This is about six days after it happened, but recently America was asked by the GOP whether or not you are better off now than you were four years ago. The person asking was soulless husk Rep. Elise Stefanik, who claims that the answer to this question is NO.
She’s counting on the fact that most Americans have chosen to forget how desperate things were four years ago under the Trump regime. I know that I want to forget 2020, but Stefanik has forced me to dredge up what life was like back then.
Are we really better off now than four years ago? Go below the fold for a timeline of events in 2020 and a personal anecdote from me.
Timeline 2020: A Year of HELL
January 2020
- (16) 1st impeachment trial for President Trump ends in acquittal.
- (23) The Chinese city of Wuhan is quarantined due to an outbreak of a novel virus that can spread from human to human.
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February 2020
- (26) Trump says “The 15 (cases in the US) within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.” on February 26th.
- (27) The newly named COVID-19 virus causes the stock market to tumble over several days, including a 4.4% plunge on February 27th.
- (27) Trump says about COVID-19: “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” on February 27th.
Musical Interlude #1
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March 2020
- (9) Italy confirms that COVID-19 is a pandemic in the nation, and becomes the first nation outside China to do a mass quarantine.
- (9) The stock market and oil prices tumble precipitously, causing the global economy to swoon. The Dow Jones drops over 2000 points, and oil prices lose 30% of their value due to a Russian/Saudi price war.
- (11) The NBA shuts down after a positive case of a star player. The lockdowns begin, with schools, businesses, and nonessential personnel required to lockdown in many places across the nation.
- (12-16) The stock market continues to tumble. The US bans all travel from Europe to our country, stranding many travelers.
- (13) Breonna Taylor is shot dead after a no-knock warrant is issued for her apartment.
- (16-20) Over 10,000 confirmed casualties from COVID-19 worldwide. Marquee events in Europe and South America are cancelled due to rising cases of the virus.
- (24) India and the UK go into total lockdown. Japan delays the 2020 Olympics to a date TBD.
- (26) The US becomes the hotspot of the pandemic, with over 80,000 confirmed cases and 1,000 confirmed deaths. The global case toll is 500,000 and the death toll is at least 23,000.
- (30) Trump says "Stay calm, it will go away. You know it -- you know it is going away, and it will go away, and we're going to have a great victory." and “I think New York should be fine, based on the numbers that we see, they should have more than enough. I mean, I’m hearing stories that they’re not used or they’re not used right.”
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April 2020
- (2) 1 million COVID-19 cases worldwide.
- (6) 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the US. Trump posts “LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL”.
- (7) "You are not going to die from this pill...I really think it's a great thing to try."[Trump promoting Hydroxychloroquine, not FDA approved to treat coronavirus]
- (9) “I couldn’t have done it any better.” [When asked if his coronavirus response could have been better]
- (10) 100,000 deaths worldwide from COVID-19.
- (11) 20,000 confirmed deaths in the US from COVID-19.
- (14) The IMF expects a global contraction of the economy of about 3%, the worst since the Great Depression.
- (15) 30,000 confirmed deaths in the US from COVID-19. 2 million confirmed global cases.
- (15) 2,371 deaths were recorded in the US on this day, a record at the time.
- (16) Record numbers of Americans file for unemployment — over 22 MILLION.
- (17) Europe hits 100,000 COVID-19 deaths.
- (20) 40,000 confirmed deaths in the US from COVID-19.
- (20) Oil falls to a record low, with West Texas crude going into negative values.
- (23) Trump advises us to inject bleach. "I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that."
- (23) Trump advises us to shove UV light up our ass. “So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said, that hasn't been checked but you're gonna test it. And then I said, supposing it brought the light inside the body, which you can either do either through the skin or some other way…”
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(23) Record jobless claims filed; over 26 MILLION jobless claims.
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(24) 50,000 confirmed deaths in the US from COVID-19.
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(27) Trump signs the CARES Act to shore up the economy after record declines and numbers of jobless Americans.
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(27) 3 million cases worldwide, with 1 million of them being in the US.
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(30) In a foreshadowing of January 6th, armed protestors enter the Michigan State Capitol building to protest lockdown measures.
