August1991

"Bury the dead and move on." WTF? Stalin: One death is a tragedy, 1000 deaths is a statistic. == Climate change? It still exists. And why should my older uncle needlessly die? Why should my friend who suffers from asthma die?

It matters because this virus may require collective effort to control/mitigate. Small societies/states (eg. Iceland) may fair/manage better than large societies/states (eg. Han China).

Precisely. And this is the secret of the US Constitution. To foreigners, you are all "Americans". But to yourselves, you live in counties, with Sheriffs. Heck, you live in States. ==== b_c, you know all this about your federal state. Foreigners don't. Heck, as a Canadian I barely understand how you guys vote. ===== You guys have created a wonderful place of civilized, independent states where the individual is protected. I have always favoured the 10th amendment.

b_c, Indeed, this is my point. Around America,/Canada we are seeing governments/States drawing lines/borders.

It is not barriers. I am simply describing the nature of your Constitution. Sovereign states. We copied you. ===== Good point though. If you screw up, you guys have no one to ask for help. Catholics can ask for the Pope; English Canadians can ask for the Crown. But what do you Americans do?

Three days ago: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/03/28/23-states-shut-down-and-counting-state-by-state-travel-restrictions/#28beaa6758f4 What I admire (irony) about this link is that Forbes' lists restrictions by State! B_C, you (and Forbes) don't appreciate your great strength!

B_C, I reckon that you are in denial. Let's see what happens elsewhere in America - unless states shutdown contact.

B-C, you know as well as I do that Katrina was a Dem take down of Bush Jnr. This calamity is different. ====== When Americans get through this, they may thank their individual state/county officials. The federal government? President?

IMHO, the great force of America is that it is not a single country. In fact, it is many states organised together. These independent states will defend America against this virus.

Wow, reading through this thread, I must have had a few Scotches before posting! No harm meant to anyone.

Tdot, disagree. My point is that this virus is like a war. But to fight this war, it requires collective effort. (After the 1930s, in 1941, Americans worked collectively.) America is not a country based on collective effort. ==== The writers of the US Constitution wrote a remarkable document. But in the 1700s, they could not understand the importance of an independent Central Bank. True, they included the possibility of amendments. But such an amendment is impossible now.

Rue, blah-blah-blah. You miss my basic point. Canada is a civilised country because people from the majority (however defined) are willing to vote for someone from the minority (however defined). We did it in 1892 when Protestants chose Thompson (a Roman Catholic) as leader, then Prime Minister. We did it in 2008 when Quebecers chose Harper (an anglophone) when offered a a francophone alternative.

I wonder how individual Americans will co-operate now. And this made me think about how individual Americans chose to work together in 1860. ==== I reckon the South worked better together than the North.

Unlike China, America is a federal state. As Churchill described India - it is a geographic place, like the equator.

Canada = Roman Catholic Joe Clark? RC. Brian Mulroney? RC John Turner? RC. It is hard in Canada to become a federal PM unless you are Roman Catholic. America? Only one, single, unique RC president : JFK - among 40 or so. ====== But here's my general take on all this: It is not whether Black people vote for a Black guy, a Roman Catholic for a Protestant. My take? When given the choice- people vote for the other guy, someone other than their "identity". In federal Canada,, we've been doing this since 1892 when Thompson became our federal PM. (No one knows the name.) Heck, the first PM of Ontario was Roman Catholic. ===== If Joe Biden becomes a US President, he will be the second Catholic president. Our first Catholic PM dates from 1892.