Post photo: Mediterranean Sea | © 8926 on Pixabay
It is interesting to observe how the responsible politicians in their respective countries are dealing with the corona pandemic. The primary goal applies to everyone: protecting the health and life of the population. The series of numbers and the curves of the epidemic and health experts show how successful they are.
Even the normal newspaper reader and news viewer can see that in the United States there is a dilettante at the wheel who took a long time to even recognize the seriousness of the situation. Anyone who reads several other papers in addition to the usual daily newspaper and also obtains information from the American media can no longer stop shaking their heads. On April 11.4.2020, 5.4, the New York Times published an extensive report that six journalists had worked on. It showed how misleading, uncoordinated, incompetent and also contradictory the crisis was in Donald Trump's White House. Already on XNUMX. one NYT headline read, "Here's How When A Narcissist Works Through A Crisis."
The American President initially suspected that the virus would one day miraculously disappear: then he accused the Democrats and the media of using the virus to make politics against him, only to later say that he felt the pandemic, for a long time before talking about a pandemic.
In the meantime, the American President holds the so-called corona briefings in the White House almost every day, a strange political show, full of self-praise, attacks on the governors of various states - especially when they come from the Democrats or - even worse - when it comes to a governor like Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan is acting. Harsh criticism must also be put up with the leaders of the Democrats, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer, and especially journalists who ask critical questions must expect to be reprimanded. "Close the curtain on Trump's follies," wrote the New York Times of the sometimes surreal events.
From a European perspective, the recent demonstrations against the restrictions on public life and the closure of companies and shops in the USA cannot be understood. Honking motorcades drive by and flag-waving demonstrators - some heavily armed, as in Lansing, Michigan - stand on the steps of the governor's building and demand that the economy be restarted. The President has repeatedly expressed understanding for the demonstrations - especially when they took place in states ruled by Democratic governors.
An oppressive aspect to this: The American social system is extremely thinly knitted. Those who become unemployed often lose health insurance. There is no provision for something like short-time work benefits. Unemployment often means for those affected to join the long queues at the soup kitchens and food banks. But those who have to queue there are receptive to Trump slogans like "Liberate Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. The demos are usually organized by conservative associations that have already gained experience in the “fight against those up there” in the Tea Party movement. The fact that their ideas are contradictory doesn't seem to bother the demonstrators. On the one hand the demand: We want to go back to work because our families wouldn't get by otherwise. On the other hand: reject socio-political improvements as "left-wing extremists".
All of these are primarily American issues that Americans will have to deal with - possibly at the ballot box in November. However, Europe is touched when Trump messes with international organizations, for example when he threatens to stop payments to the WHO. She didn't do her job well, was too China-friendly, warned about the corona virus too late. The Washington Post reported that American scientists and doctors who worked for the WHO warned of a pandemic at the end of 2019 - Trump doesn't seem to mind. He needs scapegoats. And here the American President becomes a role model for European and German nationalists. Self-proclaimed "Eurosceptics" who want to stop or even reverse the European integration process. There are political forces that think little of the euro and a lot of border fences.
As convinced Europeans, we know that there are small and large flaws in the EU structures. But we also know that it cannot be about breaking up the EU because of this. Rather, it is about correcting the mistakes. A joint effort is needed to make Europe above all economically stronger, more transparent, more democratic, more solidary and a continent of education, training and science. The Chancellor's statement from 2017 is more relevant than ever: "Europe must take its fate into its own hands!" Because sooner or later Trump will set his sights on the EU again - at the latest when Boris Johnson needs help in the Brexit poker game.
