I'm not one to panic over things like coronavirus. I'm not saying there's no reason to panic, just that my inclination is to not. And I'm not panicking now. There's a lot of perfectly justified criticism of what is coming out of the Trump administration about it - these are not very bright and competent people - along with a general "oh shit Trump's in charge." But what if he wasn't? What if it was like year 6 of a fantasy Obama administration. Not precisely my fantasy Obama, but the fantasy of a competent, technocratic leader who would have a handle on this stuff (that I think Obama was...not that is a different conversation). Let's give our RPG Obama Dem majorities in Congress, too. So, to the extent that our federal government can respond, within the boundaries of a somewhat better reality, it can.
I don't know how you make our health care system work unless you start calling up for profit hospital CEOs and saying, "we own your hospital now." I don't know how you mobilize the necessary resources for the public good unless you overturn 40 years of dogma. I don't know how you begin to have a for profit medical system, as we have constructed it, serve the public need. Half of Missouri could be dead and they'd be debating President Obama's ATTEMPTED SOCIALIST TAKEOVER OF THE MEDICAL SYSTEM on Hardball, and the Supreme Court would rule it unconstitutional, 5-4, with RBG casting vote 5 against.
Not sure what happens if half of NoVa is dead, but...
