This copyrighted column - in part or in its entirety - may be freely shared among individuals, and it may be reprinted, republished, or quoted in any medium, including broadcast, cable, satellite, print, Internet, and other forms of media, but only when crediting Gary B. Duglin and The Controversy.
If you knew that a nuclear weapon had been detonated and that the radiation from such a bomb was approaching your hometown, but you had an underground protective shelter in your backyard, would you venture out to your favorite playground or would you hunker down and shield yourself until it was safe to come out and play? I think we all know the answer.
The COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic is another version of a nuclear explosion. COVID-19 is a disease that is waiting to attack. It's a missile parked in a silo. A nuclear blast needs to be triggered by human hands, or by a computer that has been programmed by the mind of a human. The coronavirus - as with all viruses - is generated through the mystery of science. Until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves an effective and safe for general use vaccine, there is no means to completely control the COVID-19 disease or the devastation that it and the coronavirus cause.
This is a terrifying moment in our lives today, and we need to safeguard ourselves from this deadly disease that could possibly kill millions of people in the United States, and perhaps tens of millions - or even hundreds of millions - worldwide. Therefore, my thoughts of doom and gloom are to encourage caution. Many health officials across America - who with their scientific and medical expertise - have determined that at least tens of thousands more Americans will die from the contagious coronavirus this year, because they are not staying home, not social distancing, and not wearing masks. I wonder if they are even washing their hands.
As this column is published, Worldometer reports that 91,981 Americans have died as a result of COVID-19 with a total of 1,550,294 coronavirus cases diagnosed in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts a minimum of 100,000 fatalities from the coronavirus by June 1st, 2020. COVID-19 is not simply going to "disappear" as Donald Trump seems to think, and the consensus of opinion by doctors and scientists is that a vaccine is, at best, 12 to 18 months away, even with the news on Monday, May 18th that a COVID-19 vaccine has shown positive results from Phase 1 of a clinical trial. The Cambridge, Massachusetts biotechnology company, Moderna, has created a vaccine that may protect people from getting the coronavirus. This first trial is encouraging, but many more studies - with a larger amount of patients - need to be performed. In Phase 1, 8 of the 45 people who participated in the trial showed that they developed neutralizing antibodies. It is those antibodies that scientists believe are instrumental in protecting humans from a virus that can be lethal. So far, the Moderna vaccine appears to be safe, with the only apparent side effect being some redness around the area where individuals received their injection. Otherwise, this small sampling of patients is tolerating the vaccine, but it will take additional phases to determine if the drug actually will work for the masses and be completely effective so that eventually COVID-19 and the coronavirus can become a nightmare of the past.
Prior to the announcement on May 18th about the Moderna vaccine trial, Donald Trump declared to the nation on Friday, May 15th, "Vaccine or no vaccine, we're back." Trump - in a word - is selfish. Oh there are many other words I could use to describe him, but he's a selfish scoundrel who is more interested in his re-election campaign than the safety and security of the American people. Trump will try to unethically and deceitfully convince voters that it will take him - and only him - for the economy to thrive. But Americans cannot allow Trump to personally succeed by implementing unscrupulous methods; not when the cost is going to be the lives of even one more person. Worldwide, there are currently nearly 4.9-million cases of coronavirus with about 321,000 fatalities around the globe.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor says 36.5-million people in our country have filed for unemployment. Americans are in desperate need of money. Acknowledged by Democrats, the U.S. House of Representatives - on May 15th - passed a coronavirus relief package at a price tag of 3-trillion dollars. The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act would give a second round of stimulus checks to millions of eligible adults and children, along with providing additional unemployment benefits. But the Republicans in the U.S. Senate are continuing their game of "follow the leader," and I don't just mean Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. They're doing Donald Trump's dirty work so that the bill won't even make it to The Oval Office desk for Trump to veto. Although McConnell and his GOP cohorts are dismissing the House measure, Trump told reporters on Wednesday, May 13th that the legislation is "DOA. Dead on arrival."
