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> It really does feel, maybe for the first time (for me,) that the divide between those that can take advantage of this situation and those that cannot has grow

> It really does feel, maybe for the first time (for me,) that the divide between those that can take advantage of this situation and those that cannot has grown into an insurmountable chasm. I 100% feel this. One of the most acutely tragic aspects of this pandemic is that it dramatically amplifies the inequalities already present. Other natural disasters—wars, hurricanes, etc.—destroy physical objects. That effectively increases equality because it is most harmful to those that have the most capital. This pandemic leaves everyone's possessions and wealth alone and cuts off your ability to work. The people most likely to get it are those who don't have the wealth and power to insulate themselves from risk. And they are the ones least likely to have the healthcare required to survive. It is a horrible, horrible tragedy. At the same time, I try not to think of this as insurmountable. Everything good about our current society was created by people living in a world less just than the one we have today. It was the people living in a United States where Blacks were enslaved who emancipated them. It was men who legally had all the power that finally granted women suffrage. There will be many casualties and many people who don't get to experience better days. But at the national level, I have faith that we can overcome this and end up better than we are today.

austinheap 6y ago
> This pandemic leaves everyone's possessions and wealth alone and cuts off your ability to work. The people most likely to get it are those who don't have the wealth and power to insulate themselves from risk. And they are the ones least likely to have the healthcare required to survive. This is the most astute articulation of the problem I’ve seen. Well done internet person!
danaris 6y ago
> It is a horrible, horrible tragedy. A tragedy is something no one could have prevented. This is outright cruelty, bordering on genocide (particularly given the ways predominantly-black and native communities have been treated during the pandemic). This was foreseeable and preventable, and the group that is to blame for it is glaringly obvious.
- munificent 6y ago
  The pandemic is a tragedy. The US federal government's response is a crime. It's very much like Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane didn't kill thousands of New Orleanians. Almost all of them were alive after the hurricane had passed. It was the local and larger government's failure to handle it that led to such a widespread disaster.

austinheap 6y ago

> This pandemic leaves everyone's possessions and wealth alone and cuts off your ability to work. The people most likely to get it are those who don't have the wealth and power to insulate themselves from risk. And they are the ones least likely to have the healthcare required to survive. This is the most astute articulation of the problem I’ve seen. Well done internet person!

danaris 6y ago

> It is a horrible, horrible tragedy. A tragedy is something no one could have prevented. This is outright cruelty, bordering on genocide (particularly given the ways predominantly-black and native communities have been treated during the pandemic). This was foreseeable and preventable, and the group that is to blame for it is glaringly obvious.

munificent 6y ago
The pandemic is a tragedy. The US federal government's response is a crime. It's very much like Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane didn't kill thousands of New Orleanians. Almost all of them were alive after the hurricane had passed. It was the local and larger government's failure to handle it that led to such a widespread disaster.