As time moves on, I am convinced that the Left loves COVID because it allows them to become the de facto dictators they always wanted to be. Nowhere is this more evident than the way the CDC is decimating the cruise ship industry in this country.

Cruise ships have been in docks since March 2020. One cannot imagine what the cost of this has been for the cruising industry. Back in January, the cruise ship companies created a joint panel that created guidelines for making cruising safe. In response, the CDC created its own rules that, by all reports, are vague, contradictory, and unmanageable. As Kimberly Strassel said in today’s Wall Street Journal, “these rules would make getting on a cruise ship about as much fun as entering a labor camp.”

The new CDC rules would limit when passengers could eat and drink as well as require that all passengers and crew be tested daily for COVID. The cruise ship companies have now given the CDC an ultimatum: Either come up with something more reasonable and open up the ports or they are going to reposition all of their cruise ships to non-American ports.

By all estimates, just in Florida alone, it would cost the Sunshine State nearly 159,000 jobs and $8.1 billion in income. Already, the cruise ship companies are now announcing departures from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Maarten, the Bahamas, and Greece. Needless to say, both Florida and Alaska, two states that lean heavily on the cruise industry, are now suing the CDC. However, Connecticut’s phony and idiotic Senator Richard Blumenthal (you know, Mr. phony Vietnam Vet) is urging the CDC to not only stand by their rules, but to make them tougher. He feels that cruising is an unnecessary luxury.

As if all of this isn’t enough, last week the CDC recommended that, and I quote, “all people avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide.” So now the CDC wants to rule globally.

And, of course, the pusillanimous Biden Administration has made no effort to help. Just last week White House press secretary Jen Psaki told the nation what we should remain grateful the president will allow us a small, July 4th barbecue.

This COVID crisis has made public health officials de facto dictators. It is time we start looking for ways to put these megalomaniacs in place.