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Dear Friend, Jessica M. Goldstein, writing for The New Republic, asked the rhetorical question: “Why has there been no collective national remembrance for our Covid dead?” Can you picture President Trump showing empathy? Goldstein called it “wild to imagine him trying to eulogize the casualties of Covid,” adding that “the president’s boundless cruelty and ignorance (please don’t inject bleach or pop hydroxychloroquine) are enabled by his administration’s incompetence (see: the crack team of volunteers, led by Jared Kushner, whose pathetic search for vital medical supplies was an expensive, futile shitshow).” Repeating Trump’s lies, mainstream news and social media have people believing Covid-19 is no worse than the flu, or that blue states are manufacturing a crisis. As Goldstein said, “It’s hard to mourn collectively when a good chunk of the country refuses to acknowledge that there is a crisis in the first place.” For honest, fearless journalism, try this special offer: Get three months of unlimited digital access to The New Republic for just $5!
TNR staff writer Libby Watson warned, “The classic question concerning those in power—are they evil or stupid?—is one that must be answered with a clear “all of the above” regarding the Trump administration as a whole, and with Kushner specifically … we can no longer tell where the stupidity ends and the evil begins.” Try The New Republic for three months.Just $5 gets you full digital access to NewRepublic.com, including the online magazine; three years of back issues; and our searchable archive dating back to 1914. Goldstein reminds us that, “At this point, it feels genuinely insane to fathom what a ‘normal’ president would be doing right now.” So we’ll each have to navigate the painful task of remembering those lost as best we can, in our own way. Please consider joining writers Jessica M. Goldstein, Libby Watson, and the best investigative reporters, opinion writers, and cultural critics in America. Subscribe to The New Republic today. Sincerely, Kerrie Gillis, Publisher Read Jessica M. Goldstein’s article here, and Libby Watson’s article here.
