Webb: Coronavirus is not the only pandemic

The world is hyperfocused on coronavirus, but it is not the only plague attacking the planet.

The global outbreak of the coronavirus drives the hyperactive recognition and response of the global population, but the principle of affecting an entire nation or the globe and when applied by the number affected plus mortality rate applies to other current crises. Whether caused by nature or man, these crises have major deleterious effects on societies.

Take for example the tragedy that plays out daily in Venezuela. This is the result of a modern-day form of communism that has resulted in a cultural and medical crisis.

Another tragedy plays out daily on the African continent in the form of mass hunger, tribal warfare and the destruction of nations under Muslim theocratic dictatorships.

From Mexico down to Central and South America the daily plague is the illegal drug cartels that have destroyed cities, rural areas, lives and in some cases countries. We should be dealing with them the way we deal with a virus.

Deaths in many areas of the world due to lack of water, lack of food and sometimes outright famine don’t make the headlines as often. Entire societies are being destroyed as the next generation is unable to mature and manage their lives.

Lack of education gets very little attention, but without education people even in the simplest ways are incapable of managing their communal existence.

Domestically, we have to combat the coronavirus with more than medicine. Proper information is necessary. It’s also OK to not know in an ever evolving situation.

New York state is the epicenter and even as the tragedies grow, so does our education on how to combat this outbreak.

Politicians playing politics in Washington, D.C., with our health, lives and our economic health is no surprise but this time it’s downright despicable of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the Democrats. I’ll be fair and say not every Democrat is on board with this, but let’s look at some of the items included in their relief bill.

Pelosi included in the bill: Wind and solar tax credits, reduction in airline emissions, elimination of U.S. Postal Service debt to the Treasury Department, $35 million to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and I’m still scratching my head over creating a digital currency.

It’s not that many in the Democrat Party leadership in Washington are tone deaf, it’s that in all too many cases, they just don’t care. For years I’ve reminded you on radio, television and in this newspaper that it is the political class versus the rest of us. We have an elected oligarchy that sees us as a path to their enrichment and we are simply serfs with the vote. We matter when we vote the way they need us and we are pawns for their goals when we do not.

Disgusted yet? This is not just Washington, D.C., but at the state level there are plenty of examples. In New Jersey, for instance, if you cannot prove residency in the state you cannot get a coronavirus test. One of the largest groups that lacks identification is the illegal alien population. This isn’t about fear but reality. Imagine if the coronavirus, which is difficult to spread, catches and spreads in that segment of the state’s population or anywhere across the country.

Some things that are being omitted and what you hear matter. Many in the media have failed to inform you with a greater range of available information. Very little discussion is held or headlines printed about recovery rates. In New York state I’m told by a high-level source close to Albany that they are not reporting discharge rates for those that are tested, infected, recovered and released. It seems logical that that number should be included in the reporting.

I’ve asked the question is it time to get America back to work and we can begin with targeted geographic areas, business sectors of our economy, especially the essentials. Assessments can be made based on necessary safety practices and blanket declarations by the state or federal government can’t cover all the nuances.

We are closer to the end of the 15-day to slow the spread strategy. This was a prudent decision by the Trump administration. These are difficult decisions but there is a greater risk if the so-called cure is greater than the disease. This is where we must watch, not rely on Washington, D.C. Targeted stimulus to areas like small businesses that employ roughly half of the American workforce is understandable. The return of investment is in their resurgence after the coronavirus is brought under control.

Tragically, as we have seen, Americans will continue to die from the coronavirus. Most who get sick will recover. Most who are tested, as the data has begun to demonstrate in New York City, test negative. Those who test positive recover at a higher rate and a small percentage succumb and die, usually tied to other underlying medical issues.

Every life matters, but if we destabilize our economy and our country because of overreaction and the unwillingness to risk pushing the envelope reasonably toward a return to normal, then the Washington-based stimulus cure and its long-term effects will be worse than coronavirus.

Webb is host of “The David Webb Show” on SiriusXM Patriot 125, host of “Reality Check with David Webb” on Fox Nation, a Fox News contributor and a frequent television commentator. His column appears twice a month in The Hill.