Socialism or Capitalism? Neither One Seems To Work In A Pandemic!

We all know the debate. It was started most recently by the former President and his followers in the fascist wing of the GOP.  Socialism is terrible, the road to communism and State control. Capitalism is wonderful. It encourages competition, individual success and a market driven economy. Or from progressives, Capitalism leaves out those on the bottom and just leads to a smaller and smaller group of people who are in power. Socialism will solve all of our problems, everyone will be treated equally.

Well it turns out that all we need is a pandemic and a mass vaccination program to prove that neither of these systems seem to work. That's right, the Covid vaccine implementation response in the US is pretty clear proof that no one has very many answers to protecting citizens in the US and that should scare the hell out of everyone.

Operation Warp Speed may have been fast in the development of vaccines, partly by eliminating regulatory hoops for FDA approval, but that's about it. Getting shots into arms has been a disaster. Public Health has failed, federal, state and local governments have failed and so has the private sector through a network of pharmacies. In all of these cases, the incompetence relative to information technology is absolutely stunning. People all over our country are chasing their tails, jumping lines, finding out who they know, trying to help parents or grandparents and driving themselves crazy from early morning to late at night, attempting to get that elusive vaccine appointment.

It's a shambles, from approving more eligible categories than the supply can accommodate, to sending mixed messages about where appointments can be made. Yes, it is and it will get better but it never should have happened this way. People should never have been put through the maze and stress that we've seen up until now. Information technology exists that would have allowed people to fill out a form once, become pre-registered and placed on a wait list tone contacted when their turn came. There are systems we use everyday that would allow the kind of straight forward management necessary. Did anyone ever think of the fact that information on people over 65 is already captured through Medicare? That's just one example. Did anyone realize that the pharmacies being contracted with would all set up their own separate registration processes leaving people to navigate three or four different systems?

Let it sink in. These are the people who are responsible for other agencies that supposedly build fail safe systems for nuclear war or who are able to land a vehicle on Mars. Organized government can accomplish great things but it can certainly also be responsible for great failures and irresponsible behavior. There are over 500,000 souls and 500,000 families that can attest to that. There's no excuse for the failures we've seen and yes, we should expect more.

Vulnerable and Facing The Coronavirus

All of the current statements coming from government and health care leaders are telling people to calm down relative to the coronavirus. The statements go something like, "if you're fairly healthy, your risk is very low and, even if you do get it, your symptoms will probably be like getting the flu and you'll easily recover". Exceptions? "Well unless you're elderly and have an underlying condition".

I am writing this from the perspective of a 75 year old man with COPD, Emphysema and diagnosed within the past 6 months with Pulmonary Fibrosis, currently using oxygen 24/7. Am I worried? I'd say more like scared out of my wits and my level of confidence in government right now is pretty low. And yes, I'm washing my hands.

Last July I was hospitalized with pneumonia which led to followup, various tests and my current diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis. Living with that reality in itself along with the oxygen therapy, tank management. and restrictions on physical activity have brought mental and physical challenges. I've coped though with a lot of support from my spouse, family and friends. I've slowly gotten somewhat use to my disability, realizing that I am limited and will be from this point on. There is frustration and sometimes a sense of uselessness as household chores and maintenance arise. But, it is what it is and there are things that I can do, including writing and assisting some other people with a few things I know about which include technology, politics and organizing.

That's the backdrop from which I write this piece. Like so many others, I really do need to assess my daily interactions with people as the coronavirus spreads. I'm certainly not happy about having to do that or even to think about it. I currently participate in a pulmonary rehab program twice a week. It's basically cardio exercise on various pieces of equipment. Monitored oxygen is available along with classroom sessions on pulmonary disease management. Of course it's on the grounds of a hospital and in a setting where people are coming and going for their basic health care needs. It has been very helpful for a lot of reasons but now I probably need to look at how feasible it may be to continue participating as the coronavirus evolves. I have some time to make that decision but I'm realistic in knowing the time may come. Of course there are other interactions with people that will have to be assessed. We can call it self quarantine or distancing but it is an isolation from social interactions.

All of this is the dilemma faced by certain populations during a potential crisis like this. Government and health officials attempt to calm people but this is a reminder that people like me, who will be high risk patients if we get coronavirus can hear you when you reassure everyone that we're the only ones who might die. Not very reassuring to those of us with serious underlying conditions.

Saints and Heroes

I struggle with the concept of saints. Their existence implies all sorts of things. First and foremost is that they're gone, looking over us having led a good life among us at some point. Heroes on the other hand are a bit easier for me to get my head around. There they are. You see them. This little piece is about saints and heroes. I'm seeing a lot of them around today and it makes me think they've been around forever. When I say being around I mean just that - walking among us, interacting with us on a daily basis, not floating above.

