Cui Bono

Who benefits?

I've been thinking about this a lot, lately, given how Donald J. Trump could've easily cast himself as the Savior of America if only he had acted early and shown leadership in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Look at the curve in Europe and tell me we - the United States - couldn't have done that. Instead, the President demonized the wearing of masks, denied any responsibility or accountability at the federal level, alternately blamed China, Obama, Hillary, the Deep State, and - my personal favorite - people who just don't love him, forcing state and local governments to deal with a health crisis of global proportions while doing everything in his power to undermine those efforts. 

Why?

The answer to that question is the same as it is and has been to every question we have in regards to this President's actions: Re-election.

I finally got it. 

It's all about voter suppression. In this case, on a scale that is horrifying immoral and reprehensible. 

The dead can't vote.

From the moment Trump and his allies understood that COVID-19 disproportionately affected people of color, the virus that had killed tens of thousands of Americans was being handled, under control... or maybe it was just another hoax perpetrated by those who just don't love Donald Trump. People of color not being members of Trump's base and far more likely to vote Democrat in November (indeed, African-Americans are viewed as a critical component to a win by Joe Biden), how better to suppress their votes than to kill them? Sure, a few MAGA-hat wearing good people would die, too, but we're making an Electoral College omelet here, people! 

Opening the schools? You don't really think Donald J. Trump cares about children, do you? The Republican Party writ large - and Trump, specifically - depend on an uneducated, science-fearing, fact-averse electorate. Education? Social development? That's for the rich and their private academies. (Baron Trump will not be attending public school this fall.) I've also heard the rationale that schools need to be open because parents need to get back to work (it's the economy, stupid) but you know who else reliably votes Democrat?

That's right. 

Teachers. 

And if you don't think killing off a few thousand teachers won't sway the election, then I don't think you know how the Electoral College works.

Trump only needs to win by one popular vote in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, et al., to win all the electoral votes from those states. Killing just enough of those voters likely to vote Democrat could produce a popular vote squeaker that delivers an electoral vote landslide.

Has Trump "slowed down testing" at the White House? Of course not! But not testing in the general public - while discouraging the use of masks - will only allow his clandestine COVID-19 warriors to communicate the virus more effectively. 

Okay. 

You think I'm giving Trump too much credit. 

You're hoping I'm being - I don't know - sarcastic.

Satirical, perhaps.

Drafting the outline for a terrible, cheap, straight to cable science fiction movie?

Well, you tell me, then.

Who benefits?