Crisis

America is in a crisis situation yet, in spite of the need to cope with the killing effects of Covid-19 the Republican Party, one of the two major political parties in America is completely detached from reality.  In addition to a failure to acknowledge the results of the 2020 Presidential election vast numbers of Republicans believe climate change is fake news.  In massive numbers they believe masks to not protect against contagion and social distancing does not work to minimize transmission of disease.  While there may be sound reasons for this dissonance in belief this dissonance is being exploited by numerous Republicans and in some cases for personal gain.  The birth of conspiracy theory did not start with Donald Trump, but Trump has specialized the use of rumor, lie, and outright misinformation in a way unimaginable.  The likelihood fact and reality will prevail in the near future is at best a dream.  The present ignorance of and flaunting of fact will, regardless of who is President in 2021, result in millions continuing to contract Covid-19 and hundreds of thousands to die as a result.  Sadly the pandemic crisis is too entrenched to just disappear and its physical and economic effects will continue plague America for many years to come.  Even if Covid-10 is brought under control with a combination of behavior change in the immediate term and a vaccine in the future.