A weekly recap of worthwhile political opinion and commentary.
Vol 1, No 5 ……… October 17th, 2020
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
OPENING NOTE – Beginning with this edition, Current Comment commences with its new once-a-week schedule, and will be posted on The Liberal Buddhist blog by mid-afternoon every Saturday.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
ITEM #1 – New Yorker staff writer Steve Coll shows how the one and only consistently reliable characteristic of Trump’s chaotic presidency has been his complete and utter incompetence …
“It is painful to reflect today on the tens of thousands of lives that might have been saved if a less reality-challenged President occupied the White House. Trump has been consistently unreliable across the eight-month arc of our national crisis. Last week, as he recuperated from his own bout of Covid-19, he unleashed a fresh torrent of tweets and videos. These offered transparent nonsense (‘Maybe I’m immune’) and also dangerous lies, such as the claim that for most people the coronavirus is ‘far less lethal!!!’ than the seasonal flu. (Scientists report that the coronavirus is about six times more deadly than the typical flu virus.) It remains unclear just how the outbreak began and spread, but such an occurrence was perhaps inevitable, given the Administration’s refusal to require masks and physical distancing in the White House and at public events. Eventually, journalists and biographers will sort out exactly what the President knew about his own possible contagiousness before October 2nd, the day he announced that he had tested positive—and how he handled any risk that he might infect others. On October 4th, during his hospitalization at Walter Reed, when he was almost certainly contagious, he staged a photo op in which he was driven around in an S.U.V. and waved to onlookers. At least two Secret Service agents were required to join him in the sealed, armored vehicle, putting them at risk of exposure. It was an inane campaign stunt, and a study in selfishness. The essence of Trump’s failure during the pandemic does not lie with his Administration’s crisis management, botched as that has been; it is the result of his character.”
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
ITEM #2 – New York Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof argues convincingly that what matters most about any Supreme Court justice nominee is not whether they’re liberal or conservative, but whether they are looking to bring us forward or take us backward …
“[Amy Coney] Barrett is not a horrible person; on the contrary, she seems to be a smart lawyer with an admirable personal story. Yet she’s working with a gang of Republican senators to steal a seat on the Supreme Court. This grand larceny may well succeed. But for voters, this hearing should underscore the larger battle over the direction of the country. Voters can’t weigh in on the Barrett nomination, but they can correct this country’s course. Here’s the fundamental question: Will voters reward the party that is working to provide more health care, or the party that has painstakingly robbed one million children of insurance? Will voters help tug the United States forward, or will they support the backward thinkers who have been on the side of discrimination, racism, bigotry and voter suppression? At the polls, which side of history will you stand on?”
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
ITEM #3 – The Editorial Board of the New York Times makes an overwhelming case for the unfitness of Donald Trump to be the president of the United States …
“Donald Trump’s re-election campaign poses the greatest threat to American democracy since World War II. Mr. Trump’s ruinous tenure already has gravely damaged the United States at home and around the world. He has abused the power of his office and denied the legitimacy of his political opponents, shattering the norms that have bound the nation together for generations. He has subsumed the public interest to the profitability of his business and political interests. He has shown a breathtaking disregard for the lives and liberties of Americans. He is a man unworthy of the office he holds.”
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
CLOSING NOTES – A quick reminder that, as a follower of The Liberal Buddhist blog, you’ll receive not only each weekly edition of Current Comment, but also periodic posts featuring original political, literary, and cultural commentary.
And, if you have a Twitter account, you can get a head start reading the articles being selected for the next edition of Current Comment by following @LiberalBuddhist.
Have a great week, everyone! Take care of yourselves, and stay well … Tom
The Liberal Buddhist 