- by Bill Dunphy
As usual, readers of the letters-to-the-editor section are advised to read anything submitted by Neil MacEwan with a grain...or two...of salt. A 30-day free trial of communism? Venezuelan-style malnutrition? Food rationing? That sort of rhetoric must have been what it was like to live through the Red Scare of the 1960s’ Cold War. Give us a break.
Further, the steps taken by our three levels of government to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic has no comparison whatsoever to what it was like to live in Eastern Bloc countries. For those who missed out on the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Easter Bloc was a collection of communist states under the dominance of the USSR and who were supposedly opposed to Western capitalism...up until 1991 when they all began reclaiming their sovereignty, tearing down their own Berlin Walls, so to speak.
People aren’t being “robbed” for walking their dogs. People are being fined for ignoring social-distancing rules. Public worship has not been “abolished,” it has been put on hold. Businesses that could potentially help spread the virus, either through close contact with patrons or, by their nature, attract large numbers of people such as restaurants, gyms, hair salons, cinemas, restaurants, etc., have been closed out of necessity. Regardless of Italy’s high mortality rate being attributed to older people, it is safe to say the number of deaths would have been lower if social-distancing measures had been put into place earlier, thus cutting down the overload of patients experienced in Italy’s hospitals.
Closer to home, Ontario released three projections this week on potential scenarios. In the short term, 1600 Ontarians could be dead by the end of this month. Eighty thousand people may have contracted COVID-19 by then. In another scenario, if no action at all was taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, then Ontario’s model projects that 300,000 people would be infected by the end of April and 6000 people would die. A third projection, one in which even stricter measures were taken, including more closures and testing, the death toll might be reduced to 200 people.
And it’s not just the elderly dying, though I don’t know why this distinction has to be made. But the next largest group who are testing positive are in the 40-69 age group. As I wrote last week, just because someone in their 20s is more able to shake the virus off without too many ill effects, that is just not so for the rest of us. Putting young people to work and isolating the old people is a pointless argument, especially when the young people start dropping off and infecting the rest of us in the process.
Sweden has taken an approach to the pandemic much in the vein of what MacEwan suggests. Most business, bars, gyms, restaurants remain open, though restricted to gatherings of no more than 50. To date, Sweden has so far recorded more than 400 COVID-19 deaths – about 10 times as many as Australia. Its population is around half that of Australia.
I am certainly not an economist, and yes, the measures currently being taken by our respective governments are costly and will put a strain on our economy for years to come. We will have plenty of time to deal with it, due mainly to the fact that we will be alive. In an interview I did with Maurice Poirier regarding fishermen from New Brunswick not needing to quarantine for 14 days, he said, “We know what’s going on with the economy globally, it’s gone. We will get it back, but you need some people around to get it back.”
It’s hard to disagree. Canada has suffered many economic setbacks in its short history from debt incurred by two world wars, the Great Depression of the 1930s, and even our most recent recession in 2008. During the Great Depression Canada’s debt rose to $5 billion, and by the end of World War 2 it had reached $18 billion. Our economic recovery from each of these setbacks was slow but steady. And really, does anyone remember, or care, when those previous debts were paid?
This is not the time to be worrying about national debt. Canada will still be Canada at the end of all this. Nobody will be goose-stepping down Parliament Hill. Democracy will prevail. As if we don’t have enough stress in our lives, scaring people into thinking otherwise is neither helpful nor informative.
Canadians have rights, but they also have social responsibilities. Rights are freedoms we have that are protected by our laws, while responsibilities are duties or things that we should do. In a state of emergency, caused by a world-wide pandemic, we have to put aside some of our rights for the sake of the common good.
It’s time some people took their heads out of their collective arses and stopped saying, “It’s just the flu.” People of all ages are dying and who are we to put a price on those lives? The pandemic will pass, and our economy will recover – no Red Scare required.
*****
I have been accused in the past by Mr. MacEwan as being “Rankin’s attack dog.” I kind of like the analogy, especially if he sees me as a Doberman Pinscher. But relax, Neil, I would have had the same reaction to your letter even if it was written by someone I like. It’s not you, it’s me.
*****
If we need a bone to chew, then how about the suspension of the sport fishing season!
I’m pretty good with waiting in line at the Co-op, with not having to attend meetings, with going into the post office one at a time, or meeting a staff member at the door of the Highland Animal Clinic to have my Doberman’s joint supplements passed to me. All the steps we are being asked to take to flatten that COVID-19 curve, while somewhat annoying, are all for the public good and I can live with that.
But is there anything more self-isolating than standing on the shore of a lake or the bank of a river, casting a line with nobody around for miles? And have you ever tried following someone to their favourite fishing hole? It would be easier following a bee in the wild back to its hive.
I understand why the province doesn’t want us getting into our cars and going for drives just to kill the monotony of social distancing. Getting into an accident and placing unnecessary risks on our first responders is not worth a Sunday drive in the sunshine. But, if you’re putting food on the table for yourself and family or for someone who lost their job and could use a feed of fresh fish, then cannot allowances be made? Ban the fishing derbies, set a maximum distance for travel, and apply all self-distancing rules. And should the season be wiped out altogether, then extend this year’s licence to include next fishing season.
*****
A heartfelt thanks is extended to everyone who has donated to the Alex and Patsy MacKenzie Fund. You can still do so by making a deposit directly into the account at the Inverness ECCU branch, using the account number: 58482 103. Or by e-transfer to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