Musical Interlude #2
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May 2020
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(1) Remdesivir was given emergency use authorization to treat the sickest COVID-19 patients.
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(5) 70,000 confirmed deaths in the US from COVID-19.
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(6) The Brookings Institution reports that children were “experiencing food insecurity to an extent unprecedented in modern times” and “40.9 percent of mothers with children ages 12 and under reported household food insecurity since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Republicans block proposals to expand food stamps.
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(7) A record 33 MILLION jobless claims have been filed, with the system straining under the stress. 14.7% unemployment rate.
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(8) Trump says, “This is going to go away without a vaccine. It is going to go away. We are not going to see it again.”
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(14) 300,000 confirmed deaths worldwide from COVID-19. The UN warns of a global health crisis in mental health due to quarantine and isolation measures and economic uncertainty.
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(19) The US crosses 1.5 MILLION COVID-19 cases and 90,000 confirmed deaths.
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(19) CBO predicts a whopping -38% growth in GDP in the Q2 of 2020 due to lockdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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(21) 5 million cases worldwide, including a record (at the time) 106,000 new cases reported in a single day.
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(22) A record 38 MILLION jobless claims have been filed.
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(26) Protests break out after the murder of George Floyd the previous day.
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(27) 100,000 Americans have died of COVID-19.
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(29) Twitter hides a tweet by President Trump after he reacts to the Minneapolis unrest by warning that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Twitter says the post violates its rules on glorifying violence.
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(31-June 1) Trump designates Antifa a terrorist group, and threatens use of the military to quell the protests over the murder of George Floyd. He clears a protest to hold a photo-op below.
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June 2020
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(6) Continued protests over the death of George Floyd. “Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country...This is a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody. This is a great day for everybody. This is a great, great day in terms of equality.” [Trump referring to George Floyd, who was murdered on May 25, 2020.]
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(7) The global death toll for COVID-19 crosses 400,000. Protestors increasingly are defying COVID lockdowns across the globe.
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(10) US COVID-19 cases pass the 2 MILLION mark.
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(20) Trump said "Testing is a double-edged sword,...When you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases, so I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.'”
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(28) Global cases pass 10 MILLION worldwide, with 500,000 global deaths. A quarter of those cases and deaths are in the US. The U.S. has just 4% of the global population, but 25% of global coronavirus cases and the second-highest death rate per capita.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE #3
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July 2020
- (8) Trump said, “In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November election, but it is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”
- (19) Trump said. “I think we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.”
- (22) COVID-19 cases exceed 15 million worldwide.
- (28) 150,000 Americans have died of COVID-19.
- (30) Figures show a record 32.9% contraction between April and June, a record since the Great Depresssion.
- (30) Trump floats the idea to postpone the 2020 election, and the President claims that ballot drop boxes are a “voter security disaster” and a “big fraud,” “possible for a person to vote multiple times” and that they aren’t “Covid sanitized.”
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August 2020
- (10) 20 MILLION worldwide COVID-19 cases.
- (19) New York Times report reveals that in December 2020 that Trump yelled, “You’re killing me! This whole thing is! We’ve got all the damn cases...I want to do what Mexico does. They don’t give you a test till you get to the emergency room and you’re vomiting,” at Jared Kushner during an August 19, 2020 meeting.
- (22) Worldwide death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 800,000.
- (22) “Many doctors and studies disagree with this!” (Donald Trump in a quote tweet of a Twitter moment stating that the FDA is revoking hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for COVID-19 treatment, as they are “unlikely to be effective”)
- (23) Violent protests break out after Jacob Blake was shot in Kenosha, WI. Kyle Rittenhouse responds to the protests and murders two individuals.
- (31) Over 6 MILLION Americans have tested positive for COVID-19.
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September 2020
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October 2020
- (1) President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania test positive for COVID-19. Trump is taken to Walter Reed where his status remains unknown for days.
- (5) Trump released from Walter Reed hospital.
- (5) It is estimated that 1/10th of the world’s population has been infected by COVID-19. The confirmed cases top 35 MILLION.
