Having suffered the highest death toll in Europe, more than 27,000, and still in Phase One, total lockdown, Italy is moving gingerly toward Phase Two, slowly opening.
“Phase 3 is going to be the criminalization of the contagion,” journalist Nicola Mirenzi wrote on the news website Linkiesta. “The pandemic is going to turn into a big collective trial.” That was reported by the New York Times.
CNN has reported the survivors of the dead organizing on Facebook groups to demand answers and accountability, including from China.
Some 45,000 have joined NOI Denunceremo (“We Will Denounce You”), which believes not enough was done to save their relatives, many of whom died simply because of a lack of hospital space or ventilators.
Many stories were written about tragic triages doctors had to make, basically deciding who would live and die because of medical shortages.
Prosecutors have begun investigating whether errors made by authorities contributed to Italy’s deadliest clusters and liberal members of Parliament have accused the conservative government in the Lombardy region, where the country’s outbreak first appeared, of failure to protect citizens.
Well, if it happens in Italy, it is going to happen here.
In fact, assignment of blame is already happening. Guess who is on the bullseye.
Out of nowhere it seems, without actually campaigning, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has seized the lead in four battleground polls — Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin. If Trump loses all four, he will join George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter on the humiliating list of recent one-term presidents.
We know that President Donald J. Trump doesn’t believe the polls (unless they favor him), but they seem to suggest that a lot of Americans are blaming him for the ever-rising number of deaths in the homeland.
This may not be fair, but what does fair have to do with it?
Trump inherited a rapidly recovering economy from President Barack Obama and repeatedly has taken sole credit for its climb.
That’s the way it always works — the guy sitting at what Trump calls “the beautiful Resolute desk” gets the credit or the blame for the overall performance of the country.
Preside over boom and you are re-elected. Preside over bust and you aren’t. That’s the general reality. Asking for “fair” is like asking a snake to tap dance.
But will holding Trump responsible to the electorate be enough?
If the Democrats felt they had enough for impeachment, will they let this opportunity slide? I can hear Adam Schiff smacking his lips, and climbing into his Wile E, Coyote costume. After the Road Runner!
Let’s say Trump loses the White House and the Senate. That may be unlikely, but certainly possible.
What would prevent the Democrats from appointing a commission, like the 911 Commission, to assign blame for the catastrophe that struck the U.S.? If Republicans retain control of the Senate no such analysis would be permitted. Am I wrong?
It’s generally conceded — except among Trump’s dead-ender base — that he reacted too slowly once we knew the disease storm was coming. Does this make him complicit in thousands of deaths, as some Democrats already charge?
He can’t be brought to trial, of course, unless the Democrats want to charge him with treason. That would be a fool’s errand. But Trump’s actions and motives can be brought to trial and that might be enough to destroy his legacy forever.
HAPPY FRIDAY !!!
HAPPY MAY !!!
Stu,
I started to get excited when I read the banner, and you talked of Italy. Then you went on a “bucks stop here” tear.
When the economy was humming and all of us deplorables were blaming the dimocrats and the fake news for all that was wrong. They also said that Trump will run away with the election. That the republicans will take back the house and gain more seats in the senate. And then there was me. Always the optimists, but not to the point of being blinded by the bright lights. I tried to warn the people that politics is ficky, to say the least. The dimocrats are going to come after every seat in the nation, and they are going to come hard . Obviously, we don’t want to lose any seats, anywhere, but gain more ground. Why you may ask? Because we are better for the country. Our goals are long term. “MAGA” comes to mind. Leave the grand kids with something that they can be proud and thankful for – not debt.
You are also right to say that the powerful dims are salivating when it comes to destroying the President. This would be squashed if the republicans not only came together, but did so loudly. Every time that a half truth or outright lie is said by the dark side, every republican should pounce on the lie and give the truth with the facts. It is amazing to me, that no one bothers to mention family ties and blood lines. On the dark side, in California, the power belongs to one extended family, with the help of billionaire Soros. Soros has also reached far and wide to put his puppets in office. We can attest to that, right here in Philly and DELCO.
I have said for a long time. This election is going to be a bloodbath ! It will come down to Trump getting the country back up and running, or the second wave of COVID-19 will hit us and destroy even more families and the political aspirations of the republicans.
As for finding fault with the lack of preparedness of the medical people. After the dust settles, we will see that everyone is at fault. The local, state and federal governments didn’t stay prepared. The retirement homes are going to get crucified ! Not only for lack of preparation, but for the facts that the private homes are there for the money, not the patients.
Tony
I am trying to determine what, exactly, Obama did in his eight years in office to (as you say, Stu) leave Trump a ‘rapidly recovering economy.’ All I saw of consequence from Obama was the dreaded Obama-care stupidity that did exactly the opposite of what he said it would do (lower costs, allow one to keep one’s doctor, etc.). Trump will get the blame, of course, and the Democrats will take all the credit for any progress made against the disease — that is the nature of politics. So far as pulling together a ‘commission’ to determine ‘guilt’ for the disease’s terrible toll, I suspect the commission will have as much success as the Kennedy Assassination Commission (“Oswald acted alone”), or the commission to determine guilt for the Pearl Harbor attack (I believe Admiral Husband Kimmel got his head handed to him for that). In other words, as I said in a previous response, “Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.”