Trump cares about nobody but himself. We know that Trump's warped thinking makes it okay for him to have money, but Trump doesn't give a damn if the American people are starving and can't pay their rent or other monthly bills. If the Republican-controlled Senate refuses to pass the HEROES Act so that Trump doesn't have to sign it in to law, then the measure won't be the only thing that will be "dead on arrival." People don't have the funds to buy food for their families to eat. With schools closed - as a result of the pandemic - many students aren't being fed breakfast and lunch. They had relied on their schools, in the past, for that nourishment. Some schools - where students stayed late for extra-curricular activities - were, at times, also treated to dinner. But not anymore. People depend on our government to keep them alive with food, medicine and other health products; not to mention sanitary supplies, as well as personal hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste and toilet paper. Charitable outfits, including religious organizations, food banks and other community action groups, have stepped up to the plate to help people in need. But as much as they want to hit home runs for everyone, they can't. There's a tremendous demand for financial donations as local charities are overwhelmed by people who require assistance. It's tragic that so many of our population are dying from COVID-19 after being infected by the coronavirus, but without being provided with more federal tax-free money, more Americans - adults, and children too - will be taking unscheduled flights to heaven because they simply cannot afford to live.
It's been many years (not that I'm counting) since I was in school. But on Saturday, May 16th, an old friend of mine responded to some comments I made on Facebook about Donald Trump and the upcoming 2020 election against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee. I will include my social media post later in this column, but in it, I was relaying the views of someone else who had read one of my earlier editorials. Since my high school friend's name appears on Facebook - and because she graciously welcomed me to identify her in this commentary - I share with you her thoughts.
In her remarks, Laura Hagen Fairbanks wrote, "I have two fears: 1) Trump will claim the election to be a fraud and he will refuse to leave office resulting in chaos and violence, and 2) Our country will not unify and the hatred of minorities and people who oppose Trump will grow even stronger and become more acceptable. Whatever the outcome of the 2020 election, January 20th, 2021 will be a scary day."
Laura, constitutionally, once the clock strikes 12 noon on January 20th, 2021 - assuming that on November 3rd, 2020 Joe Biden is elected to be the 46th President of the United States - Donald Trump, if necessary, would be forced by the U.S. military to leave The White House. Trump would no longer be commander-in-chief. Plus, the U.S. Secret Service - which was previously under the Department of the Treasury but is now under the Department of Homeland Security - is part of the Executive Branch of our federal government. A newly sworn-in President Biden would order Secret Service agents, accompanied by members of our armed forces, to escort Trump - in handcuffs, if need be - off the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Therefore, I'm not concerned about Trump "refus(ing) to leave office." Whether there is "chaos and violence" - which you are fearful of - our nation is more polarized today than ever before. Therefore, as a divided country, I can't speak for any uneducated individuals throughout our republic who might incite riots because they don't want to abide by the U.S. Constitution and accept a smooth transition of government. But I do believe that despite the hatred that certain Republicans have for Democrats, Americans overall are lawful, and I am confident - although many who vote for Trump will express anger and will spew their venom in public protests and on social media if (or as I believe when) he does lose the election - there will not be the bloodbath that unfortunately you, Laura, and others might expect.
