The coronavirus pandemic affects everyone on the planet one way or another. For one thing, many of us now have a lot of isolation-inspired time on our hands. In my case, it has given me time to ponder what this unprecedented event really means. It has made me see our own country's priorities and challenges through a very different lens.

 

I remember our country going through such trying times as President Kennedy's assassination, the war in Vietnam, Watergate/Nixon's resignation, 9/11 and the 2008 financial meltdown. As a nation, we have always managed to recover from adversity. Still, for decades, underlying chronic problems have lingered, and when we have an unimaginable crisis like this one, they become painfully obvious. For me, coronavirus has revealed three glaring weaknesses: 

 

The incompetence of our federal government. The pandemic has highlighted the fact that our political leaders have been emphasizing all the wrong priorities while failing to do the one basic thing for which they are responsible — protecting citizens. There is growing evidence that our government was unprepared for this pandemic even though it should have been. Important public health functions were eliminated, experts were let go and concerns that were raised were ignored or not taken seriously. Leadership at the national level is non-existent. The petty, combative, ignorant political leaders who "run the country" lack the empathy, honesty, cooperative spirit and moral fiber to intelligently deal with something of this magnitude. Fortunately, many governors have stepped up and done their best to fill the void.

 

The fragility of our systems. Only when such a crisis occurs can we see first-hand how inter-dependent we are. Local restaurants are just one small example. I took it for granted that we could walk into a restaurant any time we wanted and get great local cuisine served by friendly staff. Having them suddenly close made me understand what that means for restaurant owners who live on thin margins, for restaurant workers who struggle, and for the entire supply chain of farmers, fishermen, truck drivers and others whose livelihoods have been instantly obliterated. It is likely many small independently run restaurants will never re-open. This same scenario applies more broadly across many aspects of modern life in America. Every industry in the country, every product we buy and every service we use is inter-related on some level. When any part of our system fails, it’s like pulling out the Joker from a house of cards.

 

The inequity of our society. It is startling that a tiny virus can make so obvious the huge gap between the haves and have nots. Somehow the rich and famous manage to get tested and enjoy the very best care if they get sick. At the same time, others who are less fortunate are told to avoid getting tested and come to a hospital only if they are having trouble breathing. Everyone is told to stay at home; some of us can work for home, but others who cannot are abruptly laid off. As a result millions of people lose their jobs and have no health insurance and no savings. Here's how the federal government "fixes" the problem: It authorizes payments that cannot be made in a timely manner, unemployment benefits that are impossible to obtain because of overwhelmed state bureaucracies, and small business loans that banks are not prepared to fulfill. Once again, our systems fail the middle class and poor people who need the most help.

 

Front-line workers risk their lives to save others but are not provided the basic protective gear they need. The sobering fact is that these very dedicated people are paid less than a living wage and receive meager benefits. I saw one story about a poorly paid EMT worker in New York who was terrified because all of his emergency calls were related to coronavirus, yet he himself had no health insurance. Compare that with millionaire politicians who have the best health care in the country. How can we as a society allow that?

 

My apologies if I may have depressed you with my outrage, but a pandemic has a way of revealing the cracks in our country that we might otherwise ignore.

HappilyRewired.com is a Top 75 Baby Boomer Blog.

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