Frank's Musings

 What can one do but scream “0h, the humanity!” COVID-19 reminds us that tragedy is inevitable. It will always lead us to finding ways to mitigate it , but we will not obviate it.

We believe we’re getting smarter as time passes but we also foolishly believe that the world becomes more hospitable as a result. Unfortunately, because of humanity’s resistance to adapting the natural world, or genetically modifying it we allow it to evolve on its own.  As a consequence of that humility, we enjoy the benefits of nature only by continuing to be subject to unpredictable catastrophes, such as novel global pandemics.

The current miserable situation in India, like in the U.S. and Brazil, illustrates the danger that a society risks by shirking its responsibility to prepare for unforeseen disasters.  Although the mortality rate from COVID-19 in the U.S. has risen to the highest per capita level in the world, the country has fortunately started to recede from that leading position because of witless luck and a strong late surge of determination.  India and Brazil, for example, are only late in matching and surely surpassing the toll of disease and death sustained by America. 

The real question now is whether these countries and the rest of the world will reform their public health infrastructure in recognition that despite the advance of human knowledge and skill, we still live in and are part of a world governed by a heartless Mother Nature.