New year, same year.

Not to be alarmist or a pessimist, but so far the brand quality of 2021 feels depressingly familiar. Sure there's a new president who is using his power and executive orders to roll back many of the previous administration's openly unfair and detrimental actions against the environment, against the economy, against LGBTQ+ peoples, and many other areas. But the main problem, COVID, is still out of control, and big chunks of the American population still refuse to take it seriously, despite the fact that in 10 months we have lost more lives than World War 2 claimed. Let that sink in. We could rally the entire country for four years against fascism in Europe and Asia, but we cannot unite our own country to use simple  and effective personal and community health protocols - something we did when the Spanish Flue raged throughout the US at the end of WW I - that we know work. Sure Biden can make this mandatory in and on federal property. But what about the rest of the country? Red states that refuse to comply because they feel that "big" government treading upon their freedom? Or worse, conspiracy theories that link these efforts at public health to nefarious schemes involving child abuse, the Clintons, a new world order, and other idiotic ideas? Things won't change until we on the left can really engage in dialogue with that 25% of the American population that harbor these beliefs, and until we hold accountable all individuals  - from the general public and from Congress and other parts of federal and state governments and employers, and yes that includes the military and police departments - who engaged in the attempted putsch of January 6, 202, charge them with the suitable crimes, and see their trials through to the end, including Trump, if it comes to that.