Instead they went with the let her rip strategy, and "if we pretend everything will be fine, we don't have to prepare for anything."
No one will be fired, there will be no lessons learned, and in December 2022 we can blame "The Left" and "lazy voters" for our woes (electoral considerations are not the only thing here, of course).A broad plan for confronting the pandemic was articulated a year ago by Biden. He pivoted to "vaccine-only" at some point and vaccines-only for the US by the way, so investments in all the rest languished. This was @WHCOS, @JeffreyZients. 2/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) January 8, 2022
There are lots of Trumps out there. Most of them have just enough of a filter to avoid monologuing their arrogant stupidity. The belief in the power of positive thinking, the personal immunity from consequence, the consistent failing upward. A common type among privileged people in politics in both parties.
I don't have strong opinions about what precise policies should be, but the general attitude which has been in place since May or so of "the most important thing is everyone going back to the old normal" has not been helpful.
Sure the "new normal" can't be "let's lock ourselves in our houses forever" but it's only been that in the minds of elite media types who had the luxury of being able to do just that if they wanted to. The "new normal" is, oh shit, we gotta think about how to adapt to our new reality, not be in denial about it.
Anyway, good job everybody who demanded school stay open all the time because of the vital importance of going to an understaffed school to watch old movies in the assembly room because 30% of the teachers are out sick.
My "fucking useless asshole" list grows longer and longer.