The attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 will be forever remembered. It will be in history books (already are in some). It is probably the largest terrorist attack ever executed, and we all hope and pray that such a tragic atrocity never happens again. However, what if I told you it has?
Of course, this pandemic has occurred over several months. This somehow lowers the level of tragedy associated with the 195,017 people in the United States who have lost their lives to the coronavirus, especially compared to 2,977 who died suddenly at the hands of terrorists.
The attacks brought Americans together to help one another. The 9/11 boatlift is a great example of this. Firefighters, EMS, and police all stopped to help, all hands on deck, from far and wide. Where is this in 2020? We’ve collectively gone from selfishly hoarding toilet paper to caring about other people and shaming anyone who doesn’t wear a mask. (That video also shows how masks affect your ability to hear someone.)
As with 9/11, there are many conspiracy theories concerning coronavirus. In the case of the Twin Towers, the prevailing theory is that George Bush was responsible for the attacks. In the case of 2020, it’s that the Chinese wanted to hurt our governments, destroy our economies, and prove our reliance to them. Whether or not these theories are true, their “expected” outcome has happened: Bush was hailed as a hero, and we now understand just how reliant on China we are.
2020 has brought other calamities as well, and several potential hurricanes are brewing in the Atlantic. (I’ve got my eye on Twenty right now, and if it becomes a threat to the southeastern US coast, it’ll be right here on Misintelligence.) Threats of World War III and locust plagues have occurred, as has an uncommon earthquake in North Carolina, and several other unusual natural events, such as tornadoes in Pennsylvania (apparently), drastic changes in temperature in the Midwest, and an unusually strong fire season in California.
That’s not to say that it can’t get any worse; it certainly can, and as the saying goes, every time you say it can’t get worse, it does.