Our Superspreader President Has Blood On His Hands & So Does the Republican Party
By Thom Hartmann A...
A new study from Columbia University lays the deaths of tens to hundreds of thousands of Americans at the feet of the Trump administration and the Republican party.Comparing the United States to other developed countries, they laid out how our lack of a systemic federal response to the coronavirus has endangered Americans.
"If the U.S. had followed Canadian policies and protocols, there might have only been 85,192 U.S. deaths-making more than 132,500 American deaths 'avoidable,'" the researchers wrote.
They added, "If the U.S. response had mirrored that of Germany, the U.S. may have only had 38,457 deaths-leaving 179,260 avoidable deaths."
The reality is that America has not had a real president for the last four years. Instead, we've had a reality TV host.
Donald Trump loves jumping in front of cameras and microphones and crowds, but he has absolutely no interest in actually governing the country. He's spent almost a third of his entire time in office at golf courses that he owns, forcing the Secret Service and other branches of government to shovel money into his pockets while he plays.
He spends as much as half the day, every day, watching Fox News and other right wing networks and tweeting and retweeting bizarre conspiracy theories.
Even now, in this time of crisis, he is not being a president. Instead, he's trying to build and solidify his audience and customer base for future ventures like selling merchandise, subscriptions, and a new television show or even a TV network.
Trump is on to his next money-making scheme. This has been the story of his life. He totally fails and screws up one thing, and then just moves to another, using borrowed money. Steaks, vodka, an airline, casinos, boardgames, clothing - you name it, he has tried it and failed. And then moved on.
Because Trump is obsessed with how he's going to make money from the presidency, and how he is going to make money after the presidency, he hasn't had the interest or time to work to protect our nation from a pandemic.
Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell and the Republicans have no interest in helping Americans, either. Their singular obsession is promoting the interest of their billionaire donors, who want rightwing, corporatist judges on the Supreme Court and up and down the federal court system.
As a result, large percentages of the Americans who have died didn't need to die. They were killed by Republican and presidential inaction.
The study's lead author, Dr. Irwin Redlener, was also the founding director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness.
He told The Daily Beast, "We have the resources, the economy, the scientific expertise to do this the right way. We're facing a lethal pandemic, and we had very misguided leadership that chose to berate the purveyors of masks and social distancing. The president himself became a superspreader. He has blood on his hands."
The right wing billionaires gave Trump and the Republicans their marching orders after the 2016 election.
Trump has put lobbyists and industry agents in charge of virtually every federal agency and pushed through a massive tax cut while Republicans in the Senate have been singularly focused on putting corporate-friendly judges on the federal bench.
Both have consistently blocked efforts by House Democrats to look out for the American people.
Elections have consequences, as Ronald Reagan famously said. Vote.
-Thom
Comments
#2
The Trump crime family big bucks thievery all revolves around real estate. Do they actually own anything outright? The one large loan due was likely the one banker Rosemary Vrablic screwed Deutsche Bank investors on. She convinced the board to accept that loan on his name only. Apparently she was a sucker and now is paying the price. Grifters gonna grift.
His businesses have to be tanking along with tourism. He has ruined the value of his name and poisoned that well for his children and cronies.
He will land a media deal or create one on another sucker's money. UGH! Let's hope his last show will be transmitted on his way to prison in New York State. No pardon there. If he pardons himself and his confederates for Federal crimes on the way out, historians will have a field day. He has already earned worst of the worst, so it'll be the cherry on top of that.
VOTE-and then stay tuned.
#3
Trump's business caters to the 1%, corporations and foreign entities. If you are an oil company and want to drill on public land throw a corporate mangement seminar at one of Trumps Golf Retreats. You can funnel millions directly to Trump. Eric and Don Jr are happy to accept pay to play payments. Mar A Lago is a pay to play club.
#4
I saw an article yesterday about how hunters are required by law to wear dayglo orange clothing while hunting in 47 states. Most states even designate the number of square inches and where on the body it is to be worn. It is required because it helps to protect lives. Most Hunters wear more than what is required. Don Jr. and Eric are proud to pose for pictures in this gear. But wearing masks is something they refuse to do. In fact, they and the POTUS have made it a partisan issue. Good Republicans do not wear masks. We are paying for this attitude with our economy and thousands of lives. People in Countries that have sucessfully battled this virus wear masks.
#5
"We have the resources, the economy, the scientific expertise to do this the right way." How correct. Recalcitrant politicians do not want to accept that. And this seems to go back 4 decades withe the trickle down economics that failed miserably. It should have been a trickle up economy. Give the money to those in need to spend it, instead of those who over-have it and just want to loan it or put it away in some Swiss bank. I vaguely remember someone calling for a "freedom dividend", but most probably it was in my dream. Covid-19 has simply exposed one facet of doing it the right way.
#6
Republicans are intentionally killing Americans and destroying the economy.
Anybody notice that the right wing trolls seem to have left this site? Kind of hard to defend Republicans at this point.
#7
With Amy Cohen Barret basically confirmed Abortion is a goner. Interesting the states that this will affect the most.
#8
It seems to me, the only people that refer to the virus as Trumpaside, are people from Canada. I think they have it right, it is much like genaside, Trump wants go get rid of anyone who places a burden on any of our social programs, medacare,medacade,social security ect, just think how much money this saves our country. In the end he will say he saved the world.
#9
Crews vacuum ‘murder hornets’ out of nest in Washington state
As a political metaphor, the "murder hornets" are the Republicans. Of course they are. They have decapitated our government, ruined our economy, and spread a deadly disease that has, well, murdered nearly a quarter-million of us so far, and sickened millions, promising to contaminate millions more. On January 20, we'll need those crews to suit up and vacuum the "murder hornets" out of the nest in Washington DC.
"Herd mentality" (herd immunity/hive mentality?) is more than a mere slip of the tongue by a malignant, narcissistic psychopath; it's a lethal thought virus that has infected over a third of the nation, not only the Mad King and his court of mouth-breathing apparatchiks cowering in the shadows. (How can they protect us when they can't even protect themselves?)
Another apt metaphor is that the lunatic asylum is being run by the patients, suffering from what psychiatrists call "shared psychosis." The Trump administration is its own worst enemy -- a true "deep state" and the primary source of America's "fake news."
They are murdering us for real though, not figuratively. Vote!
#10
It really says something when the highest number of Covid-19 cases per capita is the White House.
#11
...Fools preaching to the rest of us about living and dying, mainly dying.
#12
@ # 6; Yep, think we all miss em', and their lame defence of COVID-45.
Maybe, just maybe, our uber wealthy elites have had enough, and gotten enough, out of DJT and his merry band of grifters to throw him under the bus.
Then, we can begin to build a fire under Biden, and force his admin., to actually help the American working classes.
We'll see shortly....
#13
I think it's all about freedom dividend ==> https://2020.yang2020.com/policies/the-freedom-dividend/ as it has been said before !
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The Republicans are the sole reason for the Economic downturn. If Trump had paid attention to what China, South Korea and Taiwan did we would have much lower figures. But masks became a partisan taboo. If you are stupid enough to be a Republican, you are stupid enough to not wear a mask.