The Positive side of COVID-19

[Dutch Uncle]

I'm currently watching the "Influenza 1918" episode of "American Experience" (available for viewing online here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/influenza/ ) It first aired over two years ago January 2018. It's interesting to see lots of similarities between then and now, especially the stupid mistakes.

As most should know by now, it's misnamed "the Spanish Flu" but the deaths are real. It killed more Americans than all Americans killed in all the wars of the 20th Century.

Kids, being kids, did some strange things. People were dying so fast that small towns were overwhelmed in burying them all. Eventually mass graves were the only recourse. Lots of eyewitness testimony in the episode. One former kid recalled climbing up and down a "pyramid" of pine boxes with his friends. His mother said those boxes were full of bodies and to not walk or play on them. He also recalled losing two of his friends.

Girls playing jumprope created a little ditty to skip rope to:

I had a little bird
his name was Enza
I opened up a window
In flew Enza​

Okay, so what's the bright side? I think Americans have been slack and growing soft like pussie cats with too much food in their bowl every day. As much as I like to ridicule the Millennials, they stand a very good chance of becoming this century's "Greatest Generation". They are going through many of the same experiences as the first Greatest Generation.

Another bright side is that, like Pearl Harbor and 9/11, it's a wake up call to America. I hope, and believe, most Americans will pay attention.

 

[Mason Melchizedek]

I'm currently watching the "Influenza 1918" episode of "American Experience" (available for viewing online here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/influenza/ ) It first aired over two years ago January 2018. It's interesting to see lots of similarities between then and now, especially the stupid mistakes.

As most should know by now, it's misnamed "the Spanish Flu" but the deaths are real. It killed more Americans than all Americans killed in all the wars of the 20th Century.

Kids, being kids, did some strange things. People were dying so fast that small towns were overwhelmed in burying them all. Eventually mass graves were the only recourse. Lots of eyewitness testimony in the episode. One former kid recalled climbing up and down a "pyramid" of pine boxes with his friends. His mother said those boxes were full of bodies and to not walk or play on them. He also recalled losing two of his friends.

Girls playing jumprope created a little ditty to skip rope to:

I had a little bird
his name was Enza
I opened up a window
In flew Enza​

Okay, so what's the bright side? I think Americans have been slack and growing soft like pussie cats with too much food in their bowl every day. As much as I like to ridicule the Millennials, they stand a very good chance of becoming this century's "Greatest Generation". They are going through many of the same experiences as the first Greatest Generation.

Another bright side is that, like Pearl Harbor and 9/11, it's a wake up call to America. I hope, and believe, most Americans will pay attention.

America is played out,had a good run,but it's over.
Putting your faith in Millennials is blind faith.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

America is played out,had a good run,but it's over.
Putting your faith in Millennials is blind faith.

If you suddenly drop offline, I believe it will be God's Will. God's Will be done and you certainly deserve it.

 

[Hawkeye10]

The positive side of this pandemic is one hopes that people will finally grow up and wise up...our Elite suck ass, American institutions are either weak or broken, our global systems are terminally broken, the Chinese are coming for us...and more importantly we need to care about the truth again, we need to speak the truth again, and we need to make an attempt to be decent people again.

 

[Jack]

I'm not seeing much 'positive' here.
This Virus is destroying our Way of Life.
Unlike Our Dear Leader, I don't think it's going away.

I'm currently watching the "Influenza 1918" episode of "American Experience" (available for viewing online here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/influenza/ ) It first aired over two years ago January 2018. It's interesting to see lots of similarities between then and now, especially the stupid mistakes.

As most should know by now, it's misnamed "the Spanish Flu" but the deaths are real. It killed more Americans than all Americans killed in all the wars of the 20th Century.

Kids, being kids, did some strange things. People were dying so fast that small towns were overwhelmed in burying them all. Eventually mass graves were the only recourse. Lots of eyewitness testimony in the episode. One former kid recalled climbing up and down a "pyramid" of pine boxes with his friends. His mother said those boxes were full of bodies and to not walk or play on them. He also recalled losing two of his friends.

Girls playing jumprope created a little ditty to skip rope to:

I had a little bird
his name was Enza
I opened up a window
In flew Enza​

Okay, so what's the bright side? I think Americans have been slack and growing soft like pussie cats with too much food in their bowl every day. As much as I like to ridicule the Millennials, they stand a very good chance of becoming this century's "Greatest Generation". They are going through many of the same experiences as the first Greatest Generation.

Another bright side is that, like Pearl Harbor and 9/11, it's a wake up call to America. I hope, and believe, most Americans will pay attention.

 

[Tacomaman]

The evaporation of the middle class and the growing discrepancy between the "haves" and the "have nots", the ever rising costs of insurance and medical care will result in a revolution in this country. It likely won't be in my lifetime, but I do believe that one is in the not so distant future.

 

[Walt]

There is a theory that Ring Around the Roses was a way for children to make fun of other children who were dying from the Great Plague. But that is probably apocryphal.

Millennials are fun to make fun of, but they are a hard working generation who are surviving extremely violent social changes. I make fun of them, but also respect them.

 

[Walt]

The evaporation of the middle class and the growing discrepancy between the "haves" and the "have nots", the ever rising costs of insurance and medical care will result in a revolution in this country. It likely won't be in my lifetime, but I do believe that one is in the not so distant future.

When a third world country starts to grow towards the first world, the first thing you see is a widening gap. Some start growing well before others. By the end, they have less of a gap. We might be seeing that as we transform from a first-ish world economy to something completely new. This might be a good thing.

Rising healthcare costs around the world could be to paying for a major breakthrough in medical care. We might be looking at doubling life expectancies.

