COVID19 Update - Day 38

US Tests: 3,557,493
US Cases: 694,520
US Deaths: 32,365
Worldwide Cases: 2,242,868
Worldwide Deaths: 154,209

Unfortunately, we must begin with the latest from Trumpworld, in which --- there's no other way to say it --- the president engaged in treason:

President Trump incited insurrection Friday against the duly elected governors of the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. Just a day after issuing guidance for re-opening America that clearly deferred decision-making to state officials — as it must under our Constitutional order — the president undercut his own guidance by calling for criminal acts against the governors for not opening fast enough.

. . .

“Liberate” — particularly when it’s declared by the chief executive of our republic — isn’t some sort of cheeky throwaway. Its definition is “to set at liberty,” specifically “to free (something, such as a country) from domination by a foreign power.” We historically associate it with the armed defeat of hostile forces during war, such as the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control during World War II. Just over a year ago, Trump himself announced that “the United States has liberated all ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq.”

In that context, it’s not at all unreasonable to consider Trump’s tweets about “liberation” as at least tacit encouragement to citizens to take up arms against duly elected state officials of the party opposite his own, in response to sometimes unpopular but legally issued stay-at-home orders. This is especially so given the president’s reference to the Second Amendment being “under siege” in Virginia, where Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam just signed into law a number of gun-safety bills passed during the most recent session of the state general assembly — bills that prompted protests by Second Amendment absolutists at the state capitol in January, leading Northam to declare a state of emergency and temporarily ban firearms from the capitol grounds due to the threat of violence.

This isn't some Saturday Night Live skit.  This is the duly elected (and impeached) president of the United States LITERALLY encouraging his followers to take up arms against other duly elected officials of the U.S.

I'm not a lawyer, but it's difficult for me to see the distinction between this and treason.  But just wait --- not one single elected Republican will voice even the mildest criticism of Trump's insanity.

I'm so eager to save lives, I'm willing to give Republicans electoral advice.  I know they won't take it, but for Republicans, the best political response to Trump's attack on democracy (which just happens to be the correct moral response as well, not that any Republican cares), is to demand immediate impeachment and removal of Trump from office.

Think about it.  If Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell release a joint statement tomorrow demanding Trump's impeachment, they will be seen as putting country before party, and leading the charge to rid America of a corrupt president.  Democrats will be eager to go along (not that they have any choice), and Trump will be removed by a huge --- if not unanimous --- majority.

True, the GOP will face a wicked backlash from Trump voters.  But they will receive lavish praise from a media desperate to find a reason to praise Republicans, they will still have a Republican president --- who's far more electable than Trump!  And most important of all, Pence will actually let the medical experts be in charge of leading the response to the pandemic, which means that more lives will be saved, the economy can restart sooner, and sustain less damage.  Compared to Trump, even a merely adequate performance like Pence will make him look like a genius and statesman, the reincarnation of Winston Churchill.

No one can predict the future, but it's quite likely that things will be more or less 'normal' by the end of September, allowing Pence to run a few victory laps before the election.  If you're a Republican, how can you possibly prefer the alternative, of letting treason Don continue his clown act for another 7 months while Americans are dying by the thousands every day?

Just some free advice, Republican friends.  You're welcome.

And on the personal side, I almost didn't post this update tonight, because I spent 3 hours on a Zoom call with folks.  We played a game online (getting everything to work right was a bit tricky), and then three of us stayed on for another hour or so, chatting (Hi Sheila!  Hi Karin!).  Not as fun as an old-fashioned get-together, of course, but still pretty fun.