I am not willing to argue facts. Check the stock market index from the time Obama came into and left office. It’s like a 45 degree climb upwards. Trump kept it going, good for him.
This not an argument, just an observation: You’re right about the index. But I do not recall any actions by Obama that would allow him to take credit for it. Trump, PITA that he is, did cut taxes, did cut red tape for business, did do away with many laws and restrictions that hindered growth, so the market’s growth can be correlated to his actions. But I cannot find anything Obama did that goosed the market. I suspect it was simply good timing — a cycle of growth that followed the downward movement from the previous administration. But what does it matter: Obama is history, and Trump will probably be felled by a market tanking through no fault of his own.
This ‘dead-enders’ blood was boiling initially when I read your piece this morning. But I took my own advice which I handed out earlier this week, “to relax, think, not react.”
Six months out, speculation and polls mean little. Hillary had a 3 plus point lead Nov. 8, 2016 and about an eighty percent chance of victory. We can talk about all the other variables in play now compared to then, but until we get much closer and see how the variables fall in place, I’ll stick to “dealing with the present.”(my advice, also)
Oh! There is one other tiny variable…..just maybe exposing, God forbid, The Truth, The Whole Truth about the ‘Great Witch Hunt.’ Starting with the smeared and disgusting and vile treatment of former Three Star General Michael Flynn and former Trump National Security Adviser. ( Barely touched upon on page 2 this mornings’ Inq, via AP) . Will our glorious MSM follow the trail backwards to the beginning of the Big Scam? Will fiction ‘columnist’ Will Bunch give it a go? Why would they? They’d be bumping into themselves. We may find out that Covid-19 was preventable! But will we ever find out that this entire investigation
of our President was a Hoax?
Dead-ender is just a colorful term for unmovable Trumpsters. I think Imhave used the same for Bernie Bros.
Stu,
I read your site daily as well as reading your column over the years. I sometimes agree with your opinions, always understanding they are opinions, not news..I wish more people could distinguish the difference.
In today’s post you discuss Italy and references to medical shortages and triage decisions by doctors. While I believe we should examine what occurred in our country with an eye toward errros that could have been avoided, that is Not what will occur. Any commission by our current political leaders will result in partisan theater, rehashing predetermined talking points. Our leaders have no interest in finding truth or solutions to problems in this country, there only motive is self preservation and personal gain.
My observations are not based on a single political party or ideology, but on my experience with commission hearings on myriad of topics (I am a nerd that listens for hours long hearings online), After listening to these jackasses attempt to talk and pose biased statements as questions to their invited panel of experts, they close the hearing and write a synopsis which recounts their original position, without any reconciliation of the facts presented by the speakers.
Any commission will miss the mark by a mile, blame the minority party and fail to provide unbiased analysis of our mistakes, leaving us to commit the same errors in the future.
My only prayer from all of this is that people understand how great this country can be and decide to do their duty and vote, perhaps even decide to run as we are in dire need of actual leaders. I personally do not care which party they come from. Start with mental giants we elect to City Council.
Agreement is never required. I believe a nonpartisan panel could be appointed. I would have a dozen people, a ton of lawyers, and ONE YEAR to issue a report. I’d give them subpoena power.
There’s nothing that Phillyborn stated that I would not concur with. Starting with Philadelphian’s, changing our dead beat city council has always been a struggle. As an old timer I try to contribute to politics and social issues by voice, letters to my local newspapers, congress, etc. It’s tough staying positive, even if my nature, with all the corruption not just locally, but right up to and including the Fed and all the bureaucracy. I know how many feel about our President’s shortcomings. “Sad” he would say. Yet, he has, by his business savvy, brought us, prior to Covi-19, to a level that has not been seen for quite sometime, economically. Attacked by all sides he continues to hang in. He wont change who he is, because, of what THEY say. He’s THE ROAD RUNNER bowling down D.C. and that’s why he’s “disliked.” In my opinion he is a good start to what Phillyborn suggests. His slogan MAGA is not just a slogan, it’s a promise, a determined will to fulfill that promise. Statesman he is not, Patriot suits him well.
Kudos to Phillyborn and Tom. And you, as always, pallie.
Everybody down here in the trenches know exactly what’s wrong with this country. POLITICIANS ! A long time ago, there was a thing called a statesman. He was for our country, regardless of party affiliate, but eventually, greed and corruption took the place of common sense and patriotism.
As tom pointed out. President Trump will never be mistaken for a politician. He is indeed a patriot. Hopefully, some new blood will grab hold of his coat tails and MAGA !
Tony
My they bring the cops that investigated Ted Kennedy
One half the sandwich waitress guy.