Robert,
Thank you for your generous and informed response. I apologize for my tone in my prior comment. I so often don't receive the courtesy of a second reply, and you deserved better.
"USA has an very unhealthy population where over weight/obesity is common, over 60% and that leads to the secondary conditions which seem to be why the current virus is very damaging."
Very true, Robert, but unfortunately, it's not that simple. You may remember that Michelle Obama couldn't even grow vegetables in the White House garden and encourage children to eat healthier without criticism and ridicule from the right.
I presume you know what will happen the second obesity is publicly addressed (as has been attempted many times):
"I have the freedom as an American to eat as I want, and weigh what I want. You can't make me wear a mask to protect others, and you can't control what I stuff in my face, or my lack of exercise. And you can't stop me from smoking or drinking to excess either."
Sad but true. I wish it was otherwise.
And I agree, Robert. What has happened in senior populations is inexcusable, and the statistics are staggering and heartbreaking. (I look after my parents, who have a combined age of 180, so I understand perhaps better than many.) But part of the problem with passing the new senate bill to help America in these desperate times was that Mitch McConnell refused to let any bill proceed until NO BUSINESS OR CORPORATION (including nursing homes) could be punished for any sickness or death caused by them in any manner (except for some instances of gross negligence.) That didn't only include government fines, but also lawsuits from the public.
And Trump's assault on regulations has also severely affected the ability to keep watch on these places, all in an attempt to put wealth over health:
https://www.vox.com/2020/7/14/21323279/nursing-home-coronavirus-covid-deaths
So basically, Trump's action caused illness to go up as oversight went down, yet McConnell refuses to offer any protections as a result. And who is punished? The poor and elderly.
Robert, as far as governors go, after all this time, responsibility hasn't even been determined. The federal government stockpiles massive amounts of medical supplies for a circumstance exactly like this, and Trump ended up selling them! (Either to foreign nations, or companies than forced hospitals to pay outrageous prices):
I'm sure you remember when Jared Kushner called them "our supplies, not the states."
What can governors do when there is no national policy, America's supplies are not available (and often the supplies purchased BY the states were then stolen by the federal government.) So when the governors DID take action to keep their citizens safe, the government interferes for profit over health once again:
Does it not seem odd that Trump says he has "no responsibility", but whenever he is able, he takes credit for anything remotely good, at the same time he blames governors for anything that goes bad? We've come a long way since Harry Truman's "The Buck Stops Here", haven't we?
Robert, everything good has opposition. There was a time when a battle went on to very simply assure that rural Americans even had power or mail delivery. (And it wasn't that long ago.)
Robert, you've asked good questions; questions I wish everyone was asking. And I regret my answers are hardly answers at all. But it is information to be considered.
Thank you.
