I AM AFRAID: The Lessons of the past few months and the Future

These days I am afraid, anxious. Not  for me but for the country, its future and life to come.

Given the state of affairs, from this point forward I see very few good options and outcomes. However, let us looks at the lessons of the past few months and what we now know.

The whole Covid-19 infestation is so bizarre and has led to a surreal state of affairs. No one knows what to do. There is no leadership or cohesive medical or otherwise information that one can really believe. Everyone has a theory, study and a protocol.  The virus is bad, but does not signal the extinction of our species. I am not diminishing its deadly effect (as I am in a very high risk category) but the reaction to it has spawned dire consequences and events.

• The remedial measures to slow down the spread such as masks, social distancing, and business closings and lock downs are half measures and will not work. The virus is everywhere and is insidious. One can only try to reduce the risk not totally eliminate it, until this plays out.

• A good many of our fellow citizens are uncaring and callous about the welfare of others.

• The national economy is in a complete but disguised breakdown that will take a long, long time to recover. Many people will suffer and lose everything. There is not enough money or programs to keep this from happening, only delay it. 

• The massive federal spending to try to shore up the economic foundation will haunt the future to come. It is not over yet. The stimulus and relief packages are nothing more than a small Band-Aid on a major wound. A good portion of the federal support was misdirected and went to a variety of favored constituencies or to people who did not need it. Really need to target help rather than just throw printed, borrowed money at it.  What a waste. 

• Government programs and edicts have lead to an overwhelming government intrusion into our lives---where government now makes most of the decisions. When you can go to work, masks, travel restrictions, social events, school attendance, food production, what businesses receive aid just to name a few. My goodness, New York City is now having “checkpoints” to enter the city. This is the same group that made the decision to put infected people into nursing homes resulting in the death of thousands. Perhaps the country would have been better off if the City was walled off at the beginning like in the movie Escape from New York.  

• While there may be good intentions, this is government run amok and a power grab. These programs and control over all of us will not go away or abate.

• Public schools are a prime example of incompetence. No one knows what to do and it seems that thousands of school districts across the county will be making their own decisions. Maybe that is good, probably not.

• For the vast majority of students, “virtual” learning is a joke. Most of the students, I suspect, are watching reruns of Leave it to Beaver rather than dividing fractions. Let’s face it; if you lined up the hundred stupidest people in the country, the first 10 in line would be school board members and administrators. Most have long lost sight  the goal of education is to teach and give life tools to students, not push some social agenda or decide which restrooms can be used.

• The country can live without professional sports.  

Finally, what makes me afraid is the upcoming elections.

The choices are horrific. President Trump is so outrageous at times, wrapped in a bubble of ego without any appreciation or even knowledge of the cultural, legal and social makeup that has made this country and keeps it together. At times, he is so uninformed, one must cringe. His combative nature is now longer welcome, is destructive and just plain nasty. It is exhausting. Government by dubious Executive Order is no way to go forward.

Mr. Biden, who has never really worked a day in his life, looks like he does not know where he is on the planet. Actually, he really has never been right on almost any subject. His strategy is to hide in his basement and recite the mantra that he is not Trump. Duh, we know that. No comfort there. 

The now main-stream Democrats-the so-called and self named Progressives- (now there is a misnomer) are so scary, hateful and disrespectful as they seek to silence and tar critics, eliminate culture and history, blame the police for the failure of big city politics. Progressives declare everyone who disagrees racist, mock people who actually have a religious faith and devote themselves to the expansion of government, rewarding their groups that depend on the largess of government. Identity politics is at the core. Having these people in charge is a chilling thought and a clear and present danger to America.

The Democrat national leadership does not care about the country. I know this is cynical but they act like they want things to get worse if it helps their electoral cause. The real goal is to obtain unfettered power to do as they like and know what is best for the rest of us. If in doubt, just look at the recent action by Speaker Pelosi who puts winning above providing extended aid to the unemployed among other things.  

So I am afraid, do not like what I see ahead. I have a great deal of faith in this country and our fellow citizens. However, the choices leave scant room for optimism.