The Cowardice Of Anthony Fauci.
How Dr. Fauci’s recent comments about Lara Logan crossed the line.
Dr. Fauci appeared recently on yet another politically polarized show and waded into politics, this time to criticize a private citizen, Lara Logan, of slander. Ms. Logan is a host on FOX Nation. You can watch and hear it here:
Setting aside the fact that government officials probably should not be trolling politically polarized shows, or, appearing on media at all, how is it that Fauci gets to suggests that a private citizen should be sanctioned by their employer. Have you no shame Sir?
Before turning to Fauci’s cowardice (or bullying), let us reflect on the fact that COVID-19 has made Anthony Fauci a star. Prior to the pandemic, few outside of the most ardent political observer had heard of him. No more. Now, he is a household name; some like him, others do not, but everyone knows who he is. He appears on magazines covers and he throws out ceremonial pitches at baseball games. Forgetting that he has the highest salary in the Federal government of a little over a half a million dollars a year, Fauci has made millions from other sources, all of which are directly attributable to his government “service.” The pandemic has elevated Fauci from an obscure Federal government official to marketable media and social media enterprise and he (seemingly) has accepted the mantle willingly. With tremendous benefits comes corresponding, if not equally so, costs. Fauci seems perfectly prepared to accept the former and intolerant of the latter.
In addition to his elevation to stardom and tremendous wealth, Fauci willingly has appeared on partisan programs. By so doing, he likely has sacrificed any claim to being a “public servant.” One cannot one minute be a partisan and the next be beyond reproach as “nonpartisan” public official. More importantly, one is baffled to understand how a “public” official thinks he or she can achieve the “public interests” by appearing on plainly partisan programs. Thus, forgiving Fauci for suspecting that the alphabet networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC are partisan, plainly MSNBC and CNN are. Nonetheless, he continues to regularly appear on these partisan outlets and to make plainly partisan comments such as mockingly asking Ted Cruz about “January 6.”
In light of his stardom, financial gain, and willing partisanship, you would think that Fauci would be circumspect in the face of criticism. Far from it. It appears that Fauci’s skin has thinned corresponding precisely with his rise in recognition, wealth, and naked partisanship.
Recently, Fauci appeared on Chris Hayes’ program on MSNBC to to say that he was “astounded” that FOX had not “taken action” against Lara Logan for saying that people tell her that Dr. Fauci reminds them of NAZI Dr. Josef Mengele. Mengele achieved infamy for being a NAZI that experimented on humans in NAZI prison camps and gulags. Fauci went on to say that Logan’s comments were “slanderous.” By making these comments, Fauci waded, yet again, into partisan waters, but, more importantly, he crossed a line no Federal official, elected or otherwise, should be permitted to cross.
First and foremost, Ms. Logan’s comments were not slanderous. Any trained lawyer, as this writer is, will tell you that truth is an absolute defense to defamation, of which slander is the verbal component, and that opinions are not actionable. Lara Logan’s verbal comment that people have told her that Fauci “reminds them of NAZI Dr. Mengele” undoubtedly are true. Fauci appears to be too wrapped up in his COVID-19 bubble to realize that her contacts were referring to the furor that surrounded the story that he sanctioned grisly experiments on Beagle puppies. This likely is what Ms. Logan’s contacts were referring to with the comments. More importantly, Ms. Logan’s comments plainly were in the nature of an opinion, not a fact.
Opinions are not actionable under the defamation laws of any jurisdiction. To have a valid claim, Fauci would have to prove that Lara Logan either intentionally or negligently uttered statements about Fauci that she suggested were facts. As an example, instead of suggesting that she had been “told” that people think of Fauci along the lines of Dr. Jesef Mengele, if she had stated something that, “like NAZI doctor Josef Mengele, Fauci has conducted illegal experiments,” she might be closer to the line of something actionable. Of course, Fauci cannot be expected to practice both medicine and law simultaneously, all while keeping up his duties as head of the United States’ National Institutes of Health. So let us not hold him to legalisms and accept that his comments were not statements of law, but the venting of frustration of public official who desires not to accept the negative publicity his rise to stardom has engendered. We should not, after all, expect perfection from our “public servants.”
Were that the end of it, presumably Fauci could be forgiven. However, that was not the end of it; only the beginning. Rather than leave it at the suggestion that Ms. Logan had engaged in tortious conduct, Dr. Fauci went further and suggested that he was “astounded” that Ms. Logan’s employer, FOX, had not “taken action” against her. This breach of protocol is far more serious and unforgiveable. In its plainest sense, a high-ranking government official suggested that a private citizen should be sanctioned by her employer for restating the opinions of others or stating her own, presumably because he disliked the opinion or opinions. It is difficult to imagine in what universe anyone suggesting that government of the people, by the people, and for the people should tolerate a high ranking (or any ranking) government official suggesting that a private citizen of any stripe be sanctioned by their employer for expressing a negative opinion of his or her performance of a “public” function. This seems, however, to be a daily occurrence on the likes of cable networks like MSNBC and CNN, and nearing a daily feature of the public’s networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC. It should not be.
It is difficult to settle on whether it is cowardice or bullying on Dr. Fauci’s part. Under the Constitution, Dr. Fauci is free to file his slander lawsuit. In addition to the above described problems with his claims, he also would have to contend with the fact that he now is “public figure,” which entitles him to less protections under defamation law than the rest of us common citizens.
The more important fact is that Dr. Fauci determined not to file a lawsuit, which is his right as an American but to lash out publicly, presumably on the tax payer’s payroll. In the not so recent history, this breach of the public trust would have resulted in termination or forced resignation. No more. Now, public officials that walk the Left wing or Democrat line face no consequences or, worse, receive outright promotions or rewards, or both. There is no point in railing against reality; it is, what (currently) it is.
That being written and understood, there is a point in calling out Dr. Fauci for his cowardice or bullying. You decide which it is. No matter how you feel about Fauci, or any other government official, they should not be attacking private citizens for their opinions. Moreover, if they determine to venture into the offensive, it should be a terminable offense to suggest that the employer of a private citizen take action for that person expressing his or her opinion, especially about the performance about a government official.
Once upon a time, this type of sentiment would receive near universal support. No longer. When we reach the point where it receives less than substantial sanction in the public, the fabric of our Nation will be torn, in all likelihood, beyond repair. Until then, we must continue to recognize and call out the cowardice (bullying if you prefer) of officials like Dr. Fauci.
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