The Witness Chronicles, October 10, 2024
Two storms and a storm of lies
Two Aftermaths and the Terrifying True Color of the Right
Helene, Milton, and a storm of cold, callous lies
Hurricane Milton is now offshore in the Atlantic after sweeping across the southern mid section of Florida. Fortunately it was not quite the killer storm predicted, at least so far. The news is just coming out as damage is assessed.
Contrary to what the ex-president says, FEMA has been all over this thing and local, state, and federal preparation seems to have paid off. The aftermath of Helene in the mountains of Appalachia presented a far worse challenge because the region is still largely inaccessible with bridges and roads out and streets buried in mud.
But aid is getting through via helicopters, mules, and horseback in some cases. So many helicopters were brought in or volunteered that air traffic controllers and FEMA had to sometimes impose limits to avoid crashes and making a tough situation worse.
That was the reality on the ground. But the Republicans under Donald Trump pitched an entirely made up reality as they continued to lie incessantly about the federal response, even going so far as to imply that Democrats somehow control the weather (!) and engineered these disasters to affect the election. Thank you Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, you have out-bonkered yourself with that one.
Every single claim made by Trump regarding FEMA, the storms, the money, and the actual response is an outright lie. But those claims reveal the real Donald Trump as a man who cares for no one and sees even deadly disasters as political opportunities.
Until now, the norm in these situations is cooperation across party lines with politics put aside and all working for the common good. That norm has been shattered and the result is an ominous turn for our society, a turn that points directly to a kind of civil war being promoted by the right on a scale far beyond what we saw on January Sixth 2021.
When we only care about the welfare of those we agree with, we lose our humanity. It appears that the Trump wing of the Republican Party has embraced division to the point where they are spreading damaging lies right in the middle of a massive tragedy, all for political gain.
In an encouraging sign, many Republicans, especially local politicians, working on the ground with storm relief, are refuting Trump’s lies and it appears that the incessant lying is driving some Republican voters over to Harris and Walz, as normal humans are sickened by the constant hate and fear mongering.
This could be a turning point in the race, as Democrats and the mainstream media are finally and powerfully rejecting the storm of lies unleashed constantly by Trump and his allies. Hopefully it’s not too late to wake people up from their MAGA-induced haze and realize just how bad things have become on the right.
To be honest, it’s very possible that his followers have become numb to the constant crazy claims and will follow him off a cliff, cheering wildly as they fall. That seems to be the plan, because otherwise the entire charade makes no sense.
These two monster hurricanes, coming in back to back, represent a reality that cannot be ignored. Many Americans are affected directly or know someone who has suffered. No matter what the right claims, there is an irrefutable need to work together in the face of threats like these. And it appears that for regular people that is happening.
Storms like Helene and Milton are blowing away all the political lawn signs, banners, and these imaginary boundaries are revealed for the shallow falsehoods they represent. Hopefully the depth of the political cynicism we are seeing from Trump and his people is also revealed for the poison it is during a time when many Americans are dealing with life-changing tragedy.
Hopefully.
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