Trump in a time of coronavirus

| 3:00 pm EST March 4, 2020
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

Trump in a time of coronavirus. The very idea is unsettling at best. Trump, of course, will blow it, people will die unnecessarily, and corruption will flourish. Biden is our only rational hope to get the country back on track, but in order to do this, we must know what’s ahead.

The news of the coronavirus is disturbing. The Influenza of 1918 had a 2.5% mortality rate, and this was at a time of no antibiotics nor modern hospitalization. Coronavirus, on the other hand, is coming in at 3.4% (higher than previously thought) even with all our medical advantages. There is no need to panic, but it’s a time to soberly face the future.

Having gone through the botched federal response to Katrina, I know preparation is important for the body and soul. Stockpile a month’s worth of canned goods, pet food, bottled water. Have a couple of bottles of rubbing alcohol around for public surfaces you may have to come in contact with. COVID 19 is an envelope virus which means it’s encased in an envelope of lipids. This is why plain old soap and water is effective against it: the lipid covering is destroyed by soap and water, and so then the virus falls apart.

The one sure thing Trump will not do is act with compassion. After you’ve taken your preliminary precautions, such as washing your hands and not touching your face, the next thing you need to do is be kind to your neighbor. See if your elderly friend needs help lugging cans of pet food. Don’t let fear win. Many people died in 1918 because people didn’t understand what was happening to their friends and family, and were unwilling to care for the sick. The way Trump wins is to create an “us” or “them” society. Don’t do it. COVID 19 is survivable. Trump will not be if he turns us against ourselves.

This is what Putin wants. He wants to destroy our American society. So make the effort now to be especially kind and compassionate. When we get to the other side of this, when Biden has taken the reins of our country and we are back on track, we want to be able to look in the mirror and say we kept our humanity, even if our President did not.