Life of Wry

Trump alone is responsible for the U.S.’s failed response to the coronavirus. Against advice from public health experts, he chose to favor the economy over the health of the people of this country. And he did that for one reason: his reelection.

His motive is no surprise to me, but what astounds me is that, on this crisis, this is completely, 100% on him. There isn’t a single person who has any influence or authority over his whims, his impulses and ultimately the decisions he makes as regards this pandemic response. There may be some in his small circle who share his focus on the economy at the expense of (expendable) people, and/or some who share his objective to win a second term at all costs. But there is nobody who’s got authority greater than his own. So if he wants to do something — anything — he can. And has. He ALONE, based not on facts but on the degree to which it impacts his chances at reelection, has decided the pandemic is a distant concern.  He alone decided not to prioritize testing, not to wear masks, not to  adhere to CDC guidelines, not to hold press briefings. He decided to start up rallies. For whatever reasons made sense to him. He bent the whole thing to his will…  his will being to dismiss it, because its being gone serves him. It’s all him.

He alone decided to make it political, to turn it into a culture war to fuel his campaign. Because he and his base thrive on culture wars.

And nearly the entire GOP clung to his narrative, because they are afraid of him.  And many/most republican governors followed his lead, to the peril of the people of their states.. because he said so. I understand that governors and smaller jurisdictions have their own authorities to act as benefits their people, but with rare exception, they’ve opted to follow his lead.. because that’s what they do in this era.

So again, what just blows me away is that he has this kind of control over so many of our fates. Even as he makes perilous, self(only)-serving decisions. This is all him. He alone has charted this course, and a weak, immoral, terrified GOP has followed his lead b/c he has them all by the balls.

We can place the blame squarely on him for a huge percentage of these deaths. Not all, but a huge percentage of them. Just look at the charts that track deaths in European countries next to our chart. All the charts go up together, then the European ones go down, while ours plateaus, then goes up. Because HE rushed us to open. And nobody could stop him and a large percentage of GOP govs followed suit. Thousands have died needlessly. This did NOT have to be this way. It’s all on him.

And I just wonder: HOW CAN THAT EVEN HAPPEN? How is it that a single, immorally-driven person can exert that kind of power without anyone to stop him? I’m serious. Anyone with a brain knows his position is bullshit, but nobody can stop him. If he wants to downplay the virus, say that people are wearing masks to make him look bad, hold rallies, lie at press briefings, craft his own narrative.. he can. Dangerous as hell because he’s a cult leader and his followers hang on his every word, and believe him. A lot of us don’t, the media calls him on it. But it doesn’t matter. The virus is going to spread b/c there is a lot of transmission happening in a lot of red states, and red areas of blue states.

In the case of this crisis, his stupidity puts us all at risk.. but not a soul can stop that.

Were he to have sung a different tune, we’d be in a different place. His followers (his 35% who’ll vote for him no matter what) will do whatever he says. If he’d worn a mask and directed people to do so, they would have. If he tells them it’s a violation of their freedom, they’ll believe that. They’ll follow him right off a cliff. And the GOP will do whatever he says too, because they can’t withstand his wrath, nor can they afford to lose his base.

So I wonder how is it even possible that a person, any person, but especially a person so dangerously ignorant and ethically challenged, can have that much control over something like a pandemic response.  We are all living a nightmare and can’t do anything about it. This is not a constitutional checks and balances kind thing or. This is not a three equal branches of government thing. This is just an idiot calling ALL the shots. How is that possible?! 

And the smaller thing I wonder is: why is nobody pointing this out?  I mean, this is some crazy, destructive power, power he’s just grabbed and run with that’s killing a lot of people. Why isn’t anybody commenting on that kind of sickening abuse? I mean, I know there is plenty of talk and analysis about the spread, the deaths, his selfish actions.. etc. But I’m not hearing any commentary on how ONE SINGLE PERSON is pretty much the cause of a huge percentage of the mess — deaths, a crashing economy and no end in sight.