America Is Too Broken to Fight the Coronavirus

[Zorro]

No other developed country is doing so badly.

Graphs of the coronavirus curves in Britain, Canada, Germany and Italy look like mountains, with steep climbs up and then back down. The one for America shows a fast climb up to a plateau. For a while, the number of new cases in the U.S. was at least slowly declining. Now, according to The Times, it’s up a terrifying 22 percent over the last 14 days.

As Politico reported on Monday, Italy’s coronavirus catastrophe once looked to Americans like a worst-case scenario. Today, it said, “America’s new per capita cases remain on par with Italy’s worst day — and show signs of rising further.”

This is what American exceptionalism looks like under Donald Trump. It’s not just that the United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths of any country in the world. Republican political dysfunction has made a coherent campaign to fight the pandemic impossible.

At the federal level as well as in many states, we’re seeing a combination of the blustering contempt for science that marks the conservative approach to climate change and the high tolerance for carnage that makes American gun culture unique.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/opinion/us-coronavirus-trump.html

[riversedge]

1. We have NO national leadership. Simple as that. This state by state tactic is a FAIL

............
Graphs of the coronavirus curves in Britain, Canada, Germany and Italy look like mountains, with steep climbs up and then back down. The one for America shows a fast climb up to a plateau. For a while, the number of new cases in the U.S. was at least slowly declining. Now, according to The Times, it’s up a terrifying 22 percent over the last 14 days.

[rusty quoin]

2. Didn't we know this already? It's been obvious. The US has had no leadership.

We are just waiting and hoping now. There is no functioning federal government.

[RockRaven]

3. It's not just a leadership problem. 1/3 to 1/2 of the country is deeply delusional/misinformed

Mostly due to a lifetime of consuming corporate, profit-driven media whose true customers are the wealthy and other corporations rather than their audience as is commonly assumefd.

That will not be fixed by an election.

[MySideOfTown]

4. What is with all the Ross Spano adds?

He is a GOP asshole.

[dalton99a]

5. We are ruled by a moron who caters to morons.

[msongs]

6. not really. it will pass on its own time and we can help it pass faster nt

[Freddie]

7. Personally I don't GAF what people around me do

I’m staying home as much as possible, only going to grocery store and takeout food. Wearing a mask. Thankfully I’m near Philly wear most people are taking this seriously. My church is starting a long and carefully thought out re-opening in a few weeks. Everybody 6 feet apart, masks and hand sanitizer required, no singing or communion. Everyone must sign in, in case contact tracing is needed. Only a limited number allowed in the building. I’m not sure if I’m going to go or continue with the online services (which will continue regardless) but I’m glad church leadership is taking this very seriously indeed.

[LastDemocratInSC]

8. The final paragraph posted above is shocking enough

But the final sentence in the paragraph is simply startling to read: "the high tolerance for carnage that makes American gun culture unique".

[marie999]

9. As of June 10th, we are 5th looking at % of population.

I think that is a better way of looking at it.