Hidden In Plain Sight

Ladies and Gentlemen, the latest from Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross:

"Well, first of all, every American's heart has to go out to the victims of the coronavirus. So I don't want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease.  But the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain."

"On top of all the other things, you had SARS, you had the African swine virus there, now you have this.  It's another risk factor that people need to take into account. So I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Some to U.S., probably some to Mexico as well."

Well, I don't know about you all, but this blogger is disgusted.

You're all heart there, aren't you, Secretary?  With friends like you, who needs enemies?  Because of statements like this, it is no wonder some people among us believe in a conspiracy theory known as Agenda 21.

So you don't want to talk about the victory lap you're taking?  Fair enough.  Let's by all means talk about other things instead, shall we?  How about the human cost of this virus?

First of all, the WHO has declared a global health emergency in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus.

According to Wikipedia, as of right now, January 31, 2020, 3:14 AM UTC, we have 9822 cases of the coronavirus worldwide, with 214 deaths.

At least 111 of those cases are outside of China.

We have 6 cases in the US.  The last confirmed case was, earlier today, declared the first definite human-to-human transmission in the US.

There are 3 cases in Canada so far, two in Toronto, and one in Vancouver.

57 million people are on lockdown in China.

To protect its citizens, today Russia closed its border with China.  It is one of many nations to do so, and/or suspend flights into China at this time.  More details about those, as well as the cost to American companies such as Starbucks, Apple and McDonald's are detailed here, and reading it carefully makes it obvious how much business China commands.

This article detailing the lockdown of 6000 passengers on a cruise near Rome due to the outbreak illustrates possible trouble for the travel industry worldwide if the virus is not halted soon.

"In an urban society, everything connects.  Each person's needs are fed by the skills of many others.  Our lives are woven together in a fabric.  But the connections that makes society strong also make it vulnerable." -- Introduction, Threads, BBC movie, 1984.

So, Secretary, if the preceding paragraphs didn't get the point across, consider this:

5 million people left Wuhan before the lock down.  Where did they all go?  Hopefully nowhere near you or your loved ones, eh?

Let us orient our moral compasses a little closer to true north, shall we?

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/30/wilbur-ross-coronavirus-could-bring-jobs-manufacturing-back-to-us.html

Get Him Out Tomorrow. Take Him Out. OK? Do It!!!

And yet another one bites the dust for our Prevaricator-In-Chief.  One more canard in an endless stream of canards.  Which one will be the one to do him in?  Will it be
this one?  Proven false by this one:

A "technical crime" is not necessary to impeach a president who is "somebody who completely corrupts the office of president and who abuses trust and who poses great danger to our liberty.". -- Alan Dershowitz, 1999.

“What’s a high crime? How ’bout if an important person hurts somebody of low means? It’s not very scholarly but I think it’s the truth. I think that’s what they meant by high crimes. Doesn’t even have to be a crime. It’s just when you start using your office and you’re acting in a way that hurts people, you’ve committed a high crime.” -- Lindsey Graham, 1999.

Gentlemen, gentleman, this blogger couldn't agree more!  OK, Jane and John Q. Public, this thing is in your hands.  If the Senate will not do its job, which this blogger believes down to her bone marrow is to convict Donald J. Trump of the two articles of which he was impeached, which, to my way of thinking (and I believe, the way of thinking of most of you) were indeed high crimes of his office, then we must band together in November with our ballots, doing the thing that our representatives had not the courage to do: throw the bum out.  We must do this, as 1999 Alan Dershowitz indicated, for the sake of the dignity of the office of President of the United States, and for the sake of liberty, and the health and fitness of our republic.  I believe to do less is to disavow the intentions of our Founding Fathers, and spit on the blood and sacrifices of our Revolutionary War soldiers, who won a stunning victory over the great military power of the time, and say we now want a monarchy.  Which is certainly the right of the American people to decide.

"...it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it (their current form of government), and to institute new government, laying its foundations on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them would seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." -- Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, (explanatory material in parentheses mine).

But if that is indeed the decision of the majority, this blogger will not participate, and will indeed say goodbye to this great land.

Addendum, January 27, 2020:  https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/01/bolton-parnas-ukraine-trump-weekend.html

This blogger sees no logical way the Senate can refuse to allow witnesses now, and even if it does not vote to convict, I also see no way The Court Of Public Opinion can exonerate Donald J. Trump in November.

Shout-Out To Michael Conway

“If the Senate does dismiss the impeachment charges without hearing witnesses or completing the trial, the 'see no evil, hear no evil' attitude of Republican senators will clearly clash with most Americans’ sense of what constitutes a fair trial.” — Michael Conway, NBC News

And, opines Your Crusading Blogger, that attitude will be remembered at the polls this November.

In all fairness, I would be delighted to see the testimony of both Bidens, Hunter and Joe.  If they are corrupt as well, I want to know about it.  If not, it will be worth the price of admission to set at ease the minds of those on the right hand side of the aisle.

(Those who know this blogger can just imagine her smirk.)

 And I know I'm not alone:

https://news.yahoo.com/new-yahoo-news-you-gov-poll-shows-that-twothirds-of-voters-want-the-senate-to-call-new-impeachment-witnesses-225545827.html

Addendum:  "Hey GOP," sez Da Mobster Prez, "Vote against me and your head will be on a pike!" --  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/1/23/1913688/-Trump-team-warns-senators-Vote-against-the-president-and-your-head-will-be-on-a-pike