This morning my son shared an article from The Atlantic (www.theatlantic.com) with me. It is a long read but well researched, and really worth your taking fifteen or twenty minutes to read it. The article is entitled “How the Pandemic Will End.” When I was on active duty with our armed forces, we learned to treat existential threats with the utmost seriousness. Alarms were sounded. Everyone put on their protective gear, collected their weapons and reported to their post. Friends, we need to stop pursuing weak and uncoordinated, misdirected responses RIGHT NOW! Our President is ambivalent and hesitant to do anything to upset the business community. Lobbying by the Chamber of Commerce and others has kept him from employing the powerful tools available in the Defense Production Act.
Why should we pursue illusory policies like shutting our borders and leaving fifty state governors to fend for themselves in the highly competitive market for ventilators, protective masks and other vital personal protective equipment...where they even have to compete with FEMA? Why did we refuse WHO test kits and get so far behind in securing test kits that are vital to our response? Why do we prioritize the stock market indices over marshaling the assets that are critical to getting this under control sooner rather than later. Please, no more talk by our non-church going President of packing our churches on Easter Sunday!
Thirteen months ago, our President declared a National Emergency over our southern border, so he could justify diverting funds and military assets to help reduce or prevent the “threat“ of large numbers of Central American asylum seekers. Does he not understand any threats other than those impacting his re-election chances? Let’s face it. These are incredibly difficult times. Any man or woman acting as our President would find it almost too much to bear. But our Constitution assumes we have a President with all necessary mental faculties, who can absorb details on a broad range of issues, and follow the advice of experts. Clearly, we do not have such a leader. Congress can appropriate trillions of dollars in relief for our people, but those dollars won’t accomplish the wartime mentality, coordination and logistics planning that are needed to get our ship of state on the course to survival.
Just what is needed?
If President Trump is unable to exercise his most basic function of protecting our country and its people, then we need to face reality and implement the 25th Amendment. Then the Vice President needs to fully implement the Defense Production Act, get major industries involved in a coordinated effort to produce the medical supplies we urgently need, and bring in our military leaders so they can take a leading role in all the logistics and planning. I am not saying that our President needs to declare Martial Law, but if it is needed to enforce curfews or other protective measures, then bring it on!
We need a full court press, now, before it is too late. This pandemic is much worse than it might have been, had we heeded the warnings of our intelligence and public health experts. But if we get serious, it can be managed and brought under a certain level of control while there is still time.
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