News Updates
Regarding the Trump-Coronavirus Pandemic
This blog page is offered as a supplement to Part VI of my ongoing series of photography projects, The Conference of the Birds, Part II: Selected Teachings of the Hoopoe Bird & 27 photographs. See the list of projects below.
In each of my Pandemic Inspired projects I have provided news updates and personal responses to the unfolding tragic and terrifying drama of the Coronavirus Pandemic in the United States and Donald Trump's corrupted, self-serving Presidency that has politicized the Pandemic for purposes other than the good of this country.
I decided to separate this "News Report" section from my Introduction to the sixth project because the project is focused primarily on the sacred, Sufic teachings in Attar's famous 12th century epic poem The Conference of the Birds, and I felt the oftentimes tragic and infuriating news being reporting here below would be disruptive and inappropriate to the spirit of the project.
News Update: November 2 - December 11, 2020
Before the November 3rd elections, and since the elections, Trump has done everything in his power to create dissonance and division amongst the people of our country, destroy our democratic traditions, and roll-back important legal environmental and humanitarian safeguards which had been put in place by the previous Obama Administration. Trump has been using public media to provide his support base with a constant barrage of lies and intended mis-information, and he has continued his denial of science (he has called both the Pandemic and Climate Change a "hoax" even as he wants to take credit for the new COVID-19 vaccines that have been emerging).
(Note: I heard a pathetic, heartbreaking story in the news recently which involved a loyal Trump supporter who became sick with COVID-19; on his Deathbed he stated that he didn't believe this was happening to him . . . because the Pandemic was nothing but a "big hoax.")
The New York Times has reported that in late November over 4 million new COVID-19 infections had occurred, along with daily record-breaking numbers of deaths. In the first weeks of December, 2020 hospitals throughout the country were worried about running out of space and staff to deal with this continually worsening phase of the Pandemic in the US. Numbers were expected to rise even more because of the surprisingly large number of people who traveled during the Thanksgiving Holidays, even against very strong warnings from the medical establishment. The Christmas and New Year's Holidays yet to come is expected to make things worse, if that's possible, for each day in early December though the publishing date of this report was reported as being record breaking high days in terms of hospitalizations and deaths.
Trump did not appear publicly for nearly two weeks after the elections, even as the Pandemic raged on. He, and the Republican-led Senate, has done nothing to help the people who are struggling with all kinds of financial and health crises because of the Pandemic including business and job losses, the loss of living space and personal property, and there are even people who are struggling to pay rents, and many are suffering from issues of food insecurities and even starvation, among other things.
(See this very powerful youtube video of a talk by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez which she delivered to an empty chamber after the Senate "broke" for the Thanksgiving Holidays.)
I have become very frustrated and angered by the human suffering Trump has caused the good (if often mis-informed) hard-working people of this country. And worse, he has been continually supported by all the major leaders of the Republican Party (very few have not had the courage to speak out against Trump's bazar behaviors) even as Trump has been reportedly taking funds earmarked for the Pandemic and giving the money to his special corporate interests (such as the Gas and Oil Industry).
Though the November Election was very close, the clear majority of voters opted for a change, and yet Trump has refused to concede. He has filed numerous unsupported lawsuits* claiming "the election process was "a fraud" and he called for numerous recounts . . . with the intention of delaying the traditional process of the transfer of power of the Presidency to the President Elect Joe Biden.
(*One high level judge responded to an appeal made by the Trump Administration that its lawsuit was put together in such an unstitched fashion that it could be rightly compared to "Frankenstein's monster.")
Trump invited leading Michigan Republicans to the White House over a weekend to try to get them to delay their election certification process, but after being served 800 dollars-a-bottle wine they returned home, and the very next day, Monday, November 23, it was announced in the news that Michigan's Electoral Board had officially approved the vote tally in favor of Biden. General Motors then came out with a public statement that they were prepared to begin working with Biden and his Administration.
(In the first week of December Pennsylvania and Georgia similarly refused to bow to Trump's constant pressure to overturn the election for him, even after multiple recounts. And sadly, terrifyingly, Election Officials in Pennsylvania and many other of the key states have been threatened by Trump's militant supporters with threats of violence, including shootings and hangings.)
