Despite all the deserving focus, we take a detour today away from MIchael Cohen and his book to deal with another matter -- though not before making clear that while Cohen is indeed a convicted liar and felon, as Trump and the White House have gone out of their way in releasing statements, his was convicted for lying to Congress about Trump, and convicted for making illegal payment to hush up a witness on behalf of Trump...who is known in the indictment as "Individual 1." So, yeah, Michael Cohen is a convicted liar and felon, whose illegal actions were taken on behalf of benefiting Trump. As to the other matter. Once again, wildfires are raging across much of California. At the moment, there are fires on 2.2 million acres of the state, some of the most devastating in the history of the states. So far, over 60,000 people have been evacuated, 10 lives have been lost and countless property damage and wilderness. And as far as I can tell, not a word has been spoken by Trump or even tweeted by Trump. The Creek Fire on September 5 from Huntington Lake, California (Photo credit: Eric Paul Zamora/Fresno Bee/AP) Over the weekend, there was a crushing heat wave in Los Angeles. Where I live, temperatures hit 98 degrees. That's hot, but not only a dry heat, it's not the issue. Where a friend lives, temperatures hit 105 degrees. But that's not the issue either. Near downtown Los Angeles, a bit north, the blistering temperature reached 115 degrees. Yes, 115 degrees. And no, that's also not the issue. Woodland Hills is in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County. The Valley is hotter than the rest of Los Angeles. (For that reason and others, a guy I knew once commented that he didn't like to go to the Valley because he didn't think God's fingers stretched that far.) God's fingers didn't stretch that far over the weekend, because the temperature there hit 121 degrees. That was not a typo. It was 121 degrees. That's an all-time record in the history of Los Angeles Country since such things have been measured. Make no mistake, this wasn't in Death Valley, 3-1/2 miles away from here. Nor was it even the Mojave Desert to the east. This was in Woodland Hills, in Los Angeles County. About eight miles or so from the ocean. Around 10 from Malibu. Maybe 15 miles from Santa Monica. Maybe 20 miles northwester of where I live..
It was 121 degrees in Los Angeles County. That's oven territory. An all-time record. It was 115 degrees in Los Angeles proper. This lasted for two scorching, blistering days. And not a word I'm aware of from Trump. Spoken, tweeted or perhaps even thought. Nothing about this searing heat. Nothing about the killing wildfires, Silence. And there wasn't even a word of "thoughts and prayers" I've heard from any Republican official in Congress or the administration either. In fact, the only thing I heard from Republican officials were a couple of snarky comments about the Mayor of Los Angeles asking residents to not run heavy appliances to save electricity, "quipping" about what it's like living in a third world country run by Democrats. The snarkiest was from Ted Cruz, a Climate Change denier, by the way, who came up with what he thought was a hilarious slogan for Democrats. What I wondered in response to him was whether he thought it was okay for everyone to joke about cute slogan for Texas the next time it's deluged with yet another hurricane and homes are under water. But hey, at least Cruz and the few other Republicans recognized that there was ravaging heat -- even if they somehow managed to blame it on Democrats. Never mind that heat this oppressive and the rampaging wildfires are both results of Climate Change that so many Republicans want to deny. Climate Change, for which the United States is the only country in the entire world that is not a signatory to the Paris Accord. Because Trump doesn't believe in it. If only he had been in Los Angeles this weekend, trying to raise money for his failing coffers. Silence from Trump on all of this. On the the record-setting heat and yet again silence on the wildfires And yes, I know the response of most people. Of course I know it. California is a Blue State. Trump isn't going to win it, doesn't have a chance. So, he doesn't care about it. Yes, of course that's his response. My response? So what? That's not a defense. It's not even a good explanation. It's certainly not a normal reaction from a president, and it shouldn't be normalized as if it was. "Well, that's just Trump" doesn't cut it. Trump is president of the United States, whether he likes it or not, and Americans are being devastated by these disastrous conditions. It is the job of the President of the United States to deal with disasters. And accepting who Trump is doesn't change that. It must be pointed out repeatedly so that it is not taken for granted, not normalized. Further, even if one does choose to accept it -- whether because you're a Republican and like that Trump will act on behalf of only you or because you just feel you can't fight Trump on everything -- there is another reality. there are 2.9 million people who live in the entire state of Mississippi, one of the most Red States in the country. In California, there are about 4.9 million registered Republicans voters. The point? Any Republican who thinks that Trump with work on your behalf just because you're a Republican -- you're wrong, he won't. If you're a Republican and your home is surrounded by a wildfire -- if you're a Republican living in stifling, breath-taking heat -- Trump doesn't care about you, if you're living in the wrong state. This isn't a subjective guess. This is reality. Beyond those registered Republican voters, there are about 9.5 million Republicans living in California (while, once again, only 2.9 million people whatever their party in Mississippi). There are Republican districts in California, Republican representatives here both federal and state, Republican candidates, Republican issues. But despite deadly wildfires and massive heat in California, with all those Republicans and Republican matters in the state...Trump was totally silent about them all. Because he doesn't care about them. And by "them," if you're a Republican, I mean -- you. But ultimately, that shouldn't matter. And we defer back to point number one. There are 39 million people in California. They are all Americans. It is the most populous state in the country. It has an economy which would be the fifth largest in the world. It exports a product from Hollywood which is one of the most successful financially and socially in spreading America to the world. And again, everyone is an American. But then, when there are disasters in other countries, the U.S. often offers its help. But not Trump and today's Republican Party, they not only don't offer help to California disasters, they don't even offer commiseration. They can't even muster their default "thoughts and prayers" that they spit out automatically after a gun massacre. So, yes, of course I get why Trump is totally silent. Again silent about California, as always. Of course, I get it! And I get why the enabling and complicit Republican Party therefore is, too, following his fascist lead like puppy lap dogs. (Well, silent except for the snarky ridicule as a result of Mother Nature.) But that's no answer. It's not normal. It's wrong. It's a problem. It's unacceptable. And it should be unacceptable by all parties. Because the next natural disaster may hit a Red State -- like hurricanes with the Red States of the Gulf Coast. And like tornadoes hit the Red States of the Corn Belt. Just like the pandemic hit all states. And in the end, we are all affected, because we are the United States. As much as Trump wants his fascist view of the country to be otherwise. It is unacceptable. And must relentlessly be said, so that it is not now, not ever taken as "normal." And yes, Climate Change is real. Science is not a belief system.
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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
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