With Lives at Stake, The President and His Cronies Can't Stop Lying

The Coronavirus (also know as Corvid-19) has reached the United States. As of Feb 26th, it has yet to be declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) but there is little doubt that day is near. It is near impossible to get accurate information about the virus because most governments involved, particularly our own can't stop lying to us about the disease. Coronavirus originated in China and has since spread to every continent except Antarctica.

A Chinese doctor, Li Wenliang tried to sound the alarm, sending a message to a group of Chinese doctors and warning them to wear protective clothing and take steps to avoid infection. Dr. Wenliang was summoned to the Public Security Bureau, forced to sign a letter admitting "making false comments" that had "severely disturbed the social order." The virus spread undeterred; Dr. Wenliang was himself diagnosed with the coronavirus on January 30th, he died on Feb. 7, 2020.

As the disease started spreading across the world, the United States' initial response was to insist that America was safe and not in harm's way. A week ago, America acknowledged 25 cases of the virus, including 14 infected on the cruise ship Diamond Princess which was quarantined in Japan before Americans were brought home by the government. The number of infected passengers (who have been quarantined in the United States) has risen to 40 with a total of 50 known people in the US that have contracted the disease.

After significant losses in the stock market which became alarmed about the global financial impact or Corvid-19, Donald Trump held a press conference on Feb. 26th where he downplayed the impact of the virus and highlighted his personal response to the crisis. He spoke repeatedly of 15 patients when the number is known to be much larger and growing. Trump used the press conference to attack Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. He said, "all they're trying to do is get a political advantage" while he himself tried to gain a political advantage.

Among the things Trump and others at the press conference didn't discuss is that America is woefully unprepared to even test for the virus. Only five states; California, Illinois, Nebraska, Washington, and Tennessee, have the ability to test for the coronavirus outside of the Center for Disease Control itself. While Trump is telling America that we have 15 cases which will be "down to one in a day or two," while career staff at the CDC have said, "it's a matter of when not if" the disease will spread in America. When it was pointed out only 500 people in America have been tested as opposed to other countries that have tested tens of thousands. Trump replied, "we're testing everyone we need to test." One of the doctors standing behind him rolled her eyes.

To assure the public; Trump announced the appointment of Vice-President Mike Pence as being in charge of the effort to combat the virus. Without regard to Pence's lack of scientific background. He's not made a public statement contradicting Trump since becoming his nominee in 2016. Is there any expectation he'll tell us the truth if Trump doesn't agree?

We also don't hear from the administration that they've gutted the ability of the American government to respond to the soon to be declared pandemic. Trump had defunded and eliminated positions begun in the Obama administration to fight the Ebola virus, leaving us woefully unprepared to attack the crisis because he dismantled the organizations in place best positioned for the fight.

Because of his history of this President, there was no surprise that he lied. It was unfortunate to learn that he appointed someone else to lead the response who has had a pattern of lying on Trump's behalf. Trump took the Rush Limbaugh approach of suggesting the coronavirus is like "the flu." Those on stage representing the CDC made statements disputing the President including that there is no vaccine for this season and not likely until next year. None of those people were allowed to take questions and the President effectively dismissed what the scientists said. When (and not if) the virus spreads across America, we are not likely to get the truth from our government which is a damn shame.