I rode the train to Florence today. I wore my surgical mask and sat only in the designated seats. I walked the streets of Florence today, ate lunch in Florence, bought tea in Florence, visited the Ceccherini music store in Florence, and got back on the train and came home to Castiglion Fiorentino.
Then I watched CNN. And I am appalled. I am appalled at America’s failure to contain this pandemic. And by contrast, I admire the Italians. As an American who has lived through Italy’s tragic pandemic and endured months of strict stay-at-home orders, I have watched this nation of Italy respond unevenly to the shock of Covid-19.
God knows Italians are not by nature rule-followers. They are not stay-at-home people. They don’t respond well to being told what to do. They are geniuses at finding a clever way around any perceived rule they don’t like. And yet they have done an amazing thing in response to the pandemic.
They have done what is necessary and they have done it like adults. The seriousness with which Italians have responded to this crisis, once they grasped the reality of it, is heartening and admirable. They have made sacrifices. We, all of us in this little town of Castiglion Fiorentino, have made sacrifices. People are losing their businesses, their livelihoods, their incomes. But they are wearing masks and social distancing and that is saving lives, the lives of parents, grandparents, uncles, cousins, townspeople, butchers, baristas, cabinetmakers, welders, blacksmiths, drivers. Italians are doing what they must to save the lives of their fellow citizens. They may not like doing it but they do it and it is saving lives.
By contrast, my heart aches for my people, the American people, as I watch the historic disaster of America’s covid-19 response. Many Americans seem to be acting like children. They want their “freedom.” That means endangering the lives of others by not wearing a life-saving surgical mask and not following physical distancing protocols. I love rule-breakers but I do not love cruel selfish stupidity that endangers innocent people.
So I’m angry and I’m sad and I’m glad I’m in Italy. I trust that my American friends, those in my tribe, are all doing what is necessary and taking this seriously — fellow writers, workers, readers, etc.
But many Americans are confused by what the president and his party are saying. So to those fellow Americans, if any are reading this, I would urge you to put aside any bias or animus you may have toward elites and experts and recognize that in this case, you need the experts.
Just like liberal ex-hippies sometimes need the police. There are times when they’re the only people who can get the job done. The same is true of elites in the world of science and medicine. In this situation, they’re the only ones who can get the job done.
So I implore you, if you are confused by conflicting messages, if you’re tempted to say the Covid-19 pandemic is some kind of hoax or overblown little flu-like thing, listen to the experts. Listen to them. They know what they’re talking about. They can save lives. Listen to them. Pay attention to how many people are dying. Think of all the lives that can be saved. Your behavior influences others. We watch each other. If I see you wearing a mask, then I remember to wear my mask. So wear your fucking mask, OK?
That’s all. Just had to get that off my chest. Human life is precious. You can do some simple things to help save lives. I hope you do so.
Perfecta Cary. Grazie’ mille.
I’m ambivalent about following these rules. I am living in France.
I’m ambivalent about following these rules, because it is evident to me that there is currently an authority problem in the Western World.
This is logical. The more… “democratic” we become, the less we individually accept authority. It appears illegitimate to us, because the more democratic a system is, the less authority is lodged in particular people, or even classes/castes of people but… in the MASS of “thepeople” themselves.
This is why democracy is not a system of governance with no drawbacks, and why it regularly collapses to usher in authoritarian forms of government. People get tired of not knowing whom to believe… and they know that in order to live, you have to believe… somebody. But.. WHO ??
Over the course of the twentieth century, medicine changed a lot, and it radically changed camps : from being an art, it became.. a science.
Modern medicine, like almost everything modern, has become a system whereby a caste of experts treat… illness, and not people, and tell people what to think, actually while taking little into account an individual patient’s personal history, thoughts, feelings. Modern medicine doesn’t have TIME to treat patients…
Modern medecine has become a place where a conflict has developed between those who “know” and have power, and those who don’t know… and who are subtly devalued… and despised.
And modern society has become a place where the experts…. have a lot of power, and THINK THEY HAVE A LOT OF POWER AND IT’S ALL FOR OUR WELFARE, and.. well, like it always happens, power goes to people’s heads. It corrupts, as we say.
The worst thing is, power corrupts even people with the best intentions. It’s not necessarily easy to see where this corruption is, but it is there.
