Nobody died from the pandemic in New York City the other day. The Northeast has returned to the infection levels of early March, those faraway days before exponential curves and social distancing. Hopefully we can continue this trend now that we’ve become accustomed to masks, testing, and tracing. Meanwhile, record-breaking outbreaks and hot spots burn through the rest of the nation.
Could the pandemic hasten the breakup of America? This country’s been tearing itself to pieces for years while the wealthy pick the bones—yet no ideological disagreement or political argument would likely trigger the balkanization of America into different regions. But a colossal and sudden disruption might do the trick. As America grows more estranged from the rest of the world, perhaps the Northeast will want to travel abroad and do business with other nations. And one day, checkpoints appear along the Pennsylvania border…
