By Robert Reich
Donald Trump said last Thursday’s jobs report, which showed an uptick in June, proves the economy is “roaring back.”
Rubbish. The Labor Department gathered the data during the week of June 12, when America was reporting 25,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day. By the time the report was issued last week, that figure was 55,000.
The economy isn’t roaring back. Just over half of working-age Americans have jobs now, the lowest ratio in over 70 years. What’s roaring back is Covid-19. Until it’s tamed, the economy doesn’t stand a chance.
The surge in cases isn’t because America is doing more tests for the virus, as Trump contends. Cases are rising even where testing is declining. In Wisconsin, cases soared 28% over the past two weeks, as the number of tests decreased by 14%. Hospitals in Texas, Florida and Arizona are filling up with Covid-19 patients. Deaths are expected to resume their gruesome ascent.
The surge is occurring because America reopened before Covid-19 was contained.
Trump was so intent on having a good economy by Election Day that he resisted doing what was necessary to contain the virus. He left everything to governors and local officials, then warned that the “cure” of closing the economy was “worse than the disease.” Trump even called on citizens to “liberate” their states from public health restrictions.
Yet he still has no national plan for testing, contact tracing and isolating people with infections. Trump won’t even ask Americans to wear masks. Last week, Democrats accused him of sitting on nearly $14 billion in funds for testing and contact tracing that Congress appropriated in April.
It would be one thing if every other rich nation in the world botched it as badly as has America. But even Italy—not always known for the effectiveness of its leaders or the pliability of its citizens—has contained the virus and is reopening without a resurgence.
There was never a conflict between containing Covid-19 and getting the economy back on track. The first was always a prerequisite to the second. By doing nothing to contain the virus, Trump has not only caused tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths but put the economy into a stall.
The uptick in jobs in June was due almost entirely to the hasty reopening, which is now being reversed.
Arizona’s Republican governor, Doug Ducey initially refused to order masks and even barred local officials from doing so. Last week he closed all gyms, bars and movie theaters. The governors of Florida, Texas and California have also reimposed restrictions. Officials in Florida’s Miami-Dade county recently approved reopening of movie theaters, arcades, casinos, concert halls, bowling halls and adult entertainment venues. They have now re-closed them.
And so on across America. A vast re-closing is underway, as haphazard as was the reopening. In the biggest public health emergency in US history, in which nearly 130,000 have already lost their lives, still no one is in charge.
Brace yourself. Not only will the virus take many more lives in the months ahead, but millions of Americans are in danger of becoming destitute. Extra unemployment benefits enacted by Congress in March are set to end July 31. About one in five people in renter households are at risk of eviction by September 30. Delinquency rates on mortgages have more than doubled since March.
An estimated 25 million Americans have lost or will lose employer-provided health insurance. America’s fragile childcare system is in danger of collapse, with the result that hundreds of thousands of working parents will not be able to return to work even if jobs are available.
What is Trump and the GOP’s response to this looming catastrophe? Nothing. Senate Republicans are trying to ram through a $740 billion defense bill while ignoring legislation to provide housing and food relief.
They are refusing to extend extra unemployment benefits beyond July, saying the benefits are keeping Americans from returning to work. In reality, it’s the lack of jobs.
Trump has done one thing, though. He’s asked the Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act. If the court agrees, it will end health insurance for 23 million more Americans and give the richest 0.1% a tax cut of about $198,000 a year.
This is sheer lunacy. The priority must be to get control over this pandemic and help Americans survive it, physically and financially. Anything less is morally indefensible.
Robert Reich is the Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a senior fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. He served as secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the the twentieth century. The author of many books, including the best-sellers Aftershock, The Work of Nations, Beyond Outrage and, Saving Capitalism. He is also a founding editor of The American Prospect magazine, chairman of Common Cause, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary, “Inequality For All.” Reich’s newest book is “The Common Good.” He’s co-creator of the Netflix original documentary “Saving Capitalism,” which is streaming now.
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Veteran says
Shocker! Reich is a life long liberal Democrat. How about blaming China. They allowed it to escape throughout the world but kept it to one area in China. Trump had the best economy in many years until the virus arrived, but of course it’s all his fault.
