Covid Dukkha

The pandemic caught most people off guard. President Obama planned for a new, highly contagious disease after dealing with two during his presidency, but Trump mostly destroyed his plans, then chose not to tell the rest of us after he found out about Covid-19.

We can and should express our frustration at how Trump has handled the situation, but to some extent, this is just the human condition. “Dukkha” is the word the Buddha used to describe it. I tend to think “disappointing” is the best English translation, although the pandemic has caused a lot of people in the United States and the world to suffer.