Just as I was beginning to feel less intimidated by the dreaded Covid-19, ominous news from China where they have a fresh outbreak in Beijing. A lockdown is threatened. Is this the beginning of a 2nd wave ? Then in the U.S., 9 States are hitting record highs with new cases. At least in China they are moving swiftly to contain the outbreaks, not so in America where the President’s lack of leadership and delusional behaviour literally imperil the nation. Today in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he is holding a rally with an expected attendance of 20,000 supporters. Indoors, if you can believe it. It may not be the Super-Bowl but it sure as hell has the possibility of being a super spreader event. The sheer irresponsibility is staggering. He then has the gall to require all attendees to sign a disclaimer absolving Trump of any responsibility should they catch Covid-19. Is this not the lowest of the low ?
Trump is in deep trouble. Now his former National Security Advisor John Bolton has savaged him in a new book. He claims Trump sought the help of Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, in his re-election campaign. According to Bolton” he stressed the importance of farmers and increased Chinese purchases of soya beans and wheat in the electoral outcome”. For good measure, he also told the Chinese Leader that he was doing “ the right thing” by incarcerating the Uighurs in internment camps. What will also make some people gulp is Trump told the Chinese Leader the people wanted to change the U.S. constitution so he could serve more than two terms. I know a few Americans that would dive for the smelling salts at the very thought of it. The book also confirmed what we already knew – Trump is clueless. He didn’t know that the U.K. was a nuclear power and thought Finland was “ kind of a satellite of Russia”. According to Bolton, Trump also thought it would be “cool” to invade Venezuela and that it was “ really part of the U.S.” Bolton is also scathing about Trump’s grasp of intelligence matters and in an interview with ABC News to be broadcast tomorrow, he says “ I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle”. However, the best description of all is reputed to come from Trump loyalist, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who considered the President to be “full of shit”. I couldn’t agree more.
So what of the state of our fine Republic, still without a government. I have a few thoughts on the matter. Finally Fianna Fail and Fine Gael go into coalition. Now tell me how many of you out there really think there is much to choose between them bar the personalities. I was asked to join one and at one stage was a candidate for another.
Will they merge ? Will they continue to co-exist ? What of the Greens ? Now I know a good few people who voted for them and they would be enraged if the Greens didn’t go into government. However, Catherine Martin’s call for a review every 2 months is naïve and unworkable. They need to be more realistic.