Tuesday morning, November 24, the New York Times announced that the White House agency in charge of presidential elections formally designated Joe Biden as the election's apparent winner. Here is what the NY Times wrote:
"Many Americans have spent weeks, if not months, asking some version of this question: What if President Trump refuses to leave office? The main answer to the question has always been the same: It's not up to him.
As long as other parts of the government--like Congress, the courts and the military--insisted that he honor the elections's outcome, he would have to do so. He could do so quickly and cleanly, as all of his predecessors have done. Or he could make it messy, discrediting American democracy along the way. But he would eventually need to leave the White House.
Last night [Monday, November 23, 2020] he took a big step toward doing so. Emily Murphy, a Trump appointee who runs the agency in charge of presidential transitions, formally designated Joe Biden as the election's apparent winner. Murphy's move provides Biden with federal funds for his transition and authorizes Biden's aides to begin working with Trump administration officials.
On Twitter, Trump signaled that he accepted the decision, but he did not concede. He also indicated that he would continue his legal efforts to overturn the election result, but they have show no sign of success. . . In every substantive way, the Trump presidency is now coming to an end.
All of which is a reminder of how much influence our system of government gives to people other than the president." NY Times, Morning, The Transition Begins, November 24, 2020
*
Trump--like an angry child--has essentially stopped serving this country (Did he ever really serve anyone but himself?) and continues to ask for help from his support base. Though there is probably no way he will be able to turn the election around now, Trump refuses to concede the election apparently for strategic and financial reasons. He seems to be trying to keep his support base fired up so they will send him money--money which he can use in just about anyway he wants including covering the costs of recounts and a possible second running for re-election in four years. Everything Trump does now is a public drama, a con-job to help keep and enlarge his voter base, many of which feel compelled to protect him against the forthcoming lawsuits that awaits him after he's officially booted out of office.
(A new poll shows that 61% of voters in this country trust the results of the election while only 24% of Republicans do. click here to see NPR article)
Trump has been hoping to win some support from the Supreme Court, which is occupied by a majority of Republican nominated judges. He could also try to preemptively "pardon" himself, members of his family and close associates, though he will still have to face very serious and substantiated lawsuits from New York State's Attorney General, and perhaps other states, which cannot be protected by Federal laws.
Still, Trump's "charm" and "star power" is not be be underestimated. Nearly half of the voters in this country apparently prefer hearing Trump's lies and all the propaganda being broadcast via conservative radio and tv news stations across the country, to learning the truth.
*
Today, December 11, it was announced that the F.D.A. is planning to authorize the Pfizer COVI-19 vaccine today, a bit earlier than planned because of threats Trump has reportedly made toward the head of the FDA. But even if announced who knows if that will make it available to people any earlier.
And the December 11 issue of the New York Times "Morning" edition headlined an important brief essay which includes multiple news links reviewing the Trump/Republican Party's attempt to overturn the election. It seems most Republican politicians are willing to promote Trump's lies in order to stay in "good standing" with the Republican Party, even if it means endangering our Democracy and the good people of this country as a result. I recommend this article: Falsehoods and Threats NY Times, The Morning, December 12, 2020
(Note: The Electoral Collage did affirm Biden as the President Elect, with no apparent disruption from Tradition, and Trump's Attorney General, William Bar, affirmed that there was no evidence of Election Fraud. Bar then wrote a letter of resignation from his post. // And technically there remains one last opportunity for Republicans to try to reject the results of the Election but Mitch McConnell has congratulated Biden in become President Elect and has pleaded with Republican Lawmakers to not try to reject the Electoral Collage Decision.)
A few interesting related new articles:
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This project was published in my
blog, but not posted on my
Welcome Page
December 11, 2020
My Pandemic-inspired photography projects:
STAY HOME Pandemic Project I May 5, 2020
Returning Home Pandemic Project II August 2, 2020
The Bird, The Angel of Tears . . . the Rain of Grace Pandemic Project III September 9, 2020
A Walk In Twilight Garden On A September's Eve Pandemic Project IV October 7, 2020
The Conference of the Birds and Their Flight To Union Pandemic Project V November 2, 2020
The Conference of the Birds, Part II: Selected Teachings of the Hoopoe Bird & 27 photographs Pandemic Project VI December 12, 2020
Welcome Page to The Departing Landscape blog which includes the complete hyperlinked listing of my online photography projects dating from the most recent to those dating back to the 1960's. You will also find on the Welcome Page my resume, contact information . . . and much more.
