Lessons to be Learned from the Great Mortality of the 14th Century

There have been many pandemics in human history.  There was a smallpox or measles outbreak called the Antonine Plague of 165 AD that killed 5 million people and decimated the Roman army returning from Mesopotamia.  There was the 6th century Plague of Justinian (bubonic) with around 25 million dead.  DNA sequencing from bodies uncovered in the 1960s in Germany shows that they were killed by the same bacterium that swept through the 6th through 8th centuries in more than 12 waves that killed 50 million people.  Then there was the granddaddy of all plagues known today as The Black Death.  That plague wiped out half of the population of Europe in the 14th century.  This was another bubonic plague spread by a bacterium carried by black rats and their fleas.  The death toll was likely in the 75 to 200 million range.  The Black Death is a modern term for what had been called The Great Mortality during its time.  The peak in Europe was between 1346 and 1353.

Danse Macabre 14th Century Artwork

There are parallels and lessons to be learned today from the Great Mortality that sprang out of China in 1346 and spread slowly across land trade routes and more quickly by sea from port to port.  The bacterium that caused the bubonic plague was Yersinia pestis.  This plague could be pneumonic, septicemic, or bubonic.  In its pneumonic form, it attacked the lungs causing headaches, shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough.  The septicemic version caused a life-threatening infection of the blood.  The bubonic variety caused painful swelling of the lymph nodes of the groin and armpits known as buboes.  It is thought that our modern English term for a minor injury that we call a “booboo” came from the days of the great plagues.  Both fleabites and infection through exposure to bodily fluids were a means of transmission.

The Black Death is estimated to have been fatal to 25-60% of the inhabitants of Europe. Accurate statistics are not available and much of what we know was written by both scholars and laypersons with varying degrees of reliability.  It was thought to have started as early as the 1330s in Mongolia.  Around 1346, while the Mongols were laying siege to the city of Caffa, the besiegers came down with the plague and their ranks were decimated.  At one point, the Mongols gathered up their dead and used catapults to hurl dead bodies over the walls at their Italian merchant enemies.  Those merchants started getting sick and eventually moved westward to begin the spread of the disease to the rest of the civilized world.  Biological warfare had its start.

Skeleton takes center stage in Warnemunde Germany

church art

In my travels around Europe, I often wondered why so much of their artwork depicted people, skulls, and skeletons.  They seemed to have a morbid fascination with death.  I see now that it was more than just fascination; they were surrounded by death.  While they didn’t wholly grasp how they were being infected, they did make some observations that were not far off the mark.  In many of the writings of the period, they mention that it might be transmitted by miasma or “bad air.”  The plague doctors of the time actually developed a hazmat suit of sorts with a bird-like headpiece.  The beak would be filled with sweet-smelling flowers and herbs that would help cut down on the stench of death.  It would also help with the foul smell emanating from lanced buboes.

Leather Plague Mask for Doctors

With so much death, leaders needed someone or something to blame.  For some, it had to do with the alignment of the stars and planets.  The period prior to the plague was also at a time of warmer winters and plentiful rain.  This would have been an ideal environment for an explosion of the rat population and their fleas.  For some, it was thought to be the wrath of God and they sought various methods to atone for their sins.  Some turned to hedonism to celebrate their last days on earth.  Flagellates wandered through the cities publicly whipping themselves as a sign of faith.  Still, others blamed the Jews and claimed that the Jews were poisoning wells.  Some Jews were tortured to confess their “crimes” and signed confessions were used to massacre thousands.  There were superstitions of an old woman or an old man spreading the disease in the dead of night.  Children were also suspects and a few were sacrificed to assuage their fears.

A medieval depiction of the burning of Jews to stop the plague

Bubonic plague has had several periods of recurrence but none at the level of the mid-fourteenth century.  The bacterium that causes the plague is still with us and saw 3248 cases and 584 deaths between 2010 and 2015.  Modern antibiotics keep the death toll below 15% but, left untreated, the death rate matches that of medieval Europe at 40-60%.  The Great Mortality ended roughly in 1453 and how it ended is open to conjecture.  Most believe the implementation of quarantines and improvements in personal hygiene were the best deterrents.  The adoption of cremations over burials due to the sheer numbers of bodies also helped.  It would take another 200 years before Europe would regain its population to pre-plague numbers.

