Because Oregon is under a shelter in place order from Governor Brown and my usual routine has been disrupted, I've been entertaining myself (broadly speaking) by watching Trump's coronavirus briefings most afternoons -- including today.
Not surprisingly, they're horrifying.
Early on in Trump's presidency I thought that his egotism, incompetence, habitual lying, and incoherent babbling was as amusing as it was disturbing. But that was when Trump's personal defects didn't directly threaten American lives, just indirectly, such as by his repeated attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.
Now, though, there's nothing funny about the failure of Trump and his cronies to deal properly with the coronavirus crisis. Everything I and other progressives worried about since Trump was elected has come to pass.
Most presidents do their best to rise to the occasion when our country is in a serious crisis. Trump, on the other hand, has relished sinking to the depths. In the coronavirus briefings he blatantly lies, feels sorry for himself, attacks journalists, insults health care professionals, and undercuts the medical experts who have to stand next to him while he spouts nonsense.
Many thousands of people in the United States are going to die unnecessarily because Trump bungled the crucial early months when it was known that the coronavirus was coming to this country, but Trump downplayed its seriousness and failed to get a testing program underway immediately.
A lot of things bother me about how Trump behaves in the coronavirus briefings. My overarching irritation is how he acts like a cult leader rather than the president of a constitutional democracy.
Almost invariably, whenever someone other than Trump speaks from the podium they are forced to begin their remarks with fawning praise. "I want to start off by thanking President Trump for the bold leadership he has been showing throughout this crisis." Meanwhile, Trump stands there, doing his best imperious Mussolini impersonation.
Benito Mussolini and Donald Trump
Like a cult leader, Trump can't stand to be criticized or questioned.
When a reporter starts to ask a probing question about some dubious Trump claim or obvious screw-up, he interrupts them, then often spews insults at them. The one thing he doesn't do is give an honest answer or admit to a mistake.
Though Trump's imperfections are obvious to anyone with an eye to see or an ear to hear, those who surround him know that if they speak up about a false statement or unwise policy, they won't be around for long. So they stand there, a fake smile painted on their faces, forced to act as if each and every utterance of Dear Leader makes perfect sense, even when gibberish is bubbling out of Trump's mouth.
Yesterday, for example, Trump was ranting about how the previous administration had left the cupboard bare of medical supplies in the federal strategic stockpile. Supposedly this explained why there is so little left to deliver to states and cities fighting the coronavirus.
A reporter started to ask an obvious question. "But you've had three years to refill the stockpile. Why wasn't this done?" Trump interrupted him and launched into a diatribe about something or other. Which left the reporter with no choice but to sit there and listen to the crap Trump was spewing.
For if he had yelled out the truth, likely the Trump administration would have banned the reporter from future briefings.
And you know, that's what I wish would happen. Which also is what I wish would happen at every religious cult gathering where some man (women rarely are cult leaders) is looked upon with fawning devotion by his followers as he spouts lies, falsehoods, and untruths that bear no resemblance to reality.
If a few of those followers, just one even, would stand up and say, "This is bullshit; I'm not going to listen to it anymore; I've got better things to do," that would be so refreshing, so brave, so courageous.
I keep waiting for someone to do that at Trump's coronavirus briefings. So far, no one has. They keep on listening to the garbage that comes out of Trump's mouth, unwilling or unable to stand up for the truth against a man who has no respect for it. Such is the danger of cults.
They suck good people in, then make it very difficult for those people to escape from the grip of the cult leader. The only good news is that usually cults merely destroy the psychological well-being of their members, not their physical being. With Trump, though, his malevolence is going to lead to a great many unnecessary deaths.
I'm not 100% pleased with Trump's response to the panic virus, but who would complain about the way he's attacking the media? Those people deserve much, much, much worse. They should get trials once this whole thing settles down since many of the problems we're facing could rightfully be blamed on the media.
Posted by: Jesse | April 05, 2020 at 04:46 AM
"Many thousands of people in the United States are going to die unnecessarily because Trump bungled the crucial early months when it was known that the coronavirus was coming to this country, but Trump downplayed its seriousness and failed to get a testing program underway immediately."
There is no evidence this is true. And even if it were true, there's little ultimate good in testing. If you test OK in Monday, what about Tuesday? And what good is testing if there's no cure for the virus?
"his repeated attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare." There was an election in 2016. The American people voted to reform the ACA. This wasn't Trump's capricious plan -- it was part of his platform and no secret to anyone.
