We're Now Officially A Global Pariah

Thanks, Trump. It only took three years:

Global leaders have pledged to accelerate cooperation on a coronavirus vaccine and to share research, treatment and medicines across the globe. But the United States did not take part in the World Health Organization initiative, in a sign of Donald Trump’s increasing isolation on the global stage.

The cooperation pledge, made at a virtual meeting, was designed to show that wealthy countries will not keep the results of research from developing countries.

The meeting also represented a symbolic endorsement of the United Nations body in the face of Trump’s decision to suspend US payments and condemn its leaders as subordinates of the Chinese Communist party. China and the US have accused each other of bullying and disinformation over the coronavirus outbreak, damaging efforts to secure cooperation at the G20, the natural international institution to handle global health outside the UN.

Read the whole thing -- it's not very long, but it points up the fact that we've got a problem.

Via Digby, who coments:

This is what it’s come to. We are not only no longer leading the world (which is fine…) we aren’t even participants in efforts to save people in a global pandemic. We are now officially a pariah state.

Not that I blame other countries for moving on without us. Why would you want miscreants like Pompeo and Trump interfering in important decisions?