Over the weekend, CDC director Anthony Fauci said he expects “millions of (US COVID-19) cases…between 100 and 200,000” deaths.
Comments like the above when most people already are scared to death by a daily drumbeat of COVID-19 fear-mongering facilitate the imposition and maintenance of draconian policies intended to erode human and civil rights.
Temporary shelter in place, social distancing, and lockdown orders will end when the coast is clear.
Other lost rights may not be restored to their previous state. US and other ruling authorities seek control over their populations, notably wanting dissent suppressed.
Fauci didn’t explain what’s on the CDC website about seasonal flu/influenza.
During the 2018-19 flu season, running from October to May, there were more than 35.5 million flu illnesses, over 16.5 million medical visits, about 490,600 hospitalizations, and around 34,200 deaths — with no fear-mongering headlines about a real epidemic.
It repeats annually with numbers similar to what’s above — with no shelter in place, social distancing, or lockdowns ordered, no mass closure of retail establishments or cancellations of public events.
Life proceeds normally in spite of a large-scale epidemic that occurs like clockwork annually in the US and other countries.
For weeks, Trump denied that COVID-19 threatened Americans. On January 21, he said “(w)e have it totally under control…It’s going to be just fine (sic).”
Time and again, he falsely blamed China for US outbreaks, on February 2 saying “(w)e pretty much shut it down coming in from China (sic).”
On February 10, he claimed outbreaks would “miraculously (go) away…by April (sic).”
Two weeks later he falsely said “(w)e’re very close to a vaccine” that requires many months to develop, likely won’t be available until around yearend, and will be hazardous to human health when obtainable.
Around the same time, he falsely said there’s only “15” cases in the US that “within a couple of days (will be) close to zero (sic).”
He lied claiming “(w)hatever happens, we’re totally prepared (sic).”
Five weeks later, the US has about 164,000 cases through Monday, numbers rising sharply each day — US outbreaks exceeding other countries, including over 3,200 deaths.
Throughout his tenure in office, Trump repeatedly and consistently showed and continues to show indifference toward human health and welfare.
According to him, 100 to 200,000 US deaths will show he’s “done a very good job (sic).”
Critics slammed his insensitivity. National Nurses United’s Charles Idelson said “(a) serial killer would be jealous.”
On Sunday, Trump claimed mid-April will be the “highest point” of outbreaks. They’ll start coming down from there (sic)” — citing no evidence to back his claim because there is none.
Extending social distancing guidelines to end of April, he claimed “(t)hat will be a day of celebration (sic).”
The vast majority of Americans have nothing to look forward to but permanent unemployment or underemployment earning poverty wages with few no benefits, along with steady erosion of their fundamental human and civil rights.
That’s the disturbing reality today in the United States of I Don’t Care for its ordinary people.
The nation under both right wings of the one-party state serves its privileged class exclusively — at the expense of most others.
A Final Comment
By executive order Friday, Trump authorized the war department and DHS to activate up to around one million reservists and National Guard forces for up to 24 months on the pretext of combatting COVID-19.
Borrowing language from the US Declaration of Independence, never before “in the course of human events (was it) necessary” to activate up to a million military personal to combat the flu or any other disease.
Does Trump have something else in mind — more foreign wars or perhaps protecting privilege from angry masses if protracted hard times get too hard to bear?
These are no ordinary times. Business, large investors, and other high-net worth households are benefitting hugely from what’s going on at the expense of the vast majority of Americans getting screwed.
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
