“Who sinned- this man or his parents?”

This passage from the ninth chapter of the Gospel of John seems an appropriate text for these days, when some may wonder what we’ve done as a nation to deserve this coronavirus outbreak.

First we need to remember that the rest of the world is being affected by this, too. It’s not always about U.S. And second, this isn’t about nations being victims of some sort of divine punishment. No doubt, there is cause and effect in play here, but only as the virus at some point jumped from animal to human and then human to human. Our interconnectedness has taken care of the rest. The virus is just doing what a virus does– thriving in the midst of humans who are in close proximity to one another.

A certainly cold and cruel explanation is that this is nature’s way of “thinning the herd,” but it is a much more troubling jump to assign blame to God, as if covid-19 is just the latest divine judgment passed on a rebellious and sinful humanity.

An important detail of this text is that Jesus doesn’t “go there.” Instead of confirming a connection between one’s sinfulness and the circumstances of one’s life, he treats the man’s blindness as an opportunity to heal- to change the course of his life and open doors to a new day.

It is a grace-filled moment. Judgement and punishment are nowhere to be found.

The contrarians who are still worried about cost benefit analysis and civil liberties being threatened need to try to visualize a day not far down the road when hospitals are overwhelmed and 20-somethings who think they’re bulletproof are infecting their aunts and uncles and grandparents with covid-19. Why is it that supposedly bright people can’t entertain the possibility- the likelihood- that the current absence of cases where they are doesn’t mean the virus isn’t already lurking- and maybe in them?

Civil liberties mean little at the moment. And we may never know for sure if we’ve done the right thing by taking these drastic measures. Yet it’s safe to say that if we didn’t take these warnings seriously, we would just be opening the door and laying out the welcome mat to a microscopic organism that thrives when humans are in close proximity to one another.

I’m totally ok with being accused of overreacting, especially if it hastens a decrease in new cases. It’s way past time we trust the science and the medical experts, not the pundits, conspiracy theorists, and red-blooded Americans everywhere who’ll be damned if they’re gonna be told what to do.

I tried to understand why Lebron James was so upset about playing before empty seats, but that effort lasted about 10 seconds. Get over it, Lebron. Get over yourself.

You mean you need the crowd to play your best? I always thought you loved the game, loved the competition, that you could generate passion and zeal for the clash even if you were playing in a school yard with a few buddies.

Do your part. Recognize we’re dealing with a huge unknown here, and everyone needs to make a concession or two if we’re gonna get ahead of this damned virus.

How about a suspension of play? Or are you worried about not getting paid?! It’s probably a money issue. Can’t make money of you’re not filling the seats.

Spread the virus? Meh. Small price to pay for money in the pocket.

There’s nothing like watching the possibilities crumble before one’s eyes. Biden emerges because there’s a fear Bernie is too extreme for all the moderates out there. So at best the Democrats push for a “safe” candidate who is the youngster at 77 years old, has seen his best days, but apparently stands the best chance of garnering the most Democratic votes and would possibly hold his own against Trump. Never mind that Bernie supporters will just give up and either not vote or vote for Trump just to spite.

Geez. A 77-year old and a 78-year old are the last two standing. What the hell? This is the best the Democrats can do? The need to beat Trump has trumped the need for sound, level-headed, fresh leadership in this country.

Pete Buttigieg may be young, but he’s not that young. And he has a head on his shoulders, a wisdom beyond his years. Here’s hoping he’ll be back in ’24.

Why are “celebrity sightings” a thing?

I guess everyone was taking pot shots at Bernie Sanders at the last debate. Seems like the Democrats are trying to eat each other. Ugly stuff.

And all Trump has to do is sit back and gleefully watch.

The debates could be opportunities for getting a handle on the candidates’ plans and positions. But what gets seared into the memory banks often enough is the nonsense- the yelling and arguing, the talking over each other, the need to be heard over everyone else. Another format is needed, one-on-one with an interviewer, where the candidates can respond in peace yet still be challenged, yet unencumbered by the need to compete for attention.

It’d be better than what amounts to a noisy 1st grade class room. That’s hard to watch, though probably better for ratings.

So, climate realism, eh? Please explain this to me in a manner that doesn’t elicit a dismissive, derisive eye roll and a robust fuck you. By all means mull this over in your damned think tanks while Australia burns and Antarctica melts.

Think tanks. What a concept. I know they exist on both sides of the aisle and probably other places as well.

Thought hatcheries. Where great ideas and bullshit alike are conceived, given life and breath. Sort of like advertising, isn’t it? Creative minds with nothing but time to devise all sorts of myths in hopes of convincing people to need what they don’t need and believe what they don’t believe.

I’m with Bernie Sanders when it comes to health care for all. It should be a right, not out of reach. What appears to be at the center of this debate is the issue of what kind of country people want to live in- the wild west, every person for him/herself, or one where consideration is given to making sure every person has coverage and a certain peace of mind.

The current arrangement is unsustainable and skewed toward those who can afford the spiraling premiums and insane deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. Health care in this country needs to be blown up and re-imagined. It’s bloated, driven by profit and mergers and acquisitions. It is unmanageable, an untamed beast.

It would take a unique set of leadership skills and unprecedented political good will to even begin untangling this mess. Which is why it seems things are only going to get worse before they get better.

To hell with being afraid of leaning toward socialism. We’re already there with programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, farm subsidies, school lunches, WIC programs, and so on. It’s called caring and compassion. It’s not weakness, it’s not evil, it’s not un-American. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot with this insistence on holding to some romantic notion of self-sufficiency and independence and no free lunches.

And capitalism needs to be taken off its pedestal. Capitalism and profitability have given us this health care monster. “Survival of the fittest” is an unworkable mantra. There is a need to imagine a workable hybrid.

It’s a big disappointment that candidates and their staff can’t run campaigns on merits and platforms alone. They so readily resort to mud-slinging and painting the opposition as the worst thing on earth. It seems so childish.

Like a “grown-up” version of a fifth-grade shoving match.

The coming stretch run of the 2020 campaign is going to be the ugliest in many a lifetime. Parties have already resorted to “deep fakes” and misinformation. The challenge for campaign managers seems to be who can get a corner on that market and time the last word.

Whoa to the electorate, who will have homework to do and decisions to make with regard to discerning what is real.

It’s difficult not to feel like prey. We should be mad as hell about such manipulation. Ashamed of and embarrassed by the depravity of the whole process.