Interesting times

I was reminded this week of an old saying that is known alternately as the “Chinese Curse” or sometimes, the “Chamberlain Curse.” As the Chinese Curse, it is believed to be an English translation of an expression found in Chinese literature dating back to the 17th century. As the Chamberlain Curse, it is reported as a horrific misquote of the Chinese phrase by none other than British Statesman Sir Austen Chamberlain. Sir Austen was the brother of the infamous Neville Chamberlain, who blessed Hitler’s annexation of Western Czechoslovakia and will be remembered unfavorably by history as the poster child for the appeasement of dictators.

This, of course, is all parenthetical to the curse translated as, “May you live in interesting times.” That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? It is, however, considered a curse, perhaps even a threat, to be delivered with no small amount of sarcasm. The assumption underlying the phrase is that one’s quality of life is better during conditions of relative peace and tranquility, which by comparison, is not at all interesting.

Friends, it is with that context in mind that I would say that we are living in interesting times.

The several moving parts of the current COVID-19 situation: business, education, transportation, community activities, economics and of course, healthcare, all seem to be tied to the flow of information, which at best, has been incomplete. At worst, it has just been wrong.

On the political left, there seems to be little shame when it comes to leveraging the misfortunes of many to score political points. The tactic is by no means limited to influenza. Whether mass shootings, hurricanes, racially motivated violence or other human tragedy, Rahm Emanuel’s advice, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste,” seems to be fair game.

On the right, the President doesn’t always help himself when trying to present a positive, optimistic outlook on the situation. Biographers tell us that the 1950’s book by Norman Vincent Peale titled, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” was practically a part of the biblical canon in the Fred Trump household, and was readily embraced by son Donald. That philosophy, combined with his tendencies for imprecise language and going off-script often plays directly into the hands of his critics.

The more practiced politicians beneath him suffer from a slightly different challenge. As advocates of fiscal conservatism, they are charged with the responsibility to limit government growth, minimize regulation and cut expenses. In short, it is their job to say “no” to well-intentioned programs. That leaves them open to unending criticism from the left under the best of circumstances...and under the worst, they make mistakes.

One such situation took place in February of 2018. The Centers for Disease Control, under the direction of both Congress and the Trump Administration, cut the budget of a global health security initiative that trained front-line workers for emergency pandemic outbreak response in as many as 49 countries. The plan called for the elimination of countries where the ongoing Ebola outbreaks were currently under control and to focus a smaller basket of resources on ten remaining countries that presented an ongoing threat.

Needless to say, the machinations of government grind slowly and while the tough decisions were made in early 2018, the unwinding of the program was still in motion as the President stood before the cameras and tried to reassure the American that the current influenza crisis was in the hands of capable people. As the President was telling us that he had just gotten off the phone with President Xi who was working diligently on the problem, our foreign offices were being closed. As the President expressed hopes that we caught the problem in time to prevent an outbreak, people were being sent home.

The facts are difficult for anyone to acknowledge, I know that in my family budget, we are frequently required to make choices and to speculate about the future. We plan for what we know will happen, but sometimes we make choices about what might happen. Sometimes we get it wrong. It looks like the administration did too.

The subject came up in a discussion with a friend of mine, and we had a fairly substantial disagreement. My friend believes that the President deliberately lied. The optics were unquestionably bad, but personally, I don’t see a deliberate deception or, for that matter, a disregard for the health and welfare of the American people. I don’t think they could have foreseen current events when the plan was put into play in February of 2018, but yes, I can imagine that they would do that differently if they had the chance.

I have no earthly idea why I would feel it necessary to defend the Orange Man. I didn’t vote for the guy in the 2016 primary, and had the choice in the general been anyone but Hillary, who knows? Tulsi wasn’t around then.

I do know this. I have been a bit jumpy lately. I think we all have. I am concerned about the economy, about the survival of Norris Avenue and that of my family finances. I won’t speak for my friend, but I have reason to believe that he has concerns of his own. We are all feeling a bit of unease right now, and I see it surface from time-to-time. I see it in myself.

I also see good things. Retailers are setting aside hours for senior citizens and high-risk groups. Restaurants are rewriting their business plans and rearranging their storefronts to accommodate new realities. The schools are continuing to offer meals, even in the absence of classes and while the Senior Center continues to reach out to its constituents. Even the public library offers curb service now. It’s inspiring to see how our community has responded, so let’s try to take a breath.

Let’s keep in mind that in the limited resources of our “fight or flight” monkey brains, that stress and anxiety depress our immune systems, reducing our abilities to fend off disease. Let’s lower our guns. Reach out and work together, as I know so many already have, because we live in interesting times.