Td1 says
Government stats :
GDP growth under trump : 2.5 , under Obama 2.3
Last 3 years of Obama : 8.1 million jobs created
Last 3 years under trump : 6.6 million
Obama took over in 2008 at 10% unemployment , average monthly job loss was 750k/ month , the Great Recession if you recall ?
Steve B says
Thank God we have TRUMPH as our PRESIDENT !!!!
Trailer Bob says
But to be fair and honest, there wasn’t the Covid-19 problem.
My reduction of income in my business isn’t because of anything Trump did, it is because of Covid-19. Fact!
Jim O says
Manufacturing rose 3.6 percent during Trump’s three years, which was more than double the rise of 1.7 percent in the three years under Obama before that, according to government data.
The graph shows that the stock market grew 31 percent in the 807 trading days before Trump’s election, but it grew by 56 percent in the 807 trading days after it, up through the third anniversary of Trump’s inauguration.
Not a baby boomer says
@ Jim O
Did you read this? None of that matters now. Wake. Up. Open. Your. Eyes.
Gary R says
@Veteran – You are correct and great comment! The Chinese government has been covering all this up since it first started. Even if Trump was aware of what was going on in China (which he wasn’t), you don’t shut down an entire economy and put millions of people out of jobs because ANOTHER country is going through difficult times due to a virus that has not yet affected your own country. By the way, do you know how many deaths there were in the United States when the president announced the China travel ban? ZERO DEATHS. Quit trying to blame the president for something that China is fully responsible for. And still, no evidence to suggest we would have done better with a Democrat.
Susan Grine says
Trump knew of this virus in November 2019. He chose to pretend ,like it wasn’t there. Now look what has happened. All you people who voted for him, I hope you are all proud of yourselves. now he cowers at the White House down in his bunker has nothing to say doesn’t know how to lead this country out of a pandemic and the financial crisis that were in. As far as Florida you Governor didn’t do anything for you is he also dismissed the idea back in April when we were being hit hard up in the Northeast said it would never happen look what has happened this virus doesn’t care who you are what you do for a living it’s coming after you and if you have underlying limey health issues it enjoys it even more where to mask wash your hands and be vigilant.
Reinhold Schlieper says
Reich is a well educated economist of international reputation. Europe is now getting out of the mess of the viral disease without blaming anyone and simply by competent leadership. Compare: Merkel is a trained scientist; Trump is a huckster and a “magical” thinker.
Jerry Flynn says
What are the c19 statistics? #tests issued, # positive, # negative (it’s not simple math), # admissions, # deaths. Don’t provide just narrative.
Pogo says
@And so it goes, morally indefensible is the sum of them (trump and trumpholes).
“It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor. Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by the American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters. . . . This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say, Napoleonic times.”
― Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five
Comments here, recently, have literally included the impossible: Comments by people so supple that they actually kiss their own butts with their trump-like self-regard. And once proud trumpholes sullenly cursing the world as they leap from trump tower screaming – whiner, etc, etc – at those watching them fall.
Carry on.
CB from PC says
If Trump is ‘re-elected, I will make a fortune building crying closets for you and your ilk. If Biden is elected, we all can kiss our asses goodbye.
Reinhold Schlieper says
Trump has so often worked with strategic bankruptcies that I fear he has a self-destructive streak in his psyche. I wondered when he was first elected whether the country would not also follow the streak of destruction that seems to be his trademark. I feel sorry for his affliction, but I feel more pity for the lemmings that followed him off the cliff and for those who became unwilling victims of that stampede.
