I'm gonna try to make a mostly apolitical post.
George W. Bush and Barack Obama both warned of future pandemics. That covers 16 years of presidential administrations. (I bet Bill Clinton did too, but I didn't look it up, and 16 years is enough for my question.) Neither went out and had the federal government purchase warehouses full of PPE and ventilators.
Why?
"Well, they both wanted to let innocent citizens die" is the answer you might get in today's political climate - but I'm suggesting a differenty reason. My suggestion is they didn't do that because it is not the job of the federal government (or the state, or the local) to make sure hospitals have PPE and ventilators. Just like when you go to the ER with a broken arm - its the job of the hospital to be able to give you an x-ray and a cast, or penicillin when you have an infection. The health care providers have been building new wings onto their buidings for the last 30 years. Their Presidents (and others) have been warning them "be ready for a pandemic." If they weren't, its not governments fault.
So when I see/hear/read folks blaming government for that "failure" - I tend to discount that view - and I'm careful about just accepting things those folks say on other issues too. (Now if the VA failed to be ready for war casualties, I'll lead the march. And I'll ask - do you think the private sector would have done better with Agent Orange treatments? Wish I knew.)
So on to my next question - are you suggesting that a President, not a governor, not a mayor, should be THE ENTITY that is empowered to close down things? I will beg to differ. I don't want Trump or anyone federal closing my local school, or my local Kroger, or my local anything else. It's bad enough when a Governor does it.
Here in my state, after 5 months, we have zero deaths in people under 30. We have 3 counties where they don't even have a CASE of virus. Those rural areas shouldn't be treated the same as NYC because their facts are not the same as NYC. No way a federal decision is appropriate for them. Hard enough for a Governor-sized blanket.
In fact, I'm pretty disgusted with NYC. I don't look to them for ANY guidance. The main lesson from the 1917-18 pandemic? DON'T PUT PEOPLE ON TRAINS TO RIDE AROUND AND INFECT EACH OTHER. Why didn't NYC shut down the subway? "Because health care workers need to work." Were non-health care workers allowed to ride the trains? "Well, yes." Why? "They need to work too." Where has the Covid 19 been the absolute WORST in the US? "In NYC and across the river in Newark." Did Trump force the subways to stay open? Nope. Is he getting the blame? Yep. Do I give a crap? Nope.
Now, about those experts - does this sound familiar?:
We have seen no evidence that this virus can pass from animal to human.
Wait. Yes it can. Damn, those ChiComs lied.
But we have seen no evidence that it can pass from human to human.
Wait. Yes it can.
But it can’t pass airborne so masks aren’t needed.
Wait. Yes it can. Yes they are.
The main threat is touching somewhere the virus has landed. Wash your hands,.
Wait. Now it seems it has a hard time doing that touch thing.
The virus is SUPER contagious. One person can be resposible for 335,000 infections in less than 3 weeks because of exponential spread. You and the people you expose can be asymptomtic for up to 14 days and most people won't be symptomatic EVER, but you can spread it like wildfire. We expect between 40% and 70% of the population to become infected.
Wait, In the US, slightly less than 10% of tests are positive - and the number is dropping as testing spreads - 5 months after it spread "at will' for far too long (December to March?) because of our delayed social distancing and even after we started testing with the most vulnerable.
There are 35,000 deaths worldwide, but there will be over 2,000,000 deaths in the US, and our whole medical system everywhere will be overwhelmed - no matter what - because of our delayed social distancing.
Wait. That’s wrong too.
Chlorine kills the virus, so keep swimming pools closed.
Can it be sexually transmitted?
No, according to a Chinese study.
Yes, according to a Chinese study.
If I catch it and survive, like over 98% of all infected persons, will I develop antibodies and immunity like with other viruses?
We don’t know.
If I catch it, get over it, and have antibodies, can I catch it again?
We don’t know.
(There’s only been viruses for millions of years and we only have 5,800,000 examples of this one to study so far - as of today.)
How long will a vaccination take?
Maybe 2-3 years.
No, 18 months.
Wait, maybe by New Years.
Wait, there’s already 90 in process.
Does that malaria drug work?
Yes, in test tubes.
No.
Sometimes.
We don’t know why, when, how or why not.
Don't take it. You'll die
.
(I was prescribed it in 2014 for rheumatoid arthritis. Millions - maybe hundreds of millions - have had it prescribed for malaria. If I wanted an abortion or a heart transplant, the decision would be between me and my doctor. If I just have RA, or malaria, I have to please Trump and his detractors?)
I'm sorry - but I'm not listening to those people anymore.
Am I just a callous murderer of the old and sick and vulnerable?
Nope. I am old and vulnerable.
I have suppressed immunity and 3 other co-morbidities.
Should i blame the governments?
Nah. I don't see it that way.
When a vaccine comes out, I'm gonna get me one.
Until then, I'm washing my hands, wearing my mask, staying away from youngsters (they think they are bullet proof) and hoping for the best.
Why make it worse by giving half my fellow Americans the finger?
Rant paused ... for reflections on our lives:
Instead of poking each other,lets carry each other a while: