Wednesday, April 22, 2020

THE ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENT - AND SINKING THE AMERICAN TITANIC.....

(My readers know that I season my posts with cartoons - a giggle-fest connected to the factual dialogue both reported and written.  There is nothing funny about this posting element.... So, I have not enclosed cartoons... simply illustrations that underscore the serious point of this entry. I encourage the reader to be careful, cautious, caring, and take the steps necessary to prevent the "spread" of this viral "invasion", to avoid contagious infection to you and yours, to follow the medical directives, and to stay safe.)

CORONAVIRUS... a pandemic threat to us all.... 


AND THE SINKING OF THE AMERICAN "SHIP" BY...  
THE ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENT... 

Sinking Of The Titanic. The Lifeboats Art Print by Everett
The Sinking of the American Titanic.... the ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENT....
If Donald Trump was the Captain of the Titanic: Here is what you would have witnessed......
"There isn't any iceberg.”
“There was an iceberg but it's in a totally different ocean.”
“The iceberg is in this ocean but it will melt very soon.”
“There is an iceberg but we didn't hit the iceberg.”
“We hit the iceberg , but the damage will be repaired very shortly.”
“The iceberg is a Chinese iceberg.”
“We are taking on water but every passenger who wants a lifeboat can get a lifeboat, and they are  beautiful lifeboats.”
“Look, passengers need to ask nicely for the lifeboats if they want them.”
“We don't have any lifeboats, we're not lifeboat distributors.”
“Passengers should have planned for icebergs and brought their own lifeboats.”
“I really don't think we need that many lifeboats.”
“We have lifeboats and they're supposed to be our lifeboats, not the passengers' lifeboats.”
“The lifeboats were left on shore by the last captain of this ship.”
“Nobody could have foreseen the iceberg. "
“I don’t take responsibility at all.”
“Did you know I was number one on Facebook?”

 THE TITANIC SANK ON APRIL 15, 1912.... THE SPANISH FLU ARRIVED IN LATE 1918.

By 1918, we suffered another tragedy - this time a greater tragedy accompanied by more death and sorrow - another viral invasion - THE SPANISH FLU.

Similar to the current challenge and threat to life, we had no experience with a pandemic virus then - not enough hospital resources, no medicines or vaccines and little curative power to respond. The threat to our lives and other impacted nations around the world was severe. The infection count in the US was some 29,500,000 in the US population.  The death rate of 2% resulted in 500,000 deaths.  In 1918 we had little medical response at the ready and few options but to impede or stop the "spread" of the viral infection. An early response to the 1918 viral "invasion" was to stop the contagion from spreading. It is contained in the ad placed on November 7, 1918 in British Columbia, Canada. It was repeated over and over in the US. 15 Months later, more than 1/2 million Americans lost their lives before a flu-specific vaccine was developed.
  

WE SUFFERED A CORONAVIRUS INVASION IN 2020

From the start in January 2020, the US-CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), and virologists across the nation raised the warning that the American "vessel" was in danger....  viral icebergs ahead!  Trump announced that yet another "liberal hoax" was being perpetrated on the American public and was being "spread" in "FAKE NEWS." His announcement was that it would "melt away", disappear "like a miracle" and no actions were necessary (January/February). Informed that a region in China was the source of infection, he shut the travel door from that nation.... but, sadly, COVID-19 was already on the road.  Canada, Europe, Great Britain, Latin America, and Africa had already been "entered and occupied" by travelers who had no clue that they were ill and carrying a virulent viral infection. Two weeks or more of asymptomatic contagious condition before some evidence of infection appeared, this highly infectious virus was spread from person to person and place to place. And, from nations like Italy, France, Mexico, Canada and elsewhere, this contagion was rapidly spread.... From Bridges and tunnels, cruise ships, airports, and military ships, planes, and trucks - COVID-19 traveled across the nation.

The President's under-funding of the CDC and the elimination of their "pandemic planning" segment two years earlier that had been created to be prepared for ANY infectious outbreak following SARS and other heath emergencies. McConnell refused multiple Obama requests for funding of viral invasion preparation planning too. Trump was covering up the absurd risks taken and the mistakes made.  He would just wave his "magic wand" and the Coronavirus would disappear... For more than a month, Trump resisted responding, activating, and admitting that a mistake had been made.  Sadly, like wildfire, this extremely contagious virus was spreading rapidly. From ports of entry, inside urban, tightly-populated communities, and across the nation, the numbers could no longer be ignored.... and the numbers rose rapidly.  California, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Michigan and many more were all under siege... with masks, gowns, equipment, medicine, and hospital beds far short of the growing needs - growing rapidly..... and, in the face of silence at the White House. Trump finally assembled a committee headed by VP Pence to craft a response.... while he continued to describe the fears as a "farce" and a "hoax." 