Jimbo99 says
Yet with Coronavirus surging like it is, Advent Hospital reports that they aren’t experiencing abnormally high bed occupancy rates. This summer surge has produced no deaths beyond the 5 that have been reported prior to reopening at the end of spring. The economy and the surviving lives Coronavirus ruined from the initial closures from mid/end of March-end of May will be far larger than the Coronavirus itself. Here’s the way I see it, are they still getting paid the $ 13-39K for Coronavirus ? Because in a recession, that’s both easy & big money to harvest for a revenue stream for the hospital systems at least. Is there really an incentive for Coronavirus to ever disappear. Again, we have no cure, no vaccine yet. Healthcare has to do nothing more than test & retest because they have no cure or vaccine for it. I’d really wanna know what the typical procedures are from patient to patient, from determination to cleared of Coronavirus. And until Coronavirus has a vaccine or cure, it still has to available and exist in sufficient sample size to develop said vaccine or cure. The flu never has had a cure, only a vaccine that is questionably effective. Flagler county with it’s 5 deaths for all of 2020, lags 16 deaths behind just the casualty count of 2018 for the flu & pneumonia deaths (21 deaths). Is it almost comical to wander from meeting to meeting, requiring that people wear masks, like Chicken Little blathering on about the end of the world as the sky is falling down ?
Fredrick says
@jimboo APPLAUSE!!! All the media does is fuel panic and hysteria. Protect the vulnerable and get on with life. Life is a risk. People are losing there homes and lively hoods. Everything they have worked for.
Steve says
Want a Circus Elect a Clown. Thats a sticker on a little old ladies car 3 years ago In PC. Ignoring this Pandemic while continuing to Campaign, raise money, commute sentences, hob nob with Dictators and blow off the American People is partially our fault. We did it to ourselves to Elect a no nothing failed Businessman liar wannabe King.
He should be forced to Resign along with all his do nothing enabling GOP cowards in the Senate . A huge wave of unrest is on the way and will show itself in the Ballot box. Mark my words its coming.
Lunacy coming to a head
TheBoldTruth says
Steve,
But it’s ok to riot and steal and burn down businesses??? Or to open Disney World or Walmart or Target??? Perhaps a class in statistics would benefit you and mostly everyone responding to this biased artice. Florida’s population is 21.48 million pepople (US Census.gov) and of those, there are 285,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Of those 285,000, there have been 4,286 deaths which equals 1.50% of the state’s entire population and a mere 0.019% of the total population. Let’s stick to the facts and avoid the political rehtoric. It makes your case very weak.
Beach Dweller says
I bet if all the Covid-19 related deaths were fetuses instead, the Trumpers would be outraged!
Dennis C Rathsam says
REALLY….All U liberals,who hate our president just continue the assault on him! Sure Im not happy, but I cant blame TRUMP. If you want to blame someone, blame CHINA! TRUMP stopped flights into the US from CHINA. Everyone hated the move but it was the right thing to do. If the younger population would have listened…instead of partying at the beach, and marching through are streets arm & arm protesting mabe we woudnt be in this hole now!
A. J. says
I wiil not blame the Pres. for the virus. He callef it a Dem. hoax. Wow that is very interesting. I will say he always bkames everyone but himself when things goes wrong. He takes all the credit when things are good. He remind me of Hitler. He might win in Nov. It will not be because I vote for him. I will not vote for him. ALL Dem. need to vote in huge #s to get him out of office, Dem. do not just complain, please let us come together and vote him out of office. Please let us do that in Nov. He is an unstable lying person.
Edith Campins says
“REPORT: More Than 40,000 People Have Arrived In The US From China Since Trump Restricted Travel”.
How many lives could have been saved if he had listened to our own intelligence agencies when they tried to brief him in November 2019? How many lives could have been saved if he had followed the pandemic handbook prepared for just such a crisis? And you are right about one thing, how many less cases if the “younger population” of Americans would have refrained from partying at the beach? How many less cases in Tulsa if trump hadn’t held a rally there?
jake says
Do the math people, less than 1% has been infected, and less than .04% of those die. Killing the country for the other 99% is ludicrous.
Edith Campins says
Tell that to the dead Americans and their families I am sure they will be comforted by your comments.
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
3,385,377
Deaths:
137,620
ENOUGH! Vote Democratic! says
What about the long term damages to organs the virus causes?
But the Trump administration is still trying to take away people’s health care!
This administration is a complete and total failure
For Real says
And now they want to send our kids and teachers back to school!I cannot walk into Palm Coast, Flagler County,Flagler Beach or Bunnells city offices to take care of business, but these leaders say it is safe to open schools. Commissioners, and public leaders should join the kids, and teachers in class for a week. If it is safe, they too should breath the air!Send POTUS there with them. Don’t push other people out to build the economy unless you are willing to do the same.Actions speak louder then words.
