Thoughts on the Virus

Frack it.  I think I got a good sense of what we are facing.  And if I'm wrong it isn't like I'll be upset.  I posted links to an imperial college study outlying what I've seen just in a more academic format.  Pretty early on people were running simulations of what this thing could do that matched their findings.  But I deleted the link.  Data is there for you to find it you wish, as the data about the potential of this thing has been available since December?  January?  If you are just bathing in angst you are late to the party.

Some of the most outraged by the government's response have been some of the most laxidasical in their personal preparations and have been pretty much willfully ignorant about things up until a week or so ago.  Hard to take their angst seriously.  Would I have done things differently?  Yes.  Do I think the Trump admin blew this one...a huge f'up?  Yes.  But theer is a context in all of this that is also willfully lost by many, but I don't want to get into that.  Bottom line is our initial response and continuing response sucks.  I'm not sure the public would have been ready say in January for a complete lock down based on theoreticals...even now there is a good deal of resistance to obvious steps.

We face more than the virus.  We face a huge economic melt down that could be worse than the great depression.  Not saying it will be, but the potential is definitely there.  If we can flatten the curb and get this thing to go away within six months I think the chances of the economy bouncing back to an even stronger position than we were at is a real chance. But that is an unknown.  The sting is just beginning.

But that isn't the only threat.  As global cop struggles as weapon system operators and military units are taken offline by the virus, the threat of the global actors making moves will become a bigger reality.  Cyberattacks on HHS and militia activity in Iraq against US bases are the first drops from a breaking dam.

Also people's minds are a huge problem.  A good chunk of the population thinks this is an NWO operation to force some sort of vaccine on the population that contains the mark of the beast or some bad payload that later on could be worse than the virus.  Other chunks of the population don't even believe the virus is real.  Then there are the civil libertarians who question whether or not the government has the right to enforce certain steps to curb the virus because they overstep the government's Constitutional authority.  Then there are the arrogant types who don't think anyone has the right to tell them what to do and getting a positive diagnosis for the virus as long as they feel fine they will go about their normal routine spreading the disease.  Lastly, we have a bunch of political ideologues that view the virus as a vehicle in political tribal warfare to attack their political opponents over or to defend their incompetent leaders over.
 Neither side here is actually paying attention the the virus other than how it can be used or countered in the political arena. Getting all these folks to do what needs to be done and cooperate might generate self fulfilling prophecies for some, and create domestic unrest at worse which exacerbates every other problem.

So where are we at?  We are at the beginning of something really bad.  Relying on others to take care of you through this situation is very unwise.  You have to evaluate things and take personal action.  Rather than waiting for help you might have to step up and be the help, both for yourself, your family, your friends and neighbors, and beyond.  There will be no white knight that rides into town and slays this thing if it gets bad.  We need instead all of to rise up, put aside stupidity for a brief while, and become unsung local heroes that we need in the hundreds of thousands to get through this if it gets as bad as it probably will.  That will get us through.  Not our wise leaders who can't even predict the weather correctly three days out trying to cobble together a silver bullet when none is to be had, at least not for awhile.

Quit bitching, prep, and get ready.