Star
Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
As Commander and Chief, the national safety of Americans falls in the hands of Donald Trump. Due to Trump’s lack of response and indifference towards Covid-19, we are quickly approaching nearly 200,000 Americans dead, and over 6.5 million cases in the United States. The United States leads the world by far with the most cases and deaths. It did not have to be like this. Trump’s need for self-preservation usurped the needs of the American people from the very beginning of this pandemic, long before the coronavirus reached our shores.
Scientist and epidemiologist are now estimating that 85%-90% of the people who died from the coronavirus in the U.S. would still be alive today if Trump had not concealed and downplayed the coronavirus to the American people. Donald Trump has the blood of tens of thousands of Americans on his hands; however, that is immaterial to him. I can assure you, he have not lost an ounce of sleep over it. What is just as despicable, Trump is
The main cause of the catastrophic numbers have been attributed to the fact the Trump Administration never adopted a national strategy. As of today, we still do not have a nationwide strategy. Nearly every epidemiologist and scientist across the globe has asserted the only way to successfully respond to the coronavirus is to approach it on a national level. But when news of the coronavirus first made its way to the United States, Donald Trump put all his efforts into hiding the coronavirus from the public. He lied (and is still lying) for several months about the virus, and is continuously downplaying its’ significance to the American people.
The Bob Woodward’s tapes clearly establish Donald Trump purposely sought to minimize the danger and serious nature of the coronavirus. He concocted one of his most pathetic lies ever, claiming he only downplayed the virus to Americans so people would not panic. Instead, he is the one who is panic stricken. He fears it could cost him the election; to the point he forfeited thousands upon thousands of lives just to suppress the truth. Lying about something is not downplaying. Grossly misinforming others is not downplaying. Claiming the virus is like the flu is not downplaying. And flat out proclaiming the virus was a hoax is most assuredly not downplaying - it is unequivocally a lie.
The Trump Administration never put forth a national strategy, and failed to equip our governors to be in a position to counter Covid-19 sufficiently. Trump backed away from his responsibility as president. Instead he dumped the virus in the governors’ laps to fend for themselves and take action on a state by state basis. Assistance from the federal government was meager at best. The United States leads the world by leaps and bounds in the number of cases and deaths. This is a pandemic, not a virus that occurs in one state here and another there. The coronavirus demands a federal response to counter it, and the Trump Administration has refused to do so right from the beginning.
Trump did his best to hide the virus from Americans solely to protect himself, until he no longer could. He ordered a cruise ship to remain at bay; preventing it from docking in Oakland, California, because he did not want the coronavirus count on American soil to go up. He did not give a rip who died or who caught the virus, nor does he give a rip today. Once Trump realized his statement the virus was a “hoax” would no longer wash, he switched to another tactic. His next strategy was to minimize the virus, and he has remained with that tactic ever since.
Trump started to realize the depth of his poor performance in dealing with the coronavirus early on. He did not want to be bothered with it; like I said, primarily because he saw it as a threat to being reelected. What is strange, however; is that he started to dub himself as a “wartime president.” I don’t know why, because he shifted all the blame and responsibility off himself - and unto the governors. It still does not explain why he embellished himself as a “war time” president. One has to ask a “war time president “of what? Only to the White House as far as I could see. The real answer I believe is truly pathetic -Trump just like the way the phrase a “war time president” sounds.
He never invoked the Defense Production Act which would have enabled production of PPE equipment and testing to supply the 50 states and U.S protectorates. You had governors early on competing against each other; searching even on Ebay to purchase equipment for their states. Governors were desperate to get the resources they needed, especially in the northeast without help from the federal government. This should have never occurred in a country like the United States. Trump refused to implement the DPA, but his ego remained ingratiated by referring to himself as a “war time president.” It made him feel special and important – he likes that. He likes that a lot.
No governor could handle a pandemic like this on their own – they desperately needed resources and assistance from the federal government. You had New York hit the hardest, where the virus had already circulated in the community, because Trump did not initiate travel bands from Europe in time. He was also slow about implementing a travel ban from China. At one time Trump claimed China was doing great; now with his racism intentionally unleashed, he refers to Covid -19 as the Chinese virus. His base likes that, and he is constantly giving them a “wink and a nod” about race related issues. He is just that venomous and repugnant.
On September13, Trump held an indoor rally in Henderson, Nevada despite coronavirus restrictions in the state that prohibited gatherings 50 people or more. So much for the “law and order” president, who snubs his nose at the law and breaks it himself. Donald Trump has broken many laws, from sexual assault, campaign fraud, tax evasion, and financial crime. His campaign about crime is farce. It is the manifestation of him scraping the barrel to find anything that would draw attention away from his failed coronavirus response.
