America Is Acting Like a Failed State
Many businesses, local governments, and individuals are doing what is necessary to beat back the coronavirus—with little help from the White House.
A global pandemic is a mandatory exam in national competence. It is a test for individuals, who have to change their life and withdraw from public events to slow the spread of a disease through crowds and social networks. It is a test for companies, which must change their protocols to protect their employees, sometimes by banishing them from the office. It is a test for institutions, which must decide whether to uphold traditions and festivals for the sake of public morale, or to cancel events, tournaments, conferences, and concerts.
[Read: What you need to know about the coronavirus]
And it is, above all, a test for the state. Only the national government can oversee the response to a national outbreak by