Several years ago, my newborn had serious health problems, and I put her in the hands of.. the experts, because I trusted them, and I didn’t know what else to do, and I couldn’t get by on my own.
BUT BUT BUT… science is a place where science is done by people with conflicting points of view on the world. It is not a place where people are going to agree on ANY ONE TRUTH, and the experts did not agree about my child, either. I found somebody who took my observations, my way of living, and my relationship with my child into account AND.. I believed that that person was the best person to help me in the critical situation. And we got through.
In France, the corona virus epidemic was presented to us as a war, and we were called upon to form a kind of sacred unity against it. I would rather be united… for/against other things right now than this virus.
There are so many of us on this planet right now that it is becoming devilishly difficult, mind-bogglingly difficult, to try to imagine all those numbers being INDIVIDUAL SOULS, let alone “brothers”.
That is putting… a terrific strain on us. Some people may think that they are doing just fine at this. Many times these people have an easier time feeling a brother to somebody who lives a long ways away, and is an idea in their heads, than their next door neighbour.
I believe that we have gone overboard on saving lives, too (including mine…).
I believe that our heroics mask our terrible fear of suffering, and dying. Logical.
But… that is part of the human condition, and all our medical/scientific expertise is not going to take that away.
Lots of complicated stuff going on right now… It’s hard to tell what to think/believe, or how to act.
Some of the scientific people who I trust, whose authority I trust, tell me that we have been basing our political decisions on research which is less rigorous than several years ago. Logical. We are doing everything so fast these days that that is not conducive to thinking well. Credo.
But it is interesting to know that etymologically the word “obey” is related to the word “listen”.
You can’t do one without the other. I haven’t noticed that we are very good at listening these days… nor at obeying…
Response to the pandemic falls along red and blue lines. States with Democratic governors like mine have ironically followed the White House’s strategy back when Dr. Fauci was actually seen in public and had a platform for information. Our state shut down tightly in the beginning. Only essential services were open and followed strict rules, Phase 1. I didn’t leave my house or have anyone in it for over two months. My daughter left groceries in my garage or at the front door and I waved to my grandsons in their car in the street. We are prepared to enter stage 4. Limited indoor restaurant seating. Gathering limits raised to fifty people from ten at phase 3. Contrast that with the red state just across the river to our west. Never shut down at all. The major city and county right at the border went to court to assert their right to control their health and they did shut down in a fashion but for a shorter period of time. They are ‘open’ now. The lack of actual leadership has killed thousands of Americans. We’ve paid a terrible price for electing a TV celebrity to the presidency.
I live in Canada and nothing bothers me more thsn when I shop at a story and most shoppers are not wearing a mask. I think you are right until people realize the virus on the loose suffocates you slowly, things won’t change.I think it’s terrible that trump has politicized the Corona virus and medical people. When he’s sick who does he run to.
Amen, Cary.
You made a great decision to live in Italy. Hope your words hit their targets and sink in.
I’m afraid there are a variety of reasons for why America is failing to contain this thing. The obvious one would be the lack of a competent leader, who instead of uniting the country to defeat this together, has put the public, the states, and the experts at odds with one another. Then there is the vast media landscape, full of conflicting messages and actual misinformation. Many people are pointing to the lack of faith in science as well, as a result of poor education. I also think American individualism has led so many people to think that they don’t have to think about the effect that their actions have on other people. And so many people think they know better than the experts. Something I’ve been hearing is that so many doctors (especially older ones) are reluctant or refusing to adhere to social distancing because they think the rules don’t apply to them. I have been very disappointed by the actions and attitudes of people I know who I considered to be intelligent. It is so disheartening to hear people quoted in the news saying that this is some kind of conspiracy because they don’t personally know anyone who has died or gotten sick. I guess this also points to the splintering of this country, where people are subject to such different realities.
It’s going to be a long year.
Very wall said Cousin Cary.
Thank you Cary for sharing your views! This is the best frigging thing I’ve read on the subject of Corona virus, and I’ve read a hell of a lot about it these last few months. If I had my way, your comments would be all over the news media. More power to you!
It is confusing and confounding. I wish I could leave this country and would if I had the funds to do it.
Just want you to know my partner and I are following all the rules. Probably so do most friends for the most part. The thing that makes this all so weird is that I don’t know anyone who has been confirmed as having or having had Covid. I don’t know anyone who knows anyone. My naturopath doesn’t know anyone or anyone who knows anyone. There isn’t one post in my Facebook newsfeed (over 500 Facebook friends) that has stated that they are or have been confirmed with Covid. There are no pictures in the media that graphically depict people sick with Covid. And only a few accounts by recovered people.
