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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMedia's Taboo Topic: Why's Trump Doing This?
Politics 3/31/20 4:00pm Read time: 4 minutes
Incompetence doesn't explain pandemic debacle
By Eric Boehlert
Published With Permission of Press Run, Eric Boehlerts new must-read media newsletter. Subscribe here.
Everything Trump has done in response to the coronavirus national emergency has been dead wrong. That's confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that were established over a decade ago for when dealing with a health crisis. The agency created a 450-page manual and Trump and his team have not only ignored the recommendations be consistent, transparent, factual, and credible they've actively done the opposite.
To date, Trump has ignored intelligence warnings, called the crisis a hoax, downplayed the threat, lied about virus testing, lied about the government's on-the-ground response, lied about the rate of infection, blamed the Obama administration, misled the country about a cure, packed his days with non-action, blamed governors, failed to order a national lockdown, refused to work with certain Democratic officials, and has provided zero national leadership. (I dont take responsibility at all."
"The U.S. response will be studied for generations as a textbook example of a disastrous, failed effort," said Ron Klain, who was tapped by President Barack Obama to oversee the nations fight against Ebola in 2014.
Trump has seemingly done everything to help spread the disease. "We have to understand that faced with "the invasion" of this virus the President has chosen to stand down, do nothing, let people die and it ravage America," wrote Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, in an entirely accurate description of what has transpired Trump stood down and let a virus invade the country, knowing from intelligence briefings what that would mean for the U.S. population.
https://crooksandliars.com/2020/03/medias-taboo-topic-whys-trump-doing
-snip-
Why is it taboo? The possible answers are too disturbing for the press to ponder, therefore they're deemed off-limits. Instead of addressing the reality, the press prefers to stick with the safe narrative that the White House is muddled and disorganized. To address the other
would raise stunning questions about the President of the United States the types of questions that have never been asked about any president in this nation's history.
In essence, the press plays dumb, as the Wall Street Journal urges Trump to "rethink the coronavirus strategy," as if there was ever a Trump "strategy" to begin with, while Politico suggests the life-and-death problems the U.S. faces today stem from Trump's "short-term thinking."
That's the simple explanation. What's going on is far more complicated, and far more disturbing.
uponit7771
(90,301 posts)... NOTHING Red Don has done has favored America at all.
Stupid would be scatter shot by now.
turbinetree
(24,683 posts)Congress needs to drag his has ass into the chamber and just ask him, what did you do.................besides nothing.................what is your excuse........................
bluestarone
(16,851 posts)AnotherMother4Peace
(4,237 posts)will be "helping us with the oil situation" - paraphrased. What the hell is he up to?
wnylib
(21,312 posts)reported last night on Putin's response to the pandemic in Russia, and it is eerily similar to Trump's in the US. This was on the overnight BBC broadcast on NPR. There is some reference to it at the BBC website.
They said that Putin referred to the warnings about a pandemic spread as a hoax. He downplayed it like Trump did. His concern was that scares about a pandemic would interfere with the Russian election designed to confirm Putin's right to have multiple terms beyond what the Russian constitution allows. It has already been approved by the Russian courts, but he wants a vote from the people to legitimize it.
He also has a big military parade planned to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Victory Day. It has not bern cancelled yet.
Another Putin consideration is oil prices.
My question is why were their views and behaviors so similar on this? Trump has an election this year, too, but it looks like they conferred on how to manage public opinion on the pandemic. But why, if that is what happened?
underpants
(182,588 posts)Both Putin and Trump cant have anything bigger than them. Nothing can be bigger. It would show them as not STRONG and all powerful.
For Putin I think its some show. For Trump he is unglued.
wnylib
(21,312 posts)is more to it than that. When 2 people click like they appear to, they exchange views, share ideas and plans, become allies. I don't believe they are equals. Trump idolizes Putin, like a disturbed teen looks up to a gang leader, seeking approval and acceptance.
But both men have the power that comes with their political positions. I would expect them to use that power for their own gain, being who they are, but also to be cooperative in their pursuits. In Trump's case, cooperation might be coerced since he is the weakerone who is already compromised financially by his money dealings with Putin's oligarch pals.
