But they have an infinite number of wrong responses; and our cowardly failure of a president refused to chose from them. He did nothing.

Other World Leaders Were Brave Enough To Choose

But 2020’s devastating problems presented multiple wrong answers in an astounding number of ways. Under the unique circumstances presented by 2020, even the success of a person or a country can be their downfall. The second wave is barreling through Europe right now, and leaving chaos in its wake. In Italy, the former poster child of the pandemic, fed up citizens will not tolerate another lockdown.. Instead of just “riots”, the citizens are poised for “revolt.” Italy’s success in dealing with the initial wave of something that we have never seen before, came with a hefty price tag.

And Showed Some Empathy for their Citizens

Italy’s administration’s and citizens’ success in the first wave means they have no precedent of dealing with the pandemic in a way other than lockdown. People are going to have to work out how to coexist with it. In a dangerous situation, it is clearly better to know you’re on you’re on than to think someone’s got your back. Italians, and the rest of Europe. are about to learn that painful reality. But at least their governments tried, and are continuing to try to act in the best interests of their citizens, not let them “fend for themselves” in a way that gives significant advantages to the upper classes at the expense of money and lives of those in the lower classes. The idea that Europe’s stringent lockdowns of the spring didn’t help them in the end (which is not necessarily true but will be explained in a different article as it is not the focus of this one) does not mean that what happened here -and will continue to happen here-was or is right or humane. Most other world leaders appeared to be motivated at least by a human level of concern, which was noticeable on their faces. None of that was evident on the faces of our leaders with the exception of a few; none of which were members of the GOP.

Excuses For the Rich and Powerful; Shame for the Poor

Conservatism was supposed to be about encouraging people to take responsibility for their own problems and mistakes. I guess that’s only for the poor. If the rich or powerful run into problems that could cost them a considerable amount of money or their position, excuses must be made for them and they must be compensated. If the same tough times fall on the poorest of people, they are told with no compassion that they “must be resilient and pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” and that the “financial hardship was their fault for not having savings,” even though many jobs don’t even pay enough to live comfortably, let alone save. Hypocrites! You should hold the billionaires and the President of the United States to the same standard to which you hold your poorest of citizens. You are not conservative. You are merely greedy- and you are hypocrites of the highest degree. Conservatism in 2020 is about supporting the ultra-rich through any difficulties and demanding that the poor take responsibility for their own mistakes, even those that were beyond their control.

Vote for Leaders, not Managers

Among the lessons taught to us by the harsh teacher that is 2020, we cannot know what challenges our country and its leaders are going to face. Those of us born in the brief period of relative comfort in the United States between the Great Depression and this pandemic, ranging from the very young to some of our oldest seniors, figured: what was the worst that could happen? We walked around with conceit because of our electricity, our modern devices, our sanitation. We had this idea that we were “advanced” when really, truly, we are no different than humans 2000 years ago. We can just spread disease faster and cure it more often, but human nature remains unchanged. That is why managers are for a business, and leaders are for a country; and no, a country is not a business.

The GOP proudly states that they left us with a legacy that’s going to last a lifetime on the Supreme Court. But an even more important legacy of 2020 that we, the people can have that can last for a lifetime is to choose better leaders. Let us choose people who have consciences and moral scruples; people to whom basic morality exists over profit-making and special interests.

On November 3rd, We Can Send The GOP a Lesson on Empathy

In a small way, we can show them what it is like to be worried about losing their jobs because of the pandemic. The GOP lawmakers that will be voted out probably have a good many millions stored away from special interests, but at least they might get a very small taste of what it is like. Ultimately, we can make them pay with their jobs for their greed.