American exceptionalism is confronting its greatest test in modern times. In less than two months, unemployment has hit Great Depression-era levels. The federal government has injected trillions of dollars into the economy, causing U.S. debt as a percentage of GDP to exceed debt undertaken during World War II. The future of entire industries hangs in the balance, schools and universities are shut down, and everything from weddings to baseball seasons are postponed.
A threat that only entered our consciousness late last year has claimed tens of thousands of lives, leaving fear and uncertainty in its wake.