Thank you to those who were brave enough to stand up, and pass the mask mandate.Hopefully it will save lives.
For real!
STAN says
JUST WHAT OUR COUNTRY NEEDS,MORE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKS!!
John Staub says
Nice opinion based article. Italy is not under siege by American Democrats trying to get rid of American President either. The biggest lie and hoax in World history! Covid 19 is no worse than any other disease or virus. The so called experts can not make up there minds anyway and all driven by the WHO and CDC which is supported by big pharma. BTW TRUMP2020 will win on NOV3rd 2020. Get your crying towels ready whiny ass self centered whakados.
Reinhold Schlieper says
What, pray tell, are your qualifications, Mr. Staub? Virologist? Economist? Or merely name-caller?
TD1 says
The gang that can’t shoot straight . In so many ways.
What should be troubling to all of us are the constant barrage of misinformation , made up stuff and outright lies . Couple this with the tearing down our institutions , putting yes men in places , demanding loyalty , helping his friends from prosecution , de legitimizing the free press , ignoring Congress, no regard for checks and balances.
This drip, drip , drip is the transformation of a democracy into an authoritarian regime.
Give him another 4 years and it’s bye , bye democracy.
Trailer Bob says
I think you being a little paranoid. Democracy is going nowhere, People can make their decisions as to who should be in office soon, we should be pissed off at China, but it seems many Americans are taking sides with China more than they are their own Country and its leaders.
Do the right things to keep safe and get through this pandemic. Calm down. The sky is not falling.
The Bold Truth says
TD1,
The mainstream media, liberal and democrat agendas, and plain nonsense is how you and many others like you form an opinion. See, facts matter and I’m not talking about the fact’s you PERCEIVE to be a fact. The political rhetoric is pure nonsense. Stick to real facts and statistics so you can make sense when you talk. Don’t believe everything you hear on the liberal networks. Do your own fact checking as it will save you from looking silly.
Td1 says
It’s always the liberal media , always someone to blame .
The top people whether they be strategists , doctors , scientists , renowned statesman and figures are the reason to watch these networks . Compare that with state run television ( Fox ) who has little quality , 2nd , 3rd grade guests on .
Facts ? Name one ?
TheBoldTruth says
TDi,
Here’s a fact for you! Barack Obama granted 1,715 pardons and Donald J Trump granted 25. So tell me, who is guilty of abusing their power? Also, in terms of the Covid-19, Florida has less than 1% of the population that is infected and less than that have died. So TD1, let’s hear you argue those facts. Remember, these are FACTS and not facts as you “fell” them like the rest of you liberals do. So, I’m waiting???
CB from PC says
Corporations will not be building Headquarters or large branch facilities employing people, especially in Democrat run cities.
They will not chance another round of riots destroying and disrupting business.
Insurance, if even available, will be very expensive.
Employees also do not wish to put their lives at risk due to criminal activity and no police protection.
Small businesses and their jobs are also gone. Insurance also unaffordable.
Kiss the cellular carrier, Apple , Fast food corporate stores goodbye.
Oh, the Corporations will mouthpiece their “support” of the “Social Justice” causes, but their ultimate responsibility is to their shareholders, and to make a profit.
Jackson says
So Dem’s. What would Hillary have done better? I hear so much criticism but what are/were the better ideas?
Pierre Tristam says
You’re kidding, right? Your question implies by the word “better” that we have an existing standard, which of course we don’t. We have a bottomless crater of leadership. But taking the bait, “Hillary,” as you call her, would have worn a mask, she’d have run the CDC like the CDC rather than like the RNC and run the White House’s response based on science rather than bleach, golf, derision and divisiveness. Then again, my aunt Juliette, who died a few months ago, would have done the same as I’m sure your Aunt Shirley would have, none of them interested in making lotteries of our lives like this specimen of criminal shmuckery we have now, so “doing better” is not the issue. Doing is. If we’d started there, we might have been halfway to redemption (otherwise known as Phase 3) by now.
