Many predicted that Donald trump’s instinct to lie would mean Americans wouldn’t believe him if there were a national emergency. There were many. He kept lying, including through coronavirus.
****
Amazing how they even sound like assholes when they’re doing something good. In June, the U.S. Department of Education released a rule for public comment “that would help to ensure taxpayer-funded coronavirus relief money is distributed properly and does not go to foreign nationals, non-citizens, and students who may be enrolled in ineligible education programs.”
****
As to the new press secretary, always wear a necklace with a cross when your job is to lie.
****
Hartford Seminary runs interesting programs. Sign of the times: “On April 8, more than 90 people logged on to a live Hartford Seminary webinar led by the Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper on “How to Conduct a Funeral Online.” It was the first of five free webinars we offered in April to help our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the response has been overwhelming. Nearly 500 people have been involved in our webinars since then.”
****
Interesting to hear so much talk about flattening the COVID curve just like we used to talk about bending the cost curve in higher ed. We’re obsessed with curves and thinking we can do something about them.
****
I told a colleague embarrassingly that we should lay off exclamation points in stories about coronavirus.
****
Another colleague, a decorated veteran of the war in Vietnam, wrote a heartfelt piece about the war, which he acknowledged was unpopular, but despite my prodding, retained his line: “Today, and throughout our history as a nation, young men and women have been called upon to fight in foreign lands for the advancement of democracy; to suppress dictatorial and oppressive regimes,” while resisting my edit: “to suppress (and sometimes unfortunately prop up) dictatorial …” We ultimately nixed the whole reference.
On another piece, I tempered the language of a goodhearted, but unconsciously racist, economist whose solution to the COVID recession was to prematurely reopen the economy.
What a subtle, incremental (futile) way I have of pushing an agenda.
