Covid

We Are Losing The War Against COVID

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I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling more depressed each day about the state of affairs in our country. There are a few issues that are really dragging us down. It might help to discuss, once again, the most important issue of our time, the ongoing pandemic.

By far, the greatest depression in America and around the world is the wave after wave of viruses that has been relentlessly attacking us. After a shaky start, our medical people and political leaders have made some progress. Slowly but surely, most of us are now being vaccinated. But, is this is all we must do?

Unfortunately, some Americans are resisting vaccines for sensible, and nonsensical reasons. The most compelling one is that they have not been convinced that inoculations are effective. Fair enough.

The effect of vaccines on our population remains very unclear. Do the vaccines and boosters protect us, or are they merely a placebo? Are we immune to the virus if we have already had the virus previously? Can we be asymptomatic and still pass on the disease? Are our testing techniques giving us accurate data? Are medical experts misreading the data collected? The federal government promised free tests, an unfulfilled pledge.

The bottom line is that medical advisers led by Anthony Fauci have not been able to tell us what we can do to ensure we do not contract the viruses, after two years of hell. It’s difficult to believe that with all the data being generated, the experts have not been able to effectively guide us.

What’s making this situation worse are the actions of our leaders and lawmakers. They are more misinformed then the medical experts. Every state has its own protocols. If you’ve traveled around at all you know that Floridians are fed up with all mandates and are acting accordingly, while New Yorkers are much more conservative about wearing masks and going to public places to eat and congregate. The US is a hodgepodge of different perspectives that has caused various responses to the infection.

And worse still, some political hacks are using the virus as a political bludgeon against their opponents. Our leaders must work together to coordinate the sickness and death that has tormented us for so long.

Currently, our country is led by a man who has been duly elected by its citizens and has not done nearly enough to rectify the issues relating to the pandemic. Should we just lead our lives and treat COVID viruses as we would any other flu? Should our kids go to school, or forgo important face to face exposure with teachers, in spite of the disease? Who is leading this country? We do not have a commander-in-chief in the war against COVID.

We’ve dealt with disease on numerous occasions over the years. Why is this challenge so much more difficult? Why hasn’t Joe Biden demanded that the great medical minds in this country caucus and figure out a course for all Americans. Each state is not independent when it comes to disease prevention. People in California can infect people in New York.

If Biden can’t organize the experts he should resign and be replaced with someone who can. Just not Kamala, please.

The Human Race Needs Consensus To Thrive

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Have you noticed lately that our federal government is incapable of getting anything done without strong opposition from one group or another? Even the most insignificant items are intensely opposed around every corner.

For the past half century, our country has faced many trying moments. Nevertheless, our leaders and lawmakers were able to conduct routine government business and debate, tooth and nail, on a number of great social and political issues such as abortion, gun ownership and war. The point is our government never stopped operating, even during stressful moments. Obstructionism by the minority party was focused on grandiose changes, not every-day operations of the government.

The problem may be that many Americans have been very unhappy with our presidents no matter which party they represented. Jimmy Carter was incapable of leading the country through the Iranian hostage affair. Ronald Reagan slept at cabinet meetings. George Bush 1 didn’t keep his promises. Bill Clinton was more concerned about satiating his libido than anything else. George Bush 2 was not intelligent. Obama was a political novice. Donald Trump is a wingnut and should never have been elected in the first place. Biden is too old and tired to be president. Is it possible that the US has not had one commander-in-chief in all this time that was supported by a large majority of the country?

The problem with all this political infighting, name-calling and gamesmanship is that the country is no longer able to unify when it really counts. Every American should be concerned with our defense, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, high tech influence over our country, cyber-attacks, inflation, income inequality, immigration reform, diversity, too many guns, voting reform, etc. They are very complex subjects, but together, they constitute huge existential risk to our democracy, our great lifestyle and our freedom. We need to come together to meet these challenges.

What is particularly troubling is the controversy over vaccination of our citizens. Unbelievably, our leaders have not been able to muster a strong consensus to protect us against sickness that has the potential to wipe out mankind. For 100 years, our researchers, scientists, doctors and gurus concerned themselves with one off diseases like cancer and such. And they, for the most part, ignored the risks associated with a pandemic. Moreover, some nations have not been helpful in the process to defeat COVID. Is there any issue that would result in 70, 80 or 90% consensus? Would an invasion by aliens bring Americans and the world together?

I believe in individual liberties. And so, I respect the decision by some Americans to not be vaccinated. However, I don’t understand how they can make such an uninformed choice. It is not their fault that our leaders have not been able to convince them of the benefits of immunization.

Far worse, some politicians and medical people politicize COVID. Are the people who lead us and care for us unable to layout the risks to Americans so they can make a sound decision? It should not be a federal mandate. Our leaders should convince us, in layman’s language, of the health benefits of being vaccinated.

COVID is mutating. Other germs are creeping around looking for victims. The world is fraught with disease and starvation, that need to be addressed now. Teamwork and tolerance are important for the preservation of the human race.

Covid Report Card

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Now that America is apparently inching towards the end of the pandemic, it might be worthwhile to critically consider what has happened since the Spring of 2020. Who has done a good job and who has not?

Let’s begin with some negative observations.

Frankly, the US and the world were not prepared to battle the Covid flu. One hundred years passed since the last major outbreak of a deadly virus, and it seems like doctors and researchers learned little since then and were caught by surprise by this new outbreak.

