The Scream, by Edvard Munch, Pastel, 1895
Edvard Munch is probably the most famous Norwegian artist, and his painting
series which he called The Scream, are some of the most iconic and recognizable art
images in the world. This version, of the series of at least five, was painted two years
after the mixed-media original, but it sold at auction for a record price which still
stands as the fourth highest ever paid for an artwork.
So, why am I talking about this image today? This figure, who is so terrified of
of the sound of what is happening in the world around him, is a good description of
how so many of us feel when we get up in the morning and hear about Trump's latest
outrageous decision. Every day he awards us with some new destructive disaster.
That bloody, shrieking atmosphere which is hovering over the frightened figure in
the painting is especially relevant to Trump's latest assault on the American people;
he has gutted the Environmental Protection Agency. From now on there will be no
restrictions on the amount of poisons our industries release into the air we breath and
into the water we drink. The buildup of mercury and lead in the environment will
continue to increase, poisoning the brains and nervous systems of our children, and
shortening our lives. And the reason Trump has made this decision is simply to
increase prophets for the carbon fuel industries, which support him so extensively
with donations to his election campaigns.
Even now as I write this, I am hearing that Trump has pushed The United States
into a war with Iran, without having congressional approval, as required by our
constitution. But of course Trump has never worried about doing things which are
unconstitutional or illegal or unethical before, so this has been expected and
approved by his MAGA cult Republicans.
So, now the bombs and missiles are falling, and there is nothing that innocent
citizens can do but cover our ears and hope that we can survive another three years
of Trump.
Eugene P. McNerney
