Hightower, The virus and “small government”

0
bendib
As the devastating impact of Trump’s inaction becomes clear, Americans are discovering a hidden socialist streak. Cartoon by Khalil Bendib.

Coronavirus and small government sociopathy

by Jim Hightower — OtherWords

Amazingly, America has become a nation of socialists, asking in dismay: “Where’s the government?”

These are not born-again Bernie Sanders activists, but people of all political stripes (including previously apolitical multitudes) who are now clamoring for big government intervention in their lives.

Nothing like a spreading coronavirus pandemic to bring home the need that all of us have — both as individuals and as a society — for an adequately funded, fully functioning, competent government capable of serving all.

Instead, in our moment of critical national need, Trump’s government is a rickety medicine show run by a small-minded flimflammer peddling laissez-fairyland snake oil.

“We have it totally under control,” Trump pompously declared after the first US case was confirmed in January. For weeks, as the pandemic spread out of control, he did nothing. Meanwhile an increasingly anxious public found that they couldn’t even get reliable test kits from Trump’s hollowed-out government health agencies.

Still, he shrugged off all concern and responsibility: “By April, you know, in theory,” he said, “when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away.” Not exactly a can-do Rooseveltian response to a national crisis!

By March the inconvenient fact of a rising death toll exposed this imposter of a president as incompetent, uncaring… and silly.

That complete absence of White House leadership is why a deadly pathogen is now raging practically everywhere across our land, unknown millions of us are being infected, a “closed indefinitely” sign has literally been hung on the American economy, and even our people’s social and civic interactions — the essence of community life — have been halted.

Right-wing politico Grover Norquist once said he wanted a government so small “I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.” Trump has shown us what such a small-minded government looks like. And what it costs us.

 

Contact us by email at fund4thepanamanews@gmail.com

 

To fend off hackers, organized trolls and other online vandalism, our website comments feature is switched off. Instead, come to our Facebook page to join in the discussion.

 

These links are interactive — click on the boxes

 

VOTE

 

donate

 

NNPP

 

FB_2

 

Tweet

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

I accept the Privacy Policy