World News – US – John Oliver denounces US withdrawal from WHO: «  Worst possible decision at worst possible time  »

Last week’s host tonight condemns Trump’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization as «  one of the dumbest things we can do’ ‘

Two weeks before U.S. Election Day, John Oliver returned to last week tonight to condemn a potentially catastrophic outcome of a Trump victory: the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization ( WHO)

« If you think he sure can’t do that, right? » The good news is that the WHO constitution does not include any provision allowing members to step down, « HBO host said. « The bad news is that there is exactly one exception to this rule, and that is the United States, » which passed a resolution decades ago allowing his resignation on one year’s notice. ‘exemption is a’ rather strange benefit for America alone, ‘Oliver said.’ It’s like finding out that we demanded to be the only country allowed to wax every squirrel’s pubic area – why would we want to have the right to do this in the first place? And, more specifically, why would we consider doing it? « 

Leaving the WHO, a mainstay of global health with 194 member countries, is not just Trump’s usual boast; his administration has already submitted a notice of withdrawal that would take effect on July 6, 2021, which would have disastrous consequences for the organization’s funding

Founded in 1948, WHO is central to a coordinated and communicative approach to global health emergencies between nations The organization responds to infectious disease outbreaks around the world and helps prepare for the seasonal flu vaccine – all with a budget of 2 $ 4 billion per year

This budget is roughly the same as it costs to run a large American hospital, « which is wild! » says Oliver « It’s like finding out that the US Navy operates on the same budget as Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World. I don’t know if the Typhoon Lagoon’s budget is way too high or the US Navy’s is way too low, but it there is certainly something wrong « 

This budget partly explains why Trump opposed the organization The United States pays the organization significantly more per year than China, a fact that Trump has publicly complained about and cited as the reason for his departure The reality of funding the organization is much more complicated, said Oliver; the real problem is that « Trump is unable to recognize nuances – in his world you either fuck someone or you get fucked And that is not a good prospect when it comes to cooperation in the field of global health « 

Although the United States paid $ 446 million in 2019 compared to China’s $ 43 million, most of the American funding was voluntary; the organization receives only 17% of its funding through « assessed » contributions, AKA country dues Most of its budget is funded by voluntary donations, for which countries can allocate a specific use, because President Ronald Reagan adopted a « zero growth policy » for funding WHO in the 1980s With fixed dues frozen at the 1990s level, WHO was forced to rely increasingly on donations

In other words, « all of this mess is almost entirely America’s fault, » Oliver said The US pays a lot more than China « mainly because we choose it, because the WHO is underfunded, because of something we did « 

Nonetheless, Trump and his administration, like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have insisted that the United States can act as an independent advocate for global health outside of the WHO – an idea which Oliver called « ridiculous » because a former US representative to the WHO told ProPublica: « No one is looking for American alternatives to the WHO »

« Of course not! » Oliver exclaimed « Especially after seeing the way we have handled the coronavirus No one wants a US based alternative here for the same reason that no one is looking for a Joe Exotic based alternative to Jeopardy – I’m not saying that. ‘he doesn’t think he can do it, but everyone likes the way it works now, and his alternative could be actively dangerous « 

The withdrawal of the United States from the WHO in the midst of a pandemic is like « removing the fire trucks in the middle of fighting the fire, » Oliver continued, « or getting rid of the lifeboats while the boat sinks, or choosing to mount Kevin Spacey in a movie just weeks before its release date It’s the worst possible decision at the worst possible time « 

And if there are good criticisms against the WHO, « the solution is clearly not to go away, » he added. Instead, the proposed US withdrawal by next year is «  another depressing example of Trump seeing something that involves shared sacrifice, compromise and complexity, and decided to suggest to blow it up because he doesn’t understand it, doesn’t care, or both « 

Which is yet another reason why the 2020 elections, already underway in several states, have overwhelming consequences, Oliver concluded: “Withdrawing from WHO at any time, but especially in the midst of a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans and a million people in the world is one of the most misguided and stupid things we can do « 

Last week tonight with John Oliver, Donald Trump, Danbury