So, what have you heard in all of this that parallels the progression of Covid-19 aka Sars-Cov-2?  My observations are that:

• Both diseases started in China and were zoonotic in origin.
• The pneumonic form causes the fastest spread of the disease.
• Superstition and the need to place blame (scapegoating) for the origin of the plague were common.
• Retaliation against the perceived sources was sought.
• Climate change may have exacerbated or been a precursor to the spread of disease.
• Both of these plagues infected victims in several ways.
• God’s wrath was identified as a cause for both.
• Both outbreaks prompted people to wear masks.
• World economies were decimated and trade policies were changed.
• Xenophobia and persecution were prevalent and nationalists used the opportunity to seek further isolation and closed borders.
• Borrowing costs in medieval Europe were cut in half and we see such trends now.
• Quarantines were shown to be effective in the 14th century and in 2020.

My take-away is that such pandemics are inevitable and that we should plan for the next one, even if it is another hundred years away.  Our last major pandemic was the influenza outbreak of 1918-19, which killed 50 million worldwide and 675,000 in the U.S.  At this writing on June 17, 2020, our death toll from Covid-19 stands at 119,000.  The end is not in sight.  Our early declarations of victory and our desire to re-open our economy may be premature.  Mistakes will be very costly in terms of loss of life and these decisions may extend our financial problems.  On the morbid bright side, losses among our elderly population may benefit the Social Security coffers.  I would hate that such thoughts aren’t motivating our decision-makers.  Knowing them now as we do, such thoughts are not without foundation.

Mistakes are being made.  Even when/if a vaccine is developed, we should not sigh in relief and move on but we should use that time to reflect on those mistakes and plan for the next outbreak.  I suspect the impetus will be to work on the economic recovery and ignore our mistakes.  This would be a failure much as the decimation of our pandemic response teams prior to Sars-Cov-2.  I feel our world will be forever changed due to what has transpired in the first several months of the year 2020.  We have made mistakes and we will continue to make mistakes.  Those who don't learn from their mistakes, you know the rest.

What Makes a Good President?

All of the presidents of my life.

If you are of a certain age, you have seen your fair share of American presidents. They usually come and go every four to eight years, barring resignation or assassination.  Most were decent hard-working men who, with the best of intentions, governed this nation to the best of their ability. Your opinion of each of them will certainly vary. They each brought to this vaunted office a skill-set based on their backgrounds, education, and experience. Most had previous political positions, which gave them a foundation for the job. Notably, Donald Trump and Dwight Eisenhower did not hold public office prior to their elections to this highest national office. Eisenhower did have extensive government experience in the military in a very responsible leadership role.  As the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, he oversaw the allied invasion of Normandy that eventually ended the war in Europe.  I can remember my "I Like Ike" bumper sticker on my red Western Flyer wagon.  My dad, a registered Democrat, voted for Ike.  He fought in the European theatre, Sicily, Italy, and North Africa and thought highly of Eisenhower.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Campaign Button

So, what makes a good president? Ask a psychologist that question and you would get a very different list than one provided by an economist. We each have our own priorities. All, in their own way, would be defining competence.  If we avoid matters of policy, what qualities would a person have to have that would make them at least a competent president?

Government Experience

Previous political/government experience is not a requirement for office but it certainly has benefits. Military experience is also not a prerequisite but it too seems beneficial in this regard. Why are these two backgrounds important? Having served either in the military or in a political or other government position provides a certain mindset. Things that are common practice in civilian jobs are either unlawful or contraindicated behavior in political office. This attitudinal change may be difficult for some. Trying to run our government like a business won’t work. I think we have all seen recent evidence of this bad behavior.

Intelligence

Most people would agree, having a smart president is a good thing. The appropriate level of intelligence for the position is of paramount importance. Whether or not that intelligence comes from formal education, life experience, or mere aptitude is not important. We want a smart president. That person would understand our nation’s history, world history, current events, science, and human nature.  Wherever they may be weak in a certain area, they would seek advice from others to supplement their own knowledge. They themselves would know enough to understand where they may be lacking and would have enough intelligence to develop an understanding of a topic with advisory help. They would also be smart enough to take that advice even if it deviated from their once held opinions. Selected advisors should not be sought out for their compliance with presidential opinions and biases, they should be chosen for their own expertise in an area of importance. Both Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were students of history who could think on their feet. George W Bush, on the other hand, could be derailed from his train of thought in a heartbeat. Jimmy Carter was intelligent, honorable, and honest to a fault, but couldn’t deal with his Congress recently fractured by inter-party caucuses after Watergate. Intelligence is important but not the only necessary trait.

