If my question was simply, will the pandemic pass, the answer would be yes.  However, I do not believe we can relegate it to that level of simplicity and must consider what has happened and the root causes of why we are in the mess we are in.  There is plenty of room for many to share the blame.  Globally there is blame, but I desire to focus on America and consider what has happened and what we can do to prevent it in the future.

That may sound as if I am writing another article on the COVID-19 coronavirus, but I want to address some things that extend far beyond the medical crisis into which we have been plunged.  We are in an economic mess that has and will reach levels far beyond anything most of us have witnessed in our lifetimes.  Who is to blame?  Again, there is plenty of room for sharing the blame, but no politician will shoulder that burden and each of them blames someone else.  I suggest it goes beyond individual politicians to a system condition we have allowed in America.  That must be addressed if we are to survive, thrive, and ensure this does not happen again.

I read extensively and research as much as I have the ability attempting to discern what is happening, who is right, where we are, and if there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  In that effort, I read the assertions of the experts who tell us what we did was totally necessary, and we must continue it into the foreseeable future.  I then read other experts who say, balderdash, we overreacted and insist that we immediately end the lock-down and return to normal.  I suspect that somewhere between the two views is a more reasonable answer, but then I am not an ‘expert.’

I listened as President Trump and the experts informed us that we were ill-prepared regarding tests, masks, and ventilators.  We have learned that the cupboard was left bare during the Swine Flu pandemic in 2009 and never replenished.  Why?  Is the blame to be laid at Barack Obama’s feet or does it extend beyond him?  Some will think me defending him when I say, beyond him.  He is guilty of negligence, but it is a system problem, not just a presidential decision that placed us in this mess. 

Some have suggested that we experienced an unsuccessful effort to replenish the stockpile of ventilators dating back to the 2^nd term of George W. Bush and continued through the two terms of Barack Obama.  Why?  It seems that the FDA is a culprit through its ill-advised decisions and overregulation.  The FDA delayed production because of the five-years it took them to approve a new design.  That reveals a system problem, not just a president or politician problem.  We allowed a monster to be created and that monster is killing us.

Gleaning from the writings of others and especially Dr. Larry Arnn of Hillsdale College I learned that the CDC was created in 1942 to fight malaria.  In 1946 it had a shift in name and purpose and was called the ‘Communicable Disease Center.’ 

In the 2000s, the CDC managed to become independent of political control and lost its focus.  It has ceased focusing on viruses and infectious diseases and expanded into chronic diseases, addictions, nutrition, school health, and injuries. 

We were warned in 2007 by some including the late Senator Tom Coburn who issued a report entitled, “CDC Off Center.”  He reviewed how that agency was spending tax dollars and how off the mark they were.  We were warned but nobody in politics listened.  Nothing new there.  The CDC even delved into issues like ‘gun violence.’  Imagine that.  Does that suggest a political bent developing? 

The reports indicate that in 2017 the CDC expenditures included $1.1 billion on chronic disease prevention, $125 million on environmental health, and $285 million on injury prevention.  What?  Why?  They should have been replenishing our stockpile of PPEs, but they were expanding their role and solidifying their position and influence.

I have questioned every official I can, upon learning the extent that China was providing our biotics and medical gear, why? China, a communist country, where the virus originated has been producing our medical goods.  A Chinese doctor sounded the alarm that there was a danger of an outbreak.  The Chinese government disciplined him for spreading rumors injurious to the state and he virtually disappeared.  The head of the Wuhan Central Hospital sounded the alarm and she mysteriously disappeared.

The Drs who are now telling us that the lock-down is not only necessary, came too late, and must continue into the future are the same ‘experts’ who told us   They insisted that we let them be handle it and that the public had no reason to be concerned or fear this virus.  Dr. Fauci said at the outset, “It’s a very, very low risk to the United States.”  He said: “But it’s something that we as public health officials need to take very seriously.”  He contended that the citizenry in America had no cause for alarm because they (the experts) had ways of screening people from coming in who were infected. 

The good Doctor chided us that worrying about this was to be left to the experts and we were not qualified, as laymen, to address it.  Sadly, their failure and advice have cost us ‘laymen’ our livelihoods and hope. 

I’d like to ask the ‘experts’ and politicians both Republican and Democrat how we allowed China to become so prominent in the provision of our needed medical goods?  China produces about 40% of the world’s ‘active pharmaceutical ingredients’.  They also produce about 97% of America’s antibiotics and about 50% of the world’s surgical masks.  What lunatic allowed that to happen?  What lunatics would be more appropriate, the room for blame is massive.

Winston Churchill wisely said: “We cannot afford to confide the safety of our country to the passions or panic of any foreign nation which may be facing some desperate crisis.  We must be independent.  We must be free. We must preserve our full latitude and discretion of choice.”  Sir. Winston, you were right, and we did not listen!

The idea that the management of our government and economy is largely being placed in the hands of medical experts is frightening.  They are not equipped to handle that job!  The wise words of the philosopher Aristotle should be considered, “The architect does not know how to lay the bricks as well as the bricklayer, but he knows how to direct the bricklayer toward the completion of the building.” 

I worked for a Credit Card Company as a Fraud Investigator and they repeatedly rolled out policies without consulting those of us who did the job.  We would warn them of the flaws in the plans, but they were the higher up and we were the grunts in the trenches, so we were not heard.  After they lost millions, they wanted us to fix their mess often at the threat of our jobs if we failed. 

We have allowed our process, system of government, and management to be so skewed that it resembles nothing of the Constitutional description.  We have allowed the foxes to be the guardians of the hen house.  We have allowed those with expertise in areas other than government and the economy to decide our fate governmentally and economically.  That is deadly!

Will this pass?  Not unless we take back our country and restore our system and process to the original intent.  That means we must oust all the political cronies and power-hungry from Congress.  Can we do that?  It is unlikely but it is a task we must pursue.

God bless you and God bless America!