The quest for an explanation of the cause and severity of the coronavirus crisis is to find a target of blame. The exercise of blaming is rarely a neutral or objective act. Most narratives of blame are strongly influenced by their authors’ previous likes and dislikes. Many are trying to associate the pandemic and its tragic consequences with the behavior of their political opponents, especially in a presidential election year. With increasing fatalities and the economy collapsing, finger pointing is in full bloom. Never mind that not all the blame in the world will save a single life or create a job. The game must go on because politics is ultimately a zero-sum affair.
There is plenty of blame to go around. Blame Trump and his administration. Blame Congress. Blame the CDC. Blame the WHO. Blame China. Blame the Wuhan wet markets. Blame the spring breakers. Blame the cruise industry. Blame the media including Fox News and CNN. Blame the governors and mayors. Blame the virus gain-of-function researchers. They all deserve it. It is probably fair to blame everyone who contributed to this widespread system failure. There is no one scapegoat. The virus defies neat blame just as easily as it defies borders. Clearly, few people in public life will emerge unscathed from the blame game if we ask everyone the same difficult questions: What did you know, when did you know it and what did you do about it? We would all do well to remember that blaming someone for a crisis is not the same as overcoming it. Mutual destruction is neither required nor desirable, and there is a better option. We can just skip the blame game for now and work together to help the USA get through this worst of times.
Our country has always banded together to defeat a common enemy. Patriotic Americans have repeatedly put aside personal opinions and feelings for the common good. In wartime and peace, we have united and put the full force of the nation behind a fight for our mutual security, safety and survival. The enduring spirit of our people and with the help of Almighty God will bring us through this crisis as well!
