The Maelstrom of Violence

[pbrower2a]

(01-23-2021, 04:42 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote:

(01-22-2021, 11:51 PM)Classic-Xer Wrote: I think its pretty clear that wearing masks, avoiding crowds, social distancing and washing hands didn't prevent the death of over 400,000 Americans.

It is pretty clear that not wearing masks, avoiding crowds, social distancing and washing hands caused many of those deaths.

It is not as easy as it sounds. The world under a pandemic is scary, boring, frustrating, and lonely. Some of us have plenty of habits to break, and plenty of things that we do with little thought to assess for their safety. COVID-19 is as dangerous as warfare, having a similar death toll -- at least by American standards. This time, as in war, the people putting their lives on the line are not largely young men who would otherwise be doing raw labor but instead have a uniform and a gun and orders to keep firing at the Enemy until relieved of duty or either killed or wounded. 

Soldiers at war are under rigid discipline, and finding a way in which to evade that is the severe crime of desertion that has often been cause for execution. One keeps fighting and facing the Enemy gunfire because one more fears the commanding officer, soldiers in the rear ordered to shoot anyone retreating, or a court martial and some degrading treatment that may result in a horrible way to die. 

Like war, COVID-19 is unnatural. As with soldiers, most of us will return to more normal lives after the menace is gone... but not until then. Vaccines were rushed, so they may not be 100% effective. 90% effectiveness will be enough to create an effective "herd immunity". As for going back to normal there will be places to go, things to do, and people to visit. 

COVID-19 will be one of the arch-villains in American history, and Donald Trump will be seen almost as America's quisling for having practically collaborated with an enemy that has killed 400,000 people in America and counting.