God, I wish I could stop writing, at least for a while – but, everyday, I feel an obligation to keep up with the way this pandemic is ripping through our country. Of course, you can’t pay attention without listening to individual 1 (although, I’ve pretty much solved that problem by learning how to use the dial better or my mouse better or whatever). Honestly, I’m just really tired of all the LIES. Then, there is the reality. My daughter is an RN and my niece is an occupational therapist in Seattle where it’s “All hands on deck.” I talked to my sister-in-law this afternoon (after, by the way, I found a Costco with toilet paper) and she told me how her daughter, the other night, just broke down in tears describing her day. She has FOUR young children and she’s in the University of Washington Medical Center (one part of it) where they’ve done with her what individual 1 SHOULD have done with our nation’s manufacturing capability long ago, and that’s being “re-purposed.”
Just as she’s needed to help with the mounting number of Covid-19 patients in the hospital our IMPEACHED so-called president COULD have, weeks (if not months) ago ORDERED the productions of what is called PPE (Professional Protective Equipment) for our medical personnel, along with a massive amount of ventilators, testing supplies, etc. Hospitals in New York are putting the dead bodies inside refrigerated truck trailers because the morgues are ALREADY over run – and, we’re AT LEAST two to three weeks from the peak – if not longer. I want to come across more positive, but individual 1 just isn’t listening to me – and, I’ve warned him of what is going to happen if he continues to put his own re-election chances ahead of the well being of America’s people, her doctors, her nurses, and the rest of the heroic people who are putting up an incredible FIGHT against this insidious virus.
Many weeks ago I began predicting when it comes to the election individual 1 is so worried about – he’s so paranoid about it he continues to attack the media as if they want to use this virus to “take me down.” Honestly, even if that were true, it wouldn’t be necessary because they couldn’t possibly do as good a job in that light as what he’s doing to himself. (pointing this out seems to be a daily ritual) As I listened to the MOUNTAIN of LIES coming from the lectern – as individual 1 seems to have the need to monopolize the time in front of the cameras – I started predicting there MUST be someone, somewhere collecting all the video and/or audio of what he’s saying and, simply put, he’s making Joe Biden’s job easy by creating campaign adds for him. Well, it’s all playing out because, just today, I watched three of the ads and they are, well, in a word, devastating to our IMPEACHED so-called president. (With the exception of those in his cult, who actually believe he tells the truth) I’m guessing even some members of the cult are going to recognize the LIES he’s spewing at them on a daily basis. And, he just can’t stop.
Here’s individual 1’s solution to the first add I saw which came out – a 30 second spot which has been produced with ONLY his own words. The response coming from his “campaign” is they are sending “decease and desist” orders to the TV Stations which are playing the ads. That is almost comical, but, well, whatever! So, this is kind of like when individual 1 says to John Bolton “you can’t publish your book.” Therefore, individual 1 just insured Bolton will spend a few weeks on the NY Times best seller list once it’s published. I don’t do Twitter, but I did see copies of this first ad on “Twitter” via a link I clicked and people were saying things like “They’re trying to block this ad so lets all “re-Tweet” it.” Even I’m smart enough to know that means “play it again, Sam!” (If you don’t recognize that line, well you’re a bit younger than me) Someone said it was “re-tweeted” over 6.5 MILLION times. (Just in the last day or two) I’m guessing that’s more eyes on the ad than would have otherwise seen it. I keep saying, virtually EVERYTHING he does is ass-backwards!
And, there were a couple of other ads, again simply using individual 1’s own words which were even more “devastating” to his charade of campaign style “press briefings.” I have no idea how many times those ads were getting free publicity, but I’m sure it’s in the MILLIONS of “Tweets.” Apparently, when “we the people” are all locked in our homes and apartments we get creative and a bit stir crazy. (Maybe that’s why he wants to send us all back to “business as usual”) The sad reality is he just can’t help himself and, when all is said and done, republicans will be responsible because they had the chance to remove him – for “cause” – back in January and the only one with a shade of guts was Mitt Romney. I’ve turned off the “press briefings” but, if you watch cable “news” you can’t help getting the “high points.”
Again, today, as individual 1 was LYING to convince his cult he’s doing “a great job” he said something along the line of “nobody could have seen this coming.” (Which, of course, is a LIE) And, he can’t resist attempting to make himself look like the victim (which always seems to work with his cult, so why would he stop) so he had to add “we inherited a broken situation but I don’t totally blame the people that were before me in this administration nobody would have ever thought a thing like this could happen.” I heard that and my mind was just, well, YIKES! The reality is that “those who came before him” (what he means by that is the Obama administration) actually had imagined this very disaster and they left him a “playbook” for what EXACTLY should be the federal response to a pandemic. (Former republican speechwriter David Frum suggested the reason individual 1 is unaware of this “plan” is because “it’s in a book.”)