"Now, though, there's nothing funny about the failure of Trump and his cronies to deal properly with the coronavirus crisis. Everything I and other progressives worried about since Trump was elected has come to pass." What does "deal properly" mean? Where were the blog posts in Hinesite that travel should be restricted and we should quarantine ourselves? Where were they in the New Yorker or the NYT, or from Pelosi or Biden or DiBlasio or any other progressive?
"Most presidents do their best to rise to the occasion when our country is in a serious crisis. Trump, on the other hand, has relished sinking to the depths. In the coronavirus briefings he blatantly lies, feels sorry for himself, attacks journalists, insults health care professionals, and undercuts the medical experts who have to stand next to him while he spouts nonsense." What in the world are you talking about? "Insults healthcare professionals" Who? Which of them has Trump undercut? From my perspective, it appears that Trump has completely bowed to Fauci and the other CDC professionals while also holding out hope that a vacinne may be close at hand. As for journalists, many of them obviously think the maximum horror and the maximum disparagement of the government is best for getting the most clicks. The country needs a leader who holds out hope. As I wrote here only a week ago, an indefinite shutdown of the economy will be absolutely devastating to all of us. We're all interconnected economically, and after only a week we're seeing what just a short shutdown has done to the most robust economy in world history. There has to be hope, there has to be a leader who provides hope that his crisis will pass. I find it astonishing that people view such words of hope as evidence of tyranny.
"For if he had yelled out the truth, likely the Trump administration would have banned the reporter from future briefings." When has this admin ever banned any reporter for saying something the president didn't like? Why can't criticisms of the president be tied to actual facts, rather than fantasies of what people assume Orange Man will do?
"Which also is what I wish would happen at every religious cult gathering where some man (women rarely are cult leaders) is looked upon with fawning devotion by his followers as he spouts lies, falsehoods, and untruths that bear no resemblance to reality." What "reality"? The US was hit by a pandemic that arose from a foreign nation that kept the facts hidden, and this admin has been ahead of every progressive leader in taking action to save American lives. Where is the evidence to the contrary?
"Fawning devotion"...here was go again, anyone who supports the president is a mindless hick. If there was any evidence behind your charges I'd be right there with you. Just for the record, I was a supporter of Clinton and thought he was a good president. I completely opposed GW Bush and was with everyone who felt he was completely inept -- because there was ample evidence for it. Obama I felt was extremely overrated, but I had no problem with his election and for the most part his running of the country. As for Trump, I do support him for the salient reason that he was fairly elected. The endless efforts by others to "remove him" imo indicate a profound ignorance and disrespect for American civics. Those who charge cultism in politics in these hysterical times should think twice about throwing stones.
A photo of Mussolini. What are the merits of making such a lurid comparison between a Fascist dictator and Trump? Trump's tweets?
"If a few of those followers, just one even, would stand up and say, "This is bullshit; I'm not going to listen to it anymore; I've got better things to do," that would be so refreshing, so brave, so courageous."
Why can't you articulate what Trump has done wrong -- criminally, irresponsibly, unambiguously culpably -- wrong in helping Americans survive this crisis? Your essay is the usual fare I read in the NYT and other such outlets -- long on purple prose about tyranny but bereft of facts. If you want to bring Trump supporters to tears over their shameless siding with an irresponsible "malevolent" tyrant who is murdering Americans by the thousands, you need to present actual facts.
Posted by: j | April 05, 2020 at 09:02 AM
j, it is an indisputable fact that Trump horribly screwed up the initial response to the coronavirus crisis. Educate yourself about this. I'll help with a couple of links and excerpts..
A Washington Post story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/04/04/coronavirus-government-dysfunction/
The Trump administration received its first formal notification of the outbreak of the coronavirus in China on Jan. 3. Within days, U.S. spy agencies were signaling the seriousness of the threat to Trump by including a warning about the coronavirus — the first of many — in the President’s Daily Brief.
And yet, it took 70 days from that initial notification for Trump to treat the coronavirus not as a distant threat or harmless flu strain well under control, but as a lethal force that had outflanked America’s defenses and was poised to kill tens of thousands of citizens. That more-than-two-month stretch now stands as critical time that was squandered.
---------------------------------
An AP story.
https://apnews.com/090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc
As the first alarms sounded in early January that an outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China might ignite a global pandemic, the Trump administration squandered nearly two months that could have been used to bolster the federal stockpile of critically needed medical supplies and equipment.
A review of federal purchasing contracts by The Associated Press shows federal agencies largely waited until mid-March to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers.
By that time, hospitals in several states were treating thousands of infected patients without adequate equipment and were pleading for shipments from the Strategic National Stockpile. That federal cache of supplies was created more than 20 years ago to help bridge gaps in the medical and pharmaceutical supply chains during a national emergency.
Posted by: Brian Hines | April 05, 2020 at 10:37 AM
"A reporter started to ask an obvious question. "But you've had three years to refill the stockpile. Why wasn't this done?" Trump interrupted him and launched into a diatribe about something or other. Which left the reporter with no choice but to sit there and listen to the crap Trump was spewing."
I believe the reporters were seeking to blame Trump for not being prepared with 10M masks. Trump then pointed out that the Obama and Bush admins were equally unprepared.
I'm not sure how I understand how it was egregiously unfair for Trump to point this out. Because the CV happened to occur during Trump's admin, he's somehow guilty of murdering thousands of Americans because he was equally as unprepared as Obama was?
If this virus occurred during any president's admin, they would all be unprepared to handle it. If this virus hit us in 2006, there was no widespread test for it and no vaccine for it.
Contrary to what Biden keeps alleging, he didn't face any health threats even remotely like CV. And he would have at least as "inept" as this admin has been, given that he was totally against travel bans.
And yet we're supposed to believe that anyone who doesn't call Trump a murderer is a cult puppy.
Posted by: j | April 05, 2020 at 11:12 AM
"j, it is an indisputable fact that Trump horribly screwed up the initial response to the coronavirus crisis."
"Screwed up." Again, where were the eds and op-eds in the NYT demanding that Trump close the country and institute a nationwide quarantine in January? In February? In March?
Yes, everyone "knew" CV was dangerous back in January. But as for taking concrete steps to deal with it, where were the voices on the left demanding specific actions? What was Biden saying back in January? Where was Nancy Pelosi on this issue?
If you want to accuse Trump of murder and everyone who supports him as accomplices, you have to be consistent. If the response has been "screwed up," where's the evidence that Dems were demanding quarantines sooner than Trump advocated them?
Brian...this is pandemic with no cure and an astonishingly rapid rate of incidence. Are you really going to allege that Trump is denying hospitals materials on the basis that some health providers are asking for more equipment in a time of totally unforeseen crisis? POTUS instituted the Defence Production Act to deal with the problem of supplies dragging their heels (Navarro).
This is all like saying the Jews had 10 years to deal with Germany but dawdled.
Posted by: j | April 05, 2020 at 11:24 AM
For consistencies sake:
On 11 June 2009, the WHO declared an H1N1 pandemic,
But it wasn't until 25 October 2009 (5 months later) that Barack Obama officially declared H1N1 a national emergency.
By that time. H1N1 had claimed more than 1,000 American lives, a death toll that includes about 100 children.
Obama never restricted travel to and from countries where H1N1 originated, advised that everyone wear masks, nor did he institute a quarantine.
Trump's actions in combatting CV have been an an order of magnitude greater than Obama's in dealing with a virus threat, yet Trump is somehow a Fascist murderer for not doing everything perfectly
Posted by: j | April 05, 2020 at 12:03 PM
The country needs a leader who holds out hope.
Posted by: j | April 05, 2020 at 09:02 AM
Too bad.... Modi isn't interested in being POTUS
Posted by: Rob | April 05, 2020 at 12:05 PM
Amongst the myriad of thoughts that have run through my mind regarding this subject, there are just a few that keep replaying:
1) The impeachment — right or wrong, I believe Trumps obsession with and worries over the outcome of the impeachment trial kept him from focusing on another potential crisis. Pelosi delayed the process for nearly a month which in retrospect, did more to the American people, but hindsight’s 20/20. I also wonder, if Trump had been removed from office in January, what kind of unimaginable chaos would that have created as a backdrop for handling this pandemic??
2) I strongly believe there should have been a shelter in place order issued on a Federal level at the very beginning. States having to bid against other states for medical supplies is indicative of extremely weak Federal power.
I sincerely believe even Woody Harrelson’s character from Zombieland 2 would bring a great deal more dignity to the White House.
Posted by: Sonia | April 05, 2020 at 12:43 PM
The country needs a leader who holds out hope.
