In the wake of COVID-19, I thought the disease was going to expose the vulnerability of the American healthcare system only. In just a week it did more than that. The mass hysteria has led folks to really show how inept they are in regards to compassion and kindness towards their fellow neighbors. There are social media videos of “Karen” fighting an old woman for a package of toilet paper.
It’s one thing to see it online it is a sobering moment to see it live for yourself. Shelves of toilet paper, baby formula, and disinfectant cleaners gone. Shelves all but empty. Elderly and disabled people hopelessly looking for anything while selfish people roll passed them with mountains of supplies.
Thanks to incorrect information, fear, and panic, basic items like toilet paper, hand sanitizer and disinfecting cleansers are no longer readily available. Even Amazon is sold out. To make matters worse the unavailability of these items has created capitalism that preys on the vulnerable and weak. Buying up everything and selling them for 1000 times the normal cost. In most states price gouging is illegal. Amazon and eBay are doing their parts to suspend these practices but it’s too late.
Folks are literally in the streets freaking out like it’s an apocalypse. Fighting each other over toilet paper. Elderly and immunocompromised people too afraid to leave their homes. It’s like watching a scene from the 2013 movie World War Z where mass hysteria broke down all civility. And like every other end of world movie the Government failed miserably at getting ahead of the issue before it became a problem. Instead of deploying a Pandemic Response Team as soon as news broke in January the government dismissed and downplayed the issue as if it was a common cold.
It is a sobering feeling seeing the news turn this disease into a weapon of mass fear and panic. Now businesses especially small businesses, the economy, and normal routines are affected. The stock market is entering a Bear Market. Schools at all levels are shutting down. Many businesses are making employees work remotely. While others are requiring their employees to show up without sick pay. This poses additional problems since schools have begun shutting down and daycares are closed. Single and low-income parents are the most affected. Social isolation is what they call it. A way of reducing the spread of the disease. Yet many people are refusing to listen. Many states have begun exercising mandatory curfews and shutting down public gathering facilities like theaters. Even my Pilates studio announced they were closing their doors.
COVID-19 has now consumed every aspect of social media and the news. It is the topic of every conversation. Every other disease that’s come out did not disrupt the daily routine and lives of people. Measures were in place, testing in mass numbers was available. This time it’s not. Barely 1000 people are getting tested and hospitals are beginning to reach capacity, but not yet.
This global pandemic only highlighted the failures of an incompetent government. Instead of getting ahead of the problem the administration did everything but acknowledge the fact they failed miserably at being proactive. Many people do not understand the restrictions are necessary. It is needed to prevent medical facilities from being overwhelmed. Despite these measures being a huge inconvenience it is necessary to minimize the spread of the disease. The biggest irony is Mexico is considering closing their borders to the U.S. oh the irony. Considering not that long ago it was the other way around due to racism.
I have seen plenty of sci-fi movies where society collapses and the government fails to warn and protect its people. It is so surreal seeing this unfold in real life. The level of incompetence exercised by the government seen in those movies is now a reality. The moment the disease was made public tests and preventive measures should have been in place. Instead, the president per usual went on his weekend vacation in Florida to play golf. Later the public discovered the Pandemic Response Team, a division of the National Security Council was fired and never replaced. Disclosed by the Speaker of the House herself.
By the time the President pulled his head out of his four-point the panic, fear, and hysteria were out of control. The only source of competent information is the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
The only thing this pandemic has made society realize is the government at all levels is beyond inept. Elected officials with their power-hungry corruption truly don’t care about the people they were supposed to represent. They only care about lining their pockets. While the people are struggling to stay afloat while they can’t go back to work due to fear and safety. Many are uncertain if they will be able to provide for their families.
When the new tax laws were passed Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell rammed that bill in the early hours of the weekend. He wasted no time getting the bill passed and signed into law by no means necessary. When it came to getting a bill passed to help American families aid during these uncertain times he’s dragging his feet. Stating it will go into review. This is not the first time Senator McConnell has blocked bills from passing that benefited the working class American People. His corruption has no limits because his peers and fellow Republicans are too coward to speak up.
The sad reality is the United States is not prepared or equipped to handle a nationwide mass casualty. The country doesn’t have the facilities and resources to handle the numbers other countries are facing. The majority of the working class population cannot afford healthcare. Before this pandemic young adults were rationing insulin because they couldn’t afford it. It’s extremely heartbreaking seeing videos and photos of the weak trying to fend for themselves thanks to the cruelty of society and the rich.
While folks are walking around nonchalantly going about their business the gravity of this failure has not truly settled in. A few private businesses are getting the memo allowing customers to defer their payments and continue their services. Others haven’t sent any notifications. But the major bill owners like mortgages and auto loans don’t appear to be allowing customers to defer.
This pandemic is going to cause a lot of financial hardships and cripple the middle class economically who are already struggling. While most won’t be sympathetic to the situation it’s going to have a snowball effect. Lowering the interest rates and pumping money into the economy is not going to do anything but cause inflation because there is too much money.
It is unknown the extent of the damage all this chaos has caused or will cause. It did expose some dangerous chinks in the financial and social armor. Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder to make it count in November. Seriously this isn’t morally right on all levels. Imagine if COVID-19 had a 99% fatality rate oh my god this would completely collapse society as we know it.
