This Emperor Has No Clothes.....

For the past few days I've watched leaders speak to their countrymen about what was being done to try to mitigate COVID-19 or at least try to stay just a little ahead of worst case scenarios. Entire countries are "closed" and everyone is in self-quarantine. I watched Canada's Prime Minister (in self quarantine because his wife tested positive) speak thoughtfully and strongly offering steps the government was taking and hitting the right note of empathy and understanding. Even Boris Nelson in the UK spoke as a leader.

And then there was 45. Who over the past weeks has labeled this virus no worse than the flu, a temporary thing that would quickly disappear, nothing to worry about and America had "great numbers" meaning the infection would not dare to spread here. Until it did and we watched the news display a map of the USA with one state after another reporting active cases. Still 45 didn't seem to get it....the virus was within our borders and issuing a travel ban for some people headed to the States from Europe wasn't going to change that.

And then I watched with some fascination as State Governors stepped up and took charge on their own....no longer waiting for 45 and his minions. They were listening to those who spoke science and they were banning large crowds, closing schools, beefing up health care programs where they could. A ripple effect as, across the nation, parents scrambled to figure out daycare, food programs tried to figure out how to support families who needed assistance, Broadway closed down, sports teams stopped sporting, no March Madness, colleges closed and told their students to finish the semester's classes online, Disneyland and Disney World closed, people cancelled travel plans, there was a run on cleaning supplies and toilet paper at the grocery stores. Change after change after change.

I read  and share Heather Cox Richardson's post every single morning. A professor and historian she puts the days events in perspective for me and compares them to challenges America has faced during our history. She is a calm, steady and informed source......and her post this morning offered additional insights into 45's most recent press conference....the one where he stated that Google had 1700 workers who were developing a website to help us figure out where to go to get tested for the virus. The only problem there is that the statement is completely untrue. When asked, a senior engineer at Google said, "No comment because there is nothing to comment on."

She goes on to quote "lifelong Republican Peter Wehner, who worked in three GOP administrations, arguing that the pandemic crisis has finally forced Americans to grapple with the fact that Trump is unfit to be president. They have, Wehner says, seen the con man behind the curtain. Having recognized that he is worse than useless....they are treating him as a bystander."

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." Let's send in the flying monkeys.....