Posted by: j | April 05, 2020 at 09:02 AM
Meanwhile in faraway India - with all it's supposed shortcomings and inability to handle Covid, its citizens respond as one to their PM's call.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/millions-of-indians-respond-to-pms-appeal-light-candles-diyas-turn-on-mobile-phone-torches/amp_articleshow/74997232.cms
https://www.google.com/amp/s/gulfnews.com/amp/world/asia/india/covid-19-indians-light-candles-diyas-to-mark-fight-against-coronavirus-1.1586103139432
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.financialexpress.com/india-news/millions-of-indians-respond-to-pm-modis-appeal-light-candles-diyas-turn-on-mobile-phone-torches/1919685/lite/
Posted by: Rob | April 05, 2020 at 12:52 PM
The country needs a leader who holds out hope.
Posted by: j | April 05, 2020 at 09:02 AM
Too bad.... Modi isn't interested in being POTUS
Posted by: Rob | April 05, 2020 at 12:05 PM
The jaded truth:
We need Modi in India—a leader who doesn’t subscribe to the concept of “separation of church and state”. We need this as a buffer against China’s totalitarian regime. Modi is perfect for helping us maintain a balance of power. We don’t need a leader in India who could be easily bought or swayed by the Chinese. We need a religious fanatic. Modi is perfect (minus the Muslim discrimination—but even that serves it’s sad political purpose for several nations 🙄).
You Indians are hilarious—you think you actually have control over your elections.
Posted by: Sonia | April 05, 2020 at 12:53 PM
I’m not sure which cult leaders specifically resemble Trump, though I’m sure there are many. Since the subject of GSD comes up so often on this blog, I have to say I don’t think he resembles Trump. You have to give GSD a lot more credit than that.
GSD is very similar to CIA. Everything’s BIG picture, long-term strategy, whatever it takes to succeed. They really are very similar. 😂
That’s not an insult, just an observation.
Posted by: Sonia | April 05, 2020 at 01:17 PM
you think you actually have control over your elections.
Posted by: Sonia | April 05, 2020 at 12:53 PM
Not this mumbo jumbo again. Try as some may, they can't swing it away from Modi as PM. Only Modi can lead to his defeat. And Modi isn't anyone's proxy.
On that other point of Muslim discrimination - he hasn't even started as yet my friend. Nor is he really overtly keen. But I won't pity that undeserving lot if and when he starts discriminating.
Posted by: Rob | April 05, 2020 at 01:53 PM
Rob,
My point was that Modi being PM is also in the interest of the USA. It helps us/US.
Posted by: Sonia | April 05, 2020 at 03:20 PM
I'm not a Trump fan but I find it very strange how people can have so much hatred ... "his egotism, incompetence, habitual lying, and incoherent babbling". Wow. This is probably why some people also hate Gurinder. Very disturbing.
https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/01/the-medias-hatred-of-trump-is-endangering-lives/
The news media's disdain for Trump has always led to reporting that is misleading, but during a pandemic it can also be deadly.
Posted by: Jen | April 05, 2020 at 09:24 PM
Tens of thousands being laid off from work during going pandemic. Makes sense.
Rob, people rallying around a leader isn't indicative of a competent government or medical system. Why would you even mention that?
https://apnews.com/811b2057ad110605fa70a2745e5e0ee4
Posted by: Jesse | April 05, 2020 at 09:31 PM
Jen, have you been watching what Trump does and says in the daily coronavirus briefings? Have you been watching what expert fact checkers say after those briefings? I've been doing both of those things. That's why I know that what I said is correct. Trump displays his egotism, incompetence, habitual lying, and incoherent babbling.
Posted by: Brian Hines | April 05, 2020 at 09:40 PM
For the record, me saying GSD was more like CIA was a compliment to CIA. 😁
Posted by: Sonia | April 05, 2020 at 11:02 PM
Great job Brian in using facts to refute those whose loyalty to trump blinds them to the truth of actual events. As you noted, this administration failed to take even the most elementary steps to prepare for this while destroying the scientific bodies in place whose task it was to protect Americans from these threats. During the more than three years of his administration he has destroyed virtually every safeguard created by previous administrations, Democratic and Republican, to address these threats. The only question left is how many Americans will die needlessly because of his incompetence.
Posted by: nwb | April 05, 2020 at 11:42 PM
Some of us in India have similar complaints as to why did Modi lock down only after 18th of March and not at least 3 weeks before and why did they handle Markaj (linked to Muslims) issue with kidgloves - a major setback to lockdown results.