I mean, the FACT he removed the pandemic response team early in his administration is undeniable and suggesting “no one could have seen this coming” simply borders on the absurd! Not only did many in the Obama administration and the Bush administration before them “see this coming” but they actually warned those who were part of individual 1’s incoming administration before he/they moved into the “White House.” Now our health care workers are going to work every day without the protective equipment they should have, many of them are now becoming infected with this virus, and the disaster is getting ready to explode even more quite possibly with a shrinking number of HEROES on the front lines because the health care workers are sick. Also, possibly MILLIONS of Americans’ lives are “on the line” because of individual 1’s INCOMPETENCE!
Individual 1 continues to threaten “opening parts” of the country maybe in the next week as this virus is expanding exponentially. If you remember, one of his most significant LIES was when he was standing next to the CDC doctors in his campaign clothing and claimed “anyone who wants a test can get one.” Well, that was a lie as was “Nobody thought I understood all this so well.” Yikes!!! Like I’ve said, he just can’t help himself. The combination of extreme narcissism and pathological LYING is a “bad look” as “we the people” continue to look for a federal response to this pandemic which would cause the things our medical workers need to be produced and would create a national distribution center which would eliminate states bidding against each other, and incredibly, would allow FEMA to get the PPE medical personnel need into their hospitals! And, Oh by the way, testing is STILL unavailable all across the land!
If people could actually be tested, I suppose, you could possibly find areas where you could relax the social distancing strategy which seems necessary to protect the most people as this virus is running through our country, although that would be dangerous. However, we don’t have the testing and the reality is this virus is spreading ALL across the country. His wishful thinking is based on the idea his re-election plans are heading for the “toilet.” (Maybe our IMPEACHED so-called president is thinking “if we don’t make tests available people won’t know how many Americans are infected”) I believe it will be several months before we “open up” across this country. The “right wingers” in this country – which, of course, includes my friend I mention here often who is a devout individual 1 supporter and is one who believes this is just another version of the flu – are fully on board with just opening things up and let the “chips fall where they may.” My friend continues to contact me in an attempt to convince me losing a couple million old people is worth saving the stock market. Yes, most of the people who are dying are old people who have underlying “conditions.” (Like me) But NOT all of them! (Not that that should make any difference from where I’m sitting)
Honestly, to me, this comes across as a convenient way for “conservatives” to thin out the “baby boomers” and those who were alive during WW II without spending a lot of money trying to give them a few more years of life. (Of course, this virus kills many people who are much younger – I guess they would be “collateral damage”) This is all because individual 1 believes his re-election is connected to the success of the stock market. He keeps suggesting “the market is going to go back up quickly once this is over.” That may very well be true (although, personally, I’m a bit skeptical – I’m feeling we could be in a depression by the time we get out of this) but his own actions are making this last much longer than it otherwise would have if he would have paid attention to that “playbook” he apparently didn’t read.
I keep thinking of all the people who claimed Bernie Sanders’ push for “Medicare for all” was too expensive (although, I believe that’s the opposite of true) and they just couldn’t imagine how it could be paid for. So, all those people (and, I’m talking about democrats and republicans) when looking at a stock market crashing were able to find over $6 TRILLION in the space of a couple of weeks – all with the idea of “propping up” the market. So much for the “free market,” eh? Does this remind you of 2008? To me, I just sit in amazement every time the “free market conservatives” come to the government for massive amounts of money. Of course, this is the SOCIALISM they all complain about. Trust me, republicans will find a way to BLAME democrats for this “rescue” package because it’s got extended unemployment benefits in it. Naturally, we won’t hear a “peep” from them on the 5 TRILLION going to Wall Street. They’ll tell us they’re protecting our “401-K’s.” Ugh!
This MASSIVE infusion of money into WALL STREET – of course, of the $6+ TRILLION in the bill signed today there was about a TRILLION+ aimed at Main Street, which is a good thing – hopefully, it will result in help going to the “front lines” in the hospitals and stabilize the work force which has been furloughed and save many of the small businesses which are closed. The reality is, from the standpoint of our IMPEACHED so-called president and republicans, virtually every day it becomes even MORE apparent Wall Street is more important than Main Street. Of course, all that money has somewhat stabilized the market for a few days at least, but from my standpoint, there’s no way to stop this market from heading south again.
Today, I listened to Jerome Powell, the head of the Fed, who has his “fingers” on over $4 TRILLION of the money attempting to “sugar coat” the reality we’re all facing and I don’t see any way the “market” doesn’t take more of a trip “south.” He’s going to be buying a LOT of “bad debt” – whatever that means (I’ve never hidden my lack of economic knowledge) – and, once again, propping up the “too big to fail” banks – at least that’s how it looks to me. And, I have no doubt, individual 1 will be able to convince the “cult” this is all the fault, as I said above, of democrats. Republicans are really good at that.