Or maybe everything is going to shit, and we are entering a new dark ages. We will have to see.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I'm not seeing much 'positive' here.
This Virus is destroying our Way of Life.
Unlike Our Dear Leader, I don't think it's going away.

Disagreed. Time is "destroying" our way of life. Many said the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was "destroying our Way of Life". Same for automobiles, television and computers. Do you know kids have to have their parents read their grandparents cursive writing to them? Public schools are "destroying our Way of Life".

One positive thing I see is that people are recognizing what is most important and what is not. Family is important and that becomes very clear when you see dear members of the family fall to a very unpleasant disease.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

There is a theory that Ring Around the Roses was a way for children to make fun of other children who were dying from the Great Plague. But that is probably apocryphal.

Millennials are fun to make fun of, but they are a hard working generation who are surviving extremely violent social changes. I make fun of them, but also respect them.

I, too, have heard the rhyme connected to plague.

Agreed on Millenials. They's spent most of their life in a War on Terror, have been through the Dot Com bust and the end of the 1990s economic boom. Then the Housing and Banking Crises followed by the Great Recession. Now as second lying draft-dodging Coward-in-Chief who has been impeached followed by the worst plague since the 1918 Influenza pandemic. That's a far too "interesting" life for a generation to suffer.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

The evaporation of the middle class and the growing discrepancy between the "haves" and the "have nots", the ever rising costs of insurance and medical care will result in a revolution in this country. It likely won't be in my lifetime, but I do believe that one is in the not so distant future.

Those are unsustainable. Agreed that at some point Americans will revolt. Maybe it will be the Millennials as they watch their government through another 3 Trillion taxpayer dollar debt onto their back on top of the almost 4 trillion already burned. Not necessarily a shooting war, but certainly civil disobeience on a large scale like the Vietnam War protests. Heck, maybe Trump can have his own Kent State massacre!

 

[Jack]

IDK, Dutch.
People are getting disconnected from their surroundings with their cell phones. Being more involved in 'virtual reality' than what is present around them. This Virus seems to compound that. I'm having a hard time seeing people in 'crowds' anymore. Will Beaches, Theme Parks, and Cruise Ships come back this summer?

Disagreed. Time is "destroying" our way of life. Many said the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was "destroying our Way of Life". Same for automobiles, television and computers. Do you know kids have to have their parents read their grandparents cursive writing to them? Public schools are "destroying our Way of Life".

One positive thing I see is that people are recognizing what is most important and what is not. Family is important and that becomes very clear when you see dear members of the family fall to a very unpleasant disease.

 

[Hawkeye10]

IDK, Dutch.
People are getting disconnected from their surroundings with their cell phones. Being more involved in 'virtual reality' than what is present around them. This Virus seems to compound that. I'm having a hard time seeing people in 'crowds' anymore. Will Beaches, Theme Parks, and Cruise Ships come back this summer?

Increasingly socially incompetent we go...ya other smart people are talking about that right now...especially the youth may never recover...yet another way they are completely not prepared for the lives that they are going to have to live unless they say "FUCK IT" and check out.

 

[Jack]

Increasingly socially incompetent we go...ya other smart people are talking about that right now...especially the youth may never recover...yet another way they are completely not prepared for the lives that they are going to have to live unless they say "FUCK IT" and check out.

Hmmmm ...
Yeah. Some may be in dire straits. I'd hate to be married with 2 or 3 kids and into a Home Mortgage and Auto Loan, and lose my Job. The Government can't keep printing money. At some point, the shit is going to hit the fan.

 

[Hawkeye10]

Hmmmm ...
Yeah. Some may be in dire straits. I'd hate to be married with 2 or 3 kids and into a Home Mortgage and Auto Loan, and lose my Job. The Government can't keep printing money. At some point, the shit is going to hit the fan.

As bad as you imagine that the situation is it is almost surely worse. I have been one of the most sure that America was going the wrong way person in every room I have been in for most of my life, but these last few years have shown me that I was way too optimistic.

 

[Jack]

As bad as you imagine that the situation is it is almost surely worse. I have been one of the most sure that America was going the wrong way person in every room I have been in for most of my life, but these last few years have shown me that I was way too optimistic.

Try to maintain a positive attitude.

 

[Hawkeye10]

Try to maintain a positive attitude.

We Zennists do mental hygiene but we make it a point to always know as best as we can what is True and what is Not True.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

IDK, Dutch.
People are getting disconnected from their surroundings with their cell phones. Being more involved in 'virtual reality' than what is present around them. This Virus seems to compound that. I'm having a hard time seeing people in 'crowds' anymore. Will Beaches, Theme Parks, and Cruise Ships come back this summer?

Yes, like the Bob Dylan song, "the times they are a'changin'". It's normal. Human beings have progressed well throughout recorded history despite habitually moving one step back for every two steps forward. They'll adapt to social standards best for the society.....some societies just take longer than others. Wearing masks in Asia and, especially in Japan where common courtesy is a matter of personal honor, may find the custom more common in western society.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Hmmmm ...
Yeah. Some may be in dire straits. I'd hate to be married with 2 or 3 kids and into a Home Mortgage and Auto Loan, and lose my Job. The Government can't keep printing money. At some point, the shit is going to hit the fan.

Agreed. "Adapt or Die" is a common mantra.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

The positive side of this pandemic is one hopes that people will finally grow up and wise up...our Elite suck ass, American institutions are either weak or broken, our global systems are terminally broken, the Chinese are coming for us...and more importantly we need to care about the truth again, we need to speak the truth again, and we need to make an attempt to be decent people again.

They will to some extent. Again, the concept of two steps forward, one step back.

Anying built by humans can be rebuilt better. Nothing human is "terminally broken". Chinese are just human beings. If you look at the bigger picture, isn't it best for the human race to advance for the better, no become stuck as a nationalist on one tiny aspect of human development?