Sunday, March 1, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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Why is today different from all other days?
Because today I am going to try not to think about the continued, unrelenting, soul-numbing reality that is the harm being caused to America by the presidency of Donald Trump. Today, I am thinking only about our immediate future and the potential impact of the coronavirus.
My reference to the question asked by Jewish people during Passover each year is no accident. For those familiar with the Book of Exodus, you will remember that Moses convinced Pharaoh of the power of God by visiting 10 plagues upon the people of Egypt. All were in an effort to free the Jews from the grip of a selfish, narcissistic leader who cared only about himself. (Consider this a not-so-subtle effort in subtlety.)
Like many, I have been reading about the history of pandemics and the potential of harm around the world in 2020 — with all of our medical technology being brought to bear — and have concluded that if things go just a little bit wrong, we could be in a lot of trouble.
So, with the president on top of this situation and his able vice president taking the lead, what could possibly go wrong?
After all, killing viruses and containing the damage they can inflict is mostly a matter of common sense and proper science. When it comes to common sense, how we interact with those who may be contagious and how we protect ourselves at all times is a matter of just using our heads and good health practices.
When it comes to proper science, well, that’s why we are fortunate to have Vice President Mike Pence taking the lead because science is his strong suit, or so I am told. By not one single person!
We all hope this virus will run its course without running over any more people. With capable folks at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — assuming they are allowed to do their work without interference — we have reason to believe that we may escape something that could be a lot worse.
But there is evidence suggest to that we are blithely moving forward on just a wing and a prayer — Trump says he is banking on a miracle — and that gives the world no reason to have confidence that we can handle what experts say will be a pandemic.
For those folks who think all is well with the world and this little bug ain’t bad enough to hurt us, there is always the economic issues to consider. The fellow I said I wouldn’t think about today has already focused us on such matters. He has basically told us all is good and not to worry. He’s got it handled.
Obviously, Trump’s vaunted stock market isn’t paying attention to him or being the least bit reassured by his words. Unless you believe a 3,500-point dive in a week — that’s around $3.5 trillion in wealth — is no big deal. The fact that the stock market is setting records on its way downhill should give us all some reason to pause when we consider the harm that can befall us.
We can die and go broke at the same time — all courtesy of the coronavirus.
Actually, I don’t believe that this is the time for panic — there is no good time for that — but it is time to use our heads. We need to wash our hands, stay away from crowds to the extent we can, and wash our hands again.
And, oh yes, believe in science.
I would feel a whole lot better about beating the coronavirus and getting our country back to some kind of normal — you know, the normal that causes Trump angst on a daily basis — if we were assured that good science and good sense would dictate our actions.
Italy is holding soccer games in empty stadiums. China is shutting down cities. Even Facebook, the company that seems to care only about money not faces, is canceling large meetings. And face masks and hand sanitizers are nearly impossible to find. Is this good science? It is certainly good sense.
If we are going to make a mistake in our response to the coronavirus, I would think that erring on the side of caution and science and transparency in communication to the public is the sane and smart approach. Insanity would be waiting for Trump’s miracle.
Despite what he thinks, he isn’t God. Or even Moses.
Brian Greenspun is editor, publisher and owner of the Sun
