Scott Tibbs
Hysteria over hydroxychloroquine
By Scott Tibbs, April 15, 2020
The idiotic fight over hydroxychloroquine is a perfect microcosm over what is wrong with our politics, even in the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Both sides have fallen into this, though the Left and the mainstream news media has been far worse.
First, on the right: This is where President Trump's personality is problematic. Trump has been praising hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 and the media immediately reacted negatively to it. When Trump is attacked on something, his instinct is to triple down on it. But MAGA-world on Twitter has gone overboard with obsessive defense and praise of Trump. Some more high-profile types suggesting that the pharmaceutical industry is downplaying it to increase profits and that the "New World Order" wants to use it to push vaccines. Please. Do I even need to comment on that? This cult of personality is unhealthy.
But the reaction of the Left has been totally unhinged. You have hysterical pundits warning that Trump's advocacy of the drug is "dangerous" without even considering that hydroxychloroquine is prescription-only. You cannot get it without visiting your doctor. I understand that you despise Donald Trump - Orange Man Bad and all that. But do you really distrust doctors to make that decision? Doctors are far more qualified than partisan journalists to determine whether a hydroxychloroquine prescription is necessary.
Some have even suggested that Trump is pushing the drug for his own personal financial benefit, but the President likely only stands to make
a couple hundred dollars from hydroxychloroquine. That is not even pocket change to Trump. Maybe he just wants to give people hope?
The most unhinged and shamefully dishonest reaction is the mainstream media's attempt to blame Trump for the death of a man who took hydroxychloroquine. But he did not take a drug manufactured for human consumption. He did not even acquire drugs on the black market. He ingested
fish tank cleaner. The idea that the President is in any way responsible for that is totally absurd. If the media wants to know why so many Republicans have no trust in what they say, they can look at their coverage of that story.
Great job, everyone. You have taken what could have been a worthwhile and informative discussion of a possible treatment for the Communist Virus into yet another opportunity for us to viciously attack each other and spread absurd fantasies and conspiracy theories. Well done.
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