Dilly Dallying

THE GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA, a Republican, and Donald Trump, allegedly a Republican, took some time away from work to engage in a playful game of viral "hot potato". Making lemonade of lemons, so to speak. The apparent object was to see who would end up with the responsibility of deciding whether to quarantine or to not quarantine the tens of millions of susceptible people who live in the sunshine state. The winner would evidently be determined by which alleged political leader could evade responsibility the longest. Back and forth went the viral potato, until finally, mercifully, the governor made the decision he should have made weeks ago: to order people to stay home other than leaving home for necessary errands. The timing was convenient for tens of thousands of partying spring breakers, whose march madness on the beaches, large crowds clustered closely together frolicking in the sun, went unhindered and unchecked by mere medical concerns. The college students, and whatever viruses they happened to be carrying with them, were thus free to scatter all across the fruited plain, to go back to their respective college campuses, and spread the contagion. This is in stark contrast to China, where it all began, and where it has ended, the epidemic firmly under control. They nipped it in the bud. they built a huge, new, fully equipped hospital in less than two weeks. In the United States, it is difficult to imagine something like this being done in less than two years. One can scarcely imagine any provincial governor in China passing responsibility back and forth with the central government in Beijing, each claiming the other was responsible. Donald trump and governor Desantis, each abrogating responsibility, each passing the buck, the governor waiting for guidance from Washington, Trump insisting that the states should decide, while tens of thousands of people, not taking the situation seriously, congregated at will spreading and sharing their infections. Another one of those priceless "only in America" situations.