I actually wrote some of this last Friday because I was very angry, but I decided not to post it and take a break in hopes that I would calm down a bit. The sad fact is that I am still angry. Why am I angry or frustrated or disappointed or all three? The ongoing rhetoric and attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the election by Trump, his toadies and his supporters is quite possibly the most un-American thing I have witnessed in my life time. And then you have all of the millions of people who exhibited completely irrational and selfish decision-making by travelling and gathering in large groups during the Thanksgiving holiday which will result in even darker days ahead for the Christmas holidays.
I have these feelings because I read about the health care workers who are fighting this war day in and day out and it’s like nobody seems to really care what they are going through nor willing to take a few simple steps to help them. In spite of COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths rising across the entire country, and in spite of pleas from the CDC and other health professionals to not travel and not have large gatherings, millions of people chose to ignore those warnings. Millions hit the airways and the roadways. There is a 100 percent probability that all of this travel and these gatherings that people couldn’t seem to resist, will result in another surge that is likely to make the Christmas holiday even more grim.
Hospitals are already getting stretched thin. I read yesterday morning in the paper that nurses are commanding salaries of $5,000 to $8.000 per week in parts of the country because the shortage is so severe. Some hospitals are already at capacity. What’s going to happen when the next surge resulting from Thanksgiving gets piled on top of these already stretched resources?
The United States, the most powerful and technologically advanced country in the world, is ‘winning’ the COVID contest by any measure. There are over 13 million cases in this country and over 266,000 deaths. India, which is our next closest ‘competitor’, has 4 million fewer cases and half as many deaths and yet it has a population of three times that of the United States. You have to ask, “What the hell is wrong with this country?”
I understand we’re all tired of living under the shadow of COVID and having to adjust our lifestyles. I understand there are economic impacts on millions of people and businesses. There is no doubt that we are in a war. Then why the hell aren’t more people treating this like a war? Why are people ignoring all of the warnings and selfishly willing to risk putting even more strain on an already overburdened health care system? Why are public health officials getting death threats when they are just trying to do their jobs to keep their communities safe? It boggles my mind and it makes me angry.
In some respects, what is going on reminds me of what was happening in this country during the Vietnam War era. The country was bitterly divided. The soldiers were sent to Vietnam because their country ordered them to do so and when they came home, they were welcomed by some and denigrated by others. The health care workers and public health officials today didn’t choose to fight this war but have been thrust onto the front lines nevertheless. And just like during the Vietnam era, the country is deeply divided between those who seem to be willing to abide by rules and guidance designed to help alleviate the strain on the health care system and those who just don’t seem to give a damn or, worse yet, blame health care workers for simply doing their jobs. The mind set and treatment of the healthcare workers in this country, is really no different than how soldiers were treated when they fought in Vietnam. It was a travesty then and it’s a travesty today.
As far as all of the ill-advised travel during this Thanksgiving holiday, I can only shake my head. Given the millions of people who travelled, there is a 100 percent probability that some people unknowingly infected their friends and relatives. The statistics show that some of those people will die. Some projections are showing the death toll by Christmas will reach 300,000 or more which means even more strain on the nation’s health care system. And, of course, we will get to witness this all over again for the upcoming Christmas holiday when another few million people will hit the airways and the highways.
And it certainly doesn’t help that we have a president who seems to have completely abandoned his job and his spending all of his energy pushing baseless conspiracy theories and golfing. Think about this for a second. Trump jumped all over Colin Kaepernick because he took a knee during the national anthem – calling Kaepernick, “un-American.” He has labelled protestors, “un-American.” He has labelled people who burn the flag, “un-American.” He has labelled almost everyone who disagrees with him “un-American.” And yet he tramples all over the Constitution and shits all over democratic institutions like ‘free and fair’ elections and a ‘peaceful transfer of power,” under the guise of being a patriot – and people suck it up.
There was a small group of Trump supporters parading through downtown Bozeman yesterday waving their American flags. What is wrong with people? Trump is not a fucking patriot!! He is doing everything in his power to undermine the democratic institutions that have stood the test of time for over 240 years. Much of what Trump is doing is exactly what Mussolini did after he came to power in Italy. The Trump ‘interview’ with Fox News anchor, Maria Bartiromo, over the weekend, was a lie-filled piece of propaganda which Mussolini would have been proud of. “The press of Italy is free, freer than the press of any other country, so long as it supports the regime.” (Benito Mussolini)
So, for those who continue to help Trump propagate this bullshit about how the election was rigged and there was widespread voter fraud, I strongly suggest they leave their American flags at home and stop talking about patriotism. They clearly have no concept of what patriotism means or what the American flag truly stands for. The actions by Trump, his enablers and his supporters are a huge insult to the thousands of men and women who have fought and died to protect the democratic institutions and ideals that have been the hallmark of this country for generations.
The sad fact is, it’s not going to be a very Merry Christmas this year. Thousands more Americans will die because of an inept response by the Trump administration coupled with the selfish actions of millions of Americans who can’t seem to understand the concept of a pandemic. And Trump will continue to endanger this country and its democratic institutions through his self-centered, reckless actions. Yes, I’m angry. I wish I didn’t care. Unfortunately, I do. Perhaps I should take up golf again. That seems to be a popular way to deal with crises these days.