- (6) Trump said, "Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu, Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!"
- (8) 14 members of a militia are charged in a plot to kidnap and execute MI Gov. Whitmer.
- (18) Trump said of Biden, "He'll listen to the scientists... If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression instead — we’re like a rocket ship. Take a look at the numbers."[Trump referring to Biden]
- (24) Trump said, “Turn on television: ‘covid, covid, covid, covid, covid.’ A plane goes down, 500 people dead, they don’t talk about it — ‘covid, covid, covid, covid,’ “By the way, on November 4th, you won’t hear about it anymore.”
- (30) The US is the first nation to have over 100,000 cases in a single day.
- (30) The FBI investigates an incident where Trump supporters forced a Biden campaign bus off the road in Texas.
- (30) Trump said, “Our doctors get more money if someone dies from Covid,” and so “when in doubt choose Covid.”
- (31) Over 700 deaths and 30,000 cases are linked to Trump campaign rallies, according to Stanford University.
Musical Interlude #4
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November 2020
- (3) The US Presidential election occurs. Trump asserts that he has won and asks all vote counting to stop, alleging fraud.
- (4) The US formally withdraws from the Paris Climate Agreement.
- (7) Joe Biden has won the election, news agencies project.
- (8) The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases tops 50 MILLION worldwide.
- (9) Trump files lawsuits in multiple states, alleging fraud.
- (11) The record for COVID cases is hit (for now), with 140,000 confirmed cases.
- (18) Death toll from COVID-19 passes 250,000 in the United States.
- (21) 12 MILLION COVID-19 cases in the US, six days after the cases pass 11 MILLION.
- (22) The US formally withdraws from the Open Skies Treaty with Russia.
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December 2020
- (2) Nationwide cases pass 200,000 per day and hospitalizations pass the 100,000 mark.
- (4) 1.5 MILLION deaths worldwide from the COVID-19 virus.
- (9) The single day death toll in the US is 3,103 for COVID-19.
- (11) The FDA gives emergency use authorization to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
- (11) The Supreme Court tosses a lawsuit from Texas looking to overturn the 2020 election results.
- (14) The number of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States surpasses 300,000. It is estimated that one person dies from COVID-19 every ten seconds at this time.
- (18) The FDA gives emergency use authorization to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
- (20) The Alpha variant is detected, prompting new border closures and panic amongst virologists.
- (21) Another tranche of COVID-19 relief and government funding is passed.
- (22) Trump begins pardoning his associates such as Roger Stone and Paul Manafort.
- (27) Near the end of the year, confirmed cases worldwide surpass the 80 MILLION threshold.
- (various) Trump and his associates begin the planning for the January 6th, 2021 insurrection.
Last Musical Interlude!
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ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE FOUR YEARS AGO?
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I am better off than four years ago. Here is my 2020 story.
“I contracted Covid in early October. I was a “mild” case, with a pulse ox at its worst being 82% (didn’t get it checked at my worst period, we didn’t think it was Covid at first). According to my retired nurse mom who had to go straight into basically PTSD with hazmat mode (thank the Lord she had the foresight to buy some for break glass in case of emergency at home) to take care of me, I was a borderline intubation and ER case. It was a miracle that I didn’t spread it to my family with underlying risk factors.
Covid is about 10 times WORSE than the swine flu I had. It is about 2-3 times WORSE than the bout of pneumonia I had during my second year of teaching in December 2017, when I couldn’t leave my bed for 3 weeks. I called out sick only one day for that as an aside. Call it stubborn male hyper masculinity. Remember, this is a “mild” case.
Eventually, I “recovered”. Here is what “recovery” looks like for a Covid long hauler with underlying mental illness.”
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I AM BETTER OFF THAN I WAS FOUR YEARS AGO.
I have a job, and work full time (even though I hate it). I don’t worry much about COVID, though I still take a few precautions. I still battle Long COVID, but it doesn’t hinder me like it used to do. My 401k is doing gangbusters. Until recently, I haven’t worried about what crazy shit Donald Trump will do next.
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Now the question is, how about you?