Remember last January? Twelve l-o-n-g months ago, we were all caught up in impeachment folderol and wondering whether Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren would win the Democratic nomination for President. Oh, there was also a Page 8 blurb in the newspaper about some odd virus that folks in a place called Wuhan City, Hubei Province, Chinawere contracting. Such news was initially of very little concern to the rest of the world.

To those of a certain age, hearing about an unknown locale somewhere in Asia may well have evoked a “Where’s that?” response? Similar to hearing in the 1960s that American advisors were being sent to a city called Saigon in the middle of a jungle named South Vietnam. Little attention was paid to either . . . until all attention was paid to both.

It’s reported that roughly $900 billion of the public treasury was spent on military matters during the active years of battle in that 1960s war. Of course, since then, countless other costs have been incurred too. We the People have shouldered many of the financial burdens of taking care of problems we started.

Today, it seems the WHO (World Health Organization) is launching an independent probe into the genesis of Covid-19 and its subsequent spread throughout the globe. The general consensus now is that the first case was identified during an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in the aforementioned Wuhan City. Something about an outdoor wet market where bats and people and other animals are in very close contact.

China seems none too keen on being blamed for the pandemic that gripped the world and continues to rule our lives. I think the official response has been something such as, “Hey, it wasn’t us. Nothing to see here.”

It seems that WHO scientists are not being allowed to visit much of the purported Ground Zero. There has been speculation that China, much like Russia, may have under-reported the actual number of Covid cases and deaths. Quite a shock there.

Even if it turns out those wet markets in Wuhan weren’t the sole origin of this Coronavirus, chances are pretty good they played a large role in spreading the attendant disease. Alas, it’s probably a mere pipe dream to think the Chinese government would ever own up to being even remotely responsible for the havoc that ensued. But suppose it did. Suppose Beijing said, “Look, it was us. We made a mistake. What can we do to make things better?”

Here are a couple of suggestions:

Number one: Let Kroger build a store or two. Bats are generally not something you find at their meat counters. But even if you did, those bats would be deceased and inspected. You don’t want this kind of outbreak happening again, and the rest of the world certainly doesn’t either. Stop the cause at its source.

Number two: Pay up. Over the course of 2020, the U.S. federal government has spent trillions of dollars on Covid. This week, as Joe Biden assumes command of the free world, he’s mentioned wanting to dip into the pot a bit more. From what I can tell, the “ask” range is somewhere between $1.9 trillion, to “just sign a blank check; we’ll fill in the amount later.” Taken together, that’s quite a chunk of change. The major Mega Millions lottery jackpot looks like bus fare in comparison.

There have been many who have questioned the sanity in spending that much money without a plan to pay it back. It’s been suggested that the wealthy (defined as anyone making over $400,000 per annum) pony up some bucks.

Instead, let’s send a bill to China for all the havoc the ’Rona has caused. No amount of money will adequately be able to atone for the 1.8 million or so people worldwide who have lost their lives due to Covid. Many more people have been financially impacted or even ruined. Compensation is due to probably billions of folks. Nobody is looking to make a profit here. But recovery money would help substantially.

I’m thinking a quadrillion dollars. That’s $1,000,000,000,000,000. It’s a nice round number and should help in reducing U.S. deficits, as well as those in other countries, and in helping businesses get back on their collective feet. Also, keep that payback checkbook open. Nobody knows the long-term effects of the virus.

To be fair, payments from the Chinese don’t have to be made immediately. Quarterly for the next five years will be fine. (Some interest may accrue.) And U.S. dollars or gold – we’ll definitely take gold – is the currency of choice.

That may never get us back to normal. But it sure would make 2021 a whole lot stressful than 2020.

 

©MMXXI. William J. Lewis, III – Freelance Writer