Another deleterious consequence of a socially atomizing, trust imploding, intergenerationally antagonizing society can be seen in the reaction to the wu flu.
Grandparents are shuttled to old age homes or live alone five states away from the rest of their family. When they get sick, the visceral impact of it is muted by the distance.
Families used to live three generations to a household. Adult children would take care of elderly parents. If it was still like that, and grandparents were dying from the Xi Flu in the next bedroom or in the TV room rocking chair, younger people would feel the impact of the virus a lot harder.
Just thinking out loud here. Everything that happens is conditional on other things that have happened before.
