This may be the worst, most dangerous and telling quote from Trump. (Not to worry, I'm sure he'll sink below it at some point, but it's a pretty low standard.) It came on Friday --
“I feel about vaccines like I feel about tests: This is going to go away without a vaccine. It’s going to go away, and we’re not going to see it again, hopefully, after a period of time.” As of late Monday there, there are 81,895 dead Americans from the coronavirus. And 1,385,834 millions Americans are reported have been infected. That quote from Trump explains a lot. When I wrote about this on social meeting, a friend wrote back a very reasonable reply -- "If there's a strategy behind him making these baseless optimistic predictions," he said, "I'm just not seeing it. These kinds of statements aren't going to win him votes, particularly when they don't come true. So why.... In the rational world, that's a completely reasonable response of bewilderment. Why on earth would someone -- anyone, but especially someone in a position of responsibility even consider saying something so...well, bizarre and dangerous? The only truly honest answer is -- Who knows??? However, one thing I've noticed from Trump is that he lives in the world of "forced optimism." Everything will be great, beautiful, the best ever in just a few weeks. Such a sentiment seems to exist largely to convince others, but I sense he sort of believes it, too. Creating a protective cocoon around himself to create a safe Trump World bubble. It's why He Alone Can Fix It. Everything's great, he knows best, he knows more than the generals, he knows the best words, he knows the best people. It will all go away soon like a miracle. And if you say this over and over, people will not only believe you, but will forget it when life moves on and he next does something screwy. So, in part, I think he actually, truly, bizarrely believes some of this. He has made clear that doesn't believe in science, doesn't believe in Climate Change, doesn't believe this infectious disease would spread, it'll all be okay and go away soon. No vaccines are needed, because (despite what he later said in public) in private away from the cameras he believes it really is just like the flu. He really does believe that drinking bleach and injecting disinfectant and high-powered UV rays inside a body can cure the coronavirus. And yes, it's insane. There were reports from the White House that Trump was very upset about the tests showing people around him were positive. But it wasn't that he was upset that people were infected -- but that the tests showed that they were infected. That's why he doesn't like tests. And as ludicrous as this analysis for the report sounds -- Trump told us on Friday that it's true -- "I feel about vaccines like I feel about tests: This is going to go away without a vaccine." There is no infectious disease in history that I know of that went away without a vaccine -- unless it spread around the world until finally dying out from herd immunity. The Black Death killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe...which is A LOT, but even more when you consider the population at the time: that was about one-third of the continent's population. And Trump says he feels about testing the same as he does about not vaccinating people Which also explains his bewildered statement about how Mike Pence's press security could be tested negative, only to be later tested positive. This from the man who said the CDC doctors were so impressed by how much he understood about the coronavirus and that maybe he could be a doctor. He doesn't even understand how you can be health one day and then sick the next. And he not only says he doesn't feel that a vaccine is necessary during an infectious worldwide pandemic, he says he feels the same about testing -- that it isn't necessary. That it will all be gone like a miracle. Something he also said back in February when he there were only 15 cases. So, he really, truly does actually seem to believe this. Perhaps a laying of the hands is all that's needed. (Though socially-distanced, of course.) From what I've read (and think myself), a great many experts have the sense that Trump hasn't wanted to test Americans en masse because it will show how many people are infected in reality, and that will hurt him politically. But it appears that another reasons exists, as well -- that he actually doesn't think testing is necessary. Nor vaccinations. And yes, it's insane. And so he wants to open up the economy. He can't even open up the White House. Indeed, consider: today, as the administration pushes to open up businesses, there is a hearing in senate of the health sub-committee. All four of the administration witnesses will be testifying remotely. Because three of them are self-quarantining. And the Republican chairman of the committee, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) will also be chairing the hearing remotely -- because he, too, is self-quarantining. And this is before the Senate health committee as the administration is trying to make its case to open up the economy!! And I'm going to guess that not only are none of those people involved who are self-quarantining taking bleach or disinfectant. Nor did Trump suggest to them that they do. But then, this is not about Trump, we very sadly and all too tragically know who he is. This is about the elected members of the Republican Party, who enable him and not only are complicit...but many of whom have already self-quarantined. And continue to enable him.
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
|