People Die. Get Over It.
The global reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, not only the outrage in Brazil over Bolsonaro’s ‘callous’ response, but also criticisms across the globe that governments ‘do more’ to stop the outbreak, forces me to ask an uncomfortable question I’d hoped never to have to ask a nation/globe/internet of politically aware and, most frighteningly, active people a question that should have an obvious answer: You know you’re going to die, right?
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not downplaying or dismissing the virus. It’s kind of surprising how rarely that happens when you listen to someone’s entire argument instead of just the parts that confirm your biases (Jim Acosta, cough). However, even in the United States, where Donald Trump may be the first President ever to intentionally tank the economy in an election year, there have been nonstop criticisms of his handling of the crisis – so much so, in fact, that only about half of Americans approve.
Of course, some of the criticisms are valid. Trump could have done more. He also could have done less, ala Bolsonaro, or gone full-out Modi, who has been blasted for the heavy-handedness of his response. The point is that, whatever the government’s response, there will always be critics and vested interests who want both more and less done simultaneously.
But before we return to crucifying Vanessa Hudgens for reminding her followers of one of the most basic facts of life, let’s have a little bit of perspective. The worst estimates say about 2M Americans will die; our population is currently 327.3M and counting. Without resorting to a calculator, I can comfortably say that’s less than one percent of the population, many of whom, given their preconditions and comorbidities, are likely to be dead within ten years, anyway. Yes, the virus can kill the young as well; so what? I knew an incredibly healthy 29-year-old who dropped dead of a heart attack. Shit happens.
‘Siege Mentality’ and White Privilege
I’m not complaining about the ‘siege mentality’ employed by most governments, per se. Though I’d rather nut up, roll the dice, and mourn our losses, I do recognize that this is a democracy. If everyone else wants to be a complete pansy, so be it. I guess I’ll tuck my tail and run with the rest of you. But as we lock ourselves in our ivory towers watching “Tiger King”, let’s check our ‘white privilege’ a little.
limousine liberalism
It’s easy enough to lock yourself in your apartment for a month when you have the financial wherewithal to do so. The degree to which some insist on complaining about their ‘mental health’ tells me just how weak and pampered the urban American populace has become. However, while I have to wait to make my next business move, somebody else (a single, immigrant mother, perhaps) needs that money to eat. For some people, not working means not eating. The smart thing for them, given the hard choices they face in life, might be to take their chances with the virus so their kid can eat.
The ‘callous’ and ‘heartless’ policies of Bolsonaro and those who want to reopen the economy give them that choice. The policies pushed by the left, i.e. shutting down the economy to save lives, make the decision for them. I’m not arguing either solution is right or wrong; they both have trade-offs, and either is a defensible course of action. However, let’s not pretend that we’re saints as we shut down and destroy the lives of the poor so that the middle class can wait out the pandemic in comfort.