Radio and TV personality Glenn Beck is the latest right-wing figure to declare that older Americans should be eager and willing to return to work during the COVID-19 crisis so that the U.S. economy doesn’t continue to suffer.

On Tuesday, Beck noted that younger people should stay home and protect themselves while older workers — who are the most danger if they contract coronavirus — return to work and risk their lives:

“I sincerely hope that we are not at a place, as Americans, where we are going to let the Democrats jam down the Green New Deal because we’re at home panicked. I want to have a frank conversation with you and ask you where you stand. I mean, I’m in the danger zone. I’m right at the edge, I’m 56. In Italy they’re saying if you’re sick and your 60, don’t even come in. So I’m in the danger zone.”

Beck then noted that the country would die if some of us don’t go back to work:

“I would rather have my children stay home and all of us who are over 50 go in and keep this economy going and working. Even if we all get sick, I’d rather die than kill the country, because it’s not the economy that’s dying, it’s the country.”

But wouldn’t that make your children orphans, Glenn? It sounds like he hasn’t exactly thought the entire proposition through.

Earlier this week, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made similar remarks about dying so that the U.S. economy doesn’t stagnate, telling Fox News host Tucker Carlson:

“My message is that let’s get back to work, let’s get back to living, let’s be smart about it, and those of us who are 70-plus, we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country.”

If Patrick and Beck are so eager to be martyrs, by all means let them. This country needs fewer ignorant people.

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