Kicked Away From the Dock

I don’t get political on this blog. It’s not that kind of blog and, frankly, I’m not that kind of person. Do I get ticked off at stuff I see going on in the US? Yes, of course. But that’s not why I write about our experiences and the negative energy isn’t something I like to attract. But I woke up today and, well, sometimes you just gotta say it.

What the actual HELL!! The Grand Pubah of Orange – aka the US President – has banned travelers from all European countries in the Shengen zone. Because of the coronavirus – he says. Even though the countries outside the zone have the virus there too. In the UK its spreading like wildfire – but they speak Ingles and Boris-of-The-Bad-Hair is his buddy. Two men who clearly share a senile barber should not be running countries, let alone making decisions best left to real medical experts in the midst of a global pandemic. This is about his drumbeat against open borders, celebrating ethnocentrism and isolationism. And Nationalism – always with the Nationalism.

This move has got nothing to do with the virus. A few days ago he wouldn’t let a cruise ship dock (full of Americans, I might add) in San Francisco because ‘I don’t like those numbers.’ He didn’t like his numbers going up of those infected in the US with the virus. Because for weeks he’s been saying it was no problem in America – Its not China, after all. They were totally on top of it. ‘In days it will go to zero’ because America is smarter than everyone else. The Great Pumpkin is smarter than everyone else. Yet the response from the government was no response at all. But here’s the thing, boys and girls. Saying something doesn’t make it so. That’s just magical thinking. Or as actual adults refer to it – Lying. But the known germ-a-phoebe has been outsmarted by a virus – a virus from China. It would be funny if people weren’t suffering – and oh yeah, dying.

And now he’s saying if we needed to get back to the US for a good reason, as US citizens – like our daughter – we’d be ‘screened’ and likely quarantined. Which would be the same as not going at all. But I could almost understand that. Except, of course, I just fly to the UK or Ireland or Bulgaria, first. Then I’m totally golden. Washed clean by Anglo-ness. Utter Nonsense. I guess its true as the old saying goes – A degree from the University of Twitter doesn’t make you a Real-live Doctor – or anything else – ever.

Our daughter, Emilie, is on Spring Break. Her boarding school notified all parents that the kids should not return after the break for at least two weeks. During which time, they will assess if they can return at all or must finish out the year remotely. This is her senior year so it’s a little more important – these last 8 weeks – that she’s able to do just that, one way or another.

Amongst this pandemic and crisis, we all need to pull together as human beings. While we have to ‘distance socially’ we don’t need to distance ourselves from our humanity. I understand quarantines. I understand locking things down so that we can limit the spread. But using it as a means to reinforces a political agenda or ethnocentric world views is just plain wrong.

Those of us living in countries that are hardest hit aren’t seeing the rhetoric that is being spewed by the president’s speech last night. The leaders of the EU are coming out aggressive, yet measured. Relying on experts and expertise. Imagine. But more importantly, they’re coming out together. Actually working together to solve this thing, protect their citizenry and to pull together. Borders don’t protect people, they separate us into armed camps. Sure, this crisis is serious. But when it does finally pass, these relationships within the EU will be stronger for it. This situation is temporary but Trump’s stupidity is permanent. The Trump isolation-bridges-burning approach will have a lasting effect on his relationship with Europe and the world. Perhaps he’d do well to think longer term than just the off the cuff remark-o-the-moment. Because it’s true what our grandma always told us ‘A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed’.