A question historians have long pondered is “whether or not the times make the man.” There is little question that Abraham Lincoln became president in an hour of our history when the eloquence of his thought and precision of his actions were needed to end slavery. We know that his dedication during a grueling struggle transformed the 13 politically divided colonies that had evolved as 34 divided states. He made, for the first time, a “united” states.
Assassination voided his design for peace that might have spared us the depths of racism into which the country was plunged — and remained into our own time.
Herbert Hoover, a brilliant and accomplished man, lacked the vision the Great Depression required. Handicapped and unable to stand unaided, Franklin Roosevelt nonetheless summoned means to employ people in public works and establish programs to restore the economy and the confidence of our people.
During the Cuban Missile crisis, John Kennedy was opposed by all of his military advisors, who saw the crisis as an opportunity to invade Cuba and depose Fidel Castro. They were willing to risk nuclear war, convinced and saying they could win it. Kennedy negotiated removal of the missiles from Cuba and peace with his USSR adversary, Nikita Khrushchev. The two began moves toward ending the Cold War.
Instead of accepting worldwide aid to capture the 9/11 perpetrators, George W. Bush allowed this circumstance to be used as opportunity to set in motion the Project for the New American Century’s imperialist 76-page “Rebuilding America’s Defenses” plan to extend and expand U.S. military presence in the Middle East. This aggressive response extended U.S. military presence everywhere in the world and destabilized the Middle East. To Donald Trump’s credit, he condemned the Cheney-Bush Middle East invasions.
But Trump has failed to handle COVID-19 — downplaying risks, comparing it to familiar strains of flu and auto accidents, and calling virus fears “fake news” and “a hoax.” Feb. 26, he reported to the country we “had 15 cases, going down to zero.” One month later, March 29, he bragged, if the number dying from the virus is held to 100,000, “we’ve done a good job.”
With both his eyes focused on the collapsing stock market, he openly compared the loss of the country’s business to the cost in lives. Clearly, he thought rescuing business, by keeping the country open and working, had higher priority.
Now, denial has given way to blame. His term “Chinese virus” brought assaults on Asian Americans. Belatedly echoing Sen. McConnell, he suggested distraction by the impeachment process caused his failed response. He said that “sick puppy” Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats caused this situation. Gov. Inslee of Washington, he termed a “nasty person,” adding, “I won’t talk with him.” He accused New York medical staff of theft and hoarding.
In response to hospital supply pleas, Trump has proven defensive. To calls he appoint an experienced military manager to properly supply hospitals, Trump has selected his inadequate son-in-law Jared Kushner.
His daily briefings with lengthy opening speeches — “I love New York” and “I love Ohio” — overstating available supplies and shipments and disputing shortages, are shameful election campaigning. On Twitter he has foolishly bragged his media appearances are getting ratings like Monday Night Football.
Being unfit for the presidency, Trump has catastrophically mismanaged the office he sought — basically to enhance his enormous ego, express biases against people of color and women, and increase cash flow to his businesses. Delivering for national corporate interests rather than the well-being of ordinary citizens of a country that a leader is expected to serve, he earlier trashed regulations and the social safety net. He and his first Congress reduced imperfect medical benefits Americans have.
Anything his predecessor enacted was cut, including a 70-page White House National Security Council Directorate for Health Security and Biodefense prepared by the Obama-Biden Administration. Another measure of Trump’s personal inadequacy is that during the weeks in which he expressed greater concern for the economy than the health of people, he failed to perceive the personal value of “a perception of caring.” He belatedly realized bragging to the nation daily on all the networks was akin to a rally.
His failures of leadership blocked remediation, increased rates of infection and enormously increased the death toll.
How else is it that the most advanced country in the world is recording the most cases and deaths?
As has been said of moral character, if it isn’t there, it can’t be tapped.
Charlemont resident Carl Doerner is an author and historian currently at work on a re-examination and challenge to the “American narrative.”