to heck with everybody else

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jasonlulu_2000

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Obama calls Trump's handling of pandemic a 'chaotic disaster' He said a mindset "of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ " is to blame for the government's response to the covid-19.

What does "
to heck with everybody else
" mean?

Thanks!

Jason
 
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What is the source of this text?
 
It is an embellishment on "What's in it for me?" It emphasizes that (in Obama's opinion) some people care only for their own interests or class-interests and not a bit for the interests of others, even if others means almost everyone else.
 
In this context "heck" acts as a euphemism for "hell". So, as probus says, the attitude being described is: "I'm looking after my own interests and everybody else can go to hell as far as I'm concerned".
Other examples that would be natural in some regions.
I had a heck of a time scraping off that old paint.
What the heck's going on here?
 
The term is used to suggest a disregard of what anyone else does or thinks. And "heck" is a polite substitute for "hell" which is occasionally used in a more profane manner.
 
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