So when I see such a similarity in their political approaches to this international crisis, I begin to think there is some larger political or financial goal they have in common. I just wonder what it was, before a microscopic semi-life form interefered.
certainot
(9,090 posts)the fucking republicans used ebola in 2014 to get the senate, anad it worked anad why not use it agaain
media needs to stop ignoring talk radio as a tool for putin since at least 2008/palin. 2009 "climategate" (saving putins oil profits). the tea party vs republican establishment. 2011 debt default (how many US billionaires would want that?). and so on. all those things limbaaugh was the main driver and the last few months he's been yelling HOAX! in a COVID theater from 600 radio stations with most of his trained dumbass wannabes on another 1000 stations following
in 2014 it was mueller report flunkie jerome corsi who pushed EBOLA! every day in october from RW rag - world net daily, pushing it into the radio stations. and then it stopped right after the elections.
someone was using social media in congo to get locals to attack and disrupt ebola clinics. then limbaugh and sons started talking about congolesse joining the caravans 'attacking' the border.
putin's been using limbaugh to blow through 1500 coordinated radio stations denying corona and media is not doing it's fucking job. mcconnell came out blaming the delay on dem impeachment efforts. limbaugh keeps saying it's dems and liberal media exaggerating the threat to sabotage the great trump presidency and push socialist big govt solutions.
all this on radio stations licensed to operate in the public interest.
any radio station putting on limbaugh and the other deniers is responsible for 1000s of deaths that could have been prevented. proof? anyone who knows how rw radio pushes and enables the GOP knows that if limbaugh had been calling for COVID to be taken seriously, like global warming, none in the GOP would do otherwise.
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)Absolutely!
Wounded Bear
(58,584 posts)But since Trump politicizes everything, that seems wrong.
kairos12
(12,841 posts)bdamomma
(63,791 posts)the same thing blue state populations are being murdered by this POS tRump.
certainot
(9,090 posts)yelling HOAX! in a COVID theater
and putin's been using limbaugh, whether he knows it or not, since at least 2008
empedocles
(15,751 posts)Could not speak extemporaneously [read answers from index cards]. Spent hours daily in private residence watching reruns. All known, and never really reported on.
Committed treason level offenses in Iran-Contra. Tower Commission noted particulars of the offenses, many indictments of Reagan officials - the press seemed to follow the popularity polls and minimized. All neatly covered up, pardoned etc. by H. Bush.
[Public sentiment key?]
leftieNanner
(15,058 posts)With the encouragement of one William Barr.
crickets
(25,951 posts)wnylib
(21,312 posts)There myst be something in it for them. Who owns them and profits from complicity?
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,852 posts)Thats what he hoped would get him re-elected, and he didnt want anything certainly not facts to slow it down.
Now his administration is scrambling to save face.
Trump is an undeserving and shameless self-promoter, and he either ignores (virus warnings) or attacks others who dont promote him as well.
ihaveaquestion
(2,501 posts)and therefore an absolute shoe-in for re-election if he had only done the right thing to respond to the virus in the first place. Somehow the "stable genius" missed this simple truth.
wnylib
(21,312 posts)Last edited Wed Apr 1, 2020, 02:58 PM - Edit history (1)
Immediate image overrides facts for him. Leadership on behalf of the people is not in the picture at all. Not ever.
He now understsnds the image of protecting prople, but the reality of it is something he cannot imagine. He lives for the spin, the con. Makes him feel smart and superior.
ihaveaquestion
(2,501 posts)Usually sociopaths are better at figuring out what will benefit themselves, even if it means helping someone else. His narcissism gets in the way as he goes for the quick fix of "I'm smarter than everyone". When it works, it must feel like a drug to a junkie.
wnylib
(21,312 posts)my post. Did not notice the typos until checking your response. Damn phone has a mind of its own. Should have checked it before submitting.
Yes, I think that pulling a con act is like a drug hit for him. But, he is also a narcissistic sociopath. Doesn't matter to him that there are seemingly long term negatives for his short term ego fixes. That's part of the con satisfaction for him. He just spins new narratives, new con stories to cover the consequences of the last con. And he gets away with it. He has been doing it all his life so he is extremely skilled at it.
Dream Girl
(5,111 posts)He wasnt thinking past the stock market and re-election. The Trump Econ ads were literally on the can
Mr.Bill
(24,228 posts)tclambert
(11,084 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(48,939 posts)Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)he doesn't even know what he doesn't know. He is simply an incompetent fool who lives in his own reality.
ProfessorGAC
(64,827 posts)Way harder than he thought it would be. Way more scrutiny than he expected.
