Things are getting worse. Currently there are over 125,000 cases of coronavirus in The U.S., along with over 2000 deaths. There is no end in sight. Although China most likely hasn't provided accurate figures, the number of cases in the U.S. has obtained the dubious title of being second to none. Keep America Number One--Trump has accomplished that, if only in this regard..
The President has lost crucial time trying to convince us that the pandemic, as far as Americans are concerned, was nothing to worry about. "It's the common cold, folks," said Rush Limbaugh recently, whom Trump awarded a Medal of Freedom on
Trump had to change his tune in March, since the mounting viral tsunami left our all-wet leader with no place to dry--I mean, lie. Trump has gotten away with his shameless, shameful, self-serving, destructive fictions primarily because the economy was good. Far too many were content to watch his mindless gaslighting sessions on TV; a mindless virus has changed the channel.
Puffed up by his pride as well as by his diet, Trump cuts an increasingly damaged figure on TV. He often distractedly sways back and forth while others speak; he has difficulty reading simple English off the prompter, and when he sniffs ad libs, liberals laugh while conservatives sigh. On one recent occasion, Dr. Fauci, the very decent infectious disease expert, hid his face in his hands while Trump blathered on. His days are perhaps numbered; Trump can't abide what he perceives to be competition. Are there conspiracy theories that Dr. Fauci works for the Deep State and is trying to bring our great leader down? You betcha.
Paraphrasing Mae West's response to a judge in her trial for obscenity, I imagine an angry Trump-appointed judge raging at the fact-checking expert. "Doctor Fauci, are you trying to show contempt to this conservative court?" "No, Judge; I'm doing my best to hide it."
Only a week or so ago, the unemployment rate was at a historic low. That was the past--last week, over 3 million persons applied for unemployment benefits--an historic high, so high ass to be unprecedented. You know it's serious when even Republicans knew that a huge stimulus was necessary. (Obama's stimulus during the financial crisis was passed without one Republican vote in its favor). In no time, both parties have passed a stimulus bill for over 2 trillion dollars. As one might have expected, the Republicans insisted on a 500,000 billion slush fund for corporations. Democrats insissted that there be congressional oversight on how it is spent, but Trump shows little inclination in abiding by what has been passed into law.
As I have mentioned in my previous Covid-19 entries (this is my fifth "Desultory Diary" Covid-19 article since 3/15/2020), my primary purpose for writing these is to document the crisis for future generations. What seems so serious to us now might only be a distant memory for those who live after we have passed--and, I am sure, dear readers of the future, you will have your hands full with other crises, some of which can trace their origins to current greed and mismanagement. I hope, for your sake, that the role of government will not be as demonized at it is now. The only way to keep a capitalist form of government is to reform and regulate it. I hope that has happened, and continues to happen, dear future readers, by your now. If an individual tries to wander through life without a moral compass, he inevitably gets lost. Absolute trust in market forces is like placing absolute trust, to use Freudian terminology, in the id, without any input form the ego or superego.
We recently have had a horrible example of placing greed over need by the recent statements of the Lt. Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick. He supports Trump's irresponsible proposal that America needs to get back to work now, science be damned.(Trump, pious man that he is, thinks it would be "beautiful" if churches could be "packed" by Easter. I wonder why?). "Let's get back to work," Patrick suggests, 'Those over 70 will take care of themselves." They apparently should see it as a civic duty "to sacrifice themselves for America as we know it" --that is, how he knows it. The Torah advocates that we should choose life; Patrick, in contrast, advocates that we should choose Wall Street instead. Do you remember, people of the future, the nonsensical argument that the Affordable Care Act would encourage "pulling the plug on Grandma?" Well, according to Patrick, grandparents are expendable in order to help assure that his and his corporate buddies' portfolios thrive. Never mind that the virus also kills those in the prime of life. Never mind that science informs us that the best way to "flatten the curve" of mortality is to shelter in place. If this works, and it should, the economy will bounce back.
Dan Patrick, along with many of his capitalist buddies, are a national disgrace.
