Don't ever, ever sell the United States short!
Just when you think we're down for the count, this nation has always risen to the challenge, usually ending up stronger and wiser than before. That's a tribute to the millions of excellent, hard working and intelligent Americans whose individual and collective efforts and initiative make this country tick.
During World War II, American manufacturers put automobiles and appliances on the back burner in favor of building tanks, army trucks, artillery and aircraft. Today, as COVID-19 ravages the globe, hundreds of U.S. companies are producing the products needed to battle the virus.
Quite a few companies including Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, Gap, Joanne Fabrics, Hanes, MyPillow and mattress maker Eclipse International, have shifted their manufacturing to make masks and hospital gowns, and industrial giants including Ford Motor Co., General Motors and 3M are building ventilators and respirators. This is far from an exhaustive list, but you get the picture.
FEMA, other federal agencies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and all four branches of the military have teamed up to supply equipment, hospital ships, logistics assistance and many other goods and services. Officials in the public and private sector are working long hours to respond to the crisis. Major kudos and respect go out to our courageous healthcare providers and first responders. They are true heroes, and deserve our prayers.
Additionally, the generosity of so many American companies and individuals has been apparent. Google donated $800 million to support businesses, organizations and healthcare workers involved in the battle against Coronavirus. Facebook is matching donations to the Centers for Disease Control, up to $10 million per donation.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged to give $100 million to help "strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts; protect at-risk populations; and develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostics." The list of contributing corporations and foundations is lengthy.
Many celebrities in the entertainment business and pro sports have donated to charities providing relief to Coronavirus sufferers and their families. These include Drew Brees, a quarterback with the NFL's New Oreans Saints, who donated $5 million. And the list goes on.
Congress and President Trump managed to approve over $2 trillion of spending to keep the economy going, help individuals whose livelihoods have been devastated by the economic shutdown, and help prevent small businesses from going under. Most people realize that the massive bill contains plenty of pork and unrelated spending, but that's the price we have to pay to implement immediate relief.
I wish that the stimulus checks to be sent out were much larger, targeted toward lower incomes and would not be sent to the tens of millions of Americans who simply don't need the money. It would also be preferable that the added unemployment benefits would not serve as a disincentive to work, but nothing and nobody is perfect. Our nation already had record low unemployment, and employers were having a hard time finding workers. Now, they'll have an even more difficult time filling empty positions because many people won't be motivated to work for less money than they can get through collecting unemployment compensation.
We are probably a couple months away from this plague reaching its apex, and no one really knows how many Americans will be affected. We've ramped up testing, which undoubtedly contributed to our nation taking over the No. 1 spot for most COVID-19 cases in the world. (And let's not forget that China is most likely underreporting its COVID-19 morbidity rate by a country mile.)
There is the potential for the polarization that has made American politics such a crock of bile to get even worse... IF we allow the media jackals to stir the pot and antagonize both sides for the sake of firing up ratings. Don't think for a second they won't do it. But it's also possible that millions of Americans will rise above the petty swamp and demonstrate a magnanimity they never knew they had.
Meanwhile, the TV networks and major websites are enduring a bitter paradox: Their reporters, anchors, content editors and producers are putting in longer hours with the stepped up coverage of this crisis. Normally, this would mean a significant boost in commercial revenues. But the companies that typically purchase that commercial time and those digital ads are in many cases struggling and will be forced to cut advertising and marketing budgets.
Like so many other new realities, this one is largely unprecedented. Also like so much of the calamity befalling us, we'll get through. Because, after all, we're Americans.
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