Honesty/Integrity

We have all sadly come to accept and even expect a certain level of dishonesty among our elected officials. The nature of politics makes it a dirty business. Jimmy Stewart’s Mr. Smith would never survive a trip through modern Washington politics. Eddie Arnold’s corrupt Jim Taylor, on the other hand, would probably thrive. While we don’t necessarily need a Mr. Rogers for president, his moral compass might come in handy. We should, however, expect and demand truth and honesty for all matters of national urgency. We should demand factual explanations of public policy. We should hold our president accountable when he/she deviates from the truth. We should demand that they follow and uphold the laws outlined in our Constitution. We should not tolerate attempts to bend/break the law when it is politically expedient. We should not tolerate presidential activities perpetrated for personal financial or political gain through abuses of their presidential powers.  Character and integrity matter.

Vision

A president should have a strong sense of our country’s future and direction. They should be able to utilize their perspective of history in order to apply that knowledge, with courage, to make sound, if not always popular, decisions. Using that vision, they should be able to effectively manage crises. Leaders with vision are generally successful while myopic ones typically fail. This is especially true in times of crisis.

Communication Skills

Good presidents should be good communicators. They should have the ability to clearly convey, through either written or verbal pronouncements, all manner of policy and position. They should know what, how, and when things should be brought to the attention of the public. They should be able to express empathy when that is warranted. They should be able to project strength when appropriate. They should be able to bring the nation together and heal its' divisions. They should be able to work with Congress and negotiate with both parties in a common cause beneficial to the nation as a whole.

Management Skills

Being an effective president requires the ability to manage both people and resources. An effective manager knows how to get the best from the people around her or him. They surround themselves with others who are good at their particular jobs. They take the advice of people who may be more knowledgeable in particular areas. They know when and how to delegate authority and responsibility for certain tasks. They are good problem solvers. They are good planners. They know how to negotiate but not bully. They can manage conflict without resorting to baser instincts like name-calling.

Republican Presidents

Democratic Presidents

Summary

A good president will have all of these skills and character traits. Being weak or wanting in one or more of these areas is a recipe for disaster unless that weakness is countered with good staff appointments.  John Kennedy was articulate and charismatic. Richard Nixon had an astute knowledge of foreign policy. Jimmy Carter was honest. Ronald Reagan was a good communicator. Dwight Eisenhower was a great leader. Barack Obama was honest, a good communicator, and intelligent.

Donald Trump is neither articulate nor astute. He has no understanding of history. He lacks government or military experience. He lacks empathy.  He is not a good communicator. Pumping up a rally crowd with shop-worn platitudes and slogans does not equate to being a good communicator.  His only good speeches have been those written by others and read from a teleprompter.  His much-touted negotiation skills have been found to be wanting. Being tough in negotiations and coming away with nothing, is not how you show off your negotiating skills.  Trump was not successful negotiating with North Korea, he left with nothing. He was not successful in negotiating with China and came away with a tariff war that has hurt both sides. He negotiated with Canada and Mexico and came away with essentially minor changes to the trade policies that he had before the new negotiations.

Donald Trump’s staff appointments should tell us all we need to know about the man. He shuffles through press secretaries, staffers, advisors, and department heads as if he were a reality-show host. Anyone who does not make a declaration of fealty to his/her new lord will be axed.  He does not tolerate opinions differing from his own. As of May 25, 2020, the list of dismissals and/or resignations totaled 415. Granted, some of those were just ahead of indictments.

Speaking of firings, I would recommend that Donald Trump dump Mike Pence in 2020, and replace him with Rep Bill Johnson (R) of Ohio. Donald Trump, not being a student of history, would fail to see the significance of that appointment; another Vice President Johnson.

Understanding Trump Supporters

Trump Supporters

I have always tried to understand the logic and reasoning of people who support Donald J. Trump. It would be easy to say that they are all racists and end the analogy with that one observation. That still wouldn’t explain those whose racial bias might not be readily apparent or people whose motivations might lie elsewhere.