In his Henderson rally, chairs were lined up in rows right next to each other, and masks were not required. Epidemiologist and medical professionals are concerned the rally may turn into a super spreader event. The Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma caused a coronavirus spike in that area. It was also most likely where Herman Cain caught the virus and died. Kindly note, in all of Trump’s rallies; there is one person who is never in close proximity of anyone else - Trump. No handshakes, Trump? According to you, it is safe, right? Earlier in the week, he also held a large outdoor rally in Michigan where the crowd was large and no mask were required either.
On August 14, Donald Trump called renowned journalist, Bob Woodward, who had written a book about him titled “Rage.” It would be their last of 19 conversations they had together. What was on Trump’s mind? That’s easy – himself. That is the only thing on Trump’s mind, well yeah…okay; it’s the same in that case too. Trump asked Woodward if the relevance of the virus supersedes the economy – what a strange question for the president of the United States to ask someone.
Trump’s concern has always been the economy since the coronavirus started, and how it would impact his chance for reelection. The only numbers that matters to him are the Stock Market and unemployment numbers. The coronavirus count and deaths does not faze him (which explains why Wall Street likes him). He does not understand as do so many Americans thanks to him, that until the virus is contained the economy cannot recover.
Trump is still downplaying the virus by encouraging businesses and schools to reopen in the face of rising cases. He does not encourage social distancing or wearing masks period. Why is Trump still downplaying the virus when the coronavirus numbers are even larger than they were in March and April? He can see America is not panicking or freaking out, so it begs the question, why is he still downplaying the virus? I will tell you why – he does not care whether Americans live or die; he is fine either way. Today, you even have the Trump Administration not taking responsibility for the very guidelines they themselves established. The only thing Donald Trump wants is for everything to go back to normal before November 3 elections.
One of my favorite movies is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The movie has a beautiful quote in the dialogue - one that would never resonate with Donald J. Trump. I will give you a short cut version of the scene. If you’re not into Star Trek, the characters won’t mean anything to you, but the message is there. The starship Enterprise was in a battle with Khan who is seeking revenge against Admiral Kirk. Khan detonates a device called the Genesis Wave, and it was going to result in the destruction of the Enterprise. Spock races to engineering and steps inside a radioactive chamber to stop the detonation. He knew full well by doing so it would cost him his life, but he did it anyway.
Admiral Kirk who was once his captain and close friend, left the ship’s bridge and ran to engineering because he sensed Spock was in trouble. By the time he got there it was too late, Spock’s death was imminent. The radioactive chamber was sealed. Kirk press on the outside of the chamber and calls out Spock’s name. Spock was barely able to speak, yet the first thing he asked Kirk, “Ship out of danger?” Kirk told him that it was. He looked at Kirk and said, “Don’t grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many, outweighed”…Kirk interrupts and completes his sentence by saying “the needs of the few.” And Spock then said “Or the one.”
Donald Trump is the polar opposite of Spock. Trump is only worried about the needs of the one – Donald J. Trump. The needs of the many (the American people) is of no concern to him. His need to protect himself is rooted in an inconceivable sludge pit of self-centeredness. Trump placed every single individual in the United States at risk; first and foremost by claiming the virus was a hoax. Months later Trump even retweeted famed game show host Chuck Woolery’s tweet, who claimed the virus was a hoax. Trump knew full well the virus was deadly, which he admitted on the Woodward tapes back in February. By the way, after Woolery’s son caught Covid-19, he (Woolery) recanted his position.
Donald Trump tried his best to divert attention from the coronavirus and downplayed it characteristics, and the danger it presented to the public. He also at one point would not allow Dr. Anthony Fauci do any media interviews, because he feared the truth getting out. He also expressed to the media we may get like 15 cases or so, and then it will just trickle away miraculously disappear. Because of Trump’s statements, a good number of people maintained the virus is not any worse than the flu for a long time – some still believe this. Others are maintaining it is a hoax to this very day.
Donald Trump’s federal response was dismal to non-existent at best. His entire approach has always been to minimize the virus. That is exactly what he is doing to this very day. It was always about him, and it will remain about him the rest of his life. This is why a man like him should not be president – his is a sociopath and his malevolent disposition is a danger to the American people. He will continue to have blood on his hands as the American death toll rises, but it simply does not matter to him. That is the cold, honest truth.
The needs of the one (Trump) outweighed the needs of the many (the American people).
