The scourge of the coronavirus and the massive mishandling of the response by the Republican Party from the White House to the state house has made it pretty apparent that in order for this country to once again be a world leader there are a couple of programs that need to be implemented.

The first is true universal health care. Having our health care system run by insurance companies in any form is a idea whose time passed decades ago. Yet here is the United States in the 21st century creaking along with a 19th century system, only a step or so above a bartering system.

I won’t go into all the reasons why this is so necessary, I think we have all heard them over and over and over. But there is one comment I would like to make. As we slowly come out of this pandemic, we will be seeing thousands, maybe millions of people who thought their coronavirus treatment was covered by some insurance who will be finding out that there were some holes. Folks will probably be looking at tens of thousands of dollars of unexpected debt.

That would not happen with universal health care. 

The other program would be something along the lines of what former presidential candidate Andrew Yang espoused during his candidacy. That would be some form of a universal basic income. We are now entering a very sad chapter in American history where millions of people may be losing their homes because their incomes disappeared as the pandemic caused businesses across the country to close leaving business owners and workers stranded without income.

The Democrats were able to get an emergency funding passed that covered many of these folks for a short while. That has expired and millions are now at the mercy of a Republican Party that does not want to help these people out for help. Millions of people on the street at a time when billionaires portfolios are skyrocketing will be perhaps the saddest sight America will have ever seen.

This is merely a comment. As we near the election and life in America continues to spiral down, maybe just maybe this election we will elect the Democratic president and both houses of congress that could make such programs a reality. America is the land of great wealth and unfortunately grinding poverty that looks like it will be getting much worse very quickly. We can afford at least minimal living conditions for all our citizens.

In case you forgot, Candidate Andrew Yang ran on a platform of a basic income for all citizens.