“Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.”
—–President Donald J. Trump, writing on Twitter in October, after he tested positive
When everybody is attacking and insulting the President now, especially those who didn’t have the guts to do so when he wasn’t a lame duck and they were still afraid of him, this seems like a propitious time to give him due credit for an important and perceptive statement that perfectly expresses the message of the final installment of an Ethics Alarms series that began way back in May.
The sentiment the President succinctly and eloquently expressed was quintessentially American, as well as identical to what other leaders have been lauded for in the past. President Trump, in contrast, was attacked and condemned for expressing this simple truth. He “downplayed the deadly threat of the virus” said the Times. “He isn’t taking the pandemic seriously!” erupted Vogue. After all, the virus “ruined” Amanda Kloot’s life! How dare he not tell as all to be terrified, and to make all of our plans and calibrate our decisions and goals based on the assumption that doom was nigh.
Funny, I don’t recall historians condemning FDR for “downplaying” the threat of the Great Depression when he said,
I don’t recall the British accusing Winston Churchill of downplaying the threat posed by Nazi Germany while hundreds of thousands of British troops were nearly trapped an Dunkirk, and he announced to Parliament, “We will never surrender!”:
This is because the news media, tunnel-visioned health experts, and elected officials who want to make Americans dependent of the government psychologically and factually, want the nation to be fearful. They want us to surrender to the pandemic. They want us to allow it to control out lives. And for most of this year, it has.
President Trump is among the Americans I would view most unlikely to utter an ethical statement, much less a great one, but this was a great statement, essential, inspirational, and right.
I assume this is sufficient notice of what the conclusion of Part III will be.
[If you review the linked post, note that every one of the ten stipulation I laid out in May are still accurate.]
Ethics Alarms 
This comment has been overlooked and dismissed by the mainstream media of course who view Trump as an uncaring man without compassion. What he was really saying in fact was don’t let the pandemic dominate your life. I’m old enough to remember the polio epidemic and the images of children and adults in iron lungs at the City of Hope on TV. People didn’t stop going on with their lives and I remember my mother helping care for a sick friend because she had been a nurse. Use your common sense but don’t be paralyzed with fear as many politicians would like you to be.
Just like they made being oppressed a virtue, fear is the new virtue. You are a better person because you are afraid. If you are afraid, you can tell others what to do because you are more virtuous. Those who are not afraid are evil.
I approve of the new photo. Abusive relationships also often involve the abuser accusing the victim of doing things he is actually doing himself, like cheating.
I am going to take that graphic and create BINGO cards for my next COVID policies meeting.
The local Gannett paper ran an article the other day by a young woman whose entire family has contracted the virus “even though we did all the right things!”
In the comment section, I stated: “Life is dangerous.” I could have added “and most often fatal.”
This is the safety generation. The government is supposed to provide “[eternal] life, liberty and happiness.” It’s right there in that Constitution thingy, or someplace.
What if he had simply said, “Keep calm and carry on”? How would they have spun that to his detriment?
“Carry on” means “Riot” in Newspeak.
Only armed – “Open CARRY,” “Concealed CARRY.” It would be a clear incitement to violence, obviously – can’t you see that? Treason, sedition, barratry, insubordination, RICO violations, racism, mansplaining, crimes against science, and likely loitering, all at the same time!
But shouldn’t we all ‘concealed carry’ next Monday to highlight the fact that Martin Luther King, Jr. was denied a carry permit because the CLEO didn’t feel he ‘needed’ it? “May Issue” is bigotry!
Careful, “keep calm” sounds pretty demanding. This may be incitement.
“Carry on” is very open ended, could be interpreted as a call to overthrow the government. This is definitely incitement.
And plagiarism! Plus, it would be fact checked and rated false!
Since it meets all 15 signs of being an abusive relationship, can I get a restraining order against the government?