To nip the virus spread in the bud at the very outset must have been the best solution. Now later we need to discipline ourselves so as to prevent its spread any further. And those of us who have already infected need step up body immunity to resist it's invasion over vital organs.
At the same time we need believe that we are part of nature and our bodies shall respond on multiple factors as decided by the nature, in action in us. Doctors even rely on the body's response to their medications and treatment. Anyways it is inborn or acquired immunity which is going to decide the fate of infected patients. Doctor's have limited scopes to current spurt of the baby Corona which hardly has any trustworthy research in medicine.
Those who believe in God must pray in such trying times the World is witnessing at the moment. Rest may pray mother nature.
Posted by: Meditator | April 06, 2020 at 12:24 AM
Trump didn't mess anything up in the beginning because his initial instinct to ignore this entire thing was likely correct. There's no consensus from "experts" whatsoever and if you look around you can find a lot of conflicting info. This whole virus thing is probably somewhat fake, at least in terms of the supposed severity of it. As of yet the death toll, including all the non covid deaths being attributed to covid, is less than a normal flu season.
Politicians and media get money and power from you and I losing our minds. NYT and Washington Post probably stand to gain the most from it, and quoting them is like quoting Goebbels in Nazi Germany since their job is in no way related to revealing truths but rather to further an agenda. This is especially true since media companies have been caught in the past hiring directly from US intelligence agencies who are also working against Trump. Don't forget pissgate. Many of you probably believed in that masterpiece collusion between media and intel.
And I gotta repeat that Trump is handling the media aspect perfectly with his attacks on them in his silly press conferences.. Just be happy the media aren't getting what they actually deserve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzmKOXykdyw
Posted by: Jesse | April 06, 2020 at 06:33 AM
"Tens of thousands being laid off from work during going pandemic. Makes sense."
I meant to write tens of thousands being laid off in hospitals and clinics.
Why are any healthcare workers being laid off during a pandemic?
Posted by: Jesse | April 06, 2020 at 09:13 AM
I meant to write tens of thousands being laid off in hospitals and clinics.
Why are any healthcare workers being laid off during a pandemic?
Posted by: Jesse | April 06, 2020 at 09:13 AM
Maybe to ensure more people die, fear levels rise, the call for a vaccine rises and a pure evil named Bill Gates and his cronies profit.
Posted by: Rob | April 06, 2020 at 10:29 AM
Jesse, health care workers are being laid off because many clinics and doctor's offices are experiencing lots of cancellations because of fear of contacting the coronavirus. Also, telemedicine is replacing in-office visits whenever possible. I strongly doubt that health care workers are being laid off in hospitals and ER departments, given the demand for services there.
Posted by: Brian Hines | April 06, 2020 at 10:50 AM
Brian, from what I can tell there is no extreme demand in hospitals either though, and even if there were you'd think the labor from the closed clinics would be reassigned to those emergency rooms since the tale we hear is that the hospitals are flooded with dying and dead people.
People have been walking around filming the "swamped" hospitals being specifically mentioned in the news and they're basically empty. I think people are being laid off because the economy is tanking to depression levels rapidly and we're all f***ed because of a million non-virus reasons. There's simply no money to pay doctors and nurses at this point.
Everyone should read this guy Alex Berenson's twitter. He's a mainstream news person citing the CDC who are instructing hospitals to essentially fake the numbers by claiming cancer patients and anyone else who dies have the cause of death reported as corona. But even with the loose association of death causes, the numbers aren't higher than a normal flue season yet. Mankind has lost its collective mind.
https://twitter.com/AlexBerenson
Posted by: Jesse | April 06, 2020 at 11:08 AM
Elective health care services are closing temporarily in order to allocate their medical supplies to emergency care.
Also, if this is hyped up or fake then why are emergency rooms and ICU’s overwhelmed, inundated and getting close to the point where they’ll have to make the tough decision of who lives, who dies?
So many of my relatives are working on the front lines in emergency care facilities. They say it’s Bedlam. This sort of thing doesn’t happen with the seasonal flu.
Posted by: Sonia | April 06, 2020 at 11:12 AM
Rob, people rallying around a leader isn't indicative of a competent government or medical system. Why would you even mention that?
Posted by: Jesse | April 05, 2020 at 09:31 PM
I think Rob's post is linked to a remark - The country needs a leader who holds out hope.