Will the economy recover? Will we have learned our lesson? I have faith in the former, but, alas! not much in the latter. Which leads me to the most important question of all:
Dear readers of the future, are you still there?
The President has lost crucial time trying to convince us that the pandemic, as far as Americans are concerned, was nothing to worry about. "It's the common cold, folks," said Rush Limbaugh recently, whom Trump awarded a Medal of Freedom on
Trump had to change his tune in March, since the mounting viral tsunami left our all-wet leader with no place to dry--I mean, lie. Trump has gotten away with his shameless, shameful, self-serving, destructive fictions primarily because the economy was good. Far too many were content to watch his mindless gaslighting sessions on TV; a mindless virus has changed the channel.
Puffed up by his pride as well as by his diet, Trump cuts an increasingly damaged figure on TV. He often distractedly sways back and forth while others speak; he has difficulty reading simple English off the prompter, and when he sniffs ad libs, liberals laugh while conservatives sigh. On one recent occasion, Dr. Fauci, the very decent infectious disease expert, hid his face in his hands while Trump blathered on. His days are perhaps numbered; Trump can't abide what he perceives to be competition. Are there conspiracy theories that Dr. Fauci works for the Deep State and is trying to bring our great leader down? You betcha.
Paraphrasing Mae West's response to a judge in her trial for obscenity, I imagine an angry Trump-appointed judge raging at the fact-checking expert. "Doctor Fauci, are you trying to show contempt to this conservative court?" "No, Judge; I'm doing my best to hide it."
Only a week or so ago, the unemployment rate was at a historic low. That was the past--last week, over 3 million persons applied for unemployment benefits--an historic high, so high ass to be unprecedented. You know it's serious when even Republicans knew that a huge stimulus was necessary. (Obama's stimulus during the financial crisis was passed without one Republican vote in its favor). In no time, both parties have passed a stimulus bill for over 2 trillion dollars. As one might have expected, the Republicans insisted on a 500,000 billion slush fund for corporations. Democrats insissted that there be congressional oversight on how it is spent, but Trump shows little inclination in abiding by what has been passed into law.
As I have mentioned in my previous Covid-19 entries (this is my fifth "Desultory Diary" Covid-19 article since 3/15/2020), my primary purpose for writing these is to document the crisis for future generations. What seems so serious to us now might only be a distant memory for those who live after we have passed--and, I am sure, dear readers of the future, you will have your hands full with other crises, some of which can trace their origins to current greed and mismanagement. I hope, for your sake, that the role of government will not be as demonized at it is now. The only way to keep a capitalist form of government is to reform and regulate it. I hope that has happened, and continues to happen, dear future readers, by your now. If an individual tries to wander through life without a moral compass, he inevitably gets lost. Absolute trust in market forces is like placing absolute trust, to use Freudian terminology, in the id, without any input form the ego or superego.
We recently have had a horrible example of placing greed over need by the recent statements of the Lt. Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick. He supports Trump's irresponsible proposal that America needs to get back to work now, science be damned.(Trump, pious man that he is, thinks it would be "beautiful" if churches could be "packed" by Easter. I wonder why?). "Let's get back to work," Patrick suggests, 'Those over 70 will take care of themselves." They apparently should see it as a civic duty "to sacrifice themselves for America as we know it" --that is, how he knows it. The Torah advocates that we should choose life; Patrick, in contrast, advocates that we should choose Wall Street instead. Do you remember, people of the future, the nonsensical argument that the Affordable Care Act would encourage "pulling the plug on Grandma?" Well, according to Patrick, grandparents are expendable in order to help assure that his and his corporate buddies' portfolios thrive. Never mind that the virus also kills those in the prime of life. Never mind that science informs us that the best way to "flatten the curve" of mortality is to shelter in place. If this works, and it should, the economy will bounce back.
Dan Patrick, along with many of his capitalist buddies, are a national disgrace.
Will the economy recover? Will we have learned our lesson? I have faith in the former, but, alas! not much in the latter. Which leads me to the most important question of all:
Dear readers of the future, are you still there?
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