I grew up in a cosmopolitan Miami. That resulted in having friends and acquaintances that were born in other countries, many from Spanish speaking lands to our south. Some within that group grew up knowing of the dictatorships of Fidel Castro, Augusto Pinochet, Gustavo Pinilla, Anastasio Somoza, Isabel Perón/Jorge Videla, João Goulart, and Hugo Chavez/Nicolas Maduro. Many fled their homelands of Cuba, Chile, Columbia, Nicaragua, Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela to come to America to start a new life.

Famous Dictators of the Americas

The dictators mentioned above had varying political backgrounds as socialists, fascists, communists, and anti-communists but they all had one thing in common; they were all dictators. Some were “duly-elected” dictators and claimed to represent democracies. Much like America’s contested elections, the people were not happy. The various political aspirations of these leaders are described by many of their subjects as being socialist. The real differences between communism, socialism, and fascism were but minor annoying details. To them, all were bad and terminology was unimportant; they were all socialists.

For the Cuban community which represents the majority of Latin influence in Miami, the American political watershed moment was the 1961 failed Bay of Pigs (Bahía de Cochinos) Invasion. President Kennedy was a Democrat in charge when the invasion finally happened. That invasion was perhaps the worst kept secret in Miami. 

I was in a Spanish class in early 1961 prior to the April Bay of Pigs debacle, when a classmate, as part of a discussion, went to the pull-down map at the front of the room. He proceeded to explain how the invaders planned to land at Playa Girón, head north toward Colón, and cut Havana off from the eastern portion of the island. 

That is exactly what they tried to do in April. The invasion plan was developed under Republican president Dwight D. Eisenhower and was to have air support to cover the troops landing from Guatemala and Nicaragua. After the CIA-supplied B-26 bombers attacked Cuban airstrips, President Kennedy decided to withhold further air support.  That first airstrike had failed to destroy all of the small Cuban air force.  The remaining planes were used against the invaders.  The die was cast; Democrats would forever be branded responsible for the loss of their Cuban homeland.  Kennedy was responsible for their loss and it had nothing to do with the fact that 1,400 rebel soldiers couldn't defeat Castro's standing army of 200,000. Cubans in Miami would forever register as Republicans; die-hard Republicans. While we normally associate Latinos with being more liberal, many who suffered under these dictators are likely to vote with conservatives.

Bay of Pigs Today

The problem with this latter group is the equation of “socialism” with their previous experiences with the dictators who had been so labeled. I put “socialism” in quotes as it is regularly assumed by many to encompass communism and fascism. This is wrong of course but unlearning such labeling is difficult. Even socialism practiced under some of these leaders was in the extreme and not in line with American socialism.

What many don’t realize is that they all regularly use and benefit from American socialism and if those benefits were taken away, they would be shocked and upset.  Without socialism they wouldn’t have the police force, a fire department, roads to drive on, food inspectors, a weather department, social security benefits when they get old and can no longer work.  The list of societal benefits from “socialism” are endless.   Convincing Miami Latinos that socialism is good for them would be near impossible. What should really get their attention however, is the dictatorial direction of our current president. His attempts to limit a free press, to stifle the right of free speech, to prohibit peaceful demonstration, to use the military to control his people, to circumvent the justice system with appointments and the corruption of the Attorney General’s office, are all tools of dictators. This president has sided with dictators like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un, over his own FBI, CIA, and State Department.

Many in Trump’s camp see him as their only barrier to a “socialism” they despise. On the other side of the aisle, many see Trump as the next Hitler. He is neither of these things. He is a wannabe dictator who has corrupted the very ideals of our democracy. He is an autocrat looking to make a fast buck at the expense of our freedoms. If the first amendment gets in his way, he will do what he wants and then use his corrupt Justice Department to justify whatever he does. The end result is that, while wanting to avoid the suffering historically endured under other dictators, many would encourage and support this dictator in disguise. That disguise is paper-thin and easy to see through if one just opens their eyes.

Outside the Latino community explanations are perhaps more diverse. The very wealthy or those with such aspirations will regularly support Donald Trump because he has made life simpler and more profitable. Greed “trumps” principals.
We also have the religious right who see Trump as the second coming. They can forgive his peccadillos and morally bankrupt behavior. They can forgive his attacks on immigrants, refugees, the homeless, racial and religious minorities, single parents, and struggling wage earners.  Donald Trump, a thrice-married, womanizing, swindling, adulterous, profane, materialistic man who pays porn stars for sex, had previously only appealed to the fringe elements of Christianity.

