Corona vs Spanish flu
I don’t know that much about the Spanish flu, mostly what in saw in a documentary on YouTube. But while there are many similarities there are big differences. I’m talking about societies impacts and responses not the flu itself.
The first thing is how we have such an intertwined world now. Back then the spread was thru train travel and ships. Air travel didn’t really exist so it took a little longer to spread. Back then like today there was an effort to ignore and hide the spread fearing the impacts. I think we are going to see a similar failure of the medical system as it’s overwhelmed.
But the thing that struck me is the US government response. The things that the federal government is talking about would be unheard of back then. Specifically the economic response; immediately moving to rescue the financial system. Besides efforts to stabilize financial markets and shore up companies that are impacted, the talk of sending money to individuals to help them out would. Have been unimaginable in the early 20th century. It seems to me all this stuff smacks of socialism. The right wingers are lined up at the trough. They’re willing to allow the federal government to help out citizens as long as their corporate masters receive a much larger helping hand. Why don’t they use the same kind of logic they are famous for when talking about private citizens, let corporations sink or swim as a result of their own actions? As I’ve seen mentioned elsewhere the huge tax cuts they received should have been used to put themselves into a position where they could weather some unforeseen disaster. They’re all for small government till something happens then suddenly they want government intervention. It’s telling that the government’s first response was to rescue the financial system followed by discussions of certain industries and then almost as an after thought to help private citizens. The only reason the rethugs and RW are willing to discuss that is they know there’ll be a huge backlash if they rescue corporations while their citizens are starving.