meals for reliable source of daily nutrition. Have now been forced to look elsewhere. 369 million children. You think they'll all find food elsewhere? Of course you don't. More. In the words of the UN report, economic hardship experienced by families as a result of the global economic downturn could result in hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020. Reversing the last 2 to 3 years of progress in reducing infant mortality within a single year, unquote. With businesses shut down and more than a billion people told to stay at home to avoid spreading the virus, the International Monetary Fund has predicted the world this year will suffer— listen to this— its steepest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. But the elites, they're all over the place, the elites tell us we have to stay and ruin our world because we can't allow more deaths. Governor of Georgia is starting to open up Georgia and Dana Milbank, who competes with Paul Krugman and some others for the biggest fool writing in America today. I mean, if Milbank said it was raining outside, I would look out the window. Not that he's a liar. It's that he's a fool. I actually almost prefer if he were just straight out a liar. I don't think he doesn't give a damn about truth. I mean, the guy's a nut, and he writes for the Washington Post. He's, he's of course certain that he's a moral giant. The, the contempt that he has for the Georgia governor, uh, is, uh, is astonishing. He says instead of the Peach Tree State, it will be the Petree State. As in petri dish, see? So Milbank, who has his regular income, who is secure in his writing, Bezos supports him at the Washington Post, you know, he's telling others, you know, if your life goes down the tubes, I, Dana Milbank, am totally at peace with that fact because I know I'm saving lives. So, but you're not saving lives, ye who claim to care about the rest of the world. You're not saving lives. You might be killing more than you're saving if this UN report is to be believed. The UN said an estimated 42 to 66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the coronavirus crisis this year, all man-made, in a fit of hysteria on the face of the earth, except for Sweden. The amazing thing is that they, they, the left, you know what cracks me up? They, the charges they make are all about themselves. Oh, conservatives don't see nuances. We on the left, we see nuances. Where are the nuances on this one? Do you see nuances on this? No, you don't. No, you don't. So let 50 million kids fall into poverty. We are going to lower the death rate in America. That's what they say. I acknowledge, you see, we are more mature. Conservatives in general are more mature than leftists. It's just, it is. In terms of the way they think and approach life. I'm not talking about how they treat their wives or kids. I have no judgment on that. The mature individual understands there's a price paid. That is the essence of adulthood, to understand that there's a price paid for everything. And I have said in the beginning, if it meant 200,000 Americans that would die rather than kill all the jobs of the world, because we are the— I care first about Americans. Americans. I fully acknowledge it, just as I care first about my family within America. But then I do care about the world. And 60 million kids going into poverty and millions dying because of this, and only God knows what upheavals this will lead to, and more death and chaos on Earth. Because, uh, because of epidemiologists predicted 2.2 million deaths in the U.S. and what, whatever it was in the UK. Now you'll say, oh, so every country's wrong and you Prager are right. Yep, that's right. And Sweden is the only exception. That's correct. I think there was a mass panic. People did not weigh the consequences of what they're doing. I didn't oppose it for, you know, a week or two or three, but, but going on But between the hysteria of the media and the experts, for whom I have no respect in terms of policy, zero. I agree with Buckley, I'd rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by 2,000 Harvard professors. There is no relationship between expertise and wisdom. None, zero. You can be very wise and you could be a big fool. Okay? I don't want doctors making policy. I want doctors making surgery. I mean, what do you think? What do you do? Those of you who want more time of the world destroying itself, I'm curious, what number of children dying and going into abject poverty would have you rethink your position? Is there any number? There's certainly a number, I admit, where— of deaths that would make me rethink my position, but we're nowhere near it. 116,000 Americans, Americans, just Americans, died in 1957-58 from the flu. 116,000 when the country was way, way smaller, 200 million people versus 330 million. But it's a different America. People understood these things happen. You don't crush your economy. You don't take away people's hopes, lives. They didn't have safe spaces at colleges in 1957. In a nutshell, you want to know why people are nostalgic for Make America Great Again? There you go. Just tell them that. America did not put people in quarantine, the whole society, when 116,000— in, in terms today, like 180,000— died. Answer that, oh ye who want the continued shutdown. Masks. Masks in Glendale, California, while you walk your pet. Got that message? Perfect. You have it? You have it? You have the message from the Glendale authorities? Sean, you have that? No, we don't have it now. Okay, we'll play it later. 1-800-PRAGER-776-877-243-7776. More, more of your calls and more of me coming up. LCA.gov/COVID-19. Face coverings are now required anytime you leave your home. This includes going on a walk, picking up essential goods, or walking your pet.