Those would be the profiteering mega-church Christians with more earthly motivations.  Trump is now, however, widely supported by even mainstream evangelicals.  There are seven deadly sins listed in Christian theology.  Those are pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, and wrath.  Trump seems to have checked all the boxes. The religious right justifies their support of this sinner because he has supported their agenda. Forgiveness is “mighty Christian” of them, especially now that they are gaining traction for their objectives in the courts.  They have made a deal with the devil.

Trump the Almighty

To understand those who would support Donald Trump and his agenda, we have to look for ulterior motives. Those on the left see Trump for what he is but those on the right seem to tolerate his behavior for such gains as they deem worthy. They will sacrifice our democracy for their own financial rewards, for their anti-socialist beliefs, or for some religious conviction deemed by them as worthy of sacrifice. Our democracy is uncertain. We can only hope that enough people are outraged with what they have seen in the previous 46 months prior to November 3rd. It will take overwhelming numbers to overcome the inevitable voter suppression that will take place.  In the recent failed Georgia primary elections, where largely Black communities suffered inoperable voting machines and intolerable long lines at polling places, we saw that White neighborhoods had short lines with plenty of working machines.  This is but the most recent example of the lengths Republicans will go to influence an election.  To them, all’s fair in love, war, and politics.

Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious.

Recent GOP leaders who have come out in support of Biden bring us some hope.  Even a few religious leaders have seen the error of their Trump support and have caused his numbers drop at the polls. His gross mishandling of our dual crises, the Covid-19 pandemic and our racial unrest, have highlighted just how incompetent and unfit Donald Trump is at his job.  Forget making America great again, we need to save the very essence of our democracy. We do not need to reelect this authoritarian dictator based on some unfounded fear of socialism. We need a leader with a moral compass that still works. We need a leader who is not without empathy for this nation’s citizens. We need Joe Biden or any of thousands of other leaders who would do a much better job than this spray-tanned orange bag of corruption. As one former GOP supporter put it, I’ll vote for anyone with a pulse

We Need to Get a Few Things Straight

• · Donald Trump didn’t start the Covid-19 pandemic.
• · Donald Trump didn’t kill George Floyd.
• · Donald Trump didn’t do anything.

                              That’s the point.

His supporters will try to explain the few things he tried to do but, when the house next door is on fire and you call the cable company to make sure you can find out about it on TV, you did nothing. What the country needed was leadership; what it got was the usual campaign rhetoric about how tough he could be and how much power his position has.

When the Covid-19 virus was identified as a serious threat, when that virus started infecting and killing Americans, what the country needed was empathy for its losses, straight facts based on medical and scientific evidence, and a comprehensive plan to unite the nation in a common cause to fight the disease and minimize our losses. What it got was denial, lies, no empathy, and no sense of unity. The president went on national television, told us that the disease was no threat, and would just go away. When the nation needed comprehensive guidance at a national level, it got Trump’s response that the states were “on their own” and that this was their problem. That is not leadership, that’s an individual trying to duck responsibility so that it wouldn’t alter his election chances. The president actually announced at a press conference that he took no responsibility for anything. That’s not the leadership we deserve, that’s cowardice.

Trump, a sheep in wolf's clothing.

March 13, 2020 news conference, "I don't take responsibility at all.

"Yeah, I don't take responsibility at all because we were given a set of circumstances, blah, blah, blah...”

When George Floyd was clearly murdered by a sworn police officer in Minneapolis and the nation erupted in outrage, what the country needed was empathy and acknowledgment of the systemic racism prevalent across our nation. What it needed was a call for unity in our time of mourning. What it needed was a president calling for a national review of police policy as it affects the civil rights of its citizens. What it got was a president who wanted to stifle peaceful protests with strong-arm tactics under the cover of being tough on the more violent individuals. The violent acts during the protests were committed by people taking advantage of the situation for their own purposes.

