Despite all the controversy surrounding Covid-19 and the pandemic that was unleashed upon the world one thing is accepted as rock solid truth, those with underlying health issues have the greatest risk of dying from the disease. They are the vulnerable and must be protected. Beyond that nothing about the disease can be considered settled science. The major takeaway is that when it comes to our health, co-morbidities are life threatening and should be avoided where possible, treated when not. Not exactly an earth shaking revelation.

Also not an earth shaking revelation, our body politic can succumb to political co-morbidities, both organic and those manmade. Examples of organic co-morbidity in politics might be the unintended consequences of poorly crafted laws. For instance, in the early days of railroading several states enacted laws that said when two trains meet at a crossing they both must stop and neither shall proceed until the other had passed. Had such laws been enforced as written the abandoned trains would have soon clogged systems all across the nation. Legislative bodies do not always employ common sense when crafting the rules that control our lives and this can result in political co-morbidities that endanger the health of the nation.

As we enter into the 11th month of the current administration the co-morbidities, whether organic or contrived, are piling up at a rapid pace and now threaten to destroy the system of governance that has made America the envy of the world for over two hundred years.

Some say the laundry list of political, military and judicial debacles currently inflicting us result from stupidity and/or malfeasance in office, others that they are the fruit of well crafted and carefully considered plans to “fundamentally change America.” No matter which viewpoint is true, the bottom line is that if we continue on the current trajectory the country will be fundamentally changed and the results of that change, as so far evidenced, are not encouraging.

Take any aspect of life today and compare it with the same thing just a short 18 months ago. Barring the unrest that was purposely fomented by factions opposed to the Trump administration, the country was doing pretty darned good. Full employment, energy independence, controlled immigration and the America First agenda all seemed to be working out well.

The only malcontents were the “Hate America” crowd and now they hold the reins of power and will do anything, literally anything, to keep that power. In his poem, “Second Coming,” W. B. Yeats has the line, “The best lack all conviction while the worst are filled with passionate intensity.” These words sum up the juxtaposition of the Conservatives versus the Progressives. Lacking all conviction we endure, and hope “someone” will come along to fix things for us.

We allowed the enemies of democracy and of the free market system to come to power and aided by turncoats in the conservative ranks, they created the political co-morbidities that are, like a cancer, eating away at the fabric of our nation and our way of life. Folks, this isn’t a spectator sport. We cannot just sit idly by and continue to abide this new system of government, based on mushroom farming, wherein they keep us in the dark, covered with bull manure.

The ball is in our court. Either we return the serve or we forfeit the game.