Challenge #03349-I061: A Study in Paper Goods

What is it about toilet paper that people hoard it in 'lockdown' here? If not inspiring pick a place and find some other 'must have' to clutter up the place. -- KnitNan

Today's unit in Terran History is the Covid-19 Pandemic. An analysis of incompetence. Yes, yes, some of you are from the polities identified here and are taking offense. The point remains that mistakes were made and some of them were on purpose. People died. We are here to analyse the psychology of late-stage capitalism so that it hopefully doesn't occur again.

Remember that criticism of a polity is not criticism of a person. Criticism of the leader of the polity is also not criticism of the person who, for reasons unspecified, may still idolise them. All faves are problematic in some dimension. They are, after all, mere mortals.

We shall begin with the initial panic. The disease, once identified, could have been eliminated with a one-month shutdown of business, trade, and all but the most essential of services. If rational minds had prevailed, we would not be talking about this today. Alas, irrational minds were in charge. Once the initial lockdown was announced, the public panicked and insisted on 'stocking up' on everything. Including supplies they didn't need.

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