So we wear our masks, wash the fresh groceries in double gloves, quarantine all else for 12 days in the shed, including magazines and mail, and afterwards dump or clothes in the c washer and take a shower. But there is an unreal quality to all this. It *feels* like a hoax. It’s deeply confusing.
Do you personally know anyone who was confirmed with Covid? Have you been an eyewitness to Covid?
Hi Henry, I am in Australia and I am one of those people who at first thought it was just the flu and people were overreacting. I quickly learned that wasn’t the case. We have been lucky here because our leaders have acted sensibly and told us clearly what was going on. New Zealand locked down their borders immediately and then ended up with no cases at all after seeing them multiply quickly. If you think about it for a minute the whole world would have to be in on it if it was a “hoax”. What would be the point in that? You’re so lucky you don’t know anyone personally who has contracted this terrible virus, but it’s funny how Australia got a taste early on how people contract it when both Tom Hanks and his wife got sick while visiting here. It was actually a bit of a wake up call for everyone. So continue to do the right thing as you are and hopefully you and everyone you know will avoid it. And you will stop others from catching it.
Cary, well said as usual. I know a couple of Italians here who have gone through agonies as they watched their country being taken over by this virus. I’m so glad to know they’re following the rules now.
Hi Henry,
I am glad to hear you are being safe for yourself and for others despite not knowing anyone who has the virus. I am sad to hear that people trust the news so little that they must be personally affected before they believe it. If everyone knew someone, it would truly be too late. I’m curious: what would make you believe what is going on? Are the photos not enough? I personally didn’t know anyone fighting in Afghanistan, but I believed the war was happening and that people were dying over there. I didn’t know anyone who died on 9-11, but I believed that happened as well. Then again, I may be an anomaly because I studied journalism and I am careful about the news sources I trust.
Stay well and stay safe.
Hi Henry,
I live in a rural county with a relatively small population, and for a while, the numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were very low. But they’ve been rising. A few among us have been running around feeling invincible, and perhaps some have simply been unable to understand the science, or the concept that doing their part would save lives. And I suspect that some folks simply didn’t care who they killed, just as long as they could continue their heedless way of life with no added inconvenience imposed upon them by a damned virus. But our numbers have risen, and despite a pretty good period where we kept the curve flattish, we’ve recently has a spike in cases, which means that in a while we will also see a spike in deaths. For a while, I didn’t know anyone who had been personally affected, but then an elderly member of our local Quaker meeting got the virus and died. His son couldn’t visit him while he was in the hospital, on the way to his death. How utterly sad. I read the reports from doctors in Italy when the cases were overwhelming their capacity to cope (the definition of trauma) and they were heart-rending. I don’t think doctors around the world would make up stories like this to support a hoax. Medical people all over have been traumatized by the impossible decisions they’ve had to make for hours every day as the number of serious cases spike in their hospitals. Who lives, who dies, who gets the limited number of beds and ventilators, who doesn’t, and must be left to die in agony without succor? Ah, the fear of it had me feeling like a heart attack had hit, and later, the loneliness from isolation, touch deprived to a terrible degree, relieved only by my cat, bless his furry body and soul. Yesterday, I learned that a family member of a friend has tested positive. Another friend, who does contact tracing — who, by the way, tends to look exhausted in the zoom meetings we both attend every week — well, she will probably be tracing all the contacts encountered by this new case, this friend’s relative, and all those who encountered them. And so, this one case may become 15 in short order, which could bloom out to ninety in another little while. I hope not, and my numbers are just examples, but the math of this virus can be terrible, if people don’t wear masks, keep distance, and wash their hands. I’ve been trying to read science-based articles, and recently saw this excellent presentation by a scientist who’s been keeping up with the research on the virus and what we know so far. I think you will feel reassured and can maybe relax some of your protocols around groceries, while also feeling good about the fact that you have been saving lives through your actions, by exercising an abundance of caution. I thank you for being prosocial in the face of the stressful uncertainty. I wish more people could be like you that way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVNG5cDL__U
Thank you Cary! It can’t be said too often, and you say it well.
Bravissimo!
Bravo, teach!