Now, despite India's challenges (healthcare infrastructure for one), the fact is Citizens feel assured that the government and importantly the PM is committed to countering the impact of Covid-19.
Alexander the Great once said "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."
Modi is the lion for hundreds of million Indian in their war against Covid.
Directed passion in many circumstances is the real weapon that wins wars. And in these trying times, at the moment there is no dearth of this 'directed passion' amongst Indians.
Modi might fail but I bet not one Head of State would want to be the PM of India in these times. Yet this 70 year old carries on without flinching, without digressing, without levelling accusations on others and without giving excuses.
Posted by: An Ordinary Indian | April 06, 2020 at 11:52 AM
Modi is 70?? Holy shit he looks much younger.
Speaking of which, I don’t know how old Biden is, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’m pretty sure he’s got dementia. I worry what will happen to the country if there’s a change of guard at the end of the year and we’ve just been hit with the “second wave”. If things relax and life carries on as normal (whatever normal will mean after all this) and then we get hit with a second lockdown in the fall/winter, people are going to freak. That would be even more depressing than the first round.
Posted by: Sonia | April 06, 2020 at 02:17 PM
An Ordinary Indian, I keep up with Indian news to a degree and get whatsapp messages from there etc. and the situation looks to exactly mirror that of America. Deep partisan divide. The opinion you express is exactly what Trump supporting Americans express, and the other opinion is similar to what Brian expresses.
I also would prefer a confident leader (and a less corrupt media) in a time of crisis, but confidence only goes so far. If corona is what is claimed, which I highly doubt, your leader has no ability to save you from it. He could in fat exasperate the crisis which is what some think Trump is doing.
"Also, if this is hyped up or fake then why are emergency rooms and ICU’s overwhelmed, inundated and getting close to the point where they’ll have to make the tough decision of who lives, who dies?"
They're not, Sonia, or at least there's a major debate going on about that seemingly untrue claim. That's the entire point. And the labor isn't being reallocated. The other entire point. Tens of thousands of layoffs is reallocating them to their couches. Not really what you expect in a "war zone." Wars of such exceptional magnitude require conscription. Not an order to send them home to get on the dole and not be available to help victims.
"So many of my relatives are working on the front lines in emergency care facilities. They say it’s Bedlam. This sort of thing doesn’t happen with the seasonal flu."
Then you weren't around for flu seasons in the past ten years with higher hospitalization and death tolls. The numbers right now are lower. The causes and reasons why the numbers are low can be debated, and we could possibly credit the lockdown and suicide of the entire economy for it, but the actual sickness and death so far is not unusual or above average. Maybe your family in health care feel burdened because their colleagues were all laid off and their work load has tripled.
Of course we could all be wrong. Time will tell, but if I'm wrong you won't know it because there will be no internet and most of the world will be in a post apocalyptic landscape of nothing but coughing and dying.
Posted by: Jesse | April 06, 2020 at 03:35 PM
Brian, It seems to me the only cult here is that of the progressive left. It is ironic that the faults they accuse others (Trump) of are the faults they display themselves. It's disappointing, really, that decades of seeking truth has come to this.
Be well everyone.
Here's a great departing video from youtube of amazing waves and surfing. only 3 minutes or so. Epic. Tahiti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m9EyXLDlu0
Posted by: tucson | April 06, 2020 at 06:06 PM
An interesting article about coronavirus, and how medical costs are measured in the UK-
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/485110-covid-19-lockdown-deaths/
The article breaks down the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) system, the costs of treating elderly (supposed) covid patients, and the fact that people are now dying from other reasons because the healthcare system just entirely focused on this one disease. Crazy stuff.
Posted by: Jesse | April 06, 2020 at 06:40 PM
Indeed Brian.
For more than a week I have been pondering this very question.... which of the following is the more astonishingly incomprehensible miracle:
1) that people believe gurinder is a pooran sant satguru as defined by RS literature (or that such a thing even exists, anybody ever has been etc)
Or
2) that people still believe that Trump is a semi-competent, semi-intelligent president who is doing a great job.
I'm personally really quite torn as to which is the more delusional and cultic belief? 🤔
Which one is more dangerous is without question, and it's not the religious belief of RS or that Gurinder is a Saint...
Posted by: manjit | April 07, 2020 at 11:11 AM
It would be a lot easier to care about Trump's cultish behavior is the entire world wasn't gobbling up the prescription of Two Minutes Hate and literally babbling in unison the same thoughtless talking points in a manner indistinguishable from any other form of religious group's party line chanting.