Frankly, I'm troubled that Americans would even inquire whether Donald Trump could legally postpone or cancel the November 3rd election. Although the U.S. Constitution says that it's up to Congress to determine the date of the election, a law was enacted in 1948 which defines exactly when the U.S. presidential election shall be held. "The electors of President and Vice President shall be appointed, in each State, on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, in every fourth year succeeding every election of a President and Vice President." Of course that does mean that Congress could revise such a date, but with a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, there are two chances of that ever happening this year. Slim and none. And slim just got run over by a Joe Biden campaign bus. But let's just say - for argument's sake - that Congress did take it upon itself to change the date, Trump would still be out of office come January 20th of next year. The 20th Amendment reads as follows. "The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January." The bottom line is that a U.S. President is required to make his exit from The White House after serving his or her four-year term unless he or she has been re-elected for a second term. Oh I know there are some of you who believe that Trump could declare a second national emergency - as he did originally on March 13th because of the coronavirus pandemic - and that by doing so he would have the power to do whatever he wants as President. Well, you'd be wrong. In 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "The Founders of this Nation entrusted the lawmaking power to the Congress alone in both good and bad times. It would do no good to recall the historical events, the fears of power, and the hopes for freedom that lay behind their choice." In the High Court's decision, the following is what was written in response to a President's claim of emergency power and the thoughts behind our Founding Fathers' words in our Constitution. "They knew what emergencies were, knew the pressures they engender for authoritative action, knew, too, how they afford a ready pretext for usurpation. We may also suspect that they suspected that emergency powers would tend to kindle emergencies. Aside from suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in time of rebellion or invasion, when the public safety may require it, they made no express provision for exercise of extraordinary authority because of a crisis. I do not think we rightfully may so amend their work."
Donald Trump doesn't like to lose. But then, nobody does. And although he unfortunately remains the current President of the United States, Trump does not hold the title of king. We have no kings in our country. We have no monarchs. Donald Trump is not, and cannot be, a dictator; at least not in America. Authoritarianism will not be accepted in the United States.
But to do it now - when American lives are at stake - is a travesty. That's why I applaud Dr. Anthony Fauci - the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infecious Diseases - who, on Tuesday, May 12th, testified before a Senate panel and told the lawmakers that by states re-opening prematurely, "the consequences could be really serious." On Thursday, May 14th,
Dr. Rick Bright, a Ph.D. immunologist and the recently fired Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), testifed before a House of Representatives subcommittee and warned Members of Congress and our nation that with a resurgence of coronavirus cases post-summer, we could be facing our "darkest winter in modern history" later this year, which, Dr. Bright says, would be "greatly compounded by the seasonal influenza." Nine days earlier on Tuesday, May 5th, Dr. Bright filed a whistleblower complaint with allegations that the Trump administration ignored his early warnings about the coronavirus. Dr. Bright claims he was terminated from his directorship position in retaliation for those warnings and because he opposed the use of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. The drug was promoted by Donald Trump even though it has been known to possibly cause irreversible blindness and/or damage to the heart which can result in death. But on Monday, May 18th, Trump told reporters that he has been taking one dose of hydroxychloroquine everyday for about a week-and-a-half and that "I'm still fine." The Food and Drug Administration stated recently that nobody should take hydroxychloroquine "outside of a hospital setting or a clinical trial due to a risk of heart rhythm problems" and because the drug is currently not approved to treat COVID-19. The FDA and the CDC say there is not enough medical data available to prove that hydroxychloroquine is a cure for COVID-19 or that it can prevent a person from being infected by the coronavirus. Only some small amounts of research have suggested that the drug could possibly be beneficial. But with potentially fatal side effects, taking the medication is not worth the risk.
It's baffling to even imagine - let alone know as a fact - that the President of the United States is using a drug that doctors have advised is not a proven treatment for the coronavirus - and is certainly not a preventive measure against COVID-19. Still, Trump is taking the pill anyway and says, "I'm still here." It's mind-boggling that his Republican base continues to not only listen to Trump, but that they look up to him. I have for three-and-a-half years - in many other columns - branded Donald Trump as reckless and dangerous. But his actions now are not only harmful to himself, but to other people who will find a way - whether legally or illegally - to get hold of a supply of hydroxychloroquine and take it without any medical consultation or any ongoing supervision by a physician. And why? Just because Trump says it's okay to do so. I can't for the life of me understand what it is that Republicans see in Trump that cause them to continue their love affair with him. If this latest form of recklessness doesn't confirm what I have stated - since Trump became a candidate nearly five years ago - that he is unfit to serve as President, then I suppose nothing will. Trump first embraced hydroxychloroquine back on April 6th with much optimism about the risky drug and he echoed his initial sentiments on May 18th. "What do you have to lose?' Well, let me tell you, Donald. Your life.
