How do we measure greatness, goodness, or compassion. Perhaps we can get some idea of who has these traits in abundance by their actions, by who steps up to the plate when the fellow humans are in dire straits.
Does Donald Trump, Chris Christi and Florida Gov. Rick Scott have the right response to Ebola, or does Cuba? Of course, we all know that Cuba is sending the most doctors and health care workers to the Ebola infected countries of any country in the world. They consider it the humane thing to do. They are also training more health care workers and have a long line of volunteers ready to go to West Africa. Yea, the same country that we have an embargo against for the last 50 years because they are "evil".
Trump believes there should be a travel ban, no one should be able to fly from the infected countries into the U.S. How exactly you stop someone from taking multiple stops before arriving at an obscure U.S. airport and then lying about their travel history, I'm not sure. Gov. Christi wants all travelers from those areas quarantined for 21 days whether they are showing symptoms or not. Gov Rick Scott wants patients monitored twice daily for 21 days by his health department and "high risk" patients quarantined.
The first nurse returning from helping Ebola patients that flew into Newark yesterday was put in a tent for 21 days of isolation. The nurse, Kaci Hickox says she feels like a criminal and a prisoner. Well, she is a prisoner even though she shows no symptoms. I'm guessing none of the other returning health workers will fly into Newark. Dr. Spencer who returned from the ebola incubator countries to New York last week, jogged and rode the subway apparently while ill and contagious represents the other extreme in how to deal with those returning from the ebola incubator countries.
So what question are the Cubans asking? They are asking how do we best help our fellow man. Their focus is beyond their own borders. The Republican governors are asking how do we Americans best protect our asses (and perhaps what is the safest political route to protect their own asses).
It comes down to the fundamental question, do we want to be a good country, a good citizen in this world, or do we only care about how our actions affect ourselves. More often these days we do the latter. However, this view of ourselves as being the only ones that matter in the universe could have some dire consequences with ebola, as discussed previously.
I'm not advocating any particular solution for those medical workers returning from the ebola incubator countries. But what I am advocating is considering the consequences of our policies on more than just our safety, but on the well being of humanity as a whole. Governor Scott in Florida seems to be the closest to getting a balanced response although I think there is plenty of room for improvement in his policy. Trump is an elitist asshole in my opinion. Assuming Trump would risk his health for someone else (unlikely I admit), but if he caught ebola I suspect he would use his money to travel anywhere he wanted to get treatment. Which is another way of saying Trump represents the view of many Americans, because we have more money we are more valuable as humans. Sadly, many of our policies are developed with that as a core assumption.
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