Outsider says
So Pierre, Hillary would not have engaged in “derision and divisiveness?” Well, this member of the basket of deplorables would disagree. Hillary and Bill have Been enriching themselves at this country’s expense for their entire political careers. Rather than cite every example, just consider how Bill could get a half million to blather for 30 minutes in a country Hillary was about to sell us out to (like selling our uranium to Russia,) but after her loss neither could fill a high school auditorium at ten bucks a head. Yeah, she would have done great at managing corona, maybe as well as she managed the destruction of Libya: “We came, we saw, he died.” Yeah, and then we left and the country imploded. She couldn’t even save her own ambassador and three others, but somehow we are supposed to believe she would have saved us all from corona? Remember, she was the one who allowed top secret intelligence to get on the laptop of a child predator who happened to be a congressman with the last name “Weiner.” Oh yeah, if only she were here, we would all be saved. Give me a break!
Td1 says
Typical Trump tactic ; When you can’t stand on your own just deny, deflect and blame others . 4th grader stuff.
Most everyone by now has seen or heard of this man’s incompetence, immorality and utter ignorance , no , not just from the media but from actual people who worked for him , cabinet officials, staff, admirals and generals and even now family members.
Yes, all former presidents & others make huge sums of money from books, speaking engagements, etc. What , you think after it’s over the Trumps won’t ?
As far as currently ( facts ) the Trumps have golfed /taken more vacations ( 12 TIMES AS MUCH ) than Obama ever did in 8 years. Ivanka & Jared travel the world ( at taxpayers expense ) , probably selling out the USA while stuffing their pockets ) . Junior caught red handed on one of his recent “hunting expeditions ” which cost taxpayers $77K .
These are NOT good people !
To Bill Clinton’s credit his foundation has helped tens of thousands worldwide even earning him the title of “the world’s President “.
The trumps have been court ordered to shut down their foundation ( using it as a slush fund ) and all of them are prohibited from ever having another foundation.
These are NOT good people !
Hillary lacked warmth but she is very intelligent and would have at least been the adult in the room .
Oh , and the email scandal ? It turns out Ivanka used her personal email for government business just soon after elections. Talk about hypocricy !
The GOP tried desperately to nail her for an unfortunate incident , a tragedy . A dozen investigations on Benghazi and nothing !
Compare this to any scandal week in the trump circus . The comparisons are laughable.
Instead of supporting an obvious mistake be patriotic and support a good person. JOE is a good person !
Trailer Bob says
Pierre, you really do not know what Hillary would have done. You are assuming, of course.
As for golf, many people involved in our government and working on the issue of Covid-19 are still golfing. There is time to gold and do one’s job. So yes, on the “over reaction scale” you are sporting a 6 on a scale of 1 through 10. Just saying…
gary says
Hillary and bill are the two biggest cooks this country has ever seen we would be in a world of hurt if she was elected and Biden is just as cooked but he’s stupid!
TD1 says
Typical drumpf tactic ; when you can’t run on your record , deflect , blame others , change the subject .
Pathetic !
Sherry says
Hillary Would Have Actually Stepped Up and Demonstrated Leadership:
1. She would have used MEDICAL FACTS and EXPERTISE for her decision making
2. She would have collaborated with other first world leaders and learned from their MUCH BETTER results
3. She would have set an example of behaviors that are absolutely necessary to help preserve the health and lives of millions and the economy. . . . by personally wearing a mask and social distancing
4. She would NOT have risked the lives of thousands to have an “EGO Boosting” political rally in the middle of a lethal pandemic
5. She would have coordinated the acquisition/manufacturing of medical PPE and respirators so the governors did not end up having to outbid one another at tax payers’ expense
6. She would have shouldered the responsibility for “leading” us out of this deadly pandemic, instead of shirking Presidential responsibility and passing the buck to the governors and mayors.
AND ON, AND ON, AND ON!!!!
Richard says
What “fantasy world” are you living in???
TheBoldTruth says
Sherry,
You mean like the leadership she showed our men in Benghazi????? Like that leasdership??? All your talking points are laughable at best and downright sickening at worst.
