Social distancing is a protective measure for several reasons.

The primary reason for the social distancing is to protect the CAPACITY of the health care system. The more people "social distance" and protect themselves from any possibility of contracting the infection, the less stress the health care infrastructure will experience. I am confident the USA hospitals are ready, but, they are also worried about sustaining that readiness in carrying out important medical care and emergency surgery in the face of this national emergency. 

Social distancing is not being afraid of touching people or using hands for tasks where touching objects are necessary, like work. It is about being PART OF THE SOLUTION. Forbid anyone reading this needs a hospital for care because of COVID-19, but, by practicing social distancing across the country, the beds will be available to end his horrible disease.

The Buddists call it "awareness." Be aware of oneself's behavior while using hands and never touching the face. It is amazing to realize how often a person touches their face in one day. It is also part of facial expression.

There is a cute cartoon (click here) that illustrates the idea of self-discipline in using hands.

Try your best, I know I will.

March 13, 2020
Maria Godoy

As the coronavirus continues (click here) to spread in the U.S., more and more businesses are sending employees off to work from home. Public schools are closing, universities are holding classes online, major events are getting canceled, and cultural institutions are shutting their doors. Even Disney World and Disneyland are set to close. The disruption of daily life for many Americans is real and significant — but so are the potential life-saving benefits.

It's all part of an effort to do what epidemiologists call flattening the curve of the pandemic. The idea is to increase social distancing in order to slow the spread of the virus, so that you don't get a huge spike in the number of people getting sick all at once. If that were to happen, there wouldn't be enough hospital beds or mechanical ventilators for everyone who needs them, and the U.S. hospital system would be overwhelmed. That's already happening in Italy....

I need to say something about the permanence of this national emergency. I DON'T BUY IT. I fully expect this to be temporary, albeit a month or so. To state there is yet another "New Normal" only extends the trauma and changes human behavior unnecessarily. If people carry forth a better habit in washing hands then I am all for it. But, if influential people think for one minute the USA Main Street is gone from sight forever, think again. This is not the best time to be an OPPORTUNIST and use fear to bring about a paradigm shift and eliminate small businesses and entrepreneurship. I can supply an example.

Small businesses are local and easily controlled in such a crisis by the organization of the community, both the hospitals but also the SBA and the local Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development agencies.

Let me put it this way. Imagining.

Let's pretend there is this huge make believe distribution agency about the size of Albaba enjoying the New Normal. Then a human contagion entered into the distribution network undetected at first from the main warehouse. What is the chance of stopping it? 

Now, imagine a city with lots of local businesses that produce their own products and/or buy locally. Their products are often at a higher cost and better quality than the big box stores and a contagion enters the product supply undetected at first of one of the stores. What is the chance of stopping it?

Whether Wall Street wants to admit it or not the best venue for an economy is a highly diversified local economy where people are employed in manufacturing as well as distribution and storefronts. The economy is insulated from failure and can react quickly should there be a down turn for their products and prices.

Wall Street has it's place. Today, in my opinion, it is the best venue for investment in operations such as medical research where the expenses are high, but, a product with a wide need and/or use will return that investment with a nice profit, too. 

That is the Wall Street I know. It is a place where mass production can bring products, like autos, to the public in a way that is benevolent. Big investments with big stockholder dividends. That to me is Wall Street. It is separate and different from the local economy where diversity can include Wall Street products like refrigerators and washers and dryers. I think where Wall Street tries to control "Main Street" for their own benefit it becomes detrimental to the economy both locally and nationwide.

One of the best examples of this is the clothing industry in North Carolina. Except for socks there really isn't anymore textile mills and clothing manufacturers. 

1810 - NC families (click here) produced $3 million in domestic cloth (click here); southern states produced more than imported.

Then came globalization of industry and dirt cheap labor. Do I dare call it commercial slavery.

There have been several causes for the decline in NC textile and apparel employment. In the 1950s, the introduction of new machinery and technology (industry) decreased the labor intensity of production. Starting in the 1990s, the growth of foreign products (competition) accelerated due to changes in institutions. These included NAFTA in 1994, the beginning of the ATC quota phase-out in 1995, and currency devaluation and fluctuations in Mexico (1994) and the Asian currency crisis (1997) (5). More recently the list includes the China and Vietnam’s entries into the WTO (2001; 2007), the end of quotas and safeguards (2005; 2007) and the global financial crisis (2008-2010). However employment declines have not been unique to North Carolina; employment has been decreasing in the United States as a whole, as well as other countries, such as those in Western Europe.

Wall Street has no conscience when it comes to making money. Benevolence to the labor an aggravation to the best profit from the product alone. Labor is viewed as unnecessary while turning toward automation and the alienation of labor.

The American people need to stand their ground and keep their small economies. If Wall Street is successful in using fear to drive everyone to Big Box Warehouses and "At the front door delivery, " then what will you do for a living and how many paychecks per week will then be necessary to purchase the kids school clothes that are delivered to the front door in time for their first day?

Don't allow the so called "paradigm shift" that will permanently isolate communities into the control of Wall Street. 

This is a temporary awareness of a very serious health issue. If it goes beyond what is reasonable, then there is something wrong.

Americans have to be strong in their conviction to hold on to their local economies. They are the least effected in a Wall Street slide and they are the first to recover. Americans can handle this national emergency without fear that drives them to give up the economy they most value.

Good night.