Prezidnt Doṇld Trump z sìn on a scrīn spīcñ t s’portrz jrñ a rali t cntst ɖ srtif̣ceśn v ɖ 2020 YS preẓdnśl ilex́n rzults in Wośñtn on 6 Jańri. Foṭgraf: Śann Stepltn / Rôtrz
Ɖ prezidnt mst b rmuvd fr insaitñ vayḷns on ɖ Cápitl, bt Rpublicnz olso śer blem fr hiz toxic leġsi
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10 Jańri 2021
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It’s īzịr t unḍstand last wīc’s trmôl in Wośñtn f it z vyd az ɖ dzastṛs culmneśn v a fîv-yir proses v degṛdeśn ɖt bgan