Sunday, June 07, 2020

Face masks and protective lenses

Donald Trump won't wear a face mask – at least in public. He has claimed to wear them "backstage" but not in public because he doesn't want the media to make a big deal out of it. It's a game of appearances and a matter of control: he wants to be seen to be the master of any situation he is in. During the 2017 total eclipse, he looked at the sun without protective glasses. Even though he did eventually put a pair on, he made it something he controlled, rather than something imposed upon him. To wear a face mask, then, would be to admit he's lost control of the situation. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 7 June)

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