General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIts ironic that the most powerful country in world history
cannot defend itself against this virus. Since World War II our military industrial complex has given us massive power around the globe. Yet we failed to defend our health, devalued our education and dismissed science.
So we face an enemy that bombs and armies cannot stop, and need science, education and a health system that have been dismissed as elitism.
If we are lucky we won't regress into another Stone Age.
elleng
(130,156 posts)LakeVermilion
(1,022 posts)Republicans haven't offered anything that resembles a conceptual argument to be elected since Reagan. They have become entirely dependent on character assassinations, and actions to suppress voters.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,452 posts)Has to have rules preventing ogliarchy, narcissists and authoritarians and and psychopaths from ever holding any office. And I think certain beliefs should be labeled as treasonous,like wanting to destroy the government.
LuvLoogie
(6,855 posts)And not enough of them vote. Some people call Barack Obama a narcissist and Nancy Pelosi a psychopath. The 25th amendment is there, but the citizenry has been asleep at the wheel and have allowed radicals bent on instilling a Dominionist regime to gain power. trump is their tool.
The openness of our society allowed this. These bigoted, nihilist folk intend to shut the door behind them and eliminate 'the garbage," This is how they view us.
trump is in power because he scapegoated immigrants and minorities. He still has 40% of the populous because THEY are CONFIDENT he will do his best to damage the "foreign and other" demographic, and THAT is their priority over everything else.
SouthernCal_Dem
(851 posts)A contributing factor is certainly the fact that a good portion of our population thought having a TV gameshow host as president would be just dandy.
llmart
(15,501 posts)We've got billions to throw at the defense industry but when it comes to having enough face masks, virus testing, ventilators, we're told it can't be helped. Go make you own mask.
Pathetic.
LakeVermilion
(1,022 posts)From the start it was always about testing. I think they limited testing on purpose, just like they forced the states to compete to get PPE materials.
dalton99a
(81,073 posts)That's what the N95's were selling for in January
ProfessorGAC
(64,425 posts)Buying in quantity showed $63 for a box of 100.
63¢ a mask, and we're building ships the navy says they don't need.
llmart
(15,501 posts)The ones I've seen most people wearing are the disposable ones and I'm pretty sure they weren't meant to be worn over and over and over for weeks on end. That's why they're "disposable". Is it even safe to keep wearing the same one for ever? They certainly can't be laundered. At least the ones you make from an old t-shirt can be washed.
What a country.
Initech
(99,915 posts)CDC? Gutted.
WHO? Funding pulled out.
Disease prevention teams in China and Africa? Fired.
Experts in public health and disease prevention? Silenced.
Our supply of personal protection equipment to prevent a disaster? Shipped somewhere else.
And yet the guy who we call "leader" thinks it was his god given right to do this and to go against the previous administration.
LakeVermilion
(1,022 posts)No one in the Republican party uttered one word of concern. They all have blood on their hands.
In fact, Democrats tried to inquire in Senate and House earnings, but were stonewalled.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)Initech
(99,915 posts)Hell the virus probably wouldn't have done as much damage as it did if we had competent leadership.
billh58
(6,635 posts)political structure and national identity is in the process of being turned from a Progressive Democracy into the ideology of fear of the "other." Unfortunately the "very good" people who idolize Trump have embraced the hatred, bigotry, and ignorance that he promotes and preaches, and have become very vocal with their contemptable far right-wing propaganda.
It will take extraordinary leaders at all levels of our society to reverse this despicable national trend, and to heal our country.
LakeVermilion
(1,022 posts)Getting our people elected only stops them, we have a lot of work to do to build a concensus to help rebuild our democracy.
mwooldri
(10,291 posts)Coronavirus: World leaders pledge billions for vaccine fight...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52525387
The US and Russia did not take part. China, where the virus originated in December, was represented by its ambassador to the European Union.
If there was true American leadership, the US would have taken part. It didn't. It couldn't even bother to send its EU ambassador to the virtual conference.
KT2000
(20,544 posts)pbmus
(12,418 posts)Against removing him are all to blame....every single last one of there filthy stealing hearts...
tulipsandroses
(5,094 posts)Same attitude when it comes to gun violence
Same attitude when it comes to climate change
Same attitude when it comes to election interference
None of that is to their benefit. Shutting down the economy meant stock market crashed. They would have preferred to keep everything open. Millions of deaths would be just fine if the stock market was doing well.
Tackling gun violence means they don't get the money from gun manufacturers, NRA
Denying climate change to keep getting money from the big polluters.
Not protecting our elections because they know they will benefit if Russia intervenes again. Looking at you Moscow Mitch.
We cannot look to Trumpists or Republicans to protect us from any threat. Looking at all the above. How much money have we spent on recent wars again? Because the scary brown people want to kill us? Not downplaying Isis, Al Qaeda threats and the like. But how many Americans have died in the last 20 years due to terrorism?
How many have died from the above due to failure of leadership? From the virus, to gun violence, to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, forest fires because they fight against these protections? Then you want to turn around and tell me the person I should be most concerned about is a terrorist in the Middle East?
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,041 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)If we had a competent leader who chose to put other competent leaders in positions of power this would not be happening. But we don't. We have a weak, incompetent, failure of a man who doesn't know the first thing about running a nation, let alone running a reality TV show.
He is an abysmal failure and I hate to think of what could happen to this country if he is not removed in November.
world wide wally
(21,719 posts)MAGA is the biggest lie in history
Skittles
(152,966 posts)seriously, even *I* could have done a better job than that piece of SHIT Trump
meadowlander
(4,358 posts)Midnight Writer
(21,548 posts)malaise
(267,824 posts)The US is currently being governed by a Kakistocracy.
czarjak
(11,194 posts)Really rich people!
tclambert
(11,080 posts)In normal times, they would ask America for help. With a good American leader, we would have our own situation handled, and would have enough left over to try to help the more unfortunate nations.
I don't think anyone in the world would ask Trump for help. I don't think third world countries will offer us aid, though, because they'd be afraid Jared Kushner would hijack it.
Aussie105
(5,215 posts)But not the most intelligent, or capable, nor does it have a government empathetic with the needs of it's people.
Some aspects like healthcare, education and pandemic response are just sad.
Most powerful? Maybe. All I know is that power without compassion can be very destructive.
Unfortunately dominance in military might does not translate into intelligent government and people working together for the common good.