Trump's narcissism has taken a new twist. And now he has American blood on his hands
Jonathan Freedland
@Freedland
Fri 27 Mar 2020 13.16 EDT
Pity the people of America. They do battle now with one of the greatest challenges in their history, led by a man who is not only among the worst ever occupants of the White House but whose character makes him the last person on the face of the Earth you would nominate to be in charge at this moment. On Thursday the US reached the top of the global league table for coronavirus infections, edging ahead of its closest rival for that honour, China. No law of nature dictated that outcome. Much of it is directly attributable to one dreadful fact: that Donald Trump is president of the United States.
Its become a commonplace to note Trumps lack of basic human empathy, his tendency to be unmoved by others loss. But that gap in his mindset matters now far beyond an inability to offer consolation to the bereaved: it is warping his approach to a lethal disease.
WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF, he tweeted in caps lock at the start of the week, shortly after Steve Hilton, one-time adviser to David Cameron, had made that same argument on his Fox News show. (If you look up the word chutzpah in the dictionary, it now directs you to a clip of Hilton warning on that same broadcast that austerity policies in the UK caused an extra 130,000 deaths failing to mention that he was at the right hand of the prime minister who imposed that austerity.)
Trump and his outriders contend that, while mass death is not ideal, its better than allowing the US economy to stall. Some, like Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, are explicit, urging the elderly to risk their lives so that their grandchildren might enjoy the fruits of uninterrupted American capitalism. If thats the exchange, Im all in, Patrick said. He was taking his cue from Trump who, while not putting it quite as baldly, has been quite clear. If coronavirus is a stick-up artist asking America, Your money or your life, Trumps response has been: Take the lives of the old and the weak: I want the money.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/27/trump-narcissism-american-blood-coronavirus
TEB
(12,840 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(48,986 posts)Hilton claims 130,000 extra deaths due to his own austerity program. It's nonsense at best and actually a damn lie.
Official figures:
Deaths due to dementia and Alzheimer disease continued to increase and remained the leading cause of death, accounting for 12.8% of all deaths registered.
2. Statisticians comment
Although 2018 saw the highest number of deaths since 1999, when taking the age and size of the population into account, death rates have remained more or less stable since 2011.
N_E_1 for Tennis
(9,712 posts)He should show the way...
For most of my 67 years on this planet... I fought to stay alive...war, poverty, health problems...down and dirty fights...you win or you die...simple. Im still here and I intend to stay that way for quite awhile.
There are other ways.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)Hey Donnie, you are no spring chicken yourself. Show the rest of us oldsters the way. Set an example.
N_E_1 for Tennis
(9,712 posts)He DID look in a mirror once...sued the mirror company...They made me look terrible.