It didn't have to be this way.

We now know that the White House knew as early as January, very likely even sooner, that something wicked this way comes.  There were carefully thought out plans available to deal with a pandemic, but apparently they ended up in the circular file.  Why, we're not sure.  Maybe because Obama was in charge of crafting those plans.  Maybe because Trump didn't want to spook Wall Street.  Probably both.  Pretty sure when he said he didn't want to cause panic, he wasn't talking about We the People.  We were left in the dark while he publicly insisted that it was cool, just the flu, don't worry, be happy.

But look what happened.  Three months in, the bad news finally got out.  Without guidance from the federal government which had access to all the information and the agencies in place to get right on it, cities and states panicked and shut down cold.  People panicked and hoarded essential supplies.  The economy (Trump's only valid brag going into this election year) panicked and tanked.  And it's lasted almost the entire year!  Oh yeah, and way too many people died.

It didn't have to be like this.  We could have implemented those guidelines right away and minimized both the scope and the duration of the damage.  I don't know what was in Obama's plans, but common sense gives us an idea.

Wash hands.

Extra surface cleaning.

Social distancing.

Avoid large crowds, especially in enclosed spaces.

Masks and distancing when groups are unavoidable.

Temporarily close down non-essential gatherings where people are crammed together, such as bars, etc.

Adjust school and church activies, and travel, to follow guidelines.

Work from home if possible.

Quarantine if you're sick or test positive.

If we had done all those things immediately, we might be easing back into a more normal life instead of seeing cases and deaths keep going up while Trump rants about everything except what we should be doing.

It didn't have to be this way, and it's never going to go completely back to normal.  That old normal is gone.

tnt

They know not what they do.

There's been a lot of memery in my Facebook feed lately.  Political crap and religious stuff.  I really try to stay out of it.  I've eliminated most political shit from my feed by simply unliking pages or snoozing them.  That includes news sites.  I keep a couple from Michigan for nostalgia, but otherwise not even my local news appears in my feed anymore.  It's just too easy to get sucked into a black hole in the comments.  I get disgusted and almost nauseous when I see the idol worship from Cult 45.  It's all I can do to keep from commenting.  But sometimes I do which of course fires up the cult even more.

I don't know the bible that well, but I do know a little.  Well-known words from scripture occurred to me.  Paraphrased because I don't feel like looking it up.

~ Forgive them, they know not what they do. ~

This could have been applied at the end of the 2016 Republican primary.  Just think if they had had any brains, Republicans would have realized what an incompetent clusterfuck Trump would be.  Any other candidate on that stage would have been a better president.  Yeah, even (ugh) Ted Cruz.  It was a given...A GIVEN... the election would go to a Republican.  Cycle of life.  After eight years of a black president, the basest of the base was fired up.  And yes, the GOP and RNC could have stopped his rise to the nomination.  They aren't above doing that.  But they didn't.  They knew he was a snake and they still let him in.  The Republican party sold its soul to the Serpent.

Just think.  There wouldn't have been a Mueller Report or impeachment or any of the other legal, ethical and moral incompetence.  There wouldn't have been a president so astoundingly rude and ignorant that we are no long considered the shining beacon in the world.  We'd just be arguing about the usual politics and policy.  We wouldn't have a president so self-absorbed that he spends more time bragging about his TV ratings and what a great job he's done than actually doing anything.  We wouldn't have a president who promotes (runs) his business from the White House, and embezzles our tax dollars into the Trump Org bank accounts.   Who spends more time golfing and restocking "The Swamp" with a different flavor of alligator shit.  So busy watching TV and tweeting about TV and being on TV that he ignored all the early warning signs and advice in regards to the growing pandemic until it was out of control.  So busy thinking about himself and promoting himself that he can't even offer the least condolences to Americans who have lost loved ones.

And I wouldn't hate the president.  I hate how much I hate him.

tnt

OK, Boomer

Yeah, I'm a Boomer.  I'm gonna talk about music.  Boomer music.  My music.

Whenever a golden oldie comes on, I'm reminded of a thing.  Even if I haven't heard the song in a really really long time, I still know it.  I can sing along, and I do sing along because I remember the words and can't help myself.  My music is classic rock.  Really classic.  Like Paul Revere and the Raiders classic.  Herman's Hermits classic.  Monkees classic.  Janis Joplin classic.  And yes, Beatles classic.  60's and 70's classic.  Pretty much anything from those decades, I will know it.  I remember the words, I can sing along, I can't help myself.  Simpler lyrics.  Simpler times.  And I like that.