The Ebola virus has helped me see these folks a little more clearly. Beyond the fear, the fear mongering, the confusion and the missteps, the saints and heroes are out there doing what they do. They're in West Africa caring for people sick and dying from the virus. These saints and heroes come from Cuba, the US, New Jersey, other African nations. They're doctors, nurses, educators and soldiers. They try to heal but also watch parents and children die terrible deaths. They care for children whose siblings and parents die. They care for and support each other. Few of them worry about if and when they can get a flight back to their homeland through travel bans created with some sort of false hope or worse. We should all be forced to watch these saints and heroes more. Watch them care for the sick and try to keep others healthy. Watch them and try to understand their strength and motivation.

They also exist in Texas and Maryland and Nebraska. And when Ebola leaves the front pages, more saints and heroes will be all over, supporting people with cancer and dementia. We'll see them in the streets of Syria and Iraq dragging bodies into hospitals. Saints and heroes trying to bring peace in streets of war - Muslims, Christians and Jews.

The saints and heroes are among us and they should make us feel so foolish about the things we do to create their work. There are others who paint and write and dance and play. Yes, they're here among us but sometimes we just don't see. They're not statues in a church or someone with medals on their chest or people written about in books. If we open our eyes we can see, touch and feel the saints and heroes walking with us. If you're lucky, you'll recognize one and you'll have the opportunity to shake their hand or better yet hug them. What a gift they are to all of us.

Epidemics and Fear

The recent news and developments related to Ebola have raised lots of issues and fears. Some legitimate and quite a few unfounded. The worst of it all is the continued politicalization of the disease and communications about it. The best advice I've heard is to follow science and not the politics. It's disgraceful how some politicians on both sides are dealing with this issue.

Obviously Ebola is a scary and dangerous disease. That's clear from the death and devastation it's causing for thousands in West Africa. Scare tactics and fear are the worst way to deal with it. Health professionals understand the virus better than all of the politicians. But we do have to understand that fear is a historical method for people to get their way. Fear has been used for centuries to accomplish all kinds of goals - the justification of wars, the treatment of groups of people and so forth.

I've had some expierience with fear - leadership by fear and just plain life expierience with fear. It comes in all shapes and sizes. I've seen people try to lead by fear in both the non-profit and for-profit world and of course in government. It's effective because it helps bring people around to a point of view. The downside is that the people being led many times find out that their being used or misled in terms of facts and truth. Eventually that makes some or all angry and the leader can be defeated or removed. All of that can be and often is a painful process.

But I've had other experiences with fear. I'll share one that is related to some of what we're seeing today. My family lived in Spring Lake, NJ in the late 40's/early 50's. Spring Lake was one of many communities on the Jersey shore that was hit very hard by the polio epidemic of that period. Children all over the country were stricken with flu like symptoms that led to muscle paralysis.  In the worst cases individuals ended up in iron lungs, large tubular canister units that helped that paralyzed person breathe.

My family was hit hard by polio. Out of four children, three ended up with polio. My older brother, my older sister and I all had it. My younger sister didn't contract the disease. No one then or now knows why. I can't really imagine the fear and confusion that my mother and father must have gone through. I was about five years old at the time. What I write about this expierience is a mix of early childhood memories and family storytelling.

The impact of the polio hit us chronologically - my brother, my sister and me. All of us ended up in the hospital separated from each other in various states of paralysis. In my own case my entire left side was paralyzed. Neither my left arm or leg would work properly although there was always some level of control. There were no known cures at the time. We were right on the cusp of the Salk vaccine. There were various treatments, however. One was to place heavy cast type material on the affected body areas. My guess would be to help build resistance and therefore strength to the muscles. The other was exercise developed by a nun, Sister Kenny. I believe the later is the approach that I received. I remember a hand and leg bar set up on pulleys with weights that I would utilize throughout the day to move my affected limbs. There were also continuous doses of penicillin given at various times during the day and night, all in my rear end.

My brother honed his social skills organizing wheelchair races down the hall. My sister was on a different floor. There were iron lungs, wheelchairs, braces, crutches and everything you can imagine for the many children in various states of paralysis. I was fitted for a brace and used it for a bit. It could have been days or weeks. Miraculously all three of us recovered over time with no remnants of the paralysis. I have had some weakness on my left side but that's about it.

The town in effect was under quarantine. The beaches were closed. Municipal pools were closed. Public congregation was discouraged. No one knew where this awful disease was coming from but it was targeting the children of many communities. There was certainly fear. I was too young to understand or even remember the conversations and political discussions that must have taken place. Along the boardwalk there were two or three municipal pools where we had always swam as kids. I never understood why there were pools built right on the ocean but there they were. I remember some talk of the virus being transmitted at the pools. My mother had her own theory. She was convinced we got the virus from flies that had been very prevalent that summer. I'm sure the CDC would appreciate her input and insights today.

The point is, it was a mess and people were fearful. They depended on their doctors and nurses to help them and to provide them with the best information available. But people were scared. Kids were segregated and separated. Families stayed in homes looking for the smallest indication of the illness appearing. I wasn't a part of those conversations but I know they took place in addition to the rumor mills and news stories.

In the end science did win out. People received treatments of various kinds and Salk's vaccine came online. Many people though weren't as lucky as me and their paralysis remained.  Others died. Families struggled. We should learn.