Paul says
You can’t put all the blame on Trump.
Anyone who did due diligence before the 2016 election knew, or could discover with minimal effort, that he was a failed businessman with a history of multiple bankruptcies. That he was reinvented as reality show host, as a savagely nasty ‘expert’ who’s new purpose in life was to humiliate people on TV.
That despite being refused loans by any reputable American bank he somehow appeared to restore his business fortune, though we later learned it was through dubious loans from a German bank with links to the Russian mob. Meanwhile we found that he loved conspiracy theories and was a narcissist who exploits the media’s obsession with trashy shock stories rather than rational policy or common sense.
That anyone voted for him baffles me. It was pretty obvious he was a New York ‘spoiled rich kid’ turned conman who inherited a family property development company with a distinctly shady track record including congressional investigations of racial discrimination and graft.
I blame the sycophant politicians who seek power and money so much that they have abandoned their moral values. Who happily pretend to agree with Trumps absurd Covid policies and rush to do whatever is necessary to keep Trump and their financial supporters happy. Who agree that the stock market is more important than human lives and suffering. They are despicable.
And I’m bemused by his myriad of defenders who continue to support his crooked, corrupt policies, though I recognize that America is full of shallow minded, paranoid people whose primitive middle European ancestors also succumbed to conspiracy theory, bigotry and hate.
Steve says
WOW I have to say that sums it up and rather nicely. The Truth sometimes hurts
James says
You would actually believe someone that was in Clinton’s cabinet, you couldn’t even believe “ Under the Desk “ Clinton much less someone that was even associated with him. Why don’t you talk about the Riots and Protest in Democrat run cities. Or should I say Democrat Ruin cities. I would hate to see what condition this nation would be in if Hilary had been elected. She probably would have folded her tents and moved to a third world country. Of course that is what she would have turned the U.S.A. Into. Thank God for President Trump.
TheBoldTruth says
Pierre,
I have ONE question for you. How could you have voted for Hillary after Benghazi?
Just cusrious.
Thanks
The Bold Truth
Pierre Tristam says
Other than that half a dozen of your own congressional GOP investigations found no there there, other than that the Benghazi bleat still gets belched by bilious sycophants almost a decade after the fact as if it were Hitler taking Czechoslovakia, other than that the alternative, long since proven to be what we all knew it would be (I see your four deaths in Libya and raise you 140,000 in the United States) was Beelzebub (I’m generously capitalizing that b)? Oh, I don’t know. A quarter of a fraction of a split second’s reflection maybe, challenging as that effort may seem to Benghaziholics?
Outsider says
Hillary was complicit in the death of Qadafi. She decided the Muslim Brotherhood would make a better ally in the fight against terrorists and Syria than Qadafi, so she toppled the Qadafi government and had him killed, not before being brutally sodomized with a metal pipe. His weapons were being smuggled to opposition fighters in Syria, which consisted of many different factions, including Jihadists and the Muslim Brotherhood. Stevens was there directing the shipments through intermediaries. In the turmoil following the fall of Libya, some weapons, including ours, got into the wrong hands. I find it interesting that the diplomatic complex in Benghazi was cleaned up before we (supposedly) could get there, which is interesting being CNN was able to get there in hours. I can’t help but think that if we did get there first, those weapons used to attack the diplomatic post in Benghazi would have “courtesy of Hillary Clinton” stamped on them. Of course, we will never know that, but what we do know is that under the direction of Hillary Clinton, we lost Libya, we lost Ambassador Stevens and three others, and Syria is, well, Syria. So much for your “nothing there” claim, wouldn’t you say?
Reinhold Schlieper says
WE LOST LIBYA? What kind of conquest world are you living in? We should never have believed that we owned Libya. I agree that the Obama administrations had its share of errors; but–Goodness Gracious!–the leader of the affluent–I won’t say “free”–world will be China, given the power vacuum that the Trump Administration has left; the Chinese are muscling in already on Hongkong, on Taiwan, and on African nations. Syrian borderland went to Turkey because of Trump’s ill conceived removal of troops. And the rest of the world is looking askance at this country because of the blatantly admitted assassination of General Soleimani. And Europeans have locked us out because of our insane handling of the COVID19 epidemic.