The Point

Where was the violence in the legal protests of June 1, 2020, when the president wanted to pose for pictures at a nearby church? That violence was entirely one-sided and was perpetrated by the police and National Guard troops under Trump’s command. That violence involved tear gas and other riot control procedures against citizens exercising their constitutionally protected right to free speech. The protestors were assaulted by police to placate the ego of Donald J. Trump. The president wanted a photo-op and didn’t care if people who were protesting police violence got a taste of that violence. Instead of empathy in a time of mourning, it got a call from the president for the police to “dominate the streets.”

Instead of empathy in a time of mourning, it got a call from the president for the police to “dominate the streets.”

Assault on our Constitution

None of this is in support of those who burned businesses and destroyed police cars and other property. Those acts of violence need to be dealt with in a manner and with such force as necessary to put down that violence. Marching a police phalanx in riot gear through a peaceful crowd in legal assembly exercising their right to free speech, is not a proper response. It is bad enough that racism is still a problem 157 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Until such time as racism is dealt with by the larger society, there will be racism within the ranks of the police. What is needed is an acknowledgment of the problem and new rules and policies to deal with that problem. While a president can’t dictate local police rules, he/she can establish laws and policies that may be enforced when police tactics violate human rights guaranteed by the Constitution. That would be the response of a real president showing leadership and not the faux bravery of a coward trying to look tough through the use of his military police forces.

January 1, 1863.  My high school in North Miami was still segregated in 1963, one hundred years after this document was the law of the land.

Donald Trump’s guidance, or lack thereof, throughout these most recent events, that involved an epidemic and racial unrest, are but two examples of Donald Trump’s failure to lead our nation in a time of crisis. There are situations when empathy is not just warranted but an exacting and necessary response. When you have an unsympathetic and unfeeling sociopath occupying our highest office, the nation will go wanting.  We need and deserve better.  What we don’t need is a reality television star yelling, “you’re fired” every time he doesn’t get his way.  We need unity, not division.  We need a real president and not a man-child throwing temper-tweet tantrums when he is disappointed or someone says something mean about him.

When the truth is found to be lies.

In his own twisted way, Rudy Giuliani was right, the truth is not the truth.  To a select few, truth is perception; whatever is perceived to be the truth, to them, becomes the truth.  By that logic, a lie repeated often enough to gain believers, becomes the perceived truth-ergo, the truth.  It doesn’t mean anything to them that what is true will still be true and what is false will still be false.  They only care about perception and how they can bend perceptions to steer the will of others to their cause, no matter how corrupt that cause may be.

Donald J. Trump has adopted this philosophy with gusto.  He tells his lies and half-truths with the straight face only a sociopath could muster.  Perhaps we haven’t been judged worthy of the truth by Trump.  While I doubt he ever read Mark Twain, it is possible he has heard Twain’s admonishment, “Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”  After over three years in office, it is only now that social media is being vilified by our liar-in-chief because Twitter, Facebook, et.al., are attempting to bring some semblance of regulation to their heretofore wholly open and unregulated platforms.  Yes, Trump’s beloved Twitter has placed his recent tweet behind a warning label that indicates the hidden tweet violates Twitter’s Rules in that it is “glorifying violence.”

The fact that some social media platforms have been forced to police the content of their users is a sign of the times.  Beneath the Twitter warning was just Trump being his usual bullying self.  Trump’s post was, “....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.  Thank you!”  Trump was apparently quoting the former Miami police chief Walter Headley, who in December 1967 promised violent reprisals to protests over stop and frisk tactics.

From Walter Headley obituary August of 1968

Trump’s earlier tweets about mail-in ballots being rife with fraud were not hidden behind a banner but were tagged with a link to find the actual facts about such voting methods.  So, Trump was permitted to lie about mail-in balloting but the truth was just a click away.  The “get the facts about mail-in ballots," link would take anyone concerned about the truth to real information and not the unsubstantiated false claims made by the president.  Even his own Justice Department had been forced to abandon their investigation into mail-in voter fraud for lack of evidence.

I am not on Twitter beyond an account I set up years ago to see if I had any interest in the platform.  I am, however, on Facebook where I have seen their fact-checkers at work.  A recent post by a Trump supporter on my feed got a Facebook version of the Twitter warning label.  In that post, a family member had posted a meme about Greta Thunberg that was filled with false information.  He had falsely claimed that she had protested the manufacture of chopsticks as it killed trees.  It went on to falsely claim that the Chinese government reminded her that chopsticks were made from bamboo, a grass.  The truth is that 1. Greta never said anything about chopsticks, 2. China never responded to any such claim and 3. China does use real wood in many of its chopsticks as well as bamboo.  When this was pointed out by me the poster’s reply was just that he stood by his opinion.  A copy of the FB warning is provided below for reference.

"When the truth is found
To be lies
And all the joy
Within you dies"

“Somebody to Love” was written by Darby Slick (Grace Slick’s brother-in-law) and was originally performed by The Great Society in 1965 with Grace Slick on vocals.  The song later became a hit when Grace took it with her and the Jefferson Airplane performed it live at Woodstock in 1969.

The real truth here is that, with all the power that the Internet provides, lies a responsibility to seek the truth.  It requires some effort but it is readily available for all who want to find real information and not some justification of preconceived notions.  Trump and his supporters will no doubt continue to post anything they stumble upon that validates their way of thinking while either ignoring the truth or branding it as Fake News without bothering to justify their opinions.  Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall.  Think of it--always.” 

Trump, meanwhile, has decided to retaliate against these social media platforms by issuing an executive order that directs the executive branch agencies to ask independent rule-making agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to study whether they can place new regulations on the companies.  Without an act of Congress, this would appear to be him flailing in the wind.  To quote Macbeth, “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”  To further paraphrase The Bard of Avon, Trump is but another poor player strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.  We can all only hope.  Remember in November.


“The truth." Dumbledore sighed. “It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should, therefore, be treated with great caution.”

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Dear America,

Dear America,

As one of your family, I feel this letter is long overdue.  I have been with you for over seven decades and have thoroughly enjoyed my membership in this proud group of individuals.  You started life with but around 2.5 million American souls in 1776, and our family has grown to over 331 million today.  In my time, I have seen thirteen of our forty-five presidents govern the land we lease from Mother Nature and like to call the United States.  I heard you weren’t feeling well and I thought it would be a good time to drop you a line.

You began your existence with great hope and promise.  You have survived many wars including one among your own citizens.  You have seen greatness in leadership and its folly.  Our stewardship of the land beneath our feet, the air that we breathe, the inland waters and surrounding seas, has been irresponsible at best.  You have seen those precious resources scarred, polluted, deforested, overfished, and poisoned.  You have witnessed the ideals upon which you were founded twisted to suit the greedy.  Our once great nation has been plundered for the benefit of a few; those few now govern what was once a country of, for, and by the people.

Is there hope for our future?  Can we right the ship of liberty and restore it to its former glory?  Can “we the people” gain control of the helm and steer a course that is good and true?  Can the divided states of America be once again united?  I feel the answers lie in the one pillar of our democracy that, while greatly weakened by malice, remains to correct the error of our former ways.  To that end, our election process may be our salvation.  Will we remember in November?  Time will tell.  Until then I hope you can enjoy your 244^th birthday this coming July and I wish you a speedy recovery.

Your friend and fellow citizen,

Jack

Homestead Air Show 2010 by Jack Dallas

Unfit For Office

It should be clear to all now; Donald John Trump is unfit to be the president of the United States.  He may have been amusing to some in the continuation of his role on The Apprentice when he told those on his appointed staff, “You’re fired!”  For those who believe that it was the fault of brown, black, and yellow people for taking the jobs of white Americans and not the fat-cat corporate CEOs who sent those jobs overseas where labor was cheaper, his antics on our southern border perhaps scratched some xenophobic itch. 

Perhaps some among us felt that this self-proclaimed billionaire born with a $300 million platinum spoon in his mouth was some sort of business wonder who would restore US manufacturing and lost coal and steel jobs to their previous glory.  Some may have enjoyed the fact that he could stand in front of a rally crowd and use a vocabulary befitting a high-school dropout to promise them the undeliverable.  Many Americans questioned their own sanity when he told little lies followed by bigger lies and then doubled down on those statements even after proof arose that showed them to be what they were.  Reality TV had come to the White House and it was entertaining, to some.

Now, at a time of his first true national emergency, he has shown that strong leadership and an ability to wisely govern are not among his strengths.  He first tried to deny the existence of any threat to America and then he tried to minimize the risk.  He then stated that he had everything under control.  When things quickly got out of control, he appointed Mike Pence to be his scapegoat.  He needed someone to take the fall for his own incompetence.  He claimed to be in control but denied any responsibility for anything.

