Covid French Friday, is, as you will understand, pretty much the same for the French people as for the rest of the Western World. They endure virus-imposed restrictions like social distancing, and irregular hours of certain business and their justly loved French restaurants.

But the Covid Virus in France, as difficult as it if for the French, pales in comparison to the United States. Now with 200,000 dead, 40 thousand unemployed, protests, repression, killer cops and a mentally challenged president who claims: “hardly anyone has been affected.”

Whatever the French may think of President Macron, they don’t doubt his mental capacity. And, looking across the water on this Covid Friday, the French people are, despite the deaths and hardship, “happy to be here.” And not -“there.”

That said, not all French are experiencing Covid in the same manner. Or to the same degree.

In the major cities, notably Paris and Marseille, the rates of infection, as you would expect from urban density, are greater. Likewise the advised precautions.

But in the French countryside, particular the very rural areas, the ones the French call: “Le France Profunde” – lives there have been significantly less affected. Again, a function of less density.

And, although legally, masks are mandatory nationwide, in the French Countryside, the reality is that they’re usually only worn in supermarkets or other businesses where you’ll be in contact with strangers.

Other than that, Covid French Friday, in “Le France Profunde”, looks pretty much like this:

THROW ME A BONE HERE PEOPLE!

WHAT ARE YA THINKIN’?

authors note: It’s rare that I write on a non-French subject. But this situation concerns the World.

In his recent book, “The Mad King – His Non-Fake Facts”, Investigative Journalist Atherton Cooper details the “career arc” of the conman who became (a self-appointed) King. Donald Trump.

As he was ascending to his “throne” (courtesy of the Electoral College, not the “will of the people” as he frequently claims,) in this post, I wrote: “Donald Trump is America’s Hitler.”

The parallels are chilling.To say the least.

Immigrants discriminated against and barred from entering. (By the son of an immigrant.)

Children seperated from their parents and locked up in cages in unsanitary and inhuman conditions.

Racist attacks on rival female politicans of color and different religious beliefs to “go back where they came from.” When, despite their ethnicity, they were “born in the U.S.A.”

And perhaps the most startling revelation was his first wife’s comment that “the donald’s” bedtime reading was Hitler’s Mein Kampf,which he annotated.

At first glance you might think that’s another thin “maybe” factoid. Until you consider the not coincidental similarities between the two dictators labels for critical media.

Hitler – “lying news.”
Trump – “fake news.”

Clearly, no American, of either party, ever expected they would be governed by a president who retained control of his business interests(through his sons), profited directly from the public purse – charging higher than usual prices for secret service accomodation at his hotels – playing golf at his own courses on the taxpayers back , while bragging that he wasn’t taking his presidental salary, and, in contrast to every other president, not making his tax returns public.

The bottom line is simple: Donald Trump is a conman. Who, by virtue of a gaping flaw in the American political system, got the opportunity to run the biggest con imaginable : Taking America to the cleaners. HIS cleaners.

As Mr. Cooper explains in “The Mad King”, Trump started out as, and remains, a bully. (Albiet now, sadly, on a larger stage).

The reason his father sent him to military school was the discovery that Donald was planning to go to the “bad” side of new York, to buy a switchblade.

The bully morphed easily into a conman. Aided by his Father’s wealth and credit line.

He conned the New Jersey Gaming Commission into granting him a casino lisence, without the usual checks saying he was: “too young to get into any trouble.”

But the Donalds casinos were, as you probably know, were nothing but trouble. Rapidly closing.

Undeterred, Trump conned on. Always demanding the highest payout, always stiffing contractors and employees, and sueing anyone who wouldn’t “play ball” on Trumps diamond.

His greatest success as a con artist, was convincing too many Americans that he was the consumate businessman, who would “drain the swamp” and “run America like a business.” (One of his few Truthful statements. He does run America like a business. HIS business.)

This “Business Czar” fairytale was “validated” by his book, “The Art of the Deal”, written by Tony Swartz.(not Trump) And by his reality TV show : “The Apprentice.”

A classic example of style over substance.

Trump has failed at more than 30 business endeavours. Trump Steaks. Trump airlines,Trump, the game, the list of losers goes on and on. And, not to forget the ultimate “you can be rich like me” con – Trump University.

The Donald, in spite of Daddy’s money and credit line, has gone backrupt four times.
And when American banks finally got smart and refused to lend him anymore, Trump knocked on the doors of European banks. (Now, so we’re told, releasing Trump financial records to investigators.)

All Trump’s of conning, given his character and history is not suprising.

What is suprising is that no one, not even the scores of mental Health professionals, who were, at the get go, warning that Trump was “dangerous”; forsaw that he would become Deadly. Literally. To the American people.

By(before the Coronavirus pandemic) disbanding the agency that was responsible for preparing for exactly what Amercia is now facing; by his deperate attempts to turn every disaster into an excuse for self-praise; by continuing to stoke resentment against Asian Amercians by called Covid-19 “the Chinese Virus”, and worst of all, by not pulling out all the stops to give medical professionals the supplies they need, Donald Trump has confimed his madness. And in the process, sentenced an as yet unknown number of Amercians, to death.

Beneath his narcissism,beneath the incredible hubris, Donald Trump, the ultimate conman, the serial liar is certainly telling the truth to himself.

The truth that future generations will, and rightly, link his name with the other mad king. The one from Bavaria.

What a legacy to leave your son.

THROW ME A BONE HERE, PEOPLE.
WHAT ARE YA THINKING?