"It'll go away like things go away."
-- Trump on the coronavirus, yesterday. So, apparently realizing that him saying for five months just that "It will go away like a miracle" wasn't gaining the tracking he hoped it would, he decided to try a new tactic and give an example of what he meant. But needing a wide example to how that it was apparently the general rule of life, he went a wee bit too wide as to be totally meaningless. So, things go away. It'll go away like things go away. Okay, some things that didn't yet go away. Measles. Mumps. Chicken pox. Rickets. Cancer. Tumors. Heart disease. Racism. Terrorism.. The heartbreak of psoriasis Unsolicited phone calls during dinner. Well, you get the idea. Mind you, there are some diseases that did go away -- but then, most of those "went away" -- or largely went away -- because scientists were able to develop a vaccine. They didn't just disappear like a "miracle. Like polio, tuberculosis, diphtheria. In fairness, I do know of one infectious disease that did just "go away" as Trump insists things do. That was the Bubonic Plague. It did indeed just go away, because there was no vaccine to stop it. The problem with that solution though was that 50 million people died in Europe. The good thing is that in the Middle Ages there were no airplanes, trains, buses and cars, so world travel wasn't a big concern for spreading the disease. And since the New World hadn't been discovered yet, there was no one taking a boat to America -- though if someone who was infected had tried, they'd probably have died long before reaching their destination. So, the Black Death was contained to Europe. The bad thing is that those 50 million people dying meant that though the Bubonic Plague did just "go away," it killed 60% of the population in Europe. By those standards today, just "going away" like things do -- without doctors, medicines, treatment, ventilators, face masks, hand sanitizers, social distancing and more -- would end up killing 180 million Americans alone. Just, y'know, just "going away like things go away" isn't really the ideal first choice of confronting COVID-19. Happily, in addition to those other options above to at least help contain and minimize infections and deaths, there is another solution, as well, but there's a major irony attached to it. And that's the hopeful discover of a vaccine. The irony of it is that, this being a major hope of Trump who keeps insisting one is close despite all evidence to the contrary, a vaccine will be the results of science. And Trump has demeaned science probably more than any other U.S. President in history. And the only reason I say "probably" is because I don't know Millard Fillmore's position on the subject. But from ignoring science on Climate Change to ignoring science from Dr. Anthony Fauci and CDC guidelines, and most things in between, to have Trump rely so heavily on the research and development that scientists and doctors can accomplish the one thing he is utterly relying on to save his election chances is about as sardonic as one can get. Also, sardonic is his belief that even if there was the discovery of a vaccine tomorrow it will save his chances, as if people will even conceivably be able to forget 161,601 deaths; 54 million Americans losing their jobs; thousands of businesses going bankrupt with no jobs to go back to; sheltering at home for month; children with no school; no movies, theater and sports; no restaurants to go to; no parties or social gatherings; and on and on and on. A vaccine -- from scientists -- would be joyous, whenever it hopefully comes. But whenever it hopefully comes, even tomorrow, the most of the public knows that life has changed, and not just changed bu 80% of Americans say the country is going in the wrong direction -- and they know the reason why. It's because the person in charge says, "It'll go away like things go away." One of which perhaps will be the Trump administration. Hey, it is what it is.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
Categories
All
|
© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2024
|