Coronavirus

The Wuhan coronavirus is threatening to become an international health crisis. It has sickened ten thousand people to date and killed more than two hundred fifty.

The United States took some measures on Friday to limit some but not all travelers from China where the great majority of victims are located. Nevertheless, the first case of someone being infected inside the United States has already surfaced.

Needless to say, Donald Trump and his administration are manifestly unable to deal with the problem should it become a domestic crisis. An article in the most recent issue of Foreign Policy (link here) makes that clear with the title "Trump Has Sabotaged America's Coronavirus Response" and the deck title says in part "the United States has never been less prepared for a pandemic."

An excerpt from the text: "For the United States, the answers are especially worrying because the government has intentionally rendered itself incapable. In 2018, the Trump administration fired the government's entire pandemic response chain of command, including the White House management infrastructure."

Given Trump has tried to undo everything President Obama did while in office, this may the possible reason the programs were gutted. If true, that shows how totally unfit he is to serve as President.

Trump obviously hoped the funds he cut would never be needed. But he may soon find out that wishful thinking is no substitute for policy in a crisis.