Before this pandemic started, I could not have imagined a United States in which mainstream politicians discouraged simple public safety measures like wearing masks. If somebody had suggested to me that the governor of Florida (among many others) would have taken against a sensible precaution that has almost no downside, I would not have believed it possible.

I would have believed we would have done an excellent job developing vaccines, but I would not have believed the Republican Party would become the anti-vaccine party.

And the governor hawking merchandise discouraging vaccination? I would not have believed that if I read it in a dystopian novel.

Yet here it all is happening. What has happened to Republican leaders. Why are they so evil and depraved? It just does not make any sense.