As of today, 49 of our 50 states are at least partially open for business. Only Connecticut is totally shut down. But some people today are partying in bars and on beaches as if they were indestructible and invincible, while others remain locked-down in self-quarantine at home. Americans want their freedom. I want my freedom. But I want my life. And if I catch the coronavirus, my life could end. That's why I've been self-quarantined for 67 days, so far. Tragically, death is going to come to more Americans because Donald Trump and the governors of our states seem to care more about saving money than saving lives. Medical experts, including Dr. Fauci and other infectious disease gurus, strongly believe there could be a second wave of COVID-19 - another outbreak of coronavirus - come autumn, and that it might not be possible to control. Joe Biden has not minced words about Trump's failure to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic, and Trump's "delay in taking the necessary steps to safeguard our nation." The former Vice President says that Trump has flunked big-time with his poor economic agenda. On Friday, May 8th, Mr. Biden blamed Trump because he "has gotten the virus response wrong. The jobs and unemployment numbers are just the beginning. His mistakes will also mean it takes more time to recover from this. We are already seeing the tell-tale hallmarks of Trump-o-nomics in the way he is implementing the crisis response efforts; no strings, no oversight, no accountability. I have started to think of it as the Corrupt Recovery."
A recent poll from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research says only 23 percent of Americans have high levels of trust in what Donald Trump is telling the public about the coronavirus pandemic. I'm amazed the number isn't lower as Trump's lack of leadership, his incompetence, his negligence, his deceitful ways (all those lies) and his apathetic response to the COVID-19 disease confirms what I have written for three-and-a-half years, that Trump is not what an American President should be.
Barack Obama, however, is what a U.S. President should be, and we were fortunate to have him leading our country for 8 years. Our 44th President has finally decided - and I'm glad he has - to take off the gloves and give #45 a verbal beating. On Wednesday, May 6th, audio from a private telephone conversation was leaked with President Obama telling former members of his staff that the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was "an absolute chaotic disaster." On May 8th, Trump commenced a plot that continued over a course of a week or so and became, at one point, a Twitter tirade as he - in all uppercase letters - tweeted about "OBAMAGATE!" Trump made up in his head what he called the "greatest political crime in the history of our country," and that both President Obama and Vice President Biden should be locked up behind prison bars. But when reporters inquired about this so-called "crime," Trump refused to explain.
In a virtual graduation speech for the Class of 2020, which aired on Saturday night, May 16th as part of a nationally televised special on all the major broadcast and cable news networks, President Obama - without mentioning Trump's name - continued to chide and even scold the current Oval Office occupant. "Do what feels good, what's convenient, what's easy, that's how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way, which is why things are so screwed up."
Trump punched back at Mr. Obama on Monday, May 18th. "I think President Obama was one of the worst Presidents in the history of our country. I think he was an incompetent President."
Meanwhile, as for an investigation in to President Obama and Vice President Biden, Attorney General William Barr shocked Donald Trump (and I'm sure a hell of a lot of other people) on May 18th when Barr vowed, "As long as I'm Attorney General, the criminal justice system will not be used for partisan political ends. We live in a very divided country right now, and I think that it is critical that we have an election where the American people are allowed to make a decision, a choice, between (Donald) Trump and Vice President Biden, based on a robust debate of policy issues, and we cannot allow the process to be hijacked by efforts to drum up criminal investigations of either candidate. And I'm committed that this election will be conducted without this kind of interference. Any effort to pursue an investigation of either candidate has to be approved by me."
I have two theories. Is this another plot - a secret conspiracy - that Trump and Barr cooked up so that the American people think there won't be any shenanigans by the Trump administration during the 2020 campaign? Or was Trump truly blindsided by Barr's remarks? If so, anyone want to bet that Trump will be giving Barr the boot in the not too distant future?
