Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Wednesday April 15 2020, @08:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the the-sordid-art-of-deflection dept.

BBC: Coronavirus: US to halt funding to WHO, says Trump

US President Donald Trump has said he is going to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) because it has "failed in its basic duty" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

[...] Mr Trump has been under fire for his own handling of the pandemic.

He has sought to deflect persistent criticism that he acted too slowly to stop the virus's spread by pointing to his decision in late January to place restrictions on travel from China.

[...] The US is the global health body's largest single funder and gave it more than $400m in 2019.

A decision on whether the US resumes funding will be made after the review, which Mr Trump said would last 60 to 90 days.

[...] China gave about $86m in 2018-19; UK gives most of any country apart from the US

[...] The organisation launched an appeal in March for $675m to help fight the pandemic and is reported to be planning a fresh appeal for at least $1bn.

Reuters: Trump halts World Health Organization funding amid coronavirus pandemic

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would halt funding to the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic while his administration reviews its response to the global crisis.

Trump told a White House news conference the WHO had “failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable.” He said the group had promoted China’s “disinformation” about the virus that likely led to a wider outbreak of the virus than otherwise would have occurred.

[...] The hold on funding was expected. Trump has been increasingly critical of the organization as the global health crisis has continued, and he has reacted angrily to criticism of his administration’s response.

[...] U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday it was “not the time” to reduce resources for the body.

“Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” he said.

American Medical Association President Dr. Patrice Harris called it “a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier” and urged Trump to reconsider.

[...] The Republican president recently accused the WHO of being too lenient with China in the earliest days of the crisis, despite having himself praised China in January for its response and transparency.

Trump has made frequent use of scapegoats during his short political career. He often lashes out at the media, Democrats, or others when he feels attacked or under pressure.

The Guardian: Trump turns against WHO to mask his own stark failings on Covid-19 crisis

Donald Trump’s declared suspension of funding of the World Health Organisation in the midst of a pandemic is confirmation – if any were needed – that he is in search of scapegoats for his administration’s much delayed and chaotic response to the crisis.

The US is the WHO’s biggest donor, with funding over $400m a year in both assessed contributions (membership fees) and donations – though it is actually $200m in arrears. [pdf]

Theoretically the White House cannot block funding of international institutions mandated by Congress. But the administration has found ways around such constitutional hurdles on other issues – by simply failing to disburse funds or apply sanctions, for example.

The funding could be formally rescinded, but that would require Senate approval, or “reprogrammed” by being diverted to another purpose that the White House could argue is consistent with the will of Congress.

[...] The WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had to fly to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping on 29 January to negotiate entry and information sharing. A WHO team was allowed to visit Wuhan on 22 February. Tedros has been criticised for his flattery of Xi and the Chinese response, in the face of Beijing’s obstructionism and cover-up attempts. His defenders said that such diplomacy was the price for entry.

Trump did more than his own fair share of Xi flattery. On 24 January, the president tweeted “China has been working very hard to contain the coronavirus … The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.”

The claim that the delay in the WHO acquiring samples crippled the international response is also false. Chinese scientists publicly released the genetic sequence of Covid-19 on 11 January.

[...] By early February the WHO was in a position to distribute a Covid-19 test worldwide, but the US government opted not to have it fast-tracked through approval. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instead produced its own test at about the same time, but it was flawed and had to be recalled. US testing would be set back more than six weeks compared to the rest of the world.

While virtually no testing was under way in the US throughout February, Trump assumed the consequently low number of confirmed US cases meant that his country had somehow escaped. “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA,” he boasted on 24 February, nearly a month after the WHO declaration of emergency. “We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health [Organisation] have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday April 15 2020, @10:19PM (9 children)

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Wednesday April 15 2020, @10:19PM (#983267)

    Jesus H Christ, two idiots modded that conspiracy theory word salad Insighful? Unbelievable.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Troll=1, Insightful=2, Funny=1, Total=4
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @03:33AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @03:33AM (#983433)

    Well I think it is a little silly to call sock puppets anything that implies sentience.