Outsider says
I’m not saying we lost Libya in terms of a conquest; I’m saying they were somewhat of an “ally,” or as close to one as can reasonably be expected in that area of the world. They relinquished their nuclear ambitions, and Qadafi did keep a lid on the fundamentalists, to the benefit of himself and those who did not wish to live under the oppression of radical Islam. Hillary created a power vacuum that left the country open to the Islamists. It’s not as if there wasn’t a recent example of what happens when you topple a leader with no plan for what happens afterwards. So, yes, Libya was lost as a direct result of Hillary’s policies, and Benghazi was the glaring proof that her policy was an utter failure.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=video+of+islamists+wimming+in+us+embassy+pool+in+tripoli&docid=608021537745275775&mid=F65969C11685D59EE93EF65969C11685D59EE93E&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
TheBoldTruth says
Pierre,
Thank you for the response; however, calling people like us who find the incident in Benghazi incident “Benghaziholics” is laughable. I trust ALL politicians as much as I trust Biden running a lemonade stand. My point is that the GOP are not all winners either, but you have to admit that what the Dems and Left are doing is not only unpatriotic, but also a collosal waste of taxpayer money. It never ends with the Dems and the Left. If we did this when Obama was ruining our country we would be called racists. SMH…
Thanks again.
TD1 says
Ruining our country ?
You seem to forget that Obama took over when there was 10% unemployment , 750,000 a month job losses and he actually hired the right people and pulled us out of it , had 80 consecutive months of job growth , led a global coalition on climate change ( today we are only one of 3 nations NOT participating ) , helped engineer the Iran nuclear deal , opened the door with Cuba , gave 30 million people health care , etc .
Here’s some government statistics :
Last 3 years under Obama was 2.3 GDP growth , average monthly job creation was 220k .
Under trump we have 2.5 % GDP growth ( inherited a growing economy ) and average monthly job creation is 190k / month ( before covid ) .
It may surprise you but I’ve voted Republican many times , Reagan , Bush .
Oh , and scandals : no drama Obama : zero . Trump : pick any week .
Country first dude !
Only Me says
Governor DeSantis and Donald Trump have failed the people they took an oath of office to protect. It is a failure of leadership and there isn’t any other way to describe it.
Why? Why? Don’t they care about human lives? Why don’t they care about people dying?
Sherry says
It makes absolutely ZERO sense to try and have any kind of reasonable debate with trump CULT conspiracy theorists who merely want to deflect in any way they can from the FACTS that unnecessary deaths are happening daily due to “their lord’s” complete incompetency and FAILURE to keep us safe. It’s not the Covid virus that is killing us, it’s Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi! Oh yes, and all those non-violent drug abusers President Obama showed mercy to.
OK.. . . . let’s hear it. . . . what does FOX say you should use to distract us from trump’s FAILURES today? Completely obvious mindless tripe!
Td1 says
These cult members are so afraid of the changing demographics of this country where in a couple decades it will become a majority “brown ” nation that they excuse any immorality , incompetence and outright ignorance from “the great white hope” .
You are absolutely correct ; no matter how many scandals, 19K lies to date , etc. it is impossible to have an intelligent , fact based conversation with them .
Our only recourse is to vote in huge masses, exemplify the core American values and aspirations so that EVERYONE has an equal shot at the American dream .
They must be defeated !!
Only way !
Christopher Lemke says
I’ve never had a discussion or debate with a liberal who won because his/her knowledge of the facts. The debate always turns to emotional attacks and ultimately leads to the person attacking President Trump.
That’s ok, because Trump will be the next President. The handwriting is on the wall for the democrats. Too many failures of democrat run cities and states that will ultimately be associated with Joe Biden.They will be pinned to that donkey. Kind of cruel, when you think about it, that the democrats are putting Joe Biden out there as their sacrificial scapegoat.
Ok, just give me one fact. Please provide a link to an internationally approved study that proves that face masks and coverings work to prevent the spread of Covid 19.
