Coronavirus, Trump, and Putin
Russia, Putin, and Trump
First, I thought that Trump was covering up the Russian-Taliban scandal of paying the Taliban to kill US soldiers, because there was an election in Russia. Time has now pushed back the Administration’s knowledge and trying to inform the President to early in 2019. The only way that the bounty would have worked, if all 60,000 Taliban were informed about it. It is hard to hide that from intelligence agencies or the military. It does not reveal any inside contacts or new detection capabilities.
Any other President would have made a big public fuss and discuss further sanctions against Russia for Putin altering the Russian Constitution to allow him two more 6 year terms. Putin still has 4 more years on his present 6 year term. Putin started and served two four year terms from 2000-2008. He then started his first six year term in 2012-2018, and is on his second six year term 2018-2024. With two more allowed six year term, he may serve until 2036. So sixteen years so far, still four more to serve to make 20, and an added 12 more years possible. That would make 32 years, a third of a century, and the equivalent of 8 American Administrations. Putin is 67 years old, and could rule to age 83. The alteration of the Russian Constitution for this is rather buried in the ballot. So Trump was trying not to rock Putin’s boat by mentioning this, or possibly to embarrass Putin by admitting to the bounties interference, which could engender more sanctions against Russia. We know what Putin has over Trump: Putin’s contacts and interference in Trump’s 2016 election, which Trump completely denies, after having been impeached over it.
Trump is Not the Lone Ranger
Of course, we cannot pass up Trump’s ante of comparing himself to the Lone Ranger. First of course, the Lone Ranger’s mask only covered his eyes, not his nose and mouth, which would also blur his speech. The Lone Ranger had been a Texas Ranger lawman, not someone who was pursued by the law and covering his back by appointing a subservient Attorney General, and appointing 200 subservient judges. The Lone Ranger was an exemplar of honesty, not emitting 20,000 lies or misleading statements in three and a half years. The Lone Ranger partnered with a Native-American, Tonto, unlike Trump with few minorities in his Cabinet or White House. The Lone Ranger saved people’s lives, instead of suing the Supreme Court to end the healthcare for 23 million Americans. (Finally, the Texas Governor issued a mandate for mask wearing, and no gatherings of more than 10 people. The Lone Ranger rides again.)
The Coronavirus is a Nuclear Explosion
The Coronavirus grows by a Reproductive factor R at each stage. With R greater than 1, it is exponential growth at N stages of R^N.. But all of the descriptions that people use to emphasize or minimize its growth only grow linear with stage N. A Train Wreck of N cars just hits one more car at stage, and eventually ends at N cars. An Ember glows out. Even a wildfire on a linear front, just grows linearly in area or stage N with time as the front moves forward at a constant rate. Spikes peak, and then decline. So does a Flare Up. Yet the exponential growth of R^N is the same math as a thermonuclear explosion. The increasing rate of growth of the Coronavirus keeps surprising people, but the rate of growth of an exponential is also the same exponential, not constant, as a linear process is. Let’s get this into people’s heads: it is a nuclear explosion, which can start with any asymptomatic carrier not wearing a mask.
The Tulsa Rally Legacy
Unfortunately, Herman Cain is hospitalized with the Coronavirus. He is 74 years old. He attended Trump’s crowded, unmasked, and vocal Tulsa rally. He tested positive a week after the rally. While Tulsa infections have grown, there has not been a tracing of the health of all those who attended the Rally, other than the sick Republican National Committee members and the two dozen quarantined Secret Service members.
The Coronavirus Rebels
Added to the difficulties caused by the modern day Rebels who refuse to wear masks, a few are now refusing to collaborate with contact tracers. Undoubtedly, they are very untrustworthy for self-quarantining also. They are, however, self-dooming themselves to an earthly Hell.
Trump, Military Base Names, and Confederate Statues
Trump is passing up the opportunity of a lifetime. There are at least three major military bases which Trump could attach his name to, by removing the names of the Confederacy. The only problem, is that military bases are named after those who actually served in the Military, not dodged it.
There are also on the order of a hundred Confederate statues, from which Trump could remove their heads, and install his own sculptures. He could also replace their swords with one of his golf clubs. He would still probably have to make a new one with him driving his golf cart. On the other hand, he would lose Southern votes. But if he preserves the monuments until after he is re-elected …