Many of you carried your cult mentality into the secular world and you'll take years to figure it out, just as it took years to understand you were in a religious cult previously.
Sad! Many such cases.
Posted by: Jesse | April 07, 2020 at 12:26 PM
Incoming message:
Dear RS Satsangis, Trumpites and other lesser mortals from Pinda,
We bring you Greetings from Bhanwar Gupha!
We are known as the Hamsas of the Gupha Whirling-cave Assisting Satsangis via Hope, or HOGWASH for short.
We have been alerted by a disturbance in the pranic-force of the presence of Kal himself on this most illustrious forum. This devious and manipulative character goes by the odious name of "manjit". Please ignore this person and his comments at the risk of your very soul. It is said on the outer dweeps of So-Hang that if Soami ji held onto Jaimal's leg, and Jaimal held onto Sawan's leg, and Sawan held onto Jagat's leg. and Jagat held onto Charan's leg, and Charan held onto Trump's leg, and Trump held onto Gurinder's leg, that they still wouldn't be able to reach far enough to pull somebody out of the hell-hole even reading "manjit's" name on a screen will send you to. To be fair, that is probably because Gurinder is too busy reaching for his money and assets to pay any attention to the poor soul who mistakenly glanced upon the forbidden name "manjit", but that is another story altogether.
Yes, dear Wise Satsangis and Trumpites, pay no attention to this depraved soul called "manjit", he spreads lies and delusion and discontent to send all you True Believers, who never doubt, who never question....despite contradictory evidence slapping you in the face daily.........astray. Everyone here with a shred of sanity will surely realise how absolutely huge his ego must be to claim that our path is not the highest, that our guru is not the greatest, our president not the wisest, bestest and most loved president of all times, and that we are not all the true chosen ones! The ego of the man!
Only the True Believers - not those who believe in Trump alone, or Gurinder alone.....but those who have capacity to have faith in BOTH their immaculate perfections, simultaneously glorifying all the heavens and earths throughout the entire multi-verse with their resplendent light and magnificence......... will reap the rewards of their True Faith in due time.
We are communicating with you to share the Good News; that when Trump eliminates the need for US elections, as he is so perfect there is no need for those anymore, and choses Jared Kushner as his successor. And when Gurinder picks Shivinder Singh as his successor. That when these two spiritual, emotional, intellectual, sexual and every other type of Giant it is possible to be combine, Jared And Shiv will bring about the maha-pralaya, dissolution of the entire material universe, and send the righteous Satsangis and Trumpites to whichever heaven walled off from the rest of reality they've been imagining in their fantasies.
Yes, True Believers, keep Faith!!
In the meantime, True Believers, we trust you have enjoyed our little gift to you: COVID-19!! Surely by now with all the time freed up, at least 80% of initiated Satsangis have reached at least Par Brahm? You're welcome! :) As for Trumpites.....no need, they know everything's just a-okay with Trump and his decision making, whatever the material reality is; such glorious True Believers!
HOGWASH
Posted by: HOGWASH | April 07, 2020 at 02:43 PM
Indeed fit to be POTUS
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-berates-reporters-during-coronavirus-briefing-you-will-never-make-it-012004775.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=2_15
Posted by: Trevor Smith | April 08, 2020 at 12:12 AM
My father, who is a Trump supporter (and would have acted exactly like Trump if he had ever been President), said the other day that he doesn’t like the majority of the 💩 that comes out of Trump’s mouth but he still thinks he’s a good President.
I don’t even know how to make sense of that statement, but if someone who is basically just like Trump in every way, thinks that Trump acts undignified and unnecessarily insulting, undiplomatic and childish then that says a lot. What I mean is, it’s possible to like Trump and at the same time realize he’s extremely emotionally immature (much like my dad can be). I sincerely believe in his heart he wants to do the right thing but his ability to be offended so easily doesn’t make for a good diplomat. And an emotionally unstable president is disturbing to those who are better able to control their demeanor in public. That type of behavior indicates a lack of control which scares rational people.
That said, I don’t dislike him. But that might be my most dislikable trait to some—the ability to like someone that acts like an ass half the time. I probably get that from growing up in the type of environment I did. I don’t know.
However, I was hoping the Democrats would have a strong candidate and I believe Bernie has a much better chance of debating Trump on stage simply because something has happened to Biden—has much slower, seems quite confused at times and has moments where he just blanks out. That would be a disaster during a debate and it could indicate a more serious issue.