As a self-described ultra-progressive liberal Democrat, I'm smart enough to know that it would be impossible for an ultra-progressive to win the presidency in 2020. Therefore, in no way was an ultra-progressive going to get enough support to first claim victory as the Democratic nominee. I staunchly supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and vigorously campaigned for the former Secretary of State. I am doing the same now for Joe Biden and endorse him with the same loyalty and commitment. Although both Vice President Biden and
Secretary Clinton are Democrats - and may be recognized as liberals - neither is as progressive as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont or Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Sanders - as we all know - has tried twice to get the Democratic nomination and he has failed both times. Warren couldn't even win the primary in her own home state. Hopefully, the progressives throughout our country - be them Democrats or Independents - don't do to Mr. Biden what they did to Mrs. Clinton four years ago. If they cut their noses to spite their faces, and they stay home on election day - which 77,744 people in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin did in 2016, then Trump (or whomever the Republican nominee ends up being) will defeat Vice President Biden. Those irrational individuals in the three aforementioned states had all cast their ballots for President Obama in 2012. But because these voters were Sanders' supporters in 2016 - and because Hillary Clinton, for whatever their reasons, gave them a bad taste in their mouths - they refused to pull the lever in favor of Mrs. Clinton. Plus, Senator Sanders didn't do right four years ago as he took to slinging mud at Secretary Clinton and didn't endorse her until shortly before the Democratic convention. By that point, Sanders was not going to convince enough of his devoted fans that their allegiance should change over to Mrs. Clinton. This go-round, Sanders wholeheartedly put his weight behind Joe Biden much earlier, so did Senator Warren and every other Democratic candidate in the 2020 field. I'm hoping that progressives nationwide will realize that if they don't vote for Vice President Biden on November 3rd, it could mean that Donald Trump (or some other Republican) will be elected for another term; which will not only be disaster and destruction for our country over the next four years, but to repair the damage will likely take many generations.
It's possible, during the next presidential term, that one or more U.S. Supreme Court Justices will either retire or die, thus a Republican President with a Republican-led Senate would add another conservative jurist (or perhaps more) and change our country for decades to come. As a result, America would go back to the days where women had no reproductive rights (say goodbye to Pro-Choice and Roe vs. Wade) as abortions would become illegal. Marriage equality would go away (say goodbye to gays being allowed to wed) and the LGBTQ community would lose the rights they are entitled and now rightfully granted. "Obamacare" would be
gone and, therefore, people with pre-existing health conditions would not be able to get insurance. Immigrants would be banned from a country that was created and built because of immigrants. And, we could likely return to the days of the Old West. I certainly would not want everybody walking around carrying Colt .45 handguns or Winchester .44-40 rifles as if they were The Lone Ranger or Lucas McCain.
The above examples are just a few of the downfalls by electing Donald Trump or another Republican for a succeeding term. Any American who is contemplating giving his or her vote to Trump should carefully think again before casting their ballot, and then they need to vote only for Joe Biden and all Democratic candidates in the Senate and the House of Representatives. It's long overdue for The White House and both chambers of Congress to be controlled by the Democrats. America has suffered enough after four years with Trump and six years with a majority of Republicans in the Senate. We have to sideline the GOP so that America can proceed forward and move in a direction that will benefit our nation as a whole, not just for the privileged few. I have no problem with the super-rich getting richer. God bless them. But God blesses everybody. It's time for our nation to give God a helping hand. In 2020, there should be NO poverty in America. No person in the United States should EVER go to bed hungry. No person in the United States should EVER be homeless. The minimum wage - as I presented in a column many years ago - should be $16 an hour, and billionaires should pay much more in taxes. It disgusts me when the CEO of a corporate giant is earning hundreds of millions of dollars in salary and bonuses while some of his workers are making $7.25 an hour. Oh there are some respectable CEOs with integrity who are decent and who do what's right, but others need to follow in their footsteps. You'll observe that I introduce these wealthy corporate billionaires as males; noting "his workers." If men are going to make big bucks then women should too. Gender should not determine an individual's income. Therefore, women should be paid exactly the same as men when they hold equal credentials and perform the same jobs.
