H1N1 vs COVID-19 - different social moments?

[beechnut79]

(03-16-2020, 01:22 PM)Warren Dew Wrote: I think there are two things here.

First, the things that the two sides are willing to wreck to sabotage the current administration are different.  The right was not willing to wreck the free market economy to damage Obama, just as the left would not now be willing to wreck the welfare state to damage Trump.  It would have taken a different crisis for the right to be willing to take advantage of it.

Second, yes, the crisis mood is much stronger now.  If this were actually a serious disease, we'd be watching the regeneracy in action.  Unfortunately it isn't, so I think this is be a false regeneracy, soon to be forgotten as we move on to the next one - unless someone can think of a way where this crisis can last for four or five years.

But if it wasn't a serious disease authorities wouldn't be ordering all these shutdowns now, would they. The last time we had a situation even remotely similar was during the winter of 1973-74 with the big energy crisis and gasoline shortages.