Tonight I'm reeling with anger at the despicable remarks of the desperate and reckless narcissist who is president of the United States. Apparently, to him, people who have died of COVID are like those dead, maimed and captured soldiers he called "losers." And not only have his inaction and denial caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans, he's now blatantly risking the lives of those who've been closest to him. We hear about the staff members who've been exposed and tested positive, but what about the White House chambermaids who clean up after his family, the janitors and handymen, the secretaries and mail clerks and security people, the cooks and servers, pilots and drivers, to only mention a few? What are their names? What kind of medical care will they receive?
For those of us who have known people who died of this virus or are suffering either because of its longterm or indirect effects -- loss of work and security, lack of healthcare or insurance, displacement, grief, loss, separation, prolonged and intense loneliness -- the president's words are utterly revolting. But you don't have to have a direct connection to the pandemic's victims be an empathetic person, to see what has happened in the world because of it, as well as in so many other areas of cruelty, neglect, violence and suffering that this administration has caused and encouraged. I've never witnessed a leader and band of syncophants so devoid of empathy and compassion; it sickens me.
I don't wish death or this virus on anyone, including any of them: I want to see the Republicans resoundingly defeated in November and for the present inhabitant of the White House to go to court and be convicted. I want to see them fail to confirm their Supreme Court nominee. Whether any of that will happen or not, none of us know. Let us not demean ourselves by wishing ill on others, but let's not delude ourselves either. They will stop at nothing until the bitter end, and I'm sure we haven't seen the last twist in this tortuous road.
Meanwhile, it's even more imperative to take care of ourselves and each other.
The People Trump Comes Home To: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/10/trump-putting-white-house-staff-risk-covid-19/616617/
Posted by: Beth | October 05, 2020 at 10:45 PM
More terrifying by far than Trump's antics is the fact that a lot of potential voters (Millions, in fact) still approve of everything he does. For most of us Trump is a distant menace - a hurricane presently offshore - but some of these fevered individuals could be living just a few doors away. Just waiting to grab hold of the latest conspiracy theory (It was the Democrats who infected the president.) as an excuse to gun down an imaginary Antifa.
Since I live 3545 miles away from Washington DC you might think I felt safe. But the guy who cleans my windows, otherwise a more or less normal if uneducated Brit, let me know at the time of the previous presidential election that he liked the cut of Trump's jib; "a chap who could get things done". Hmmm, I said.
As to uneducated how about that person, mercifully living on your side of the Atlantic, who recently tweeted: had anyone noticed that it was only prominent Republicans who were being infected. Therefore it had to be Democrats who were responsible.
Yes, Trump is theoretically in charge. But he apparently resonates with an awful lot of people, some of them living outside the US, notably those who nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. It's getting harder and harder to adhere to Schiller's exhortation:
Seid umschlungen Millionen, diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt.
Posted by: Roderick Robinson | October 06, 2020 at 02:35 AM
Though it is despicable, it is no surprise. A psychiatrist friend mused that Trump’s blatant lack of protection (the West Wing has had cases all along) may be a wish to become too sick to continue to govern, thus sparing himself the humiliation of a resounding defeat. Just a theory and a stretch at that, but when I looked at photos of the rallies and Comey reception, I thought, Just maybe.
But the denial of the severity of the illness is not conjecture, it’s observable, and deeply irresponsible. I am chilled by how many more Americans will become infected as a result of his cavalier words.
Posted by: Duchesse | October 06, 2020 at 07:52 AM
Greetings from Ottawa, Beth. Peeking through my fingers at what's going on in the U.S., and recalling that someone said we need to understand nihilism in order to make any sense of his behaviour. Because it's very dark.
Also, your nasturtium watercolour is really gorgeous--particularly love the way you painted the vase. ~Andrea
Posted by: Andrea Murphy | October 06, 2020 at 05:22 PM
It's all just unbearable. And yet we must bear it.
Back to textbanking for the Dems. It is what little I can do.
Posted by: Rachel Barenblat | October 08, 2020 at 02:15 PM