Trump Blows It Again
AJ Robinson

Well, here we go again, another crisis and another idiotic response from The Great Orange, Donald John Trump. Recently, we had to deal with Hurricane Dorian. Now, overall, the United States lucked out, our damage and loss of life was minimal, especially here in Florida.

The Bahamas were not so lucky.

Not only was Dorian a Category 5 storm, it moved at the speed of snail, as my wife Jo Ann would say, for several days. At times, Dorian moved so slowly that a person walking could out pace and out distance it. Unfortunately, there’s one very bad thing if you’re on an island during a hurricane: there comes a point where there’s no more land to walk, you hit the water and have to stop or swim; also unfortunately, it was a bit too far to swim for help.

The people of the Bahamas ran out of land. They were compelled to ride out Dorian for several days. Now, think about that, sitting in your home as winds in excess of 185 mph roar around you for not merely a couple hours, not just one day, no, those winds, rain and storm surge pummeled the area for a couple of days.

I think I heard of one area having the storm sit directly over it for about forty hours. Now, that’s not including the initial feeder bands of the storm hitting the region and then the tail end, lingering, lurking to deliver one final swipe. Granted, the start and finish weren’t as severe as the eye wall of the storm, but when the wind guts to over 200 mph, is a hit by only 100-to-150 mph winds a relief?

Now, as always following a storm such as Dorian, people in areas not hit immediately think of providing relief. Cruise ships steamed to the island to deliver food and water, and then ferried people to safety. Different American and international agencies sprang into action; boats of all types arrived bringing food and water, medical supplies and staff and workers to look for survivors and the injured.

Something else happened, too. Although not typical, at least from previous administrations, it is what we’ve come to expect from Trump and his minions. First, there was Sharpie-Gate or, as some people are also calling it, President Sharpie.

I love that a number of hashtags are trending with that and similar labels. As you no doubt know, The Great Orange, again, made a mistake. He said the hurricane might hit the state of Alabama.

Back a lie or lose your job.

Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service and Hurricane Tracking Center immediately made it clear that this was not the case; they didn’t want to cause a panic in that state. As Trump refuses to admit such a thing as he being in error could ever happen, he has spent most of the last week going on and on about how he was right. I’ve lost track of the number of tweets he sent on this topic.

Trump used a Sharpie to alter, ostensibly, a weather map to try to give credence to this silly notion, of Dorian striking Alabama. Staff at NOAA was not to contradict the Great Leader, at the risk, we now know, of losing their jobs. Can you believe that?

That threat is something out of North Korea. What’s scary is that it actually made. An agency of the US Federal Government, charged with the unambiguous dissemination of scientifically accurate information, essentially committed perjury and lied to the public. Now we have to worry for the future.

I mean, think on it. What happens the next time something of scientific importance occurs? Now, I’m not talking only of Climate Change; Trump and his minions have effectively crushed all opposition within the government to their version of reality in that arena.

Take vaccinations, for example. What if an anti-vaxxer convinces Trump protecting children from mumps, measles, polio and so forth is unnecessary. What will happen if Trump, as a result, declares vaccinations wrong? Is the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) going to support him?

Take pesticides, for example. The Trump administration is already loosening regulations on many poisons. Toxins may soon saturate the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.

Take the next hurricane, for example, and Trump declares it headed for one state or another. Do we deploy relief workers there? Do we evacuate the area; maybe move people right into the true path of the storm? Sounds silly, but if NOAA and the Weather Service back up his lie, what happens?

Then, to add more injuries and insults to an already painful situation, Trump may next declare there are thugs and criminals among the refugees, of Dorian, and only people with proper documentation can enter the US from the Bahamas. I guess that’s probably code for only Whites need apply. Gee, sounds very familiar, doesn’t it?

A Trump Dynasty?

I never thought the aftermath of a major hurricane would worsen from the mere words of my president. Of course, I never thought we’d have the worst president in the history of our nation in my lifetime. The worst may not be over, as the Trump 2020 campaign manager says the plan is for a Trump Dynasty.