I would really like to see dignity restored to the White House but am really worried about the Democratic candidates... kind of makes me mad that there isn’t a stronger candidate.
Posted by: Sonia | April 08, 2020 at 05:46 AM
President Chump wants to make America Grate Again
and on the coronovirus, American now has the largest numbers,
In Chumps mind "we are winning ! "
Posted by: Frisbee | April 08, 2020 at 12:22 PM
Dear j,
Greetings from Bhanwar Gupha!
You wrote in another thread, surely by mistake as the miraculous secrets you shared therein are more appropriate for this thread?:
"4. A Dem lawmaker with CV has credited Trump for saving her life by his getting the word out about HC. Her condition was dire but miraculously turned around when she was given the drug by her doctor."
The HOGWASH Congregation for the Causes of the Saints department is on the case, but we already have quite a backlog of Trump's indubitable miracles to validate. But not to fear, this "miraculously turned around" case of coronavirus is without doubt another genuine example of Trump's Omnipotence, Omniscience, Wisdom, Grace and Compassion. We know this because Trump is definitely not medically qualified in any sense of the term, yet has guided this woman's doctor's hand to "miraculously" save her life, so by purely real world reasons there can be no possible way to credit him with this miracle other than via supernatural God-like powers.
You have clear sight, j, you see what others cannot see. HOGWASH is proud of you. In rewards for your True Faith we shall reveal further secrets unto only you, Trump's secret master plan. Please do not reveal these to anyone else:
1) Tell Americans "we need to build a wall" to keep them foreigners of our God-given land.
2) Disband the team looking into pandemic responses and cut CDC spending by 80% in 2018:
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/feb/28/michael-bloomberg/did-donald-trump-fire-pandemic-officials-defund-cd/
You don't just do these things by mistake, idiocy, greed, lack of intelligence, foresight etc. j understands this. This is all part of Trump's Divine Plan.....this is evidence of his Godlike powers!
3) At the start of the pandemic in 2020, do a whole host of bizarre, ridiculous, globally dangerous & completely irrelevant things, mainly like spouting nonsense conspiracy theories, politicising a virus, blaming everything and everyone else whilst claiming utter Infallibility, Omnipotence and Omniscience (ahh, hiding in plain sight!) etc, so that the virus spreads much more easily.
4) Due to Trump's incredible foresight and compassion, the wall he got American's to pay for is now protecting the Mexican citizens from the virus spreading rampantly in the US. Again, these things don't by accident. Due to Trump's incredible omniscience and compassion, this was his plan all along. He has done the impossible, and made USA act with kindness and thoughtfulness to it's neighbours. No average Sant, this!
5) Trump's team release executive order with his ultimate Sacred Plan openly revealed in plain sight which nobody notices, because they're all frightened by the inevitability of death:
"lead the return of humans to......other destinations.” Successful long-term exploration..... of......celestial bodies will require partnership with .......entities"
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-encouraging-international-support-recovery-use-space-resources/
Yes, Brother j, we reveal unto you Pooran Sant Satguru Maharaj Huzur Sri Bhagwan Baba Trump Ji's final Masterplan!
6) We at HOGWASH have managed to capture some exclusive footage of Trump on his inner journey. Please meditate on this to rapidly progress on your inner journey to the Walled off Sach Khand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3jwxA-Gjv0
Finally, as noted previously, True Believers will ascend to the heavens by flying with TWO wings; True Faith in Trump AND Gurinder, simultaneously.
Whilst your faith in Trump is Perfect, we have noted your faith in the Supreme Equal Divinity of Gurinder has been lacking?
In order to give you Hope that He is indeed the Pooran Sant Satguru......I beg you to consider just why it is that Africa has remained relatively unscathed by coronavirus?
I ask you to consider, is it a coincidence that Pooran Sant Satguru Maharaj Huzur Sri Bhagwan Baba Gurinder Ji's obscene wealth (comparable only to other great Spiritual Masters, like Trump) was gathered in part by selling what was alleged to have been "defective" medication to poor Africans? What was really in those medicines, j? Please think - you have shown tremendous objectivity and rationality in noticing the miracles of Trump. Now ascend to the Heavens by recognising the same in Gurinder?
Blessings Be.
This has been Pure HOGWASH.
Posted by: HOGWASH | April 09, 2020 at 06:31 AM