TO SAY WE’RE THE BEST PREPARED ISN’T TO SAY WE WERE WELL PREPARED, OF COURSE: U.S. rated No. 1 in the world for disaster readiness by Global Health Security Index: Johns Hopkins University source rates 195 nations. “The U.S. has a Global Health Security Index score that was 83.5 out of a possible 100 — the highest ranking in the analysis. Britain placed second with a score of 77.9, Netherlands third at 75.6., Australia fourth at 75.5 and Canada fifth at 75.3.”

I think it’s also worth pointing out that we’re not very good at preparing for things that happen every hundred years. The last comparable event was in 1918. So we pay people to prepare, but it’s like an army that hasn’t fought a war in a while — they go through the motions, but then have to learn on the job when something actually happens. I’ve been very critical of the CDC and the FDA for getting in the way, but nobody has a fire brigade ready to go for something that happens less than once in a lifetime.

UPDATE: A friend texts:

Agreed re fire brigade and once in a lifetime.

Though in fairness, when it comes to beating up the health authorities, we’ve become more sophisticated in the last 100 years — or thought we had.

It wasn’t like we didn’t have warnings. It isn’t like they weren’t wasting resources on nonsense and ignoring timely advice to restock essential supplies.

So fuck them, for failing to be prepared.

They had one job. To ward off disease. And they were fucking around with video games and diversity bullshit.
Six figure salaries. And they played fuck-around

Excuse me. I meant to say, six figure salaries and fat pensions. And they played fuck around. And after this is over, they’ll go back to fuck around.

That does seem likely.