Three good things that will probably come out of the epidemic

The COVID 19 epidemic is obviously a net negative. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t have any positive consequences. One we’re already experiencing.

The first is less pollution/global warming/energy use. Aside from slowing this stuff down in a way that would be inconceivable without an epidemic, this should help prove how man-made climate issues are.

The second has to do with the American economy and American business. Several years ago, I read about a remote WWII military plane crash site that was discovered. One of the things that struck the team most was that everything on that plane was American made. Now we are learning what happens when we depend too much on imports. We have to wait to get something as simple and critical as face masks. This is both a national security problem and a business problem. Companies can’t afford not to be able to fill orders. Some manufacturing is going to come back. Some may go to Mexico but that’s still an improvement because Mexico spends more money here than China does.

The third is political. The whole country is learning the cost of ignoring facts. If businesses in Georgia open and their infection rate spikes in about three weeks, the whole country will know why and there will be no hiding from it. And there will be no electoral hiding from it. Now the vote can really be understood as a matter of life and death.

I learned several years ago from a personal tragedy that even tragedies can have favorable consequences. That doesn’t make the tragedies desirable because those favorable consequences are not remotely enough to be worth it. However, they do cushion the blow a little and, as I also learned, in this case from my sister, there’s no reason not to accept the cushioning. If you have to live with tragedy, take what relief you can get.

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