So I keep pretty good track of what our governor says to do. And also what my state representative recommends and her updates on unemployment. The rep does a great job actually, considering the chaotic data and recommendations she has to work with. One thing I am very impressed with my state rep is that she is very concerned about unemployment and proper payments getting out to individuals and business' that are struggling/collapsing. Our employment department is an unmitigated disaster. Our governor has not said one word about it. She fired the director a couple weeks ago after there was practically a revolt but not a word since, still hundreds of thousands who need back payments and being 'processed' My rep has taken hundreds of cases into her own hands and contacted the new director about them.
Anyways, our governor gets teary eyed when thinking about the lives she is saving by putting on a mask. I understand the importance of putting on a mask, to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. I put on a mask whenever indoors in a public environment. I'd say half the people do, and half the people don't. The governor says she is saving untold 100s if not thousands of lives whenever she puts on a mask. And it will be worth it once we get back to normal. Now my question is. What is this normal she is talking about? Does she really think that there will be a fully effective vaccine within a year (or two?) that is distributed widely and taken by every person in the United States, let alone the world?
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What is this utopia she speaks of?
I think this; the unemployment figures, the semi-lockdown, the "pause" is our new normal.
It is going to be this, what we are doing now, for years and years.
But....that cannot happen. There will be such a stratification of have's and have not's (in terms of employment) or the state/federal government with be 10's of trillions of dollars in annual debt each year keeping everyone afloat. What is the end game here in terms of fighting the virus.....? Opening up just a little has made a tremendous impact in terms of the virus (first wave really) coming back.
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