There is little doubt in the United States that politics seem to impact everything these days. Even things you would not usually consider a political topic seem to suddenly become part of the agenda on either side.
It is frustrating for many Americans who consider themselves separate from either of the major political parties.
The trouble is really obvious currently with the way the country is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. has been the hardest-hit country in the world with the slowest recovery rate, and many experts contribute this to the politicization of the pandemic.
How it happened?
From the very beginning, politicians have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. They took control and started making decisions, largely, it seems, based on their political agendas. Decisions seem to play into what voters want more than anything. If public opinion doesn’t agree with something, then decisions change.
The Brookings Institution explains that each state seems to react based on its political orientation, or which political party has the greatest influence in the state. This has made the rules in each state vary widely and impacted orders about masks, stay at home rules, and bans.
Political leanings affect the actions of the average American, too. They often color what a person believes and how he or she acts.
Politics within the pandemic seem to hold more power than the scientific information coming out about the virus. At the heart of things seems to be the media, which holds a lot of power on how to present things to the public. Media outlets color the news with their own politics, which distorts the information the public gets.
Neither party has it right.
The biggest issue with this political divide is that neither party is doing things the right way. Both sides make decisions that have devastating consequences.
Republicans seem to understate the risks of the virus. They want to get back to normal and focus largely on opening businesses. The focus for them is on making sure the economy doesn’t crash and that people can afford to live.
The consequences of this approach and attitude towards COVID-19 has shown to lead to higher rates of infections and death.
Democrats take a completely opposite approach. They often overstate the risks. They want to keep everything locked down and closed.
The consequences of this approach and attitude is a loss of jobs and economic hardship.
The extremes of each approach are a good example of how divided the country is. People who identify as one party or the other will carry the same attitude as the political party, resulting in communities torn apart by the extreme viewpoints that are in direct opposition.
As long as the two main political parties keep going in opposite directions, there will be very little help from them in finding a good path to recovery that will finally allow the pandemic to lessen its hold on the United States.
Where to go from here?
According to USA Today, political parties are using the COVID-19 pandemic as a weapon against each other. This has done no good for anybody. It’s resulted in confusion as each side says something different than the other.
The focus of politics is on agendas. The underlying goals have nothing to do with healing the American people and stopping this virus from continuing its spread.
Because the messages are unclear, people don’t know who to trust. There is so much misinformation coming from both sides. It creates a lot of conflicts where people have no idea what the truth actually is.
When it comes down to it, Americans have to stop relying on politicians. They need to ignore the sensational news stories.
It’s time for people to go directly to the source and get accurate information presented as facts without any political slant. The medical community can provide the best guidance during these times and do so through neutral news media, such as Patrick James Trico.
The proof is clear. Other countries that have had a focus on following the lead of the medical community are doing much better than the U.S. They are having better results without the animosity that is occurring in the U.S.
If the U.S. can follow this example and focus on letting medical professionals lead the pandemic response, it is possible to get it under control quickly. In addition, it will ensure people have the education they need about the virus to stay safe and keep their families safe.
The bottom line.
When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. has really dropped the ball. Usually the world leader in almost every field, the U.S. mishandled the pandemic on every level by turning it into a political battle.
The only way for the U.S. to find its way out of this mess is to start paying attention to what other countries are doing right. This means removing politics and focusing completely on the medical aspects of the situation.
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