Preface
Like other posts here, this one is an essay. It's not an academic thesis. Essays usually contain both facts and speculation/opinion/analysis. So, when you read below (for example) Trump & Crew are rolling back environmental-health-safety (EHS) regulations on a massive scale, don't look for footnotes verifying that. I don't have the time or energy to do a bibliography on commonly known facts. If you have doubts about the veracity of some statement, you'll have to do your own research.
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In regard to covid-19, Trump tried his usual (now boring) gaslighting--- lies, contradictory statements, outrageous claims, etc. That didn't work, so here lately, he had to get off his butt and actually do something. About 90% of his public statements now are totally scripted (to keep him from sounding like a gaslighting idiot)... and he sounds bored to death reading them. Every so often, he briefly goes off script and returns to gaslighting; but anyone with any sense at all sees through it. The Trumpian World is starting to collapse. A tiny virus is bringing it down.
In the Trumpian World, phenomena such as Nature, ecosystems, conservation of natural resources, biodiversity, and the like count for little to nothing. At the highest levels, the Trumpistas appear in general to care only about finance, economics, and corporatism. [I imagine they care about their families, as well.] I suspect that is why they know little to nothing about Natural Science. Trump & Crew are rolling back environmental-health-safety (EHS) regulations on a massive scale. As do many to most Corporatists, they believe forms of pollution are externalities... in other words, pollution need not be considered in the manufacturing, distribution, and pricing of consumer goods. It's someone else's problem.
The elected and appointed Trumpistas say they represent the common people, but the EHS regulations and standards they're eliminating protect the health and safety of all of us. In some cases, the health of the planet is being protected as well. Unfortunately and necessarily, EHS regs usually increase the cost of doing business. That's why they're being eliminated. Never mind the health & safety of the common people. According to the Powers-That-Be, the solution to pollution is to ignore it and/or let it dilute in Nature. Wow, what genius thinking by ignoramuses in the Executive Branch (and a large portion of Corporate America).
Then along came covid-19. At the highest levels, the main concern in the Trumpian World was not health, but rather the impact on Business... especially the Financial Sector. So, the initial response was slow. The next response was poo-pooing the disease. The next response was a lack of test kits. After all, we don't want people to know how widespread the bug is... that wouldn't be good for Wall Street. [Incidentally, only about 14% (not counting 401k or Pension accounts) of Americans are invested in the Stock Market as individuals.] All during this whole scenario, Trump is saying it's no big deal, "Relax, it will all pass.". Off script, he's still saying that. Meanwhile, in my opinion, the overdue Recession has begun.
Yes, Mr. Pres, just as with the Spanish Flu and the Swine Flu, this too shall pass. But at what cost in human suffering? Hopefully, Mr. Trump has learned the following lessons.
1. Viruses aren't affected by childish gaslighting.
2. Inept handling of a disease outbreak can have a severe economic impact.
3. It's not really possible to ignore a pandemic.
4. It's not really possible to ignore an economic and/or financial downturn.
5. Business and Wall Street aren't the only things that matter.
6. Lying about a situation is not usually the best way forward.
7. Mother Nature is in charge of this planet, not Corporatists. [By the way, Adam Smith denigrated Corporatists who thought they were "Masters of the Universe". Some in the Trumpian World think he praised them. He did not.]
8. Don't try to ignore Mother Nature, or treat her badly. You'll regret it.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
