Who is to blame: President Trump or the WHO?

A slightly longer video at 25 minutes but an interesting discussion on the topic.

It will disappear one day like a miracle: That is how US President Donald Trump described the coronavirus pandemic in its early days.For weeks, he went on assuring Americans they had it "totally under control".But now, the United States is the worst-affected country with more than 609,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths topping 25,000.Healthcare workers are struggling with medical shortages, hospitals are overwhelmed, and the president is under pressure.He has been accused of ignoring warnings of a full-blown crisis and of misleading Americans.But Trump insists he is doing the job right and is using his daily briefings to promote his achievements.He has made another controversial decision by halting funds to the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing the United Nations agency of mismanaging the spread of the virus.But what about Trump himself?And what kind of leadership has he shown in dealing with the pandemic?

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2020/04/blame-president-trump-200415175150383.html

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Reply 1

londonmyst

Both.
Along with the CCP.

Reply 2

z-hog

Who is to blame for what?

Reply 3

Yourmainmancj

Obama, because according to Trump he's to blame for basically everything.

Reply 4

adam271

I kinda agree with Trump.
No one took this thing seriously and the WHO were quite reluctant to jump the gun early and call it a pandemic.

They left it too late when they had the option of going full force day one and nipping it in the bud.

But hindsight is a funny thing. I don't see how removing funding is particularly helpful. That being said it seems the WHO is pretty toothless anyway. Either way there should be a major review into the WHO after this is over to see if they can better prevent this happening again.

I'm not a fan of trump (who is) but I think the WHO has dropped the ball massively.. probably why people aren't listening to them now..

Reply 5

999tigger

What Myst said I would be looking at Trump fr not taking it sriously. His repsonsibility is to the US.
WHO for not doing their job and cuddling up to the Chinese. Their responsibilty is to the whole world.
The Chinese for probably not being transparent and trying to hust the whisleblowers up or disappearing them. As the originator, then depending on their actions they owed a duty of care to everyone else.

Reply 6

Ragman75

Original post by Napp

A slightly longer video at 25 minutes but an interesting discussion on the topic.

Aljazeera is not credible source, stop being a hypocrite napp

Reply 7

Napp

Original post by Ragman75

Aljazeera is not credible source, stop being a hypocrite napp

Of course it isnt :rolleyes:

Reply 8

Em.-.

On a global level, the WHO are to blame, for their terrible, ignorant and biased advice. For the US, both the WHO and Trump, with his initial ignorance of the severity, are to blame.

Reply 9

Napp

Original post by 999tigger

What Myst said I would be looking at Trump fr not taking it sriously. His repsonsibility is to the US.

To a point, but he is also (whether he likes it or not) the leader of the free world. When that leader goes about spouting garbage with such reckless abandon others listen.

Reply 10

Coronajunior

Donald Trump tends to make controversial statements that never cease to spark controversy across the global media. He nevertheless fails to justify his claims and proceeds to enforce his opinion rather than accept and consider an opposing viewpoint. I am not sure if such is a result of his persona or part of his tactics to establish his name in news headlines. Regardless of my opinion surrounding the credibility of Aljazeera, i fully agree with the extracted quote. Trump races to criticise the work of others, this time the World Health Organization, a long-established organisation who's only aim is to monitor and improve the health of the global society and living standards through medical advice, aid and intervention. Trump gallops to politicize major crises such as the COVID-19 outbreak and often sees events like these as a chance to take a hit at rival countries as we have previously seen with china and now the WHO, rather prioritising the health and safety of the infirm and vulnerable members of his OWN nation.

Reply 11

Ragman75

Original post by Napp

To a point, but he is also (whether he likes it or not) the leader of the free world. When that leader goes about spouting garbage with such reckless abandon others listen.

Typical napp hypocrisy, complains about the US war in Iraq and Afganistan then complains that the US isnt being a "leader of the free world". Pick one either the US has some special status/authority and some moral responsibility over other countries or it doesn't, you cant have it both ways just because you irrationally hate Donald trump and want to blame him for everything.

I bet wont respond to any of the points here at all

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 12

Napp

Original post by Ragman75

of course you would say this, typical troll response

Oh bless you raggedyman75 :lol:

Original post by Ragman75

Make a valid point and i might consider it. At present this is just more of your usual nonsensical whining though. Equally, don't recall this topic being about the Middle East and Asian wars :rolleyes:

Keep up dear.

Reply 13

Ragman75

Original post by Napp

Make a valid point and i might consider it.

, its your job to argue why my points arent valid its not my job to bring you an argument that you already agree with. Think about this kid, if we apply your maxim universally, does it really make sense to you that I would get to determine what points of yours are and are not valid? Do you honestly see no problem with this line of logic.

But lets be honest you understand why what you said is madness you just cant respond simple as.

Reply 14

Ragman75

Original post by Napp

Oh bless you raggedyman75 :lol:

Keep up dear.

The irony is its not a valid point to say "thats not a valid point" with no further reasoning or evidence.

Reply 15

Ragman75

Original post by Napp

Err no. I'm under no obligation to indulge your peculiar form of trolling. Nor, for that matter, your supreme ignorance on the topics you, for reasons beyond rational comprehension, seem to enjoy showing us said ignorance on.
Goodbye Josh.

Everything you say is projection:
- you call me a troll yet whenever you cant respond you resort to literal trolling
- you call me ignorant yet you deny evidence because you clearly wherent informed enough to respond to it
- you say im not rational yet I just showed your behavior makes no rational sense

The facts are you just cant respond as usual. Because if you really believed I was wrong you would be able to actually argue why. And your whole "i dont want to wah wah wah" line is an excuse. The only reason people come here is to debate, you just don't want to debate me because you know i will make you actually make an argument instead of your weird trolly vagueness you usually spew, and ill stop you from pivoting left and right on the topic.

Reply 16

adam271

Another thing I'm critical about regarding the WHO is its dealings with Taiwan.
They have perhaps had the best response to the virus. They are a small island with a population the size of Australia yet have managed to control it.

Yet the WHO do not really want to engage with Taiwan due to its close relationship with China.
The WHO should be unbiased. Maybe the solution should be a more equal funding for the organisation. The WHO shouldn't be funded so much be only a few countries.

Reply 17

Napp

Original post by adam271

In fairness its less to do with their desire as opposed to being shackled by China ad its '1 China' policy. On the same token, given that most countries don't even bother to recognise Taiwan as a country their complaining about the poor treatment of them seems, at best, disingenuous.

Reply 18

adam271

Original post by Napp

The UK doesn't recognize their statehood but still has strong diplomatic and trading relationship with them.
No one is asking the WHO to recognise Taiwan as a state but look at the interview it's stupid.

Reply 19

Napp

Original post by adam271

Yes to the latter but i dont believe we have any diplomatic relations with Taiwan? at least official ones anyway.
Oh don't get me wrong im not defending their position, merely pointing out that its rather beyond their control. China has a veto on the matter and theres nothing the agency can do about it.
If we're looking for people to blame though, one would suggest looking at those who set up the UN and its subsidiaries as a good place to start (and of course China).
Essentially my position is that all this bashing of the WHO over the Taiwan issue is misplaced. It's akin, pardon this clumsy metaphor, to blaming the hammer in a murder as opposed to those wielding it.