Earlier in this column, I referenced remarks I posted on Facebook, which received feedback from my high school friend, Laura Hagen Fairbanks. She reacted to the following comments. "A reader wrote me in response to my May 7th, 2020 column for The Controversy and suggested, 'What sweet irony if (Donald) Trump gets the virus, now that the virus is within The White House.' My reply was as follows. 'As for Donald Trump becoming infected with the coronavirus, I've always written that I don't wish any harm to Trump. I just want him to be voted out of office on November 3rd and be so humiliated by what I think is going to be a landslide victory by Vice President Joe Biden. So no, I don't hope Trump gets the virus. I want him on January 20th, 2021, just after 12 noon, just after President Biden takes the oath of office, just after our 46th President delivers his inaugural address, I want with huge fanfare for special agents of the FBI - on live television - to put handcuffs on
Trump and arrest him for all the crimes he committed and that the Republicans in the U.S. Senate (except for the courageous Senator Mitt Romney of Utah) wouldn't recognize in Trump's Senate trial after the Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives impeached Trump. I want Trump as a civilian to be indicted and to stand trial in criminal court on charges of extortion, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, campaign finance violations, tax fraud, bank fraud and anything else that the Department of Justice and prosecutors can drum up for a judge and jury to examine at such a trial."
sounded all the sirens, to someone who is an accessory to the arsonist. In a Sunday, May 17th interview with moderator Chuck Todd on the NBC News broadcast Meet The Press, Navarro took a page out of the Donald Trump playbook by pointing the finger of blame for the large scale coronavirus catastrophe away from Trump and his White House cronies. Navarro - who has no medical training - seems to think, despite his lack of knowledge when it comes to coronavirus testing, that he can accuse and attack medical professionals of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Early on in this crisis, the CDC - which really had the most trusted brand around the world in this space - really let the country down with the testing, because not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy, they had a bad test, and that set us back." But as with most people in Donald Trump's orbit, Navarro has put his boss above our country and above the American people. He should have gone public with his information from January and February, or - at the very least - leaked the information to The New York Times or The Washington Post, and come clean in an effort to protect the people of our nation and our planet. The
day after Navarro's first memo, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on January 30th reportedly urged Trump in a telephone conversation to be concerned of a possible pandemic. The New York Times says Trump's attitude was that "Azar was being an alarmist." But when Trump finally acknowledged that the coronavirus was real, any logical thinking person would not have trusted
anything he said over the scientific and medical expertise of Dr. Fauci and other health officials. As was tweeted by @NYinLA2121 on Saturday, May 16th, "Even the idiots on Gilligan's Island listened to the professor and not the millionaire."
America needs to care more about its people. We are created by a supreme being more powerful than any politician, any CEO, or any other person. It's time America becomes an America that would make God proud and that would make Him smile. I doubt very much that He's happy today.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
Please express your personal opinions by following the instructions printed at the top of this column. And thank you for reading The Controversy.
Photo credits:
1 - Alex Brandon/The Associated Press (Donald Trump)
2 - Leah Millis/Reuters (U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell)
3 - Michael Brochstein/Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media/Getty Images (Former Vice President Joe Biden)
4 - Cynthia Hagen (Laura Hagen Fairbanks)
5 - CNN Screenshot (Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D.)
6 - MSNBC/NBC News Screenshot (Dr. Rick Bright, Ph.D.)
