Climate Change, the “Third Pandemic”
The plagues and disasters connected with both Covid-19 and racism have come to the forefront of our lives. Then too, there’s a third disaster or third pandemic: global climate change. It’s already killing people and ruining lives. When it really hits full force, the impact will likely be even more destructive than the coronavirus. Yet it’s connected to both racism and to the coronavirus.
Here are a few articles which are related to these ideas.
https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/fighting-infectious-diseases-connection-climate-change
https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-infectious-diseases
https://www.who.int/globalchange/climate/summary/en/index5.html
Q&A: Could climate change and biodiversity loss raise the risk of pandemics?
Thoughts at Large:
Over 150,000 People have Died from the Coronavirus in the U.S.A.
The Racism Pandemic
I’ve often had this thought, that racism is a disease which causes rot in both the racist and in the society at large. Of course, the targets of the racists often experience hardship and trouble, if not injury or death. It’s a sickness which has long pervaded the United States. We have special problems here but the violence and bigotry of racism spread out all around the world. Now it’s been called out as a parallel pandemic. It’s sick.
It’s related to sexism and homophobia. Some people are targeted by all three of these hates. The motto of the current federal administration seems to be Keep America Sick. This applies to racism and police violence as well as COVID-19. If they want to stay in the burning house, it can lead to no good. But why do they want to drag the rest of us into the burning house with them? The downward spiral is not a good place to be.
First
Late last month, I’ve wrote about this and related topics in my Adventures and Resources blog. An excerpt from that post:
Then too, the political-social-economic state of this nation, of this world seems to be dire and frightening. As I write this, demonstrations and protests are taking place all over the United States. The horrific murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer seems to have been the last straw.
I’ve been a lifelong anti-racist. I’ve read a lot of books, stayed aware and have been to some protests. Thus I share their grief, anger and a sense of running out of patience. Just how much should we allow these people to get away with? We know who’s encouraging and empowering their violence and racism. We see him crying his crocodile tears and offering condolences only when he’s forced into doing so.
When things go way too far in one direction, they will end up going to the opposite direction eventually. This is the most extreme case of this in my lifetime. This is the subtext to the protests. Abuse of power by the police can no longer be tolerated. Where will it all end up? Will I be relieved or horrified on December 31, 2020?
Second
The anti-racism and anti-police violence aspects of the protests are upfront and obvious. The subtext to the protests seems to be twofold. First, the pandemic made things weird. It shifted us out of our routines, threatened our lives and, for many of us threatened our ability to sustain food, water, shelter and medical care.
Second, things which have happened in this country since January of 2017 which are horrifying. People are mistreated in ways which they’ve rarely or never been before. The immigrants in prison camps are exposed to the coronavirus. Children there are mistreated. The air and water are poisoned. Corruption in government is accepted and condoned. That’s just a small bit of it. There are things that they’re doing and things that they’re trying to do. Mr. 45 is responsible for much of this, no matter how he struggles to shift the blame. I’ve wondered all this time why people aren’t protesting, aren’t taking to the streets? Someone besides me must be upset and a bit horrified.
He’d be in town for a speech and there’d be 30 or 40 protesters. There are more than that now. Mr. 45 and his crew will be judged by history. They’ll also be judged in November. Let’s hope that it’s a fair election. Then they’ll be judged in the streets. Protest? Hell yes!
Mistakes Were Made
First, in 2017, the Trump administration fought against and prevented protections for health workers in case of a pandemic.
Second, in 2018 the Trump administration dismantled the pandemic team which was in place. They considered it to be a waste of money and something which would never be needed.
Did Trump Administration Fire the US Pandemic Response Team?
Third, the U.S, probably should have taken up the offer for a COVID 19 test for the World Health Organization in January 2020. Did they reject these tests because they thought the virus risk was not serious? Were they just being stupid or foolhardy? Or were they interested in making money off of the tests?
Did US ‘Refuse’ COVID-19 Testing Kits from the World Health Organization?
More information:
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-cuts-programs-responsible-for-fighting-coronavirus-2020-2
Donald G. McNeil Jr. reports on the Coronavirus
I heard this on NPR’s FRESH AIR yesterday. I thought that it was one of the better things that I’d heard in a while.
“This is probably going to be a series of steps. We’re going to have to do this again and again, dancing in and dancing out until we get to the point where we either have a vaccine or a prophylactic pill or some regimen — some curative regimen that’s so good that we’re confident that, if I get sick, maybe I get sick, but if I crash, I can count on being saved.”
Donald G. McNeil Jr.
Coronavirus Nation
Maps and Updated Information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/world-map.html
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Media coverage. Many media sources who charge for their online news reports are making their Coronavirus coverage free to all:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/
https://www.npr.org/series/812054919/the-coronavirus-crisis
https://www.newyorker.com/tag/coronavirus
The Chaos Kicks In (Hold Onto Your Hats)
The list of dangers continues to include other things besides our largely inept and insensitive federal government: corruption, cheating, pollution, climate change, that new virus, increases in hate crimes and shootings etc. etc. etc.
Suspense: This Could Be a Real Nail Biter?
January 31, 2020
Despite all indications to the contrary, perhaps there will be a surprise from the Senators who seem to be aligned with Donald Trump’s version of the Republican Party? Maybe enough of them will decide to go with the best interests of the nation as a whole, its history and its people instead of those of the president and the president only. We’ll soon see whether or not some of them have any conscience or scruples. Are they all confused or even brainwashed? Every vote counts.
Are the elephants changing into kangaroos? Stay tuned.
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/31/787235305/how-a-senate-impeachment-trial-could-work
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/18/mcconnell-senate-impeachment-trial-2020-071377
Number 45 is Number 3: Impeachment Notes
Mr. Trump, the 45th president of the United States, is the third of our presidents to be impeached. The evidence against him is clear. The Democrats didn’t do this to him. He did it to himself and he did it to the country.
(To be continued)
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/13
The Most Real of All Worlds 