(PROPS TO OUR PAL MATT ZEMEK, @MattZemek, for thinking of the above)

Check out this Flesh Mob.

Here’s what’s happening at major domestic airports that receive plenty of international flights, such as O’Hare, JFK and I assume Hartsfield. Social distancing, this is not.

Let’s see, federal government, what would be the very worst thing you could possibly do in the face of a pandemic? I’ll go:

1. Announce an abrupt stoppage of inbound flights from Europe before informing airports or even your embassies in those nations, much less the leaders of those nations. This will induce mass panic from travelers abroad, not to mention Wall Street.
2. Offer no assistance to the governors of those states, or the mayors of those cities, where the airports are located. It’s like announcing that Popeye’s chicken sandwiches will be free for the next 48 hours without telling the store managers beforehand. The staff can in no way handle the onslaught.
3. Because of 1 and 2, you create the situation above. Travelers from countries where the virus is more embedded mingling among one another in incredibly tight quarters for an extended period of time. They’re also mingling with domestic travelers as well as airport staffers.
4. Not taking the temperatures of anyone who arrives and having no system in place to quarantine anyone who is symptomatic.
5. Letting all of these people eventually leave and disperse the virus to parts unknown, all over the country.

Is that it? Is there yet an even worse way the federal government might have handled this that I haven’t considered?

Someone close told me yesterday that they believe this corona crisis will bring the country together? To this point, the exact opposite has happened as the nation has been divided between those who take it seriously and those who are cavalier, between those who take it seriously and those who call it a Democratic scheme or constantly point out that it’s from China or who warn us not to “politicize” it. Between those who take it seriously and Donald Trump.

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This is a worthwhile read, from Peter Wehner in The Atlantic. “The Trump Presidency Is Over.”

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This is courageous and on the mark:

‘This administration was not prepared for this crisis. And it put lives at risk!’ — Rep. @GerryConnolly slammed Trump for trying to ‘gaslight’ America about the coronavirus pic.twitter.com/RZepFy5TL6

— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) March 14, 2020

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I’ve been referring to this entire episode of late, at least in my own head, as The Triumph of Ignorance. You see the Oklahoma governor tweeting about being out and about with his family, or the Florida pol pissed off that his family vacation to Vail was ruined because Vail closed down (news flash: short MTN). You see the Buffoon In Chief holding a National Day of Prayer in order to appease and appeal to his Christian Right Wing Evangelist idiot base, the ones who are almost praying for an end of days scenario.

These are the same people, not just those two but the folks who attend MAGA rallies, who poo poo climate change. They don’t believe in anything that they don’t already see, unless it’s connected to Baby Jesus. It’s all about to change, and at that point instead of asking hard questions about the federal government and leadership they’ll blame China, or globalization, or Italy, or the Democrats. I call this The Trish Regan Tango. Anything to not have to face the truth.

https://twitter.com/jdubs88/status/1239219334263623685?s=20

In a couple of weeks, maybe a month, there are going to be plenty more funerals. And officials are going to advise people not to attend. It’s gonna be like that. If it’s mine, in lieu of attendance just read back-issues of the blog, please. Although I don’t think it’ll be mine. I’m fortunate enough to be in about the best situation possible (free lasagna, I might add). I just hope it’s not yours.