COVID-19 has been a global catastrophe. A world disaster. A pandemic. A killer of thousands. It has been an unparalleled event in our world’s history. From the Vatican on Easter Sunday, the Catholic Church proclaimed that it was one of the only examples of the entire world operating the same,in unity, to protect each other, a testament to a globe united to the benefit of our fellow man. So positive, it seemed.
President Trump apparently didn’t get that message, and instead is using today to start the vendetta against the World Health Organization, seeking to cut back funding from the United States. Because, you know, seems like the right time.
From The Washington Post:
President Trump is likely to announce restrictions on U.S. funding for the World Health Organization this week over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as the administration and conservative allies ramped up their criticism that the United Nations agency catered to China early in the outbreak and jeopardized global health.
Trump hinted at a temporary hold on U.S. funding Friday but said he wanted to wait until after Easter to announce anything. He said his administration would discuss the organization “in great detail” this week, adding he did not want to go further “before we had all the facts.”
What may really be at the heart of this? Well, of course, it may be about the World Health Organization making points that didn’t always line up with the Trump administration — a quick way to become the target for retribution.
“The problem is not the WHO system. The system has good people,” the official said. “It’s about comments made from the leadership — which went beyond what I am told their own staff wanted to say.”
The Trump administration blames the World Health Organization for being “China Centric” as well as providing too strict guidance, and has advanced that WHO should be defunded.
The reality is, social distancing may have made a significant impact in the spread and number of deaths from COVID-19. That doesn’t matter to Trump, what matters to Trump is that someone else pays the price for pointing out his administration was late to do anything to be effective.