The Price of Hubris

Through most of Covid, Canada demonstrated a willingness to follow the science and keep the wee little critter at bay; certainly more effectively than wannaBePresident Huey Long 2024 and his venal minions. There has been a drip, drip of warnings over the last couple of months that Canadians weren't going to behave rationally, any more. How things have changed, Canada is an epicenter of surge. How could this happen?

"The government didn't listen to scientists, they didn't listen to epidemiologists, they didn't listen to doctors other than their chief medical officer of health. And because they failed to listen to scientists, they thought they could negotiate themselves out of this virus, but the virus is too strong, the variant is a different disease," said Warner, telling CNN on Friday his ICU was working at 115% capacity.

Who knew that ex-President AuH₂O 2020 could infect Canada? It looks like he did.

"Whatever we put into place though, it's going to take time to take affect so right now, the trajectories of Covid rises are really baked in and I think the next 2 to 3 weeks for Ontario and Canada are going to be very, very, tough." said Dr. Fahad Razak, who treats coronavirus patients at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

Recall, if you might, this earlier missive about the Vancouver hockey team

Faithful readers may recall, very early on, that Canada hard-closed our border to keep us out of their neighborhood. Mr. Rogers yelled, 'get off my lawn!' Eh? Now, we find P.1 making rapid inroads in BC and lesser variants in the eastern provinces. What might not have been predictable: while the new surge is more non-geezer than previously, Canada's vaccination initiative hasn't been stellar, thus taking geezers out of the infectionable pool.

"Meanwhile in Canada" is trending on social media as Canadians lament their wobbly vaccination program. More than 30% of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose compared to about 12% of Canadians, according to public health statistics from both nations.

In one respect, Canada has an excuse for lacking a national policy on Covid. Turns out provinces are more independent than USofA states.

In Canada, the courts (notably the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council, which, till 1949, was our highest court) have in general so interpreted the Constitution Act, 1867, as to narrow federal power and widen provincial power. The result is that the United States is, in actual fact, now a much more highly centralized federation than Canada, and Canada has become, perhaps, the most decentralized federation in the world.

This means, among other things, the public services granted in one province's government may be different from, more or less, any or all others.

It is up to the province in whose jurisdiction health[care] lies to run the program and determine how it is run. Each province has its own system and as long as it meets the basic requirements determine how its run. They often collaborate on best practice.

Thus, even if Trudeau wanted to, a national Covid program would be a departure from the norm. Here is a Canadian description (from a year ago) of the provincial Covid actions.

COVID-19 has also underscored how decentralized federalism enables provinces to innovate and learn from one another. Since March 9, when both Ontario and Nova Scotia restricted visits to long term care centres – a policy since adopted by all provinces – Canadians have witnessed this learning and innovating in real time. Provinces have responded to their own contexts in their own way, and polls published throughout the crisis indicate that the public has generally been satisfied by their province's handling of the crisis. ... While several provinces have restricted interprovincial travel, Quebec is the only province to have formally restricted intra-provincial travel.

Wouldn't it have been nice to wall-off Ronny VirusSeed^©'s Florida and the entire mountain West early on? Yes, yes it would. Build the damn walls!!

The next important test for "COVID-19 federalism" will be how provinces lift the restrictions imposed since early March. What happens when one province decides to lift some restrictions, as Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is contemplating, and neighbouring provinces do not feel like they are ready to do so? And as some provinces lift restrictions one by one, public pressure will mount on those who do not.

We know, now, may be why BC and Ontario are in deep shit today. BC with P.1 and Ontario with most everything else.

Here in the USofA, one might be reminded of, not so long ago, Gym Jordan arguing with Fauci over exactly when we could get our freedoms back, as if mask wearing and distancing were such a grave assault on freedom. Back during the 1918 flu, San Franciscans were liable for a $5 fine if not wearing a mask. Granted, surgical masks of the day weren't as effective as today's Blue Bunnies, but five bucks back then went a whole lot further than today.

Cities that passed masking ordinances in the fall of 1918 struggled to enforce them among the small portion of people who rebelled. Common punishments were fines, prison sentences and having your name printed in the paper. In one horrific incident in San Francisco, a special officer for the board of health shot a man who refused to wear a mask as well as two bystanders.

That'll get your attention.

Of course, let's not forget what Maxine Waters did to Jordan when he kept at it

"You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth," Waters, 82, told Jordan, 57, after he kept talking over House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jim Clyburn, who had recognized another lawmaker in order to move on.

Mouth, and face, covering are important acts to stem Covid. Even in Congress.

As opined in an earlier missive, present may be prologue.