America in disarray
America, the beautiful? It’s lost, at least for the time being.
America, the basket case? It’s unfortunate.
Earlier this week, we saw folks from Michigan gather on the steps of the State capital in Lansing to protest the Governor’s edict for citizens to stay home. Same nonsense happened in a few others states as well. This is wrong on a number of levels.
First, and there for all of the world to see; a mob of militants sporting signs and regalia, an endorsement for Trump and Pence, and worse — carrying weapons. Were these guns loaded, gents? The protest was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Michigan Freedom Fund, groups emanating from the alt right lunatic fringe.
While the Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, extended the “stay home” to mitigate further spread of the pandemic, many native sons and daughters were and are very unimpressed and expressed their unhappiness. Large scale and intentional traffic chaos occurred. Ambulance movements bound for the hospital were impeded.
To the Michigan Governor, I suggest that if these actions occur again she should immediately enact the police to move in and arrest these protesters, particularly those brandishing weapons. These people simply cannot get the last word and the courts must make an example of them. Mob rule of this sort cannot be permitted.
No doubt medical authorities will be concerned that the continued spread of the virus has most assuredly been activated by this mass gathering.
Secondly, all the President had to say about it is that these “people like me”, or something ridiculous like that. Really? Perhaps he should have told them in no uncertain terms to get the hell home and stop this nonsense immediately and then indicated some support for Governor Whitmer. On further examination, probably not. She is, after all, “That women”. She is not politically friendly and an ally.
Fighting the pandemic has become a partisan issue. That we are all in it together really means nothing to this President, despite his mutterings. His re-election is at stake.
On January 24, there were two reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States. On March 15, there were less than 100 fatalities from the virus in the United States. As of midday on Sunday, April 19, the number of deaths approach 39,000 with nearly three quarters of a million cases. Mr. Trump said it was all going to go away in the ‘heat’, that there would be a miracle. And that is was all under control.
He has tried to deflect responsibility onto the World Heath Organization, onto the government of the Communist Peoples’ Republic of China (after initially heaping praise on them for their stellar performance with mitigation), Democrats in Congress, various state governors and with others to follow no doubt. The administration has screwed up the whole virus testing paradigm.
Finally, the thing I find particularly galling is that he has tweeted to the inhabitants of Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia to “Liberate” themselves from overreaching measures by the respective state governors. He made a point to personally disparage the governor of Virginia. He excluded Ohio in these tweets as they have a Republican governor. This venal act serves only to incite and provoke the locals to uncivil disobedience and anarchy and to further unsettle efforts to stem the reach of the virus.
I believe that Mr. Trump would spawn a civil war amongst Americans if it kept him in office.
Is there even the most remote possibility that the Republican Party apparatus will make the President fall on his sword before the election? An act such as this would be incredible and a first but then these are incredible times. The aggregate total of his failures to respond and lead in this pandemic are breathtaking. When this is all over and behind us, I believe that Mr. Trump will be remembered as the Failed President.
