Australia. Germany. New Zealand. South Korea. Sweden. Taiwan.
These are some of the countries which have gained a handle on the COVID-19 pandemic and are cautiously re-opening businesses, recreational venues, and government buildings. How did they do it? Their leaders recognized the seriousness of the virus early on and took immediate steps to minimize the spread of infection. Their citizens recognized the seriousness of the virus and willingly complied with government directives in order to minimize the spread of infection.
Other countries, however, have been slow to act because they either did not recognize the seriousness of the virus or had not the capacity to slow the rate of infection. For them, getting a handle on the pandemic is still in the future.
Take, for instance, the U. S. of A..
May 28, 2020, the leader of that country marked a “sad milestone” 100,000 Americans dead. Here’s why it shouldn’t have been a milestone at all.
The leader of that country was, and still is, clueless about the seriousness of the virus. He originally called it a hoax and did nothing until he was pressured to take positive action by persons wiser than he. Still, he dragged his feet by saying “I don’t take any responsibility at all.” And, in point of fact, he had closed the National Security Council’s Directorate for Global Security and Biodefence in 2018 simply because it had been created by his predecessor and was therefore worthless.
He: Ignored the warnings from the intelligence community in January and stonewalled a congressional inquiry in February; failed to mobilize the government to conduct early testing; failed to procure early on sufficient medical supplies under the Defense Production Act; promoted risky drugs and household disinfectants as “cures”; and used pandemic briefings to disseminate lies and misinformation.
The Chas has a delicious thought. At least, he thinks it is delicious. You, dear reader, may have a different take.
King Donald the Magnificent does not wear a face mask in public, does not practice physical (not social) distancing (thank you, Carter Crane of The Voice, for pointing out the difference), and does not listen to any experts, although he expects the rest of us to do so. Because he is president of the United States, he is, ipso facto, immune, don’t you know? And, just to be on the safe side, he takes a daily dose of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug which has been linked to heart attacks whenever it was used for any other purpose. Plus, he is obese and already risks heart failure.
Now all 50 states have begun to drop some of their restrictions on non-essential businesses. (Some businesses have been quite flagrant about it and have welcomed armed hoodlums to protect them against law-enforcement personnel.) It remains to be seen whether or not this is a wise move because of the possibility that the virus will mutate and become even more deadly. The Cheerleader-in-Chief wants a strong economy in order to secure his re-election bid in November. He listens to no other voice but his own.
Now, here’s the delicious thought, dear reader. What if he does contract the virus? Remember, a several of the White House staff members already have fallen victim, and there’s the possibility that he may have been exposed. He would be a dead fellow, given his circumstances. Author Mark Twain once remarked that he did not wish death on anyone, but he had read many an obituary with glee. It would be poetic justice for this narcissist and egotist to be dispatched by a so-called hoax.
What if, however, King Donald remains (relatively) healthy, but still loses his re-election bid because of his failure to find a handle on the pandemic in a timely and powerful manner? I call the reader’s attention to my essay of August 29, 2019 whereby he becomes The Boss and fires everyone in Washington, D.C., except the bootlickers.
Trumpvirus, the most devastating pandemic of all time!
Just a thought.