Dear Akuperma,
-last spring = before the spring. Nothing significant has been changed since the end of March.
-powers that be = False. There has not been any shift in how the scientific organizations approached Coronavirus compared to any other virus.
-anyone… sick enough… hospital-This was known to be false in January.
-infamous epidemics=Misinformed. Viruses that can be widely spread, cannot be so deadly.
-smallpox=False. Only those who developed the rash were seriously ill.
-influenza= Are you kidding? I have had a light case of the flu.
-typhus=False. Usually a self-limited disease.
-bubonic=Plague. True. All three forms of plague are near-fatal if left untreated.
-They thus decided…=F=Patently false. There was no cohesive (read: any prediction from Scientists how the virus would play out in the US. Scientists did say that nobody thought the US can be hit as hard as it was.
-5% will die =Two percent was the common number. In January studies the number ranger from 1 to 11 percent.
-15 to 20 million deaths in the US= In mid March US deaths worst case estimates ranged from 200,000 to 1.7M.
-Most of the Government=Across Federal and State governments there was much uncertainty and miscommunication that wasted six weeks of preparations. [This is the main difference between the US and Europe]
-most of the Rabbonim=Did you forget? The Rabbonim in line with the information of everyday askonim tried to avoid the shut down of Yeshivos and so on. Our medical organizations that knew the facts on the ground (not from scientists) forced the issue.
(except for Trump)=Bless him. False. The President called for everyone to stay at home, and not open to quickly. (I know.)
-WRONG=No, they were correct. You misinterpreted.
-90%…=of what sum?
sick… to care about it= Probably true.
-NORMAL cold symptom…. EXCEPTIONAL… serious illness= there is a lot in between.
-1 in 300 die= close enough. I am finding 0.6%
-in context=Good point. Lack of context has been a major problem with public information.
-typical… patient.. life threatening=false. This was known in February. And it has not been so true. It is unclear why it is so.
-“existential”=Define existential. Business as usual would have been impossible due to the disruption of so many people sick. [Without any imposed shutdown.]
– a need for a massive shutdown=Untrue. If only to slow down the amount of patients so hospitals can treat them all.
-close the economy=depends what part. Bars in Florida where just shutdown again.
–give up davening and learning=You said this before, and i do not know what you mean. Someone who gave up on religion because of a pandemic, was never religious.
-experts were wrong=Twice?
-realizing the truth=No falsehood was perpetuated here. Every city had to shutdown at some point.
-most politicians=not a problem. They can switch their tune whenever they want to.
-many leading Rabbanim=not a problem. They do not give interviews.
-misled=A lot is still unknown.
-errors=Name them.
-presenting=There could have been more context, as noted above. And a lot more cohesion. Let’s work on it.
-fair game=Just keep it fair.
-halachically=Not sure what halacha you are referring to.
-a problem=Agreed.
-doesn’t try=You answered the OP very well.