The horserace is all he cared about, hence the stupid rallies while being sitting POTUS. The election RACE was all he really liked.
The job, not so much.
Boomer
(4,167 posts)Don't make it more complicated than it is.
Trump has a personality disorder of extreme magnitude, and it governs all his actions. He craves attention, he craves praise, and he believes himself to be superior to everyone. Other people are simply an audience, a background, for his magnificence. His attention span is about 5 mins. He lives in the moment. He believes and says whatever will make him feel good about himself at any given moment.
Conversely, any criticism, no matter how mild or oblique, must be strongly refuted. He can't bear to have his construct of superiority threatened and will lash out violently to defend himself.
Once you know the ground rules, he's pretty predictable.
to lash him.
What he is doing to our medical professionals is unspeakable torture. Giving away our supplies to China knowing full well about this virus and didn't do anything.
He is killing Americans and he seems to be very happy about that.
Phoenix61
(16,992 posts)Its why he hates experts. He cant stand having anyone near him who knows more than he does about anything.
underpants
(182,588 posts)Norman Vincent Peale - Trumps father took him to that church.
All positive. People are drawn to positives. Negatives mean weakness and mistakes or failure.
Just the other day he lashed out a reporter in the Rose Garden why cant you people be positive? He said out loud. That was telling.
Dark n Stormy Knight
(9,760 posts)Just not about himself.
Dark n Stormy Knight
(9,760 posts)Can't see how his Cult didn't see this and run instead of joining up.
meadowlander
(4,387 posts)so far.
His strategy is to let it kill a bunch of old people so we can get the economy back on track faster. But since that doesn't play to the voters in Florida he's pretending it's not his job to do anything and that it's all the governors' fault or China's fault. He knows that his base is too stupid to ask questions and will just attack the scapegoat.
Volaris
(10,266 posts)As long as he can look good doing it.
Even if he finds a way to NOT die in prison, I hope history decides that he should have.
trickyguy
(769 posts)it's in the title: DANGEROUS. He's dangerous. They even formed a Duty to Warn organization.
They were worried about him having his finger on the nuke button and blowing us all up.
But now he's dangerous because we have a pandemic and because he can't handle it.
His malignant narcissistic personality won't let him do anything that doesn't make him look good. To him.
But this virus is smarter than Donald. It will beat him at his game and take some of us with it.
Al Franken said it right in his piece titled: "This president is crazy". No shit.
NBachers
(17,080 posts)Killing us is his game plan.
Aussie105
(5,318 posts)Trump wants all Americans to die.
It's the only explanation that fits the facts.
The media have turned tame and lie on their backs hoping to get a tummy rub from Trump.
That too is the only explanation that fits the facts.
spanone
(135,781 posts)underpants
(182,588 posts)To date, Trump has ignored intelligence warnings, called the crisis a hoax, downplayed the threat, lied about virus testing, lied about the government's on-the-ground response, lied about the rate of infection, blamed the Obama administration, misled the country about a cure, packed his days with non-action, blamed governors, failed to order a national lockdown, refused to work with certain Democratic officials, and has provided zero national leadership. I dont take responsibility at all."
Aussie105
(5,318 posts)To kill as many people as possible.
Other countries are looking at the American death toll, and shaking their heads in disbelief.
underpants
(182,588 posts)Thats waaaaay out there.
Aussie105
(5,318 posts)But the convoluted details Trump has woven around the advancing pandemic so that he can claim plausible deniability is a work of art.
No way is that incompetence or accidental.
He will be able to distance himself from any negative impact on the economy, and preserve his chance of winning the next election.
He will be able to say it's not his fault, blame it on the virus. And people will accept that.
The elephant in the room will then be hidden, ie why the US response to the virus was too little, too late, and too ineffectual.
druidity33
(6,444 posts)I brought it up a couple of days ago...
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213180837
It seems appalling and obvious. I think he's actually evil. Not just stupid...
la-trucker
(283 posts)So he focused on keeping the economy alive rather than dealing with a health crisis. All his actions were to keep the stock market up.
dchill
(38,433 posts)That's been my observation for three years now. They play right into his hands. They help Trump play Bizarro Rope-a-Dope - and the game wouldn't work without them.
Personally, I view this all as an incredibly obscene re-election strategy. One that works by eliminating the competition.
Hassler
(3,369 posts)With getting reelected. The cruelty is intentional--he's a psychopath.