For example, I often check the market by logging in to Yahoo/finance where you can follow the markets’ ups and downs during the day. Often I’ll read some of the articles which are usually interviews by the Yahoo “crew” with various people “connected” to various aspects of Wall Street. I try to avoid the “comments” section because it’s usually a “petri dish” of partisan rhetoric – coming from people who often seem to be more ignorant regarding economics than me. The best example of that I can give is I’ve seen countless examples of people writing comments on one article to another where they blame President Obama for the “TARP bailout of 2008.” I’m always impressed they get the name “TARP” correct, but it amazes me they don’t understand Bush/Cheney came up with the TARP bailout and Obama didn’t take office until 2009. To me, it’s just a “public display of stupidity.”
The other thing which is common is “conservatives” BLAMING President Obama for the $1.5 TRILLION deficits he inherited. So, are we getting close to seeing a repeat of that phenomenon? For example, at this point I would say the chances Joe Biden will defeat individual 1 in November are increasing and, very likely the deficits will far exceed what he and President Obama inherited back in the aftermath of the “financial collapse” of 2008. Should Biden by the next president I can hear the chorus of stupidity coming from republican partisans already. Of course, should the unthinkable happen and “we the people” be STUCK with another unimaginable 4 years of the “scandal a day” individual 1 administration all these conservatives will hardly be noticing what are going to be all time record deficits.
God willing “we the people” will be on the other side of this pandemic long enough to have a brisk debate over the future of our nation. Do we want another four years of “leadership” from the morally bankrupt, petty, narcissistic, xenophobic, racist, and pathologically LYING individual 1 or do we want Joe Biden and whoever he chooses as his “running mate” which will be a stark contrast in the morality department and capability department from the present disaster. Personally, I hope Biden (if it is Biden) chooses Stacy Abrams as his “running mate” although, I know he’s committed to choosing a woman. It’s time!
I’ll end this by saying the Covid-19 virus which just 25 days ago individual 1 said would be soon down to “zero” now has surpassed 100,000 cases in America – the MOST in the world, now, by FAR, with 2000 deaths fast approaching – likely by tomorrow – and, FINALLY, individual 1 has enacted the Defense Production Act which will (hopefully) begin getting respirators to hospitals in the next month (which, maybe, won’t be too late) as the peak is due in New York over the next three weeks (I keep saying this, hopefully) and our confirmed cases is still advancing exponentially. That means, by the time these ventilators are available we could be looking at confirmed cases in the multi-MILLIONS.
Individual 1 is still threatening to “open the country” as all these cases are expanding at an alarming speed. This is just going to continue getting worse and his, what I call, “precious stock market” are not going to respond well to his incompetence. I keep listening to those around him and, clearly, they are afraid to tell him the truth. Not only are there a plethora of unqualified people in critical positions but, in many instances, there is NO one in needed positions. Here’s the bottom line, he can’t help himself and he’s not going to change and “we the people” just need to realize that. Andrew Cuomo suggested the way to deal with individual 1 is to cover him with (undeserved) compliments. Individual 1 continues to attack the governor of my state who has been at the forefront of this battle and the people around him are, well, now LYING for him! Sad!!!
Rick Wilson wrote a book titled “Everyone (individual 1) Touches DIES! Well this is going to be the outcome for the two medical people who stand at the press briefings with individual 1 each day if they’re not careful. Maybe Anthony Fauci will come out of this OK – he seems to be able to diplomatically tell the truth. The lady, I don’t know her name, well, not so much. I think she needs to be very careful – because, I don’t believe “we the people” by and large are willing to “sacrifice our old people” – as the Lt. Governor of Texas suggested – to save the stock market. It would be a shame if she tarnished her own reputation in order to prop up an IMPEACHED so-called president who can’t stop LYING!
Final Thought: It just never ends. Democrats fought long and hard to put “guard rails” on the $500 BILLION “slush fund” which was the centerpiece of the republicans’ “solution” to this pandemic and, sure enough, as individual 1 was signing the bill he said he would not recognize the oversight committee nor the inspector general which was “attached” to the money. These “guardrails” were put on to prevent the type of corruption which accompanied the money in the TARP “bailouts” of 2008. Evidently, the other $4 TRILLION wasn’t enough to make individual 1 or his republican Wall Street buddies happy enough. Or, there may be another reason for him saying he’s going to disregard the “guard rails.” One of the provisions in the “slush fund” was that NONE of the money could go to individual 1, his family, or other members of government. Do you think getting his hands on the slush fund money is why he’s ignoring the oversight on it?
November can’t come fast enough for me – and, I choose to believe Americans, by and large, are smart enough to end this national nightmare!