2020 Nothing Happened

The folks on Chapo Traphouse just figured it out: Recalling the Bernie run and the George Floyd rebellion they realize, "looking back on these big events it seems like nothing happened".By which they mean that all the left activism, be it electoral or in the streets, resulted in zilch. Some military bases get re-named. Which seemed to pierce the armour of snark they tend to cover themselves in and allow in a bit of uncharacteristically sincere reflection. We can only make jokes about going in circles for so long. Then it stops being funny, farcicle or even tragic. It just becomes lame. The "looking back on the year" bit did have one poignant moment: recalling the vapid, farcicle, MSNBC inspired Trump impeachment.The same person who does strategy for BLM apparently does strategy for the Dems. But the real story of 2020 is covid of course, what it has exposed to those able to see and what tendencies it has reinforced in those who choose not to see (or are unable for whatever reasons). I go back to my boss and his assertion last Februrary that he had done some statistical analysis in a previous job which allowed him to predict the virus would not be a big deal. He is a microcosm and metaphor for generalized America, the absurd grandiosity, of allowing profit to over-ride all other concerns, to know but act as if you don't know, all of it. And it took his mother in law dying of the virus to insert him back somewhat into( still a flag-waving, God fearing) reality. But most importantly, he still, despite being wrong about the virus (and so, so much else) could never hesitate to trust his instinct, to feel confidence in his opinions, to be assured he is right. Which is another sense in which Nothing Happened. When things are swallowed by the memory hole, there is no reason for doubt. I also watched a replay of a talk given by a climate scientist about a year ago in front of a large crowd of local activists. He spoke in no uncertain terms about the dire emergency we face and yet here we are one year later and Nothing Happened.