Each week, we take a look at our archives for boosts to propel you into the weekend.
What happens next?
Today, as usual, I woke up in the predawn darkness to diligently blog and saw “the news”: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump contracted the coronavirus. Many people had already spun out, spewing a slew of predictions, fears, jokes, sorrows, prayers, and vague twitches—both online and I am sure in random half-sentences in homes across these United States. All of that boggled my brain. So I read this Barefoot Contessa profile. It’s nice.
Then I started to wonder what I’d want the president to read right now from our archives, as he, potentially, finally—if he is the narcissist I believe him to be—is grappling with the implications of the coronavirus.
It was pretty obvious. I think he should read our fantastic Pandemic-Proofing America series. It’s not what will happen next, but it lays out many things that should happen.
This is good news: It’s clear that experts have ideas. And it is clear that, in another world (or another country, under another administration), there are—and were—ways to combat this virus. Would the solutions have been perfect? No. But we can prepare for the next. Sorry to sound like a hopeful hack, but that’s pretty fantastic news. I, and I’m sure others, have moments of pure nihilism. It’s important to remember that all this death is not required.
Start with Andy Slavitt and the three things we need to do for next time, and keep reading all of them.