I'm not sure future generations will be able to do that.  At least not on the broad scale we had.  I'm pretty sure rap or hip hop music won't be remembered word for word.  I don't think it's a stretch to say that most people can't commit rap lyrics to memory.  It's just too rapid fire and unrepeated.  Or most pop music.  These days, songs are trying so hard to convey a topical message that the lyrics are lost in the message.  Pop music (what we used to call Pop 40's) like Lady Gaga or Katie Perry or Taylor Swift might stand the test of time, mostly because the lyrics are simpler, less topical, easier to connect with and remember.  But most won't.

Sometimes simpler lyrics and simpler times are worth remembering and revisiting.  Never lose your music.  The music you sing along with.

tnt

Unhappy musing

Where to start.  I have so many thoughts.  I can't even call it musing.  It's too intense for that.  Too unhappy.

It was a given that he would be "acquitted".  The GOP is in his pocket.  We knew that but we're not sure why that is.  He was not exonerated the same way OJ was not exonerated,  Our only hope, this country's only hope, is that the free press keeps up the pressure.  Almost everything we've learned came from skilled investigative journalists, and I hope they keep digging.  There is more to be learned.  We know that.

The GOP likes to pin the last several months, or years, on the Democrats.  This scandal, this "hoax", all the scandals, all their fault.  How dare they put the country through this.  But this is all on the GOP.  They could have stopped it.  It was a given that a Republican was going to be president.  I repeat.  IT WAS A GIVEN THAT A REPUBLIAN WAS GOING TO BE PRESIDENT.  They had it in the bag.  The cycle of political life.  They could have promoted a more palatable candidate (except Ted Cruz), and they still would have won.  And we would not be where we are now.  They could have their guns and judges and religious extremism and money and power, and we'd be debating policy instead of the president's fitness or corruption.  For whatever reason, the GOP completely trashed (and still do) their "values" in submission to someone that they knew was a snake.

I hate being ripped off.  I and all Americans, even Trumpers, are being ripped off every fucking day he's in office.  Our tax money is padding his bank account as well as funding his new network of global connections directly attached to the White House.  I firmly believe that his "Executive Time" is spent doing Trump Org business.  He's working his business at his properties, and he's lining up his ventures for after the White House.  There's actually a report of his being in talks for a TV network or show or something.  His entire presidency is based on promoting the Trump brand.  And we have a government that is run like the Real Housewives of Bum Fuck.  A really shitty reality show.

We don't even know what conservative values are anymore.  Certainly not what we thought they were.  I actually agree with some conservative ideas, or at least what I thought they were.  Smaller government, states' rights, fiscal responsibility, respect for the Constitution.  None of those are in play anymore.

Conservative moral values?  We now know there is no such thing.  It's OK to cheat on all your wives.  It's OK to assault sexually.  It's OK to employ undocumented workers until you get caught.  It's OK to use vulgar language in public unless you're not a Republican.  It's OK to shoot up a school or church because you have the right to own a military grade weapon of mass destruction.  It's OK to separate children from their parents.  It's OK that a woman is impregnated by a rapist.  It's OK that a religion (run by men) can force a young girl into marriage before she's old enough to understand what that means.  It's OK to subjugate and demean women and minorities.  It's OK that 1/3 of the population decides what's best for the other 2/3s.  It's OK that the wealthiest few get all the breaks and perks while the majority gets the scraps.  It's OK that the fucking President of the United States of America attacks fellow Americans in mean tweets and goddamn fucking public appearances.

We are no longer the shining beacon of democracy in the world.  We're no longer the leader of the free world.  Despite what Trumplethinskin says, we are not respected by the world, and they are laughing at us.  It's not unimaginable that the world will someday soon see America as a symbol of corruption and dictatorship if we continue on this path.

I'm in the twilight of my years.  I'm thinking that's probably OK.  I don't think I want to see what happens if he wins another term.  Or lives long enough to usurp the Constitution again by making himself and his family a monarchy.  They say only the good die young.  The opposite of that is that the bad live too long.

tnt