If the US cuts funding to the WHO, there’s more body bags because the US cut funding.
Who is holding who hostage? The one threatening to cut funding. You can try twisting it backwards but it doesn’t hold.
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WE have to blame WHO. Otherwise, we would have to take responsibility for where we were weak.
Patriotic duty. Good American should be anti-WHO right now. Thing is, the WHO is huge in what it has to do but its budget isn’t huge. The US does not provide most of its funding but it does a significant amount. WHO’s budget is that of a large metropolitan hospital but it provides services worldwide on what’s a shoestring budget for what it has to do.
A Guardian article – which is a UK newspaper and NOT obliged to hold the standard line about WHO, gives a fairer assessment as to the US and WHO’s strengths and weaknesses through this affair so far.
But this is the part that concerns me. Now, Trump was talking out of his ass: he’s not going to cut funding. He wants more ass kissing that’s all. So I’m not worried about that.
What I am worried about is the lack of US leadership here. This line sums it up:
“Unlike the Ebola outbreak in 2014, the US will not be there to take the lead, and it will be up to the WHO to coordinate scarce resources and expertise.”
And that’s a problem. The US was on the ball with Ebola as much as one might expect. [nobody expects perfection] But this time is different.
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It’s a toothless organization politically. He’s making a statement of fact. WHO’s funding isn’t that big. US isn’t the majority funder but it is a lot. Cut the little they have and people will die.
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Now, the delivery of masks to China was a fine response. Not replacing it though, that was the problem.
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A lot is in the realm of he said / she said. I just want this situation to clear up, organizations to work together. I know the guy in charge of the WHO isn’t the best soul, neither is our head, neither is the guy heading China, or most any leaders.
But there’s a thing happening and using it for brownie point scoring for November votes is ridiculous. We got problems to fix.
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That’s actually an excellent Joe Biden drawing. It’s iconic but I didn’t think he had enough features that a caricature would work. But aviator glasses and ice cream and standard receding man hairline and it’s Joe Biden.
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