by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
I have no idea what’s going to happen with WuFlu and you probably shouldn’t listen to me. But I will note as of right now, WuFlu is an abstract to Americans on a historical level.
Once that changes, then it will be a record scratch to a lot of people who are otherwise raising their kids and enjoying the “humming economy.” If that obliviousness changes, it will likely because someone keels over in a rather public and conspicuous manner.
If you want an early warning about what might happen, keep an eye on well-known elderly people. If, say, a series of well-known old people in the West simply dropped dead in quick succession, then that’s your cue that we’re in trouble. The WuFlu mortality rate among the elderly is a sight to see.
The thing I hope we are able to do sooner rather than later is to stop seeing these events through the prism of hyper partisanship. Once everyone freaks the fuck out and people begin to get sick and die all over the world at the same time — if that does, in fact, happen — then we have to see ourselves not as Republican or Democrat, but as patriots, citizens and humans.
Of course, this is not going to happen at first. Twitter liberals will blame poor policy and MAGA will say it’s all part of God’s will. This will delay any type of practical response as both sides attempt to score short term political points. But, remember, if there’s a second wave of deaths in the States with multiple hotzones, four events are likely to be seen in hindsight as what aggravated the situation — the impeachment trial, the Superbowl, the Iowa Caucuses and the State of The Union Address.
But maybe that won’t happen. Hopefully that won’t happen. Hopefully there will be no WuFlu cowboys crashing into the bubble of modern American political history that is a musical dance scene and the only thing we’ll notice is gas is a little cheaper.
