Elizabeth Jacobs, PhDA very smart colleague just pointed out the grim truth that the U.S. leaving the WHO may ultimately be a win for the rest of the world. Why? Because without a vote, “the US can't block WHO actions like vaccine programs, disease surveillance, contraception, etc”. Man, that is daaaark, but accurate.
Daniel Reeders@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social The US can still exert influence via the many smaller countries that rely on it for aid. (Not sure if this will reach you as I am tooting from Mastodonia!)
Alan Miller 
🇺🇦@onekind @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social have you been watching the new administration's positions on foreign aid? Probably ceasing already unless someone wants to put their name on a hotel there.
@fencepost yep tooted about the stop-work and its impact on PEPFAR. the point I made to the last person who assumed I hadn't noticed that was that LMICs don't suddenly stop needing the money when it's cut off, i.e. it makes them MORE vulnerable to US influence not less.
Misuse Case@onekind @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social Guess what our glorious President has cut off all foreign aid and we’re not sure when it will be restored or what will be restored
@MisuseCase @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social which makes LMICs even MORE vulnerable
Ariaflame@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social They are making the USA less and less relevant in the world.
Asbestos@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
All he can do now is just bloviate while some birth control and vaccines may actually get rolled out
All he can do now is just bloviate while some birth control and vaccines may actually get rolled out
soc@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social The harder thing is keeping them out probably.
Simon ZerafaWe know that plan is working when the WHO recommendeds specific vaccinations, such as Polio, before entering the US 🫤
Axel Hartmann@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social - wait til 'muricans need to prove vaccination before being allowed to travel into civilized countries.
Barbara Monaco@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social How sad that it has come to this.
Seb@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social Could we persuade them to leave the UN as well?
Dee in Barcelona@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social it also opens the door to WHO relocation to Europe. This US govt already looks like a US exit from the World stage
Kim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷
Anne Hulbert
mike805@amokura @KimSJ @dee @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social There are several disputed islands in the world. The UN should just acquire one from both parties, therefore eliminating a potential cause of war.
Make it a sort of Vatican of globalism, put the UN HQ there along with Summer Olympics facilities if the climate is favorable.
Jeremy KahnJust as "only Nixon could go to China", "only Trump could make the US stop interfering with the WHO"?
... And the monkey's paw curls another finger
Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social The US (or at least its gammons) will still whine about the WHO though.
Just like the #brexshitters still whine about the EU even though we no longer have a vote, due to them, and can't do anything to change whatever they're whining about.
CyberFrog@[email protected] This is a significant part of the reason that many other nations want the US to keep on their current course, they are eroding significant amounts of their own soft power and destroying US hegemony in a misguided attempt to regain more independence... Ironically one of the nations stepping in to fill their role, with comparatively better policy and deals than the USA offered, is China lol
Paul Sochacki@froge @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social a disempowered isolated pariah state, clinging to global relevance with an iron fist as its corporate oligarchs who run the government administer the greatest inequity since the Gilded Age among the nation's people.
grouchox@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social like when you and the gang can't decide where to eat before that one diva quits
Daedalean@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social also I understand bloomberg is personally covering the US financial contributions (#notalloligarchs ?). Jokes aside the United States is (again) a pariah state on climate and public health. Whee. 😐
Landwomble@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social what will be "interesting" is if he guts the FDA, which is the defacto world standard for drug regulation. Sure other nations have equivalents but if the FDA pulls licence in US for various medications that's going to be a shitshow
Inc Hulk 🧪@Landwomble @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social The world centre for drug regulation now becomes the EMA (which was in London, until the gormless Brexiteers threw them out).
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social In fact the US should be fired.
gaborfari 🇺🇦 💙💛@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social I hope the Gates Foundation will fill the void.
Eric Schutte@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social yeah, make EARTH great again pull outta everything FishLips Hooligan!
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social The irony is that by leaving the WHO, the US has adopted “hope I die before I get old” as national policy
Simon LucyThey will be able to for the next twelve months while the membership is still valid.
Phil Thane ✅@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
Good point but next time there's a pandemic the rest of the world needs to ban travel to/from the US (and any nation stupid enough to refuse mass vaccination programmes).
@Walrus
Good point but next time there's a pandemic the rest of the world needs to ban travel to/from the US (and any nation stupid enough to refuse mass vaccination programmes).
@Walrus