  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday April 16 2020, @03:54AM (7 children)

    by MostCynical (2589) on Thursday April 16 2020, @03:54AM (#983446) Journal

    even conspiracy theorists can approach truths, even within racist simplism can be nuggets of unfortunate realilty...

    the Chinese have always played the very, very long game, and are prepared to buy their way into the lives of any and every country. The Chinese government has been caught in so many lies yet they just brazen it out... Trump and many others around the world do the same, so it is very much pots and kettles.

    Forced immigraiton into Tibet? Taiwan? Uigher 'reeducation' (and organ harvesting) camps? Are none of these "racist"?

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 16 2020, @04:51AM (5 children)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday April 16 2020, @04:51AM (#983463) Journal

      the Chinese have always played the very, very long game... Trump and many others around the world do the same

      GRIN "Trump playing a very, very long game" - such a funny idea I almost LOL-ed.

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday April 16 2020, @06:15AM (4 children)

        by MostCynical (2589) on Thursday April 16 2020, @06:15AM (#983477) Journal

        sorry - guilt by association - Trump is only playing to the next election.
        I meant to associate Trump only with the second clause (".. brazen it out."), not the first.

        Not sure Trump himself can plan beyond his last sentence...

        --
        "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 16 2020, @07:48AM (2 children)

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday April 16 2020, @07:48AM (#983495) Journal

          Not sure Trump himself can plan beyond his last sentence...

          Aaand... here's your change good sir.

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
          • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday April 16 2020, @09:40AM (1 child)

            by MostCynical (2589) on Thursday April 16 2020, @09:40AM (#983510) Journal
            --
            "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
            • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 16 2020, @10:40AM

              by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday April 16 2020, @10:40AM (#983519) Journal

              Trump and 'good sir' don't go together in a phrase without a negation between them.
              On a second though, one can drop either 'good' or 'sir' from the second term and the proposition above still ring true.

              --
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday April 16 2020, @04:14PM

          by fustakrakich (6150) on Thursday April 16 2020, @04:14PM (#983650) Journal

          Not sure Trump himself can plan beyond his last sentence...

          Does it matter? I mean, look at him, still fat catting up there on the pedestal, with a good chance of being reelected. Looks like his people have it under control.

          --
          La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday April 17 2020, @02:55AM

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday April 17 2020, @02:55AM (#983922) Journal

      the Chinese have always played the very, very long game

      No, they do not. People in the West must stop repeating this fallacy. Historically Chinese excel at the head-stuck-up-their-ass game. For example, Imperial China had plenty of warning that European powers had gained decisive technological and military advantages and were aggressively colonizing less developed countries. They did nothing about it, because their system was too hidebound and they too in love with their own national mythos as the "Middle Kingdom" (that is, the country that is the center of the world). Turns out that cultivating hundreds of generations of scholar officials who excel in calligraphy and memorizing the Chinese classics is not really good for a whole lot (take note, Ye Learners of Gender Studies of the West).

      Japan learned quickly. They learned in a goddamn hurry when Commodore Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay and forced the country open. A couple short decades later they were beating Russia, a major European power, in modern warfare. Not China, though. They kept getting picked apart by countries you could fit in a shoebox.

      Some long game.

      Then they decided it would be a super good idea to follow the communist path. Mao and his successors managed to kill about 73 million of their own people. The Japanese Imperial Army only managed to kill 14 million. It was an abject failure.

      Some long game.

      But since Deng Xiaoping Beijing has been on the warpath (you can read all about it in Congressional white papers going back at least 20 years) to take down the United States and conquer the world. We better all do all we can to keep that from happening, because believe you me none of us will enjoy it.

      No, it's the United States that has been playing the long game. It is quite good at it, which resulted in its becoming the world's sole superpower. Think about it: we have the most powerful military. We have the international financial system locked up. We've got multiple military alliances with countries with significant militaries and substantial martial traditions. Culturally, we influence so much of the world, and our soft power extends in countless ways, small and large, everywhere. Heck, between the British Empire and America English is the international lingua franca now. How many of you speak Mandarin? Between a few and none?

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.