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U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a roundtable on "Fighting for America's Seniors" at the Cabinet Room of the White House June 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump participated in the roundtable to discuss the administration's efforts to "safeguard America's senior citizens" from COVID-19. (Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
What Should the Punishment Be for the Crime of Weaponizing a Virus for Political Purposes?
Let's be very, very clear: the president is willing to take specific, willful, intentional actions that will lead to the deaths of other people in order to get what he wants, even when they are members of his own family.
Jun 16, 2020
Trump's scheduled rally in Tulsa this weekend and his moving the Republican convention to Florida both demonstrate that he is more than willing to take actions that will kill Americans in order to get his ego stroked and increase his chances of reelection.
A new book by Trump's niece tells the story of how Donald Trump cut off payments for his nephew's medical treatment, who had cerebral palsy, as a negotiating weapon to extract more money from his father's estate.
Meanwhile, scientists report that if more than 80% of Americans simply wore masks, the R transmission rate would go below one, and the virus would begin to fade out.
"He doesn't care how bad the epidemic gets or how many people die, as long as most of the deaths happen in the weeks and months after the election."
These three separate data points are not really separate. They are all the same thing.
Donald Trump is willing to take specific, willful, intentional actions that will lead to the deaths of other people in order to get what he wants, even when they are members of his own family.
If Trump had simply reacted to the coronavirus in January like South Korea did--or in February like Australia, New Zealand, and most of northern Europe did--there would be at least 60,000 Americans still alive today. Instead, because he lied and blustered and ignored, those people are dead and another hundred thousand will probably die before the election.
Trump and Eugene Scalia, the Labor Secretary, are working together to cut off unemployment benefits to millions of America's most poorly paid but at-risk workers in order to force them back to work.
He doesn't care how bad the epidemic gets or how many people die, as long as most of the deaths happen in the weeks and months after the election.
"Weaponizing a virus for political purposes is a crime against humanity, and it is being committed right in front of our own eyes."
Every other country in the world that is not run by a strongman dictator and has a functioning government is executing a specific plan to protect their citizens from this deadly virus.
Trump and Republicans are not only ignoring the need for a plan but are actively working against the advice of their own scientists, putting politics and Trump's ego above the lives of American citizens.
The cruel and willful brutality of Trump and Scalia's strategy is shocking, and the rest of the world looks at us with horror. Yet the Republican Party seems to think that this is all just fine.
Some have even suggested that the coronavirus will help Republicans this fall, because Democrats are less likely to go out and vote, causing several Republican controlled states to do everything they can to block mail in voting.
Weaponizing a virus for political purposes is a crime against humanity, and it is being committed right in front of our own eyes against our friends and neighbors, coworkers and family members.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is a talk-show host and the author of "The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream" (2020); "The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America" (2019); and more than 25 other books in print.
Trump's scheduled rally in Tulsa this weekend and his moving the Republican convention to Florida both demonstrate that he is more than willing to take actions that will kill Americans in order to get his ego stroked and increase his chances of reelection.
A new book by Trump's niece tells the story of how Donald Trump cut off payments for his nephew's medical treatment, who had cerebral palsy, as a negotiating weapon to extract more money from his father's estate.
Meanwhile, scientists report that if more than 80% of Americans simply wore masks, the R transmission rate would go below one, and the virus would begin to fade out.
"He doesn't care how bad the epidemic gets or how many people die, as long as most of the deaths happen in the weeks and months after the election."
These three separate data points are not really separate. They are all the same thing.
Donald Trump is willing to take specific, willful, intentional actions that will lead to the deaths of other people in order to get what he wants, even when they are members of his own family.
If Trump had simply reacted to the coronavirus in January like South Korea did--or in February like Australia, New Zealand, and most of northern Europe did--there would be at least 60,000 Americans still alive today. Instead, because he lied and blustered and ignored, those people are dead and another hundred thousand will probably die before the election.
Trump and Eugene Scalia, the Labor Secretary, are working together to cut off unemployment benefits to millions of America's most poorly paid but at-risk workers in order to force them back to work.
He doesn't care how bad the epidemic gets or how many people die, as long as most of the deaths happen in the weeks and months after the election.
"Weaponizing a virus for political purposes is a crime against humanity, and it is being committed right in front of our own eyes."
Every other country in the world that is not run by a strongman dictator and has a functioning government is executing a specific plan to protect their citizens from this deadly virus.
Trump and Republicans are not only ignoring the need for a plan but are actively working against the advice of their own scientists, putting politics and Trump's ego above the lives of American citizens.
The cruel and willful brutality of Trump and Scalia's strategy is shocking, and the rest of the world looks at us with horror. Yet the Republican Party seems to think that this is all just fine.
Some have even suggested that the coronavirus will help Republicans this fall, because Democrats are less likely to go out and vote, causing several Republican controlled states to do everything they can to block mail in voting.
Weaponizing a virus for political purposes is a crime against humanity, and it is being committed right in front of our own eyes against our friends and neighbors, coworkers and family members.
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is a talk-show host and the author of "The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream" (2020); "The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America" (2019); and more than 25 other books in print.
Trump's scheduled rally in Tulsa this weekend and his moving the Republican convention to Florida both demonstrate that he is more than willing to take actions that will kill Americans in order to get his ego stroked and increase his chances of reelection.
A new book by Trump's niece tells the story of how Donald Trump cut off payments for his nephew's medical treatment, who had cerebral palsy, as a negotiating weapon to extract more money from his father's estate.
Meanwhile, scientists report that if more than 80% of Americans simply wore masks, the R transmission rate would go below one, and the virus would begin to fade out.
"He doesn't care how bad the epidemic gets or how many people die, as long as most of the deaths happen in the weeks and months after the election."
These three separate data points are not really separate. They are all the same thing.
Donald Trump is willing to take specific, willful, intentional actions that will lead to the deaths of other people in order to get what he wants, even when they are members of his own family.
If Trump had simply reacted to the coronavirus in January like South Korea did--or in February like Australia, New Zealand, and most of northern Europe did--there would be at least 60,000 Americans still alive today. Instead, because he lied and blustered and ignored, those people are dead and another hundred thousand will probably die before the election.
Trump and Eugene Scalia, the Labor Secretary, are working together to cut off unemployment benefits to millions of America's most poorly paid but at-risk workers in order to force them back to work.
He doesn't care how bad the epidemic gets or how many people die, as long as most of the deaths happen in the weeks and months after the election.
"Weaponizing a virus for political purposes is a crime against humanity, and it is being committed right in front of our own eyes."
Every other country in the world that is not run by a strongman dictator and has a functioning government is executing a specific plan to protect their citizens from this deadly virus.
Trump and Republicans are not only ignoring the need for a plan but are actively working against the advice of their own scientists, putting politics and Trump's ego above the lives of American citizens.
The cruel and willful brutality of Trump and Scalia's strategy is shocking, and the rest of the world looks at us with horror. Yet the Republican Party seems to think that this is all just fine.
Some have even suggested that the coronavirus will help Republicans this fall, because Democrats are less likely to go out and vote, causing several Republican controlled states to do everything they can to block mail in voting.
Weaponizing a virus for political purposes is a crime against humanity, and it is being committed right in front of our own eyes against our friends and neighbors, coworkers and family members.
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