“Science, scientists, doctors and medical experts are the enemy of the people”.
Sorry for the fake quotation marks. Not quite yet.
Let’s take one real example: “The media is the enemy of the people” – I am sure it is familiar to most Americans, they must have heard it many times from Trump and his followers. Let’s look at it one word at a time.
“The media” according to one definition: - “The media encompass all communications that transmit facts or information to citizens and includes the mass media in print and on the radio, television, and Internet.”
“The Enemy” - “An enemy is a person who actively opposes someone or something.”
“The People” – the men, women, and children of a particular nation, community, or ethnic group.”
So, does the quoted statement above mean that any media (including Trump’s own tweets), is actively opposing “the men, women, and children of the USA”?
One recently implied, but not yet explicitly stated accusation (coming soon to a Trump rally near you) is:
“Science, scientists, doctors and medical experts are the enemy of the people”.
Read the article at: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white... - White House attempts to discredit Fauci 'absolutely outrageous': Gov. Larry Hogan
So now scientists and experts with decades long experience in dealing with pandemics are sidelined and accused of lying, being incompetent or dead wrong by politicians who have no experience, no education, no facts, but corrupt political ambitions.
My question to the believers: what is the IQ level of anyone who believes that a "99% harmless virus that causes symptoms of a mild flue" (one of Trump’s recent gems) can bring the US hospital system to the brink of collapse, maxing out their hospital capacity and filling the ICU beds with dying patients? Or that: "U.S. would have half the number of coronavirus cases if it did half the testing"? (Implication: if we stopped testing altogether, all would be healthy).
Trump’s answer would be the same as those he used repeatedly against journalists asking embarrassing questions: “This is a terrible question. This is a stupid question. How can you ask such a question? You are a terrible reporter.”
Good thing I am not a reporter, not even an American, only an independent observer of a friendly neighboring country. How long before this qualifies me to be the “enemy of the people?
PS. If you are a connoisseur of irony, take a look at "An Enemy of the People at Classical Theatre is Ibsen at His Boldest" at https://www.houstonpress.com/arts/rev...
Nothing is new in the history of our endlessly entertaining (if somewhat predictable) species.
I don't know if presidents Nixon or Johnson ever called Walter Cronkite "the enemy of the people", but I am sure, if he lived today, Trump would not hesitate to call him that and many other things. If you tell the "Inconvenient Truth" then, by definition, you are the enemy of the people. At least some people.
PPS. The White House press secretary made a surprising statement that highlights the issue: "When he says open, he means open in full ... The science should not stand in the way of this." Translation: "Reality shouldn't stand in Trump's way".
Let’s take one real example: “The media is the enemy of the people” – I am sure it is familiar to most Americans, they must have heard it many times from Trump and his followers. Let’s look at it one word at a time.
“The media” according to one definition: - “The media encompass all communications that transmit facts or information to citizens and includes the mass media in print and on the radio, television, and Internet.”
“The Enemy” - “An enemy is a person who actively opposes someone or something.”
“The People” – the men, women, and children of a particular nation, community, or ethnic group.”
So, does the quoted statement above mean that any media (including Trump’s own tweets), is actively opposing “the men, women, and children of the USA”?
One recently implied, but not yet explicitly stated accusation (coming soon to a Trump rally near you) is:
“Science, scientists, doctors and medical experts are the enemy of the people”.
Read the article at: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white... - White House attempts to discredit Fauci 'absolutely outrageous': Gov. Larry Hogan
So now scientists and experts with decades long experience in dealing with pandemics are sidelined and accused of lying, being incompetent or dead wrong by politicians who have no experience, no education, no facts, but corrupt political ambitions.
My question to the believers: what is the IQ level of anyone who believes that a "99% harmless virus that causes symptoms of a mild flue" (one of Trump’s recent gems) can bring the US hospital system to the brink of collapse, maxing out their hospital capacity and filling the ICU beds with dying patients? Or that: "U.S. would have half the number of coronavirus cases if it did half the testing"? (Implication: if we stopped testing altogether, all would be healthy).
Trump’s answer would be the same as those he used repeatedly against journalists asking embarrassing questions: “This is a terrible question. This is a stupid question. How can you ask such a question? You are a terrible reporter.”
Good thing I am not a reporter, not even an American, only an independent observer of a friendly neighboring country. How long before this qualifies me to be the “enemy of the people?
PS. If you are a connoisseur of irony, take a look at "An Enemy of the People at Classical Theatre is Ibsen at His Boldest" at https://www.houstonpress.com/arts/rev...
Nothing is new in the history of our endlessly entertaining (if somewhat predictable) species.
I don't know if presidents Nixon or Johnson ever called Walter Cronkite "the enemy of the people", but I am sure, if he lived today, Trump would not hesitate to call him that and many other things. If you tell the "Inconvenient Truth" then, by definition, you are the enemy of the people. At least some people.
PPS. The White House press secretary made a surprising statement that highlights the issue: "When he says open, he means open in full ... The science should not stand in the way of this." Translation: "Reality shouldn't stand in Trump's way".
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