Now, after meeting with fellow Republicans, they have decided they need to get Americans focused on the Chinese as being wholly responsible for our nation’s dilemma.  They have to divert attention away from the obvious mismanagement of the COVID-19 epidemic.  They feel that people will be willing to blame China for the fact that our country is suffering far greater losses than any other country in the world.  While it is painfully obvious that, even IF you could find evidence that this virus is a devious plan developed by some Chinese bio-lab or by the mysterious “bat-lady” of Wuhan, the management or mismanagement of the crisis in this country falls squarely on the shoulders of our elected leaders.  More specifically the blame lies with Donald John Trump.  He is where the buck should stop.  The federal government should be managing this crisis and it should not be abdicated to local governors and officials.

This president and his administration, despite vocal claims of “no responsibility for anything,” have shown nothing if not the ineptitude of a failed leader.  Some have compared his management with chess and checkers in that the rest of the world leaders are playing chess and he is playing checkers.  I challenge that analogy because, even in checkers, you have to plan a few moves ahead.  I think the rest of the world is playing chess and he is playing tiddlywinks.

Donald John Trump may have been an amusing diversion for some who shared a belief that our country was run by a group of corrupt politicians and that we needed a businessman to come in and clean up the mess.  The old “drain the swamp” attitude prevailed.  We now see that the swamp is still just as corrupt as it ever was and is now possibly even more unscrupulous.  As of the last count, he had eight staffers and associates convicted of crimes from just the Mueller investigation.  Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos, Richard Pinedo, Alex van der Zwaan, Roger Stone, Rick Gates and Michael Flynn have all been convicted and countless others are under investigation.

Our president took a rising economy left him by the Obama administration, borrowed against our future to pay for the largest ever tax cut for corporate America and its wealthy ruling class, and saw that economy continue to rise.  He didn’t plan for the future.  He didn’t use our strong economy to build our reserves and pay down our national debt.  He did as he had done in business; he borrowed heavily and gambled with our economic future.  Just as in many of his business deals, his gamble was a failure when it faced a crisis.  Trump’s business failures are legendary and now it looks like the legend lives on.

Trump will say that nobody could have foreseen this economic threat and we now know that he was repeatedly warned.  He was even warned by the outgoing Obama administration of the threat of a pandemic being a serious threat to this nation, but Donald John Trump decided he would take that gamble.  As a businessman, he is simply a gambler.  He just uses that wise business adage that says; if you gamble just make sure you are gambling with other people’s money.  In this case, it was both our money and our lives that were being risked.  That gamble has this nation facing economic meltdown with the greatest losses since the great depression.  Worse yet, that gamble has already cost tens of thousands of American lives.

Donald John Trump may go down in our nation's history, as its most inept leader.  He has been a divisive leader when we needed unity.  He has been a science denier at a time when we need someone who understands the benefits of science.  He has been a reckless spender of our nation’s wealth when we needed a more conservative approach.  He has been an alienator of past allies and a friend to current enemies when we are in desperate need of our friends in the spirit of international cooperation.  He has been a threat to our environment at a time when we desperately need to challenge climate change.  He has shown his sociopathic lack of empathy at a time when our nation is mourning the deaths of tens of thousands of its citizens.

Donald John Trump was unfit to serve this country in his twenties when he invented bone spurs to avoid military service; he is certainly unfit to serve this country now.  Ask not how Donald John Trump can serve his country, ask how his country can serve him.  He regularly tests the limits of tradition and established laws and procedures when he finds them inconvenient.  He sees his presidency as an opportunity to reap financial rewards while he pulls the strings of our economy in ways to benefit his business ventures.  He sees this pandemic as a way to further feather his financial nest while the nation's purse strings are being relaxed to print money to bail out businesses.  He has failed to divest himself from his business dealings as demanded by law.  He sees himself as being above the law and an autocrat beyond reproach.

"Ask not how Donald John Trump can serve his country, ask how his country can serve him."

Now more than ever, this nation needs a leader with a mind and heart not given to heartless pursuits.  We need someone who can lead and manage us out of this hole dug ever so much deeper than was necessary by a man known as much by his business failures as his few successes.  Until November, I’ll be Biden my time.