The philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
As the nation remains in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lingering question is what did we learn from the 18 months long pandemic of 1918, which took the lives of approximately 650,000 Americans.
Whether prohibiting large gatherings, social distancing, wearing masks, economic travail, the issues faced today were faced by America during the 1918 pandemic.
Downplaying the disease in 1918, despite scientific calls for social distancing, newspaper editors refused to run articles about large gatherings’ danger. As a result, the city of Philadelphia allowed a march to occur, which drew thousands of people. Four weeks later, twelve thousand Philadelphians were dead of the flu.
Like the President of today, President Wilson downplayed the virus and also contracted the virus. The difference is that President Wilson was concentrating on World War I, while the present President is merely focused on his reelection and image in the public’s eyes.
In 1918, there were efforts to identify ways of battling the disease, including aspirin (which killed some people) while others wore camphor around their necks, whereas during Covid-19, suggestions of using bleach to eradicate the disease were made by the President.
Even naming the virus was an issue as it was erroneously called the Spanish flu even though the first known case was in Kansas.
While most people complied with mandates to wear masks in 1918, some people resisted the idea, including the mayor of San Francisco. Some formed an “Anti-Mask League,” and a security officer shot one person for refusing to wear a mask. It is interesting to note that in 1918 a campaign was created to connect masks with patriotism. This is something that Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden attempted to do.
Because of the war and need for munitions, there was no total economic turndown, although stores, schools, places of worship, and theaters did shut down. The stock market soared 10% in 1918 and 30% in 1919.
Many things are the same when you compare the 1918 pandemic to the coronavirus pandemic today.
One of the lessons to be learned is the importance of clear-headed leadership. A pandemic like any national crisis, whether 911, Pearl Harbor or the Great Depression, requires leadership to console the people, explain the situation, and lay out a plan that will lead the nation out of its predicament.
As former First Lady Michelle Obama said, “being president doesn’t change who you are; it reveals who you are.”
Unfortunately, during this pandemic national leadership is virtually absent.
The reality is that most governors will welcome national leadership during a crisis, even if it’s from a different political party. During the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which occurred during the 2012 presidential campaign, Republican Governor Chris Christie told the Republican nominee Mitt Romney that he did not want photo-ops, but he welcomed President Barack Obama with open arms. His response to Obama concerning the hurricane “The president has been all over this, and he deserves great credit…he gave me his number at the White House and told me to call him if I needed anything” Needless to say, GOP officials roundly criticized Christie.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “we are all caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality.” Nonetheless, at the beginning of this pandemic, troubling signs became apparent. In what can be called themism, many people began to address the pandemic as something that didn’t affect them. Many young people thought it wouldn’t affect them, so they dismissed it. Statements were made about how it did not affect children nor the African-American community. This line of thinking continued with only people with pre-existing conditions being affected. This (it doesn’t affect me )mentality has led to over 217,000 deaths from Covid-19. This notion that it only affects people different from me is reminiscent of the aids epidemic when it was called gay cancer. When it began to seep into the general population, it then caused great concern.
One of the most absurd yet overlooked comments was from New York Post Columnist Miranda Devine when she told Fox News host Dana Perino, “That’s what everybody wants, and I think it’s just incredibly selfish of older people or neurotic people who are timid and afraid and won’t come out of their basement to confine children and young people to miss out on the most important parts of their lives on schooling and the prime of youth. “Her comments are reminiscent of the quietus scenes from the PD James novel “Children of Men.”
These statements move the nation further away from the notion of King’s “inescapable network of mutuality.”
A lot is being said about Covid fatigue. The problem is that while people may be tired of hearing about COVID-19, it has not yet petered out in terms of infecting people. As calls increase for opening up everything despite the virus, plots to kidnap the governors of Michigan and Virginia, the President attacking CDC recommendations and the nation’s top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci is serving to polarize the nation even more. This is on top of the White House considering herd immunity, as suggested by medical advisor Scott Atlas, which would lead to millions of American deaths.
The key to defeating this pandemic is to act according to the John Stuart Mills “Harm Principle,” stating, “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community against his will is to prevent harm to others.” The health of the nation is at risk, and leadership is critical in addressing this crisis.
It’s too early to know the final death toll as the virus seems to be entering a new surge, but if recent events are any indication, there may be a rough road ahead.