Friday open thread: We could have been Norway

Of course, it didn't have to be like this.

Our citizens could have followed the science. They could have hunkered down and done what was necessary to defeat the virus. It shouldn't have been a partisan issue. In fact, it should have been an expression of patriotism.

But our government was being held hostage by an orange man-child who thought only of himself. He had no notion of patriotism, or the common good, or concern for others. All that he knew was that this virus would make him look bad and endanger his chances of re-election. And because of this, he poisoned the minds of his followers. He condemned them to an early grave, because he wanted to obfuscate the true nature of the calamity, even though he knew how bad it was.

Yes, I blame those who didn't follow the science. Who followed a gross, fat Pied Piper down into the mountain. But the fish rots from the head. And their head was the most rotten person to ever occupy the pinnacle of American politics.

I hope that, in future years, we look back on this era and wonder in amazement that it happened. And I hope that we resolve to never allow it to occur again. We've been given a second chance to get things right. Second chances are as precious as pearls, and not to be wasted.

We could have been Norway. But we weren't, and we're not. For better and worse, we're America. And we need to find a way to fix what's broken. We might not have a third chance.