This past week, over half of U.S. states reported record-breaking breakouts of coronavirus cases. According to a New York Times database, Friday June 26 was the third day in a row that the country set a daily record during the pandemic. The stock market responded badly, with the S&P 500 dropping 2.4 percent, especially in light of Governor Greg Abbott of Texas placing the state’s reopening on pause. Other major hot spots included Florida, Arizona and California. On top of which, experts agree that the jump in cases and hospitalizations did not represent a so-called “second wave”, but the increases were still part of the pandemic’s “first wave.” Investors are right about their concerns that the virus continues to be a major threat to the economy — already quite frail.
According to a well-known expression, Rome’s emperor at the time, the decadent and unpopular Nero, “fiddled while Rome burned.” The expression has a double meaning: Not only did Nero play music while his people suffered, but he was an ineffectual leader in a time of crisis. Although the expression is based on a historical myth, there is still some relevance to current events. When the Great Fire of Rome broke out, Nero was at his villa at Antium, some 35 miles from Rome. Even as he immediately returned and began relief measures, people still didn’t trust Nero. While enthusiastic Vice-President Mike Pence was briefing the American people on the current state of coronavirus outbreaks in the U.S., Donald Trump was probably golfing at his resort in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Much like Emperor Nero, Americans now have come to mistrust Trump. Just look at the latest polls putting Joe Biden well ahead of Trump even in key electoral states.
Even in the face of the alarming news, the White House continued to praise its own efforts. Pence went on about how Washington had made truly remarkable progress in moving the nation forward. Meanwhile, the city and country continue to suffer and lead the world on the basis of per-capita infection rates. With its current mortality rates, the U.S. is now projected to surpass 200,000 coronavirus deaths by the fall of this year. Hospitals in many counties are at full capacity due to the influx of patients with serious symptoms, including more younger people.
Other countries, including Canada, appear to have much better survived the first wave of this pandemic. Success in containing Covid-19 comes down to good national leadership and strategy, continuing cooperation between national and local health authorities, and support from each and every community and citizen. These elements have been seriously lacking in the U.S. where chaos reigns and policies are all over the map. Many countries are now carefully preparing for a “second wave” outbreak, while the U.S. is floundering about in dealing with the “first wave”. Trump’s administration is still counting on some sort of sudden miracle, putting all its unrealistic hopes in a future vaccine. In the meantime, he is fiddling while Washington burns and more Americans die.
FROLITICKS 