FlaglerLive says
The commenter must not have been reading the reporting carefully. Here’s the latest of many such studies.
TD1 says
Wow , what cocoon do you live in dude ?
How do you think all these other countries have flattened their curves ?
They did so because they were disciplined in social distancing , wearing masks and actually did comply with stay at home orders .
It’s because we have people like you that we can’t .
TheBoldTruth says
Sherry,
We do not deflect from anything, but merely offer facts that apparently, you and the rest of the dems and leftists cannot handle. In reading one of your posts, you assert that:
Hillary Would Have Actually Stepped Up and Demonstrated Leadership:
1. She would have used MEDICAL FACTS and EXPERTISE for her decision making
2. She would have collaborated with other first world leaders and learned from their MUCH BETTER results
3. She would have set an example of behaviors that are absolutely necessary to help preserve the health and lives of millions and the economy. . . . by personally wearing a mask and social distancing
4. She would NOT have risked the lives of thousands to have an “EGO Boosting” political rally in the middle of a lethal pandemic
5. She would have coordinated the acquisition/manufacturing of medical PPE and respirators so the governors did not end up having to outbid one another at tax payers’ expense
6. She would have shouldered the responsibility for “leading” us out of this deadly pandemic, instead of shirking Presidential responsibility and passing the buck to the governors and mayors.
What you offered are OPINIONS and not fact because she is NOT and NEVER WILL BE our president. LOL! There is no way to know if your assertions are correect so therfore, it’s an opinion. If you do not know the difference between fact and opinion, you would be best served in looking it up. See you at the polls
Sherry says
Right On TD1! VOTE THEM ALL OUT in November. . . . no matter what it takes! The American Dream for ALL is at stake!
Richard says
The only people who will be voted out are the democratic losers who are hell bent on destroying our cities and country. November 3rd will be a historic day for this country.
Sherry says
OK. . . . trump supporters. . . so you don’t want to read the book. The very, very least you could do is watch this interview with Mary Trump. . . then let’s read your defense of your extremely unfit and dangerous “over lord” yet again:
TheBoldTruth says
Sherry,
Once again you are displaying opinions and nothing can be corraborated from this interview or the material in the book. Try reading “The People vs. Barack Obama, The Cirminal Case Against the Obama Adminstration”.
TD1 says
Extremist book by Ben Shapiro , jest of it is Obama was a secret Muslim , socialist , most corrupt ever , criminal , etc
Lays out the debunked ( for the 1000th time ) Benghazi , IRS targeting of republicans , blah , blah , blah .
We get it , you are an extremist , deflect , blame others , etc .
The Majority Republicans should have lynched no drama Obama or certainly impeached him . So “ truth “ why didn’t they ?
As someone who previously voted for Reagan , Bush , I just can’t believe people like you who have just ignored 19k lies , continuously divides this nation , is an obvious incompetent and immoral guy , breaks every emoluments clause , has already taken 12 times the number of golf / vacation outings than Obama did , etc .
Forget that statesman , admirals , generals , former cabinet members , family members say about him
All in the sake of just supporting a team guy .
Really pathetic
Kevin says
As a Wise Man once said, “talking sense to a Trump supporter is like trying o teach your go Latin”.
Another once said “In Ignorance is Bliss’.
Asa red-blooded Amreican, I have never bee so embarrassed, nor so infuriated, by the actions of OUR COUNTRY’s figurehead! His myopic, psycho-soiciopathic mindset is focused ONLY on himself. HE-and those of you that are his loyal supporters, are doing more to destroy the fabric and future of this once-great Country!
Put your biases, hatreds and fear of 401K loss aside, and think about your children and grandchildren’s future…
TD1 says
Yep , I have no idea how we got to this point .
Nothing , absolutely nothing fazes these people . I just don’t get it .
Just today , Trump is once again promoting Hydroxychloriquine ,
stated his jealousy of Dr. Fauci’s popularity and early this morning quoting a “ so called doctor “ who said “ masks don’t work , that there is a cure for covid and wait for it ….that scientists are working on a vaccine to cure you of religious beliefs “
Twitter , FB and others took it down .