Billions of dollars were spent on research pertaining to various types of diseases including cancer and other maladies over the years. But comparatively speaking, far less was spent investigating deadly viruses. This strategy is questionable considering that Covid-like viruses could literally wipe out mankind. Donors were misled into directing their charity towards far less existential medical threats.

For the most part, the battle against Covid has been led by Anthony Fauci, the Center for Disease Control, state governors and the president of the United States. Differences of opinion have resulted in questionable actions that ultimately led to more infections and deaths in certain situations, and overreaction at other times.

For instance, the initial response time when Covid first appeared was not commensurate with the danger of the disease. Borders should have been closed immediately and masks and distancing should have been mandatory by law.

The disease is not as deadly to young people as it is to older people. Therefore, government mandated actions should have been calibrated accordingly. For instance, our children, perhaps, should not have been kept out of school for so long. Some say the danger of contracting the disease is less than the damage to their educational advancement by being taught offsite. The politicization of the issue by teachers has been disgraceful. In hindsight, very few children die from Covid, so the restrictions need not have been so harsh for them.

Conversely, elderly people were/are very vulnerable and need to be protected by government action. It’s horrendous that so many seniors in nursing homes were killed by the virus. The actions of governor Cuomo, if deemed to be true, were negligent at best, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Many countries, in particular China and members of the European Union, were overly concern with the optics of the disease and not so much the effect of it. It makes no difference who ignited the Covid flame. All nations should have been working together on day one to stop the its spread. National reputation is not more important than saving lives.

It’s unclear what actions should be taken by federal and state governments at this time. This is causing confusion and hesitancy on the part of Americans. Is it safe to fly commercial? Should every traveler be vaccinated before taking a flight? Should kids be back in school? Can you get the disease more than one time? There are scores of other questions in the minds of Americans. The answers have been slow to arrive.

Politicians never stopped being political during Covid. It’s shameful that these people have not been able to work together to help fight the pandemic for the common good of all mankind.

Here are some positive perspectives.

The end is near. Americans are being vaccinated in droves. Assuming most people get vaccinated, Covid will dissipate in the near future, experts believe.

First responders should be beatified. Our nation would have really had a big problem without all the brave doctors, nurses and medical personnel who risk their lives every day.

The vaccine was developed in record time. If this had been delayed, millions more Americans would have perished. Kudos to the pharma companies.

In this age of tele-schooling, moms and other caregivers should be recognized for their sacrifices.

Restaurants and all food suppliers should be complemented for keeping us fed safely.

It’s not over yet. There is a chance of another wave of the disease. The vaccine should make this contingency less likely. All nations should be working together to finally stamp out this menace.

How Is Biden Doing?

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Joe Biden has no shortage of major issues to contend with. The animosity between Democrats and Republicans has not decreased since he was elected making progress partisan. Covid is still rampant although deaths have been have declined materially. But there are very different perspectives regarding the continuing strength of the pandemic. The Biden administration is ramping up entitlement spending and accomplishing some of it by adding on to aid that was originally earmarked for individuals and small businesses. And finally, Iran, Russia, China and North Korea are stirring up trouble and testing the new president and his yet unannounced diplomatic objectives.

The far left in Congress and many among the administration corps are encouraging actions that could have a lasting and destructive impact on any number of situations. For instance, Biden has begun to negotiate with Iran, even though it is through backdoor mediation.

The problem is that Iran’s leaders are not truthful. The country is dedicated to building weapons of mass destruction with which it will create havoc with its neighbors. Its goal is to dominate the Arab world by increasing the reach of the Shia sect of Islam. The destruction of the Sunni sect is high on the list of objectives as well. Moreover, Iran intends to increase its influence in the region by playing a major role in expanding terrorism cells in peaceful countries that will encourage regime changes.

There is no upside to negotiating with Iran. We would be dealing with liars and religious zealots. Why aren’t Biden’s aides pointing out the situation to the president? Why aren’t they identifying the downsides of dealing with Iran to the commander in chief. Surely, his enthusiasm for negotiating with the ayatollahs would ebb if he had a complete assessment of the dangers involved in doing so.

Covid is not ended. Many people still need to be vaccinated. Many people are ignoring strong advisories to wear masks and distance themselves from others. We don’t know whether there will be another surge of even stronger versions of the flu. We don’t know if vaccinated individuals can become sick a second time. We don’t know how long the vaccine will protect us before we need to receive another dose. There are many hotspots in other countries that could re-infect us. We are going to be tempted to attend indoor and outdoor sporting events. Restaurants are being allowed to feed more and more people indoors. And there are many nations throughout the world that need the vaccine desperately. They make international travel dangerous to say the least. Finally, our leaders have not been able to come to terms with teachers about the return of children to school.

In spite of a booming stock market and capital market, the Biden administration is proposing more and more aid, and entitlements. The long-term impact of this strategy is dubious, especially since the programs are funding social programs, and not entirely dedicated to creating well paid jobs. The welfare system is growing. More and more people are being paid to stay home during an improved job market and low unemployment. Is it political correctness at its worst and an effort to re-distribute wealth? I think yes to both. They will be funded by increasing taxes and printing money, both of which will hurt our economy.

The constant barrage of bad behavior has been stoked in Russia, China and North Korea. These countries are our enemies. They want to destroy our capital system and our society. Biden should proceed carefully before making any long-term deals with them.

It feels like America is making some progress. Everyone wants to return to normalcy, but it would be a disaster to move too quickly and risk further suffering and death.