When Donald Trump declared that he was cutting funding for the World Health Organization, Richard Horton -- the editor of the Lancet -- called his decision "a crime against humanity." Others have also condemned Trump. Martin McKee writes:
Simon Coveney, the foreign minister of Ireland, a country with exceptionally close ties with the United States, described Trump’s decision to cut funds to WHO as an “indefensible decision, in midst of global pandemic. So many vulnerable populations rely on WHO – deliberately undermining funding and trust now is shocking.” Heiko Maas, the German foreign minister was slightly more restrained, tweeting that: “Blaming does not help. The virus knows no borders”. In the UK, however, where ministers are still hoping for a post-Brexit trade deal, a Downing Street spokesman rejected an invitation to join the condemnation, although they did voice support for the WHO.
World leaders -- as illustrated by the Brits -- have tiptoed around the Mercurial Moron. But there is good reason to call him out now:
The decision will clearly damage the WHO. First, there is the loss of funding. As the world’s richest country, the United States contributes 40% of the WHO’s core budget, although this only amounts to 20% of its total spending. The US also contributes the largest share to the remaining 80% of voluntary contributions.
The irony, of course, is that Trump is repeating the very actions that got him impeached. Congress has approved funding for WHO and Trump cannot impound it. Congress has the power of the purse, not Trump. So much for Susan Collins' claim that Trump had learned his lesson.
There is one lesson, however, that the world must take from this debacle. McKee writes:
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of individual leaders and international cooperation. In a world where Jair Bolsanaro can threaten the world by allowing the Amazon to burn, or Donald Trump can undermine those leading the response to a pandemic, the need for a new international order has never been more urgent.
It has to be a world order that excludes the United States. Admittedly, it's a tall order. But unless we re-organize the way the world works, Trump will not only bring down his own country. He'll bring down the planet.
Image: Common Dreams
16 comments:
The WHO funding suspension as yet another tactic by Trump to find scapegoats for his gross incompetence, Owen. As always, his disciples will follow him blindly into this new hell, while the rest will adhere to the more narrow path where sanity resides.
It takes a special kind of stupidity to be Donald Trump, Lorne. And it takes a special kind of stupidity to be a Trump follower.
“But unless we re-organize the way the world works, Trump will not only bring down his own country. He'll bring down the planet.”
Unfortunately that statement is true, that a narcissistic self promoting blabbermouth has become the president of one of the largest western economies says much not only about the American mind set but indeed about the whole world. I wish I were more optimistic that this wake up call will bring about real change Owen!
"How much? $800 million? Cut it. It'll help to pay for the slackers I'm supporting with $1200 checks." That's about the attitude and outlook of the Human Wrecking Ball. Government by whim and deceit. And still the praise the lord types praise the scoundrel to the skies.
BM
The problem isn't just Trump, Rural. It's Trump's supporters. And, unfortunately, there are millions of them.
Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid, BM.
There are answers to the question of why America should pay. I can think of some, but it would be a useless effort to attempt to explain them to those who follow Trump. Others, too, might like to have their way with everything, but they know it just ain't so.
The wretched and unexceptional have already paid their fair share and they're still in line to do it next. Trump will make sure of that.
Trump's prime directive is simple, John: Rub their noses in the dirt.
It is nice to see that Trump has fans.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired his health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, Thursday, after clashing over how to confront the coronavirus outbreak.
Mandetta had been working with state governors on fighting SARS-CoV2. Bolsonaro felt that a shut down was too costly. Bolsonaro does seem to be an extreme right-wing, anti-democratic religious nutcase but hey everyone has faults. What I had not realized was that he is as delusional as his hero, Donald Trump.
When the nutbars are in charge, jrk, we're in deep, deep trouble.
I don't know about world order, but my take on it is, trump will eventually stop participating and may not be invited to participate in many things. a couple of years ago when trump was bad mouth NATO I suggested Europe and Canada had better get their military act together and start ramping up their military because the U.S. just wasn't going to be there. We saw that with the Kurds and then Afghanistan. Not much has been said about the negotiations with S Korea or Japan but those were not going well When it comes to military it has to be each country is going to have to act like the U.S. isn't there, because in some ways they aren't. As long as trump is in office, the us.a is not part of the game any more. its a country in decline with a large poverty issue it will be come more like russia and brazil, the very rich and then the rest. Canada sitting on the border needs to ramp up our military because if the american election does not go well we ought to expect a civil war. we don't need it coming into our country. for that we will need a large military. we will also have to be ready to expect refugees as will Mexico.
This is totally off-topic but have you heard how the Québec law about not covering one's face while working in the public sector or on public transit has been going recently?
Trump has made the United States an unreliable partner, e.a.f. Buyer beware!
I haven't heard anything on that topic, jrk. I suspect that it's gone by the board -- at least for now.
@ Owen
Trump has made the United States an unreliable partner, e.a.f. Buyer beware!
Not just Trump, the US under Bush I totally abandoned the Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq after encouraging resistance to Saddam Hussein at the end of the First Gulf War, totally turned on Syria after the Iraqi invasion whereas earlier they were subcontracting out torture to Syria (e.g. Maher Arar) and aggressively attacked Iran after Iran helped them in the early parts of the assault against the Taliban in the invasion of Afghan.
The Russians seem to have coined a new adjective for the USA,недоговороспособны, which seems to mean,literally “not-agreement-capable” or unable to make and then abide by an agreement. While polite, this expression is also extremely strong as it implies not so much a deliberate deception as the lack of the very ability to make a deal and abide by it.
This word may have become popular during the Obama presidency when John Kerry seemed to say one thing in a press conference in Moscow, get off te plane in Washington and say something completely different.
The Home of the Free and the Brave is far from both, jrk.
Post a Comment