6 October 2020 - Stay Away From Evil, part 2
Stay away from evil.
What happens if you don't?
This example concerns associations with President Trump, who I have long considered evil, see http://natpernick.blogspot.com/2019/01/5-january-2019-replace-trump.html. But evil is found in all groups. See also https://natpernick.blogspot.com/2020/10/4-october-2020-stay-away-from-evil.html
Three physicians have had their reputations severely damaged due to their association with President Trump.
First, Dr. Harold Bornstein, President Trump's physician for 35 years, signed a letter dictated by President Trump, and is now a laughingstock:
If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/02/607638733/doctor-trump-dictated-letter-attesting-to-his-extraordinary-health
Second, Dr. Ronny Jackson, physician for 3 presidents including President Trump, was similarly seduced into making ridiculous and inaccurate statements, including that the President was in "excellent" cardiac health despite having an LDL cholesterol of 143 while taking an anticholesterol drug (the target level is below 100), and commenting that:
I told the President that if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years he might live to be 200 years old, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/369216-white-house-doctor-credits-good-genes-for-trumps-excellent-health
Finally, Dr. Sean Conley, the current presidential physician, has come under intense criticism for statements he made at press conferences while President Trump was hospitalized, including:
I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the President, over his course of illness, has had. I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction. And in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sean-conley-trump-health/2020/10/04/af63a16e-0653-11eb-a166-dc429b380d10_story.html
All three tried to "dance with the devil", and suffered greatly because of it.
If they couldn't do it, what makes you think you can?
Once you get close to evil, it becomes harder to stay away. Initially, you may try to maintain some distance. Then you don't think what you are doing is so wrong. Later, you understand the other point of view and start to accept it and embrace it. Ultimately, it becomes part of the new you.
Perhaps, when something terrible results from your new nature, you may recognize you were wrong and try to repent, like Michael Cohen. However, more likely you will be like William Barr and fall deeper into the abyss. Mr. Barr is the subject of numerous disciplinary actions and the subject of a letter by 2,000 former employees asking him to resign, see https://www.nycbar.org/media-listing/media/detail/attorney-general-barr-should-recuse-himself-from-department-of-justice-review-of-ukraine-matter, https://abovethelaw.com/2020/07/bill-barr-racks-up-yet-another-bar-complaint/, https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/11/politics/michael-flynn-justice-department-william-barr/index.html . Is this how you want the end of your life to be?
I try to practice "evil distancing", and avoid evil to the extent I can. We cannot sever our relationships with family, friends and business associates who may be evil, but we can limit them and be aware of the dangers they present to us. For me, the great evils are Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch, the Republican Party and their major supporters. You have to make your own determinations, but note that liberals, independents and people of all beliefs can also be evil; nobody is immune.
Evil is all around us. We should all be on our guard.
@natpernicktwit