It should come as no surprise that this year’s wildfires in California are even more devastating than those of 2019. The wildfires, largely sparked by lightning strikes and exacerbated by very dry conditions, have now burned through more than a million acres. The fires have claimed hundreds of homes and threaten tens of thousands more, forcing more than 100,000 to flee amid a coronavirus pandemic that vastly complicates evacuation decisions.
At least six are known dead, and hundreds yet unaccounted for.
The fires started early this year, on August 14th, with literally thousands of lightning strikes setting off the dry timber. In just over a week, the California blazes have charred more than 1 million acres, according to Cal Fire, more than tripling the area burned during a typical fire season (a little more than 300,000 acres). The area burned is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
California has seen a significant uptick in large-wildfire activity because of a combination of climate change, land-use practices and other factors. Large fires have also increased across other parts of the West, which climate studies tie to human-caused climate change that alters the timing of precipitation, makes summers hotter and vegetation drier, and leads to more days with extreme weather that enable fires to spread rapidly.
And just when California, which is, by the way, part of the United States, most needs help, the person at the head of the federal government is doing what he does best … mocking, denigrating, and being an all-round ass. You may remember that at the height of last year’s wildfires, Trump admonished California Governor Gavin Newsome, saying he should have “raked the forest floor”. Well, he’s at it again …
“I see again the forest fires are starting. They’re starting again in California. I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests — there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they’re like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up. Maybe we’re just going to have to make them pay for it because they don’t listen to us.”
WTF is this “them”??? There is no “them”. It is we , not ‘them vs us’! This country is called, in case Señor Trump has forgotten, the United States, and California is one of those states! In fact, with nearly 40 million people, it is the most populous state in the country! I am so sick and damned tired of Trump’s ignorance costing lives in this country! It was, in part, his rollback of nearly every environmental regulation on the books that has added to the massive problem of human-caused climate change, so in one sense, Trump himself has helped create this nightmare scenario. He damn sure hasn’t done anything to help the state of California … or any other state, for that matter!
Trump’s suggestions have prompted head-scratching from experts who say his prescriptions — more raking, less water released into the ocean for environmental purposes — suggest he does not understand the science of wildfires. Critics also point out that most of California’s wildlands are federally managed.
It should be noted that the president is elected by the people of all 50 states. It should further be noted that he takes an oath to “… faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” That oath does not say he will only be responsible and accountable to people living in states that voted for him, or that have a republican governor, or a republican majority, or that “like” him! The good people of California pay taxes the same as the people of Florida, Mississippi, Michigan and New York! And in return, they are treated by the federal government as one of those “shithole countries” Trump refers to!
It is time for our government to step up to the plate and help the State of California. If Trump won’t do it, then Congress damn well better. Off your ass, Mitch McConnell, and do something good for once in your life!
So crazy 😖
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it is.
LikeLike
Of course, Trump doesn’t understand anything to do with science. Why do we keep expecting him to understand it or care about it? The scientists don’t praise him and he can’t make money off of it. He also doesn’t see how he can put his name on it. It can’t appear at the RNC to speak about him. Someone give the guy a rake and send him out to clean the forest floor. What an idiot. His mind seems worse every year. 😦 — Suzanne
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sigh. You are quite right. And yes, he becomes more of an ignoramus every year, but … he couldn’t have risen to power, couldn’t keep that power … were it not for the 40% in this nation who are, quite frankly, too damn stupid to see him for what he really is.
LikeLike
California isn’t nice to the idiot, they don’t kiss his ass, so they don’t get anything as a punishment. It’s the same way he hates Chicago and any other place that won’t let him push them around. He’d rather see them all burn. He’s insane and having temper tantrums. When bad things happen it makes him HAPPY.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He hates, by his own admission, any state with a democratic governor. That he has fought California on many issues and lost, feeds the fire. He is, indeed, an insane child having temper tantrums … and we must remember he also has the nuclear codes. Sigh.
LikeLike
California has lost over a million acres to fires. There are 77 fires burning in 15 states, with 650,000 more acres burning in the other fourteen states. Yet, Trump’s priorities? Campaigning. His re-election campaign. Non-existent voter fraud. Destroying a venerable American institution, the USPS.
I’ve come to expect this callowness of him. It’s a waste to point these things out. My greater fury is directed toward the GOP and the lying enablers in Congress. My greatest contempt is for the Trump supporters who applaud this lawless, reckless, craven opportunist. It’s amazing how willfully blind, unthinking, racist, unprincipled, and shallow they’ve become.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it is a sad statement that this is exactly what we expect from the person who is supposed to lead this nation. Self-interest is his only interest. He forgets the rest of us have a voice and a vote, too. Hopefully, he is alienating enough people to be digging his own grave, else I don’t even want to know what this nation will look like in another four years. Keep safe, Michael.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sweep the forest floor? Or what should be swept? 1million acres of forest floor to be swept so trump can help California! That’s rich
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah … as if he has a clue what he is even talking about. Sigh.
LikeLike
Interestingly enough, or so it was to me, California has significantly fewer inmate firefighting crews to assist during the present wildfires. The California state prison system’s early release program brought about the release of over 17,000 inmates to protect other inmates and staff from Covid-19. This included a great number of inmates participating in the states Conservation Camp Program which supports local, state, and federal government agencies in responding to emergencies such as the wildfires and floods. I recall reading about them during the wildfires in 2019 and the numbers were higher. That said, it seems to me that since trump has so many idle sycophants amongst the GOP…let’s have Mitch McConnell introduce a bill (for a change) that will furnish trump & friends with the “best” firefighting garb and equipment and fly them out to California to fill some of those gaps in manpower. Consider it early training for his future behind bars! Thank-you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You wrote that experts … suggest he does not understand the science of wildfires. Oh let’s not be so minimizing. It’s more that Trump doesn’t understand ANYTHING (except how to promote himself).
But yes. Your post is right-on. But then again, when you sit in an air-conditioned office with people kissing your ass each and every day, it’s a bit difficult to empathize with things that are actually happening outside the walls of the White House.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He can’t stand California because Hillary kicked his ass by a mile there. We’ve never had a president pitting state against state like this moron. I’m reminded of former Gov of NJ Chris Christie actually having the nerve to talk and walk with President Obama after Hurricane Sandy. He was roundly criticized by some of the whack jobs in his party, including Fox News if I’m not mistaken. But this is where we are Jill. This president has made allegiance to him the only thing that matters. That his own party is complicit in this BS is even more disgusting. Throw all their asses out!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, at that time, I saw Chris Christie as caring about his state, and I still believe he did … back then. Just as Giuliani so obviously cared in the aftermath of 9/11, and yet has since become a conscience-less sycophant. Trump taints everyone he comes into contact with. Sigh. I agree … throw all their fat arses out! Start with Trump and his ignominious family, then clean out the cabinet!!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Like Rick Wilson’s book states: “Everything Trump touches, dies.” So true
LikeLiked by 1 person
The antithesis of the Midas touch, eh? Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember all the derogatory remarks of 2019 where the Governor showed himself to be the man he is., a man much more capable of being empathetic towards his people than the chief.who showed no empathy at all.
Cwtch
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep … and it’s likely to be a re-run of last year, this year. Perhaps even more so, for with the upcoming election, he’s trying to win brownie points with his base, none of whom live in California.
Cwtch
LikeLiked by 1 person
the lack of empathy is stunning…
LikeLiked by 2 people
It is, isn’t it? Sigh. Stunning, but not really surprising.
LikeLiked by 1 person