Everyone who was surprised that Trump gave up on controlling the virus, raise your hand.
.
No, I don’t mean when they admitted it. Everyone is surprised when they admit stuff.
.
No, it was evident from the beginning that there was never any effort to control the virus. In fact, there was sabotage of governors and CDC who did try to lessen the virus damage.
.
It makes sense though, from the Trump/Republican* point of view.
For one thing, it’s hard. Beyond the capability of Trump to deal with — a virus can’t be intimidated or sued, insulted, or bought off. Worse, when you try to govern, you will make mistakes and be criticized for them. Trump would never do that.
That’s only half the story, though. The lesser half.
WHY would Trump or any of his family or any Republican* make any attempt to control the virus though listening to scientists, issuing effective guidelines, etc.?
There is NO MONEY TO BE MADE trying to control the virus.
.
Vaccines, though, are a golden opportunity. You start by shoveling tons of money to big pharma — they WILL show their gratitude monetarily and other ways. Then, when a vaccine IS developed, you can sell it at the price the market will bear, along with more government subsidies (and more gratitude), AND you can produce updated, more expensive versions in perpetuity.
Now, we’re talking real money! You know, in case herd immunity is never reached.
Bloomberg Opinion Today: Trump’s Incompetence Trumps His Demagoguery — America is just eight days, or seven eternities, away from Election Day. As Frank Wilkinson writes, events this past weekend revealed just how stark the choice is, basically between authoritarianism on the one hand and democracy on the other. … though Trump has been practically begging for foreign interference in this election, the rest of his government is actually working hard to prevent it, writes Bloomberg’s editorial board. It pains this newsletter to be so relentlessly upbeat, but there is reason to hope the election may not be stolen. … Trump’s disobedient government will have all the other demagogues laughing at him down at the Autocrats Clubhouse.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, is becoming “the gravedigger of American democracy,” Browning wrote, a role played for Germany beginning in the 1930s by President Paul von Hindenburg.
Now, McConnell shows a similar disregard for democracy and likewise opens up the country to serious risk, Browning explained:
He stoked the hyperpolarization of American politics to make the Obama presidency as dysfunctional and paralyzed as he possibly could.
As with parliamentary gridlock in Weimar, congressional gridlock in the US has diminished respect for democratic norms, allowing McConnell to trample them even more.
Nowhere is this vicious circle clearer than in the obliteration of traditional precedents concerning judicial appointments.
Systematic obstruction of nominations in Obama’s first term provoked Democrats to scrap the filibuster for all but Supreme Court nominations.
Then McConnell’s unprecedented blocking of the Merrick Garland nomination required him in turn to scrap the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations in order to complete the “steal” of Antonin Scalia’s seat and confirm Neil Gorsuch.
The extreme politicization of the judicial nomination process is once again on display in the current Kavanaugh hearings.
Whatever secret reservations McConnell and other traditional Republican leaders have about Trump’s character, governing style, and possible criminality, they openly rejoice in the payoff they have received from their alliance with him and his base:
…huge tax cuts for the wealthy, financial and environmental deregulation, the nominations of two conservative Supreme Court justices (so far) and a host of other conservative judicial appointments, and a significant reduction in government-sponsored health care (✁ 4 space)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,” Charlies DickensAin’t nothing changed.
Mitch McConnell just adjourned the Senate until November 9, ending the prospect of additional coronavirus relief until after the election
Mitch knows that Biden will likely become the next president. He is intentionally leaving a mess for the democrats to clean up, like always… every Democratic President in my lifetime has had a major economic crisis left to them by the outgoing GOP President. Carter, Clinton, Obama, and hopefully Biden. Each GOP President has come into office with a relatively prosperous economy (yes, even Reagan). Which they then proceeded to trash and crash.
allen@home over 3 years ago
Make that three.
Cheapskate0 over 3 years ago
Wasn’t that last Sunday’s PBS?
nosirrom over 3 years ago
I’ll settle for COVID free.
Wilde Bill over 3 years ago
When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, we will still be in the same mess. Just saying.
braindead Premium Member over 3 years ago
Everyone who was surprised that Trump gave up on controlling the virus, raise your hand.
.
No, I don’t mean when they admitted it. Everyone is surprised when they admit stuff.
.
