Rich Lowry begins the New Year with the same old Republican refrain, arguing that the "left" has got the pandemic wrong and Republicans are not a "death cult" and are not reckless, heartless beasts. He uses statistics to prove it. Those statistics ignore the public health strategies adopted by countries like Australia or South Korea or Germany. Lowry compares the deaths in blue states to those in red as if it's a competition, concluding that because of seasonal elements Republicans were actually right in their policies. There is, however, a much simpler truth. Two years ago Republicans politicized the pandemic, declaring that the fight was to maintain the economy and people's right to choose not to wear masks or to vaccinate or isolate. That was the strategy. The gates were left open to the enemy and couldn't then be closed. They refused to make fighting Covid a public health issue or to fight it on every front and with every tool available. Covid was given a free pass. The result? Deaths. 824,000 Americans to date. The Old. The Sick. The Poor. Those living in close quarters or working where the needs of the public were vital. Death Cult? No. Stupidity? You bet.