7 - SpringHill Entertainment/Done and Dusted Productions/XQ Institute (Former President Barack Obama)
8 - MSNBC/NBC News Screenshot (Attorney General William Barr)
9 - ABC News Screenshot (Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton)
10 - Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press (U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders)
11 - Ethan Miller/Getty Images (U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren)
12 - Jack Wrather Productions (Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger)
13 - Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions/Four Star Productions (Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain of The Rifleman)
14 - Getty Images (U.S. Senator Mitt Romney)
15 - NBC News/Meet The Press Screenshot (Chuck Todd and Director of the National Trade Council Peter Navarro)
16 - Tom Brenner/Reuters (Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar)
17 - Sherwood Schwartz Productions/Gladasya Productions/CBS Productions/United Artists Television (Cast of Gilligan's Island)
Copyright 2020 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
I always agree 120% with what Gary Duglin says. He researches copiously and knows all the facts. He gets all those photos. And his arguments are always air-tight.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's perhaps the best comment I've received for my column in nearly 8 years of The Controversy. Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate your kind words and I'm grateful for such loyalty. Please keep reading and please share links to my editorials with others via email and social media. Many thanks again. GBD
DeleteOnce again you have proven that you are delusional and have no idea what you are talking about. Please stop believing that Trump is going to be arrested and perp walked by the FBI. It's never going to happen. In stead of repeating what the media makes up, get out in the real world and see what is really happening. The scientists and "experts" haven't made a correct prediction yet. Go back through the timeline and see what they were saying and what really happened. Not even close, or did I miss the 2 million bodies. The numbers have been inflated since more deaths mean more federal money. At least 25% of the Covid deaths are not real, but assumed. Dr. Fauci has been compromised and politicized. That why he sent his remarks to the Senate to the media the night before and is loving hanging out with celebrities. If you want to stay locked down in your safe space, that is your choice. The rest of us with a little more testosterone than you are going to enjoy our lives. Get used to Trump being in the White House for another 4 years. you won't stop it. Go out and enjoy life and give up this political writing. You're just no good at it. Or if you insist on trying to make people think you are so smart about politics, at least be honest about it. Go get a tattoo that says "Craftsman" since you are such a tool.
ReplyDeleteMy response to the above reader will be in three parts.
DeletePART ONE OF THREE
Well, well, well, one day I get comments from a reader who says - as the person submitted above, "I always agree 120% with what Gary Duglin says. He researches copiously and knows all the facts. He gets all those photos. And his arguments are always air-tight." But today, I get comments from a right-wing hater, who wants to use insults to try to make his or her point. I could play your game and use offensive words, but I'm a bigger person than you are and, therefore, I'll just stick to the facts, and I will base my views on those facts.
I truly hope that you are correct with regards to the coronavirus, but I don't think you are and neither does the CDC, the NIH, the WHO, or anyone else that makes up the genius in that alphabet soup of doctors. And they are geniuses, and they know a hell of a lot more than you, or me, or any of the politicians, especially Donald Trump. So you can call me "delusional," but I happen to know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I'm not going to use The Controversy as a forum to brag about my own knowledge and credentials (after all, that's what Trump does and he doesn't have a clue about anything), but you're going to see that I am right with my thoughts.
You can believe what you want, but career/non-partisan Justice Department officials in Washington, DC have noted - as has the branch (so to speak) in New York City (the Southern District of New York) - that should Trump not be re-elected (which I don't think he will be) then criminal charges are going to be filed against him for various crimes; many of which I listed in my column. So your words "It's never going to happen" is way off base. I have learned over the last five years since Trump became a candidate, then the Republican nominee, and then an Electoral College win (not the popular vote) that nobody can ever say "It's never going to happen." About 66 million Americans thought four years ago that "It's never going to happen" when Trump moved in to The White House. And millions of Republicans during the 2016 campaign thought "It's never going to happen" when so many thought that Trump couldn't get the GOP nomination.
I don't "repeat" - as you say - "what the media makes up." First of all, the media - at least the credible media not Fox News - makes up nothing. Secondly, as a journalist I'm part of that media and have been for decades. Thirdly, (and here I will toot my horn a bit), I'm an Associated Press award winner.
The "real world" - as you call it - is looking at more death because of the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic. The scientists, doctors and other medical experts are the people who everyone needs to follow and listen to because they know what's best, not Donald Trump who takes a drug that has been widely advised as dangerous by the FDA, the CDC and doctors nationwide as either a treatment or preventive measure for COVID-19 and the coronavirus. Trump is reckless and mentally ill. I do not say that as a form of hatred (as Republicans will say about Democrats), I do not say that to be funny, facetious or ludicrous. Trump has serious mental issues and is unbalanced, unstable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. Anyone who suggests to Americans that we should inject ourselves or consume disinfectants such as Clorox or Lysol needs to be taken away by men in white coats to an institution and monitored for he is a very, very sick man. Under normal circumstances, I would feel sorry for such a person, but Trump is not only harming himself but others like you who want to believe him as you continue to make him some sort of a god-like creature. As I noted in my column, I will never understand why you and others in the Trump base honor him with any respect or belief of any kind.
