While we discuss the cruel and callous way the trump administration is handling the Coronavirus crisis and how it is hell-bent on reopening states and businesses without any real preparations, it is also important to look ahead and try to anticipate what will transpire in the next few months and weeks. What is the thinking behind their current strategy, what steps will they take to boost their chances (of winning elections, not saving lives) and how they will maneuver to shift blame to others for their expected failures?
Laurie Garrett, who everyone knows by now, who has written extensively about pandemics and has helped formulate effective health policies against infectious diseases, brings this political insight into the inner workings of the White House -
She continues —
“Birx is allegedly starting to cast aspersions on @CDCgov #COVID19 mortality data:“'There is nothing from the CDC that I can trust,' Birx said, according to two of the people." www.washingtonpost.com/...
But evidence points in the opposite direction, meaning #COVID19 deaths are UNDER-counted, not over counted. Nevertheless, #Trump backers are pushing the "over-count" narrative hard. www.politico.com/...
On ^ "demand" side to boost economy, example:"#Trump issued Exec Order...prohibits acquisition or installation of electrical equip originating in countries designated 'foreign adversaries'...cld result in major disruptn to electric power & transmissn." www.jdsupra.com/...”
She also tweeted this subsequently -
Some more possibilities
Some of this information is new, some of it has been anticipated by others. It is in line with the way this administration thinks and acts.
Here are a few more strategies and tactics that the administration will probably employ —
- Force businesses and factories to open and workers to report to work
- Manipulate infection statistics to make it appear that their “plan” is working
- Keep pushing CTs about the virus originating from Chinese labs
- Keep claiming that we are close to herd immunity
- Accuse Democrats of wanting the economy to fail
- Manage and manipulate the media with threats, alt-news and lies, distort reality
- Keep republican lawmakers, governors and the chattering class unified in their messaging to “sell” their “plan” to a gullible electorate
- Deflect blame at China, blue states, minorities, immigrants and Democrats when things go South.
- Claim that republican evangelicals are protected by god/trump and it’s the “dirty filthy Democrats and immigrants” who are spreading the disease.
- Shower red states with money and medical supplies, while depriving blue states, but in all cases minimize testing.
- Use the chaos to appoint more right-wing judges, throw more tax-dollars at favored constituents and eliminate more regulations and protections.
- Keep attacking Biden and Democrats with made-up allegations, even initiate a few Senate and FBI investigations.
- Discredit health officials, scientists, the WHO and showcase alt-scientists.
Republicans are already playing the game of discrediting health officials, like they try to do with climate scientists.
Sending funds to red and swing states has been standard operating procedure for quite a while -
Epilogue
What do you think? Let’s look into our crystal balls and predict what the administration will do next, so that we can prepare to neutralize their nefarious plans.
Remember, for trump and the GOP, it is not about people, their lives or livelihoods; it’s about manipulating them into voting against Democrats. Suffering is not a bug, it is a feature, since it can be weaponized against their opponents.
We know that red states will see elevated rates of infections and fatalities; how can we educate the electorate about the cruel policies of the administration and what a Democratic alternative would look like?
Let’s emphasize that it is a false choice between staying locked down vs opening up the economy; it is about having a government that takes intelligent and science-based steps to keep the virus under control, protect families and workers, and systematically reopen the economy, something republican leaders have no will or competence to do.