No, it was evident from the beginning that there was never any effort to control the virus. In fact, there was sabotage of governors and CDC who did try to lessen the virus damage.
.
It makes sense though, from the Trump/Republican* point of view.
For one thing, it’s hard. Beyond the capability of Trump to deal with — a virus can’t be intimidated or sued, insulted, or bought off. Worse, when you try to govern, you will make mistakes and be criticized for them. Trump would never do that.
That’s only half the story, though. The lesser half.
WHY would Trump or any of his family or any Republican* make any attempt to control the virus though listening to scientists, issuing effective guidelines, etc.?
There is NO MONEY TO BE MADE trying to control the virus.
.
Vaccines, though, are a golden opportunity. You start by shoveling tons of money to big pharma — they WILL show their gratitude monetarily and other ways. Then, when a vaccine IS developed, you can sell it at the price the market will bear, along with more government subsidies (and more gratitude), AND you can produce updated, more expensive versions in perpetuity.
Now, we’re talking real money! You know, in case herd immunity is never reached.
William Robbins Premium Member over 3 years ago
Bloomberg Opinion Today: Trump’s Incompetence Trumps His Demagoguery — America is just eight days, or seven eternities, away from Election Day. As Frank Wilkinson writes, events this past weekend revealed just how stark the choice is, basically between authoritarianism on the one hand and democracy on the other. … though Trump has been practically begging for foreign interference in this election, the rest of his government is actually working hard to prevent it, writes Bloomberg’s editorial board. It pains this newsletter to be so relentlessly upbeat, but there is reason to hope the election may not be stolen. … Trump’s disobedient government will have all the other demagogues laughing at him down at the Autocrats Clubhouse.
RobinHood over 3 years ago
If you are unhappy about the new Supreme Court Justice Judge Amy Coney Barrett, thank Harry Reid.
Silly Season over 3 years ago
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, is becoming “the gravedigger of American democracy,” Browning wrote, a role played for Germany beginning in the 1930s by President Paul von Hindenburg.
Now, McConnell shows a similar disregard for democracy and likewise opens up the country to serious risk, Browning explained:
He stoked the hyperpolarization of American politics to make the Obama presidency as dysfunctional and paralyzed as he possibly could.
As with parliamentary gridlock in Weimar, congressional gridlock in the US has diminished respect for democratic norms, allowing McConnell to trample them even more.
Nowhere is this vicious circle clearer than in the obliteration of traditional precedents concerning judicial appointments.
Systematic obstruction of nominations in Obama’s first term provoked Democrats to scrap the filibuster for all but Supreme Court nominations.
Then McConnell’s unprecedented blocking of the Merrick Garland nomination required him in turn to scrap the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations in order to complete the “steal” of Antonin Scalia’s seat and confirm Neil Gorsuch.
The extreme politicization of the judicial nomination process is once again on display in the current Kavanaugh hearings.
Whatever secret reservations McConnell and other traditional Republican leaders have about Trump’s character, governing style, and possible criminality, they openly rejoice in the payoff they have received from their alliance with him and his base:
…huge tax cuts for the wealthy, financial and environmental deregulation, the nominations of two conservative Supreme Court justices (so far) and a host of other conservative judicial appointments, and a significant reduction in government-sponsored health care (✁ 4 space)
~
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/05/historian-of-nazism-explains-why-gop-senate-leader-mitch-mcconnell-is-the-gravedigger-of-american-democracy_partner/
gammaguy over 3 years ago
We need far more than a costume.
Well, Carmen, 2021 will be here pretty soon. Let’s make your wish worthwhile.
mauser7 over 3 years ago
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,” Charlies DickensAin’t nothing changed.
dotbup over 3 years ago
Mitch McConnell just adjourned the Senate until November 9, ending the prospect of additional coronavirus relief until after the election
Mitch knows that Biden will likely become the next president. He is intentionally leaving a mess for the democrats to clean up, like always… every Democratic President in my lifetime has had a major economic crisis left to them by the outgoing GOP President. Carter, Clinton, Obama, and hopefully Biden. Each GOP President has come into office with a relatively prosperous economy (yes, even Reagan). Which they then proceeded to trash and crash.
Conservative voters have the brains of goldfish.
Boise Ed Premium Member over 3 years ago
I can think of a few worse years. 1930 and 1861 come to mind.