The coronavirus has cheapened hypocrisy.
Witness the elected officials, ministers and sundry celebrities who scold about staying safe through isolation and self-denial, only to be caught without mask or indulging in travel or secret dinners.
The latest is the Denver mayor, who counseled by tweet that we stay home for Thanksgiving. Minutes later, he boarded a plane for a family gathering in Mississippi.
I’ve mostly stopped reading this genre of news. The hypocrites deserve their public comeuppances, but the novelty is gone. Just another selfish human experiencing flogging-by-news-story.
By comparison, our denier-in-chief is less hypocritical than are finger-waggers caught ignoring their own advice.
Yes, Donald Trump has shown flagrant incompetence in failing to marshal the federal government to an effective response to the coronavirus.
But grant the man this much: He never pretended to give a damn. Instead, he’s consistently ignored the virus. Dissed public-health officials. Refused to take precautions or ask Americans to. Avoided authentic expressions of sympathy.
We’re all weary – and guilty. Haven’t we all excused our own occasional safety lapses?
Hypocrisy is cheap because hypocrisy is abundant.
The Jimmy Cliff song is a perfect addition, Jeff.
That’s what I thought. Thanks, Darlene.