CENTRAL VIEW for Monday, April 27, 2020

Dr. Fauci’s Brave New World

(Semi-satire) Dr. Anthony Fauci’s idea that everyone should be tested for the Red Chinese Coronavirus and be issued a shot record reminds us of the yellow shot cards we and our dependents carried everywhere we went during all those years in the military.

Libertarians would probably object to a government-issued, photo-ID, national shot card. But, in fact, a photo-ID, national shot card could do double duty. It could be used as a voter ID card, as well. Citizens who want to vote or obtain an absentee ballot take the virus test and get a card.

Dr. Fauci’s proposal is redolent of Brave New World, Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel that assigned people to five different castes: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. As embryos, the Alphas and Betas were given plenty of oxygen. Each of the lower castes were given decreasing amounts of oxygen. All of the castes were trained to like their caste. A drug called "Soma" kept them happy. (Contemporary note: The symptoms of Coronavirus are due to hypoxia --oxygen starvation.)

Recall, the Alphas were the intellectuals, professors, and political leaders who really could not do anything useful without the help of the Betas, the skilled workers who actually got things done. The Gammas were semi-skilled workers able to work in the service industries such as desk clerks, hamburger flippers, waiters, doormen, and were good at repetitive tasks. Deltas were low-skilled workers but able to operate machinery, do basic carpentry, and make simple things. Like India’s Untouchable Caste, the Epsilons handled the dirty jobs such as sewage.

Obviously, Huxley’s caste system would not be appropriate in 2020. So, instead, the Alpha shot card would be for the front-line doctors, nurses and other health-care workers who risked their lives to save others. Their card would be adorned with a Silver Star.

The Beta Card would be awarded to those who survived the virus and donated plasma to help other victims survive. Their card would be decorated with a Purple Heart.

The Gamma Card would be for those who had minor symptoms and might still be carriers. They must wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when out in public and when they go to their polling places to vote.

The Delta cardholders would be for the people whose daily labors involve handling the sewage and other dirty stuff produced by others. They must wear PPE at home and work. The Delta caste would include muck-raking journalists. They could only cast provisional ballots that must be sprayed before they are examined for hanging chads.

The Epsilon Card would be for those who refuse to be tested and won’t take vaccines. Because they pose a risk to the rest of society they would not be allowed to vote.

Seriously, a national shot-card system could be used to cause everyone to be vaccinated for all the diseases for which we have proven vaccines. Instead of a death toll from various influenzas that have risen to a high of 61,000 in a single year, we could see that number reduced close to zero.

We could actually know who has the Coronavirus and who does not. That would free those who are immune and those who are at low-risk to make America great again.

©2020. William Hamilton.

William Hamilton is a laureate of the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame, the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma University Army ROTC Wall of Fame. Dr. Hamilton’s latest book: Formula for Failure in Vietnam: The Folly of Limited Warfare can be ordered toll free at: (800) 253-2187 Or, go to Amazon.com.

Dr. Hamilton can be contacted at:

Email: william@central-view.com