We have to stop gleefully gaming out how this pandemic will wipe out "Trumps base," "conservative old people," and "all of the red states." Really. Just stop it. NOW.
When we focus on these scenarios, we make their realizations more possible. And I can think of innumerable ways that one governor's decision to lift social distancing measures will jeapordize the health of millions of people who aren't "brain-dead Fox watching idiots" and who don't live in the governor's jurisdiction. And so what if someone is a MAGA head? They don't deserve to die because of their political persuasion. In a dysfunctional two-party democracy where it's considered worthwhile to debate the merits of Friends versus Seinfeld, don't get all self-righteous when 40% of the population becomes in thrall to a made-for-TV president (talk to me when you throw out your own television).
It doesn't matter if we're light workers. You probably had a greater hand in the making of the current political landscape than you're willing to acknowledge. So every time you fantasize about millions of "brain-dead Fox-watching idiots" going to their graves, you're increasing the odds that this contagion will continue to wreak havoc on a national basis and that you or a family member will be the next one wheezing for breath, regardless of whether you live in a blue state/county/city. Think about that.
I saw a Brutus/Caesar situation (figuratively) with Pence and T. I think he publicly disagrees/contradicts T. I saw Pence wearing a laurel crown one arm upraised holding something (a torch?) the other arm extended thumb pointing down. I think he may make a move on T’s power and has the ability to decide his political fate. He has been biding his time.
No idea if this would really happen, but it was strange and not something that I would consciously consider probable.
This has been on my mind a lot lately. I can see a few scenarios. Possibly far fetched. But our world today demonstrates that strange things can indeed happen.
Pence enacts the 25th amendment for the health of our country.
Pence and T get the virus, then Pelosi becomes interum pres.
Pence enacts 25th, then gets the virus, then Pelosi become interum pres.
Again, far fetched, but I am wondering how this could play out...
No matter what, I just hope and pray that sanity will reign sooner rather than later!
I just realized (Trump & Pence) -- T&P = TP = Toilet paper! lol ?
Thanks for the laugh, love it!
@mas1581 Don't count on it. I live in Texas which is still very much a red state but may become a little less so in the future. The stores where I live have shortened their operating hours. Many have closed down blood pressure machines and scales. Some have imposed strict limits on how many people can be in the stores at a given time. Many gyms and some vitamin stores have closed their doors. Many shopping malls have closed their indoor restaurants. Many schools in Texas are closed. Many banks have closed their indoor lobbies and will only do drive-thru transactions.
In spite of Trump they are very much doing the social distancing thing. I think the people near the Mexican border who are likely to support Democrats are the ones who are most likely to get hit with coronavirus. I don't think your wish of having the disease only strike Republicans or Trump supporters will happen.
@baba For a couple of weeks now I've been feeling like trump miscalculated by delegating so much of the response to Pence. Not that Pence has saved the country or anything, and I personally dislike him, but when you see them both on TV together, during the insane afternoon briefings, Pence looks presidential and reasonable when compared to trump. Will something come of it? Dunno, but every time I've seen the briefings (mostly with the sound turned off) I've thought to myself, well isn't this interesting.
Well according to Gallup, 60% of people think Trump is doing a good job dealing with the virus.
His approval is now 49%, the highest he's ever had.
He went up in points with both Democrats and Independents.
Bizarro universe, and unfortunately, we live in it.
People are rightly annoyed by the prospect of reopening businesses in the middle of a pandemic. Only NAZIs ever do economic arithmetic with people’s lives. Don’t be surprised by the obviousness of it. We’ve been living under Nazi rule for years now. We even have concentration camps. Trump ran with the American Nazi Party slogans and ideas. He didn’t restart it himself, “Pro-Life” means Biopower. It is just basic fascism, and it is fully compatible with genocide, here and abroad. Just two sides of the same coin. Forced birth is hardly an improvement. Government controlling the population’s bodies for economic purposes is a basic aspect of fascism. Fascism is not freedom. It is not Liberal Democracy. It is not American. If people tend toward wanting MAGA hat wearing people to suffer for bringing the American Nazi Party into power, then they are feeling the correct response to fascism gutting Liberal Democracy. Love and light, but we need our country set right, too.
Thank you for speaking out.
While I find it hard to connect to T's humanity, as he is a fitting archetypal host for the worst of our country (profiteering, racism, sexism, etc.), it is so important that we respect the humanity of his followers. I get that it isn't easy, and some of them are doing horrible things. If we can sit with the disdain we hold for them we may see that underneath that is grief over lost opportunity for connection. Given that so many of his followers are plugged into media outlets that mislead them to distrust facts and reality as "fake news" that connection may be difficult to impossible right now. But these time will pass, and we need to find a way to be in community with one another.
The proposal is genocide. Are we supposed to respect Trump’s followers support of mass murder? Good people just being virtuous on the internet and doing nothing to stop the absolute defeat of their way of life? Not standing up for the few shredded remaining remnants of Liberal Democracy now is exactly like Spring Break kids partying on the beach during this pandemic. This is not acceptable. No pink cloud stuff here. Take a stand.
I find that orange bonehead and his gropies repulsive, but I feel that cheering and gloating the virus to come down like a firestorm of vengence is unwarranted. Mainly because innocent people, who want nothing to do with this stupid political musical chair, will be caught up in the crossfire of this disaster helplessly.
Honestly, we should be putting our energies towards helping the victims, the disadvantage and anyone who is deemed an outcast in America society.