GBD
END OF PART ONE OF THREE
PART TWO OF THREE
DeleteYou question, "Did I miss the 2 million bodies?" Well, I certainly hope and pray that such a number is not realized, but with the incompetence, negligence and lies that continue to be told by Donald Trump and other Republicans, Americans who are believing them may very well end up being part of that 2-million bodies; part of the 2-million people (or more) who could die as a result of the coronavirus. But remember, it was one of Trump's own people - who now is two-faced - who went to Trump three months ago and warned him about the possibility of up to 2-million deaths because of COVID-19. As I wrote in my column, "In his second troubling memo - which was directed to Trump himself on February 23rd - (Peter) Navarro's words were even more alarming as he alerted Trump that up to two-million Americans could succumb to the disease. 'There is an increasing probability of a full-blown COVID-19 pandemic that could infect as many as 100-million Americans, with a loss of life of as many as one-to-two million souls.'" The numbers have not - as you say - been "inflated" because people are still dying. You're a fool if you truly believe that "at least 25 percent of the COVID deaths are not real." You can insult Dr. Fauci all day long. I'm sure he has a thick enough skin to take it. I don't think any of the nation's physicians and other scientists, who are working their butts off to help others, cares anything about "hanging out with celebrities." You're awfully shallow if you have such a low opinion of these great people who are putting every ounce of their strength in to helping Americans (and others around the world) with their efforts.
As for your remark about Dr. Fauci and giving the media a heads-up on what he was going to testify before the Senate, you distort the truth. Dr. Fauci sent an email to The New York Times, which he had every right to do. In that email, Dr. Fauci wrote, "If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to 'Open America Again,' then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country. This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal." And I believe him. I trust that he's right. I pray that he's wrong. But I trust that he is right.
Do I "want to stay locked down" in a safe space? No. But I do like to live. I have a lot more to accomplish in my life and I have every intention to do so. It's no secret - as I've discussed it in other columns over the years - but I'm a two-time cancer survivor. I believe God has kept me around for a reason. I'm going to fight to stay alive and do what I can - even in my small way as one person out of the nearly 8-billion people on the planet Earth - to make a difference in this world, and I'm not going to risk my life. We all make stupid mistakes in our lives, but when it's recommended by medical experts to "stay home," then that's what I'm going to do. You can risk your life, if you like, but I wish you well with that. For your sake, if you have a spouse, children, a mother and father, siblings, other family members and loved ones, I hope they don't have to be standing over your grave because you died from the coronavirus.
GBD
END OF PART TWO OF THREE
PART THREE OF THREE
DeleteI have plenty of "testosterone," thank you very much, but I want to enjoy my life far in to the future. You and others may want to "enjoy our lives" today, but you need to think about tomorrow.
I'm confident (although as I said earlier, I will never say "It's never going to happen") but I am confident that Trump is going to lose, and lose big-time on November 3rd. I posted the following on social media earlier today. "Cable news use 2016 election to predict 2020 with scenarios for Biden win or Trump win. Throw 2016 away. BIDEN WINS IN LANDSLIDE!"
You're entitled to your opinion that I'm "just no good" at "political writing." You can accuse me of not being "smart about politics." You can try to offend me by calling me "a tool." But I lack no mental capacity. I know that I am smart, intelligent, and I have plenty of self-esteem. And with the abundance of readership that I have your opinion about me personally is worthless. I'll alway welcome your views or anyone else's when it comes to the issues. Generally, I don't publish remarks by people who attack me personally, but in this case, I gave you your soapbox. I'll let you get away with it once, but not again.
Obviously, you're the one with no self-esteem. My name and face are front and center of this column. You, however, cowardly remain anonymous.
GBD
END OF PART THREE OF THREE