I won't even bother to excerpt more than first few paragraphs. This is such a worthwhile article that it is well worth reading in its entirety.
In explaining his response to the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump has at times claimed to be a "war president." This is a gift to journalists, reporters and the commentariat — but a toxic one.
In the malignant reality that is the Age of Trump, "war president" is a concept such people believe they understand. It summons images of a solemn and inspiring president and a patriotic public and political class. This is an easy story to write and follow, even if neither journalists nor the public believe Trump's claim to be true.
But because so many members of the American news media are still unwilling to accepting the fact that Trump is an authoritarian and a would-be fascist dictator, they are stuck in familiar old habits — which have become obsolete in a time of failing democracy.
Since I don’t have anything else to write, hoping everyone reads the article, I’ll share an image meant as my commentary to accompany the Joseph Goebbells quote DeVega used in the conclusion of his essay:
"The whole German people will perish with us, so gloriously that even after a thousand years the heroic downfall of the Germans will occupy pride of place in world history.” Joseph Goebbells
Yesterday Dan Froomkin’s Salon article covers much of the subject matter DeVega addresses: Under cover of pandemic, Trump taking major steps toward autocracy: Where's the media? He concludes: “Trump's growing authoritarianism could end up being the second most important story, after the pandemic, in the run-up to the November election — especially if Trump sees there are no negative consequences to grabbing more and more power. After all, with no downside, who knows where he will stop?
Alternate photo: