Our visit from Corona-chan is proving to be much like sports–which may be some consolation to fans, since sports are cancelled. The pandemic isn’t so much building character as revealing it.
First, Corona-chan revealed the ineptness and even malice of our global ruling elite. Chinese officials could have stopped the outbreak if they’d acted sooner instead of wasting three weeks jailing doctors and citizen journalists.
Closer to home, both Democrats and Republicans are sparing no effort to keep the other team from scoring political points from the crisis. Contempt for the working class is expected of GOPe types like Graham and Crenshaw, but it’s eye-opening to see old demagogues like Pelosi suddenly urging frugality.
The ordinary people who are losing money, jobs, and businesses are noticing our rulers playing politics with their livelihoods. If there’s one upside, it’s seeing staunch Democrats lambaste Nancy for interfering with their gibs.
Even more encouraging is that 2016 Trump seems to have jettisoned the neocon doppelganger who replaced him in 2017. After briefly parroting “It’s just the flu!” cope posts, he’s gotten serious and is proposing the sorts of populist measures that got him elected.
The revelations aren’t limited to our elites, either. Social media is still rife with folks in the denial stage. Skim a MAGApede’s timeline, and you’ll find retweets of establishment pundits wagging their fingers and warning that the death toll had better spike, or the folks who blew the whistle on the virus are in big trouble!
That’s just irrational coping. It’s tantamount to scolding someone who calls the fire department when your house catches fire and, as firemen are desperately battling the flames, warning him that your house had better burn down, or he’s in for it!
Pursuant to this topic and others, I joined authors Jon Del Arroz, Yakov Merkin, and Rawle Nyanzi on David Stewart’s stream last night. Watch as we talk Corona-chan, crowdfunding, and whatever else enters our hypoxic, White Claw-addled heads.
Also, David’s putting a Corona-chan anthology together. My story ties in with my Combat Frame XSeed series. Book 1 is just 99 cents, so buy it now and get a head start on the collection!