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U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

reuters.com

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Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#31

Post by bill_from_tampa »

Somehow withdrawing funding from the current only worldwide public health organization at the beginning of a pandemic seems ?? shortsighted.

Is trump admitting that he is incapable of negotiating his desired changes in WHO functionality, that his ability to communicate and work with international players is so deficient that his only option is to take his baseball bat and baseball and go home?

Or is this all a political move to attempt to shift the 'blame' for his/Trump's failings to some other boogeyman? My bet is on this option -- he failed to recognize the magnitude of the epidemic, he failed to take timely and early actions to mitigate the impact on the US economy and lives, he repeatedly minimized the size of the tsunami of death that was approaching our shores, he failed to motivate his FDA/CDC to get working PCR viral tests immediately and produce them in the amounts needed, he failed to coordinate obtaining necessary PPE supplies for the 50 states leading to a dysfunctional free-for-all where states were bidding against each other and FEMA confiscated all shipments they could find, he refused to take any responsibility for all of the above failures, he has recommended use of experimental medical treatments out of clinical trials (hydroxychloroquine), he has actively interfered with the public health necessity of transitioning the US to a "mask wearing culture" by making it a macho / political question instead of a life saving public health intervention, he has demanded that States not follow the 'reopening' metrics advanced by his own covid-19 group.... need I continue?

Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#32

Post by djaque »

DeonPenny wrote: post #30
foogazi wrote: post #27

How does this make the US safer?

It gives the US the ability to create a non-corrupt institution. Right now the WHO is not a reliable global partner. If the US can find other people that feel this way you get a more efficient institution that possibly is more efficient. Whats not safe is continuing to work with someone obvious playing fast and lose with the world.

> WHO is not a reliable global partner

That's based off of what evidence? When I search for "WHO corruption" I only find conspiracy theory youTube videos and far-right leaning publications that have a leg in that race.

Besides, as was said earlier, this is the equivalent of pulling diplomats out of a country. If corruption is the issue (and I'm not convinced it is) then you'd cut funding. This is a political stunt which is trying to draw attention away from an administrations failed response to a pandemic.

Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#34

Post by free_rms »

pazimzadeh wrote: post #5

This is not going to reduce China's influence on the WHO. Who is going to be the trusted source now? The NIH? Every year Trump proposes budget cuts to the NIH, and Congress ignores him and increases the budget. I bet this money will end up in private companies' pocket.

Once upon a time, the USSR quit the UN Security Council in protest over something or other.

China's seat was held by Taiwan at the time, so we wound up with a UN-endorsed anti-communist war in Korea despite China and Russia both being actually communist.

They rejoined the Security Council after that.

Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#36

Post by josephh »

djaque wrote: post #32
DeonPenny wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It gives the US the ability to create a non-corrupt institution. Right now the WHO is not a reliable global partner. If the US can find other people that feel this way you get a more efficient institution that possibly is more efficient. Whats not safe is continuing to work with someone obvious playing fast and lose with the world.

> WHO is not a reliable global partner That's based off of what evidence? When I search for "WHO corruption" I only find conspiracy theory youTube videos and far-right leaning publications that have a leg in that race. Besides, as was said earlier, this is the equivalent of pulling diplomats out of a country. If corruption is the issue (and I'm not convinced it is) then you'd cut funding. This is a political stunt wh…

I'm sorry, wasn't the interview with Dr. Bruce Aylward enough to convince you that there's something seriously wrong with the organization's leadership?

Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#37

Post by djaque »

LinuxBender wrote: post #3

I would love to see some of the money routed to NIH.gov instead. They have lost a great deal of funding over the years and we have a greater need for scientific research of diseases now more than ever.

President Trump has spent the past four years trying to cut funding to the NIH and congress has repeatedly overridden him. I would be shocked if that money went anywhere but the places he thinks will fire up his base of voters.

Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#38

Post by free_rms »

bill_from_tampa wrote: post #31

Somehow withdrawing funding from the current only worldwide public health organization at the beginning of a pandemic seems ?? shortsighted. Is trump admitting that he is incapable of negotiating his desired changes in WHO functionality, that his ability to communicate and work with international players is so deficient that his only option is to take his baseball bat and baseball and go home? Or is this all a politi…

It's 100% blame-shifting.

We all saw this happening in China for 2-3 months before it got here, then in Italy a month before it got here. It was all over the news. And we did nothing, as you note.

So now the line is that the WHO abetted some sort of cover-up? Does everyone have the memory of a goldfish?

Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#39

Post by Rapzid »

Simulacra wrote: post #18
pazimzadeh wrote: post #5

This is not going to reduce China's influence on the WHO. Who is going to be the trusted source now? The NIH? Every year Trump proposes budget cuts to the NIH, and Congress ignores him and increases the budget. I bet this money will end up in private companies' pocket.

I hate to see you getting down-voted because I do agree with point one. It won't diminish Chinese influence at all. In fact, it might increase their influence. China has always worked to replace America, why not at the UN?

China and Russia have been increasing soft power significantly over the past few years by filling voids the USA has left. We have been leaving the table, and they have been taking our seats.

Re: U.S. is terminating its relationship with World Health Organization, Trump says

#40

Post by mritun »

DeonPenny wrote: post #29
threatofrain wrote: post #17

If the US pays a magnitude of money more than China to the WHO, how are we to believe that the WHO is China's puppet, and not an extension of western power? How is China so clever with its maneuverings that its relatively puny contributions go so far?

Because they've actually have been trying to manipulate this institution and the west has generally frowned on corruption in necessary institutions. Its one of the big things that is in the west core beliefs. This is why this is taken seriously. At this point, it would be against the US beliefs to manipulate the WHO so the only thing it can do is build a new one free of corruption from the ground up. It happens a lot…

East is corrupt and west is not. Right!

Does it ever occur to you that other agencies might have better relationships and trust with other countries? That people might just not respond very well to bullying money or not ?

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