WHAT NEXT? — The Weekly Opine

Donald Trump, an underwhelming president, is overwhelmed after allowing the coronavirus to become a crisis in the U.S. (Photo credit WGN screenshot)

The end of the world as we’ve known it?

Reasonable observers around the globe agree Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a murderous thug. An authoritarian strongman who poisons his own people, al-Assad glibly marched across former President Obama’s “red line” like a halftime band marches across yard lines.

Now, America has a version of al-Assad. Donald Trump is a thug whose inaction kills Americans. And his hyping hydroxychloroquine will probably kill Americans.

Trump and his henchmen lie and spin disinformation and contradictions that sow confusion and fear amongst the populace. Trump has held back lifesaving equipment, resulting in preventable deaths. Where I come from, that’s called murder.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo pleaded with Trump for ventilators because New York is going through hell right now. Acting with clear intentions, Trump declined to provide the amount New York requested. Now that New York appears to be stabilizing, Trump gloats that he was correct.

COVID-19 is epic in several ways. It’s a pandemic. It has revealed there is epic goodwill in people who pitch-in sewing masks, donating time, money and supplies. States send ventilators to other states. Healthcare workers, some coming out of retirement, travel to hard hit areas to assist.

Yet, the federal government’s’ reaction to the pandemic has been an epic disaster, buoyed by Trump’s unscientific approach and incompetent, corrupt administration. The U.S. response has by far been the worst on the planet, now topping 432,000 cases with nearly 15,000 deaths.

In an unintended admission he’s failed, Trump tweeted when things open-up the pandemic “must quickly be forgotten.” We’ll see about that come November.

Unhealthy tension

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, advises Americans to continue the mitigation strategy (stay home, social distancing) that appears to be slowing the spread. Dr. Fauci’s messaging is often at odds with Trump. Trump says he is cheerleading, initially playing down the threat and now talking about re-opening America. Misleading is more like it.

The key to getting the upper hand on COVID-19 has always been testing. Dr. Patrice Harris, President of the American Medical Association, says testing is behind. Multiple doctors agree, saying the U.S. is nowhere near the level of testing needed. Dr. Fauci says we are struggling to catch up to the virus and believes, due to the lack of widespread testing, U.S. case numbers are underreported by as much as 25 to 50-percent. So, there could be 540,000 to 650,000 cases.

Dr. Deborah Birx says Abbott Labs has machines that could have tested every healthcare worker in America. Abbot says not so. An example of the dysfunction permeating Mike Pence’s task force.

In January, Trump blocked private companies from starting testing. Now, Trump is ending federal government support for state/local test sites. Blatant, purposeful setting the stage for more death.

Sports fans should fully grasp that games and events likely will not happen this spring, summer or fall. If they do happen, make sure your TV works. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine/ESPN screenshot)

Displaying uncanny ignorance, Trump behaves like a horse in the starting gate. Champing at the bit, nostrils flaring, just rarin’ to “open things back up.” Ignoring risks inherent with “getting back to normal” too soon, Trump is clueless his beloved stock market will suffer greatly if we relapse into another significant virus outbreak.

Trump had a conference call with commissioners of the major sports leagues. Naturally, they want to get back to playing games soon. Trump pulled out his pet phrase, “the cure can’t be worse than the problem,” saying “mitigation works” but we cannot “destroy” the country. While calling to open things up “sooner rather than later,” Trump pretends not to know that decisive action in January, instead of mid-March, would have avoided this American calamity.

The truth is the country is being ‘destroyed’ because Trump allowed it to be destroyed. Not Obama, who’s been gone over three years. Not Hillary Clinton, who was defeated over three years ago. This catastrophe is singularly owned by Donald Trump.

Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm issued a report after surveying 400 hospitals nationwide. She says there has been a massive failure by the Trump administration to supply hospitals with the protective equipment they need.

Like a street corner hustler, Trump pushes hydroxychloroquine (an unproven drug) to fight COVID-19. Doctors and companies that make the drug are aghast at Trump’s irresponsible, vouching for the drug. Trump lies when he says the FDA approved the drug. It hasn’t been approved for use against COVID-19. (Notably, Trump stopped Dr. Fauci from answering a question about the unproven drug.)

Trump also lied saying passengers are having their temperature checked before boarding airplanes and after deplaning. The man is a relentless liar.

Media’s on it

Dr. Fauci reels him in every time Trump goes astray, fantasizing about opening America up again. The media are doing their job, asking mostly good questions. On many occasions they follow-up, difficult to do when Trump often interrupts when he thinks a tough question is being asked. During times like this you long for the incomparable Tim Russert. Or Sam Donaldson.

It is almost comedic when Pence waves around the coronavirus guidelines placard and nods toward Trump, as if it’s the handiwork of the president. Only someone heavily sedated would believe Trump sat at the Resolute Desk and wrote out the guidelines.

Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who several weeks ago was drinking Trump’s Kool-Aid, has come up for air. Appearing on network news, Adams, who is in over his head, last Sunday spoke about the seriousness of the coming two weeks as comparable to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor, regarding impacting America’s psyche.

It is not great that I am talking to rabbits, birds and squirrels. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

This ain’t close to great

Trump knows nothing about greatness. Unless you count the great number of months it has been since he said his tax returns would be released. Or the great number of women who’ve credibly accused him of sexual assault. Or the great number of Americans dying right now because of his stupidity.

If you are a high school or college senior, or a parent, do you think it’s great your graduation has been ruined? How about a couple with a spring or summer wedding? Or an athlete or team that had a chance to win a championship? How great is it that your chance is gone forever?

How great is it if you are a healthcare worker risking infection every day? Is it great that kids are frightened watching their healthcare worker parent go to work, and then isolate in the basement when they return home?

Is it great that millions are losing their livelihood and losing health insurance? Is it great that you’ve lost your job selling hot dogs at the ballpark? Is it great that after umpteen years your small business, a dream that became reality, is now a nightmare that may never recover?

Is it great that 3.5 million Americans lost health insurance because of COVID-19? The combined number for Canada, Finland, Denmark, Germany, and Australia (among other countries) is zero. It’s not great that 16.8 million filed for unemployment insurance over three weeks. That’s 10-percent of the workforce.

It’s not great if you are black, watching blacks die at a rate far above black’s percent of the population. In Chicago, blacks are 30% of the population but make up nearly 72% of the city’s coronavirus deaths. Systemic policies dating back decades, hell centuries, make this possible. (Note to black folks: progressive policies espoused by Bernie Sanders are better for us than moderate Dems’ policies.)

America is not great, and never will be, so long as there is a Trump administration.

These women, two of whom are not adhering to social distancing, will have ample time to practice according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

What next?

Great news, the Institute for Health Metrics revised downward their U.S. projected deaths to 60,400 by August 4, assuming full social distancing continues until May 31. Whatever the number of deaths, it would be significantly lower if Trump had not waited 70 days before engaging.

New York City shows signs of progress as new hospitalizations and new cases are slowing. However, deaths-at-home, usually around 25/day, have spiked to 200/day. These deceased were not tested. Some of the 175 additional daily at-home deaths are likely caused by COVID-19.

Dr. Fauci suggests mitigation, i.e. stay-at-home and social distancing, is here for the foreseeable future. Without a competent test program we don’t know who is walking around infecting others.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who advised White House medical staffs for eight years, says we should wear masks and practice social distancing for 18-24 months, until a vaccine is circulated. Dr. Reiner says a 1% antibody rate means only 3 million workers could safely return to work. Hardly enough to jumpstart the economy.

Sports leagues still talk about playing ball this summer. Seems impossible, unless they do so without fans in-stadium. The last thing we need is to let down our social distancing guard and have a resurgence in virus cases.

Dr. Fauci says America “might not ever” return to life, pre-coronavirus. And who wants to be the first one to go to a restaurant when they re-open? I know who, the same people who crowded beaches a few weeks ago.

The U.S. experienced permanent structural changes post-9/11. It is likely COVID-19 will bring substantive change. We could have our temperature checked at office buildings, airports, train stations, restaurants, churches and entertainment venues.

Those who survive the virus and are now immune may obtain an ID card providing preferential access. Stay-at-home and social distancing should be accepted as the new normal, until a vaccine is available.

Another permanent change per Dr. Fauci: Do not shake hands with anybody. Period.