#there was plenty of research showing that we were overdue for another global pandemic

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

"unprecedented times" these times were completely precedented and also the completely predictable consequence of our deeply broken sociopolitical systems

#serious post #'unprecedented times' i'm about to unprecedent YOU #this was both preventable but also inevitable #in that we could have prevented it by making changes #and the fact we refused to make those changes made it inevitable #i say 'we' but obviously i mean the .01% of the population who controls vast amounts of wealth and political influence #aka billionaires and the politicians and lobbyists that cater to them #there was plenty of research showing that we were overdue for another global pandemic #AND that we could use improvements in medical knowledge to contain it before many lives were lost #the global death toll could have been a minuscule fraction of what it was #and many places DID contain it #it was all down to the choices of governments--some governments chose to protect the lives of its citizens #(which is. literally the only job of any government. to protect and improve the quality of lives of its people. the one job.) #and others chose to throw lives into the fire in the name of preserving the economic status quo #can't exploit your workers if they're stuck in quarantine.