After Spring Break that attracted tens of thousands of college students to the beaches of America - Florida, California, Texas, and others - in close contact, covered in lotion, and, in some cases, cocktails and beer parties, they celebrated Spring in close proximity to one another. When the week ended, the partiers' return to the college campuses was stalled by responsible "orders" to stay away. Some colleges, like Liberty University, a private evangelical institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia and led by Jerry Falwell, Jr as President, determined that the "fake" virus was no threat at all.  Liberty University welcomed the student body back to campus. Some 1900 returned... and within 1 week nearly a dozen came down with viral symptoms.  800 shortly left the institution and within two weeks, the college closed for "social distance."  Falwell had said the the COVID-19 concern was a "fake attack on Trump" and that his alliance with the president led him to ignore the "liberal lies." Needless to say, the viral attack and the resulting concern... was not a lie.  We were simply mis-led by one Donald Trump - the Master of Disaster.... So where are we right now as I write this post?

Today's figures are: 
USA:  810,000 cases/ 44,000 deaths; 
NY: 256,300 cases/ 20,000 deaths.                               
GREENE COUNTY: 105 Cases/ 5 deaths ( a one week increase of 90%).
To date, the US has lost more lives in 3 months than the 5-year Korean War! 

Those who are attacking the "shut-down" strategy to impede the invisible spread of the virus, use made-up figures, illogical and unscientific theories, and simple lies. Their data is off.... their description is absurd....  and reliance on the echos of half-wit Trumpers is an outrage.... COVID data - checked hundreds of times- is accurate....  and we have lost more than 44,000 to date - more than the combat deaths during the Korean War (33,686 combat deaths).  War can become peace by choice. An absurd comparison of cardiac cases, pool drownings, car accidents, cancer, and more - simply to undermine the factual basis for the planning underway and/or in effect right now - is an outright misrepresenting an illness and is a gigantic LIE in an attempt to outwit and mislead the public.  These illnesses and accidents are not contagious....  And, the flu?  Like polio, defended against by vaccine applications - researched, funded, and advanced by the Federal CDC and research labs across the nation and around the world.  Annual flu shots defeat a far broader spread of the annual version of standard flu.... and, visible symptoms can lead to a spread of the virus... COVID-19 spreads FAST without visible symptoms for a period of weeks!  And, unlike standard flu that has a mortality rate of .4%....  four tenths of 1%...  COVID-19’s death rate now stands at 5% - 500% higher!  Do you really want a broad-spread epidemic with a crippling death rate - resulting from CONTAGIONS????  And, not choices???? Every impacted nation - Asia, Europe, and more....  have taken the very same protective steps to defeat this pandemic of a deadly virus.... but, not you?  Well, if that is the case, then just go volunteer at a clinic or hospital ER - without gloves, mask, or gowns....  breathe deeply and contract for your funeral arrangements too. Hopefully, you will survive. Those around you - friends and family - suffer... and some die...while you spread the 21st Century “Black Death.”
To those who think that the Coronavirus-19 is no big deal.....   I say, Wake up!
                               

Data is data and facts are facts....  not spin... not “alternate facts” ...  the Trump plan is to get re-elected.  To do that, if the infection rates go up, then his polls go down.  Sooooo....  keep the virus count DOWN!  Through ID and cure?  Nope!  Impede testing in the knowledge that more testing reveals more positive counts and, as the numbers rise, Trump's polling shrinks....  so - keep the Aircraft Carrier and Cruise ships at sea so their COVID19 case counts don’t get added to the US totals!  Just go back and LOOK NORMAL..... don’t have to BE NORMAL.....  use costumes and makeup... and HIDE the counts and make it look like I won!  Then Trump's polling numbers rise due to the appearance of beating the virus!  MEDICAL FRAUD WORKS.... according to Trump....  Must LOOK good....  doesn’t have to BE good....  Truth counts however. And, Reality bites...  Still, ACTUAL CARE and REAL CURES matter....  We need to trash the fraud, focus on the truth, manage those infected, and discover the cure.  And.... none of that is Trump!
                                       
I commend those who follow the medical strategy - mask, gloves, sanitizer, and social distance will slow the virus spread while we find a cure - meds, a vaccine, and whatever.  To this point, more resulting deaths - some 44,000 gone today, more than lost in the 5-year Korean War from this viral invasion. Comply and stand by.... All of us need to be a good level-headed example of following medical directives. NY State is a viral “hotspot.” And, we have some COVID19 cases on the Mountaintop in a rural county that has experienced a 400% increase in case count over the past three weeks. Sadly, we have some “spreaders” too. Be caring, careful, and cautious. I look forward to again being “happy” at Happy Hour.  

Still, I am saddened by the pain being experienced by the nation... a disaster for our democracy.... an erosion of our attentive government... an abandonment of fairness, caring for others in need, and "the rule of law" justice.  Abandon free speech, free press, equal treatment and respect for women, civil rights, and minority populations? Diminish healthcare and access to doctors and hospitals for those of modest means or with preexisting conditions? Trump has displayed an awful set of motives that drives his policies and his decisions. The Trump focus is only on himself, his family, his wealthy friends and his crackpot supporters.  That’s TRUMPOLOGY- a horror leading a wounded nation, marching backward... dismantling and demolishing our democracy, and eliminating decades of the vital national progress made....  

Stand Up! Speak Out! Resist! Persist! March On! 

Tick-tock...  November... 2020 

Bobby J

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