The Disease That Won't Go Away

So we've all heard of long COVID by now, how it may affect the body years after catching the bug.

But a new survey shows that it did quite a bit of psychological damage, particularly to young men- and their frustration may have paved a path to Trump. The social disconnect from the pandemic left them looking for leadership in all the wrong places. From the survey:

71% say it's important to have a leader who “demonstrates strength and authority, even if it means bypassing traditional political norms” (vs. 59% of less-affected men).

43% say strong leadership matters more than preserving democratic norms (vs. 31%).

56% say Trump’s governing style represents the “strong leadership America needs in uncertain times,” compared to 39% of less-affected men.

This is clearly alarming. Ordinarily young folk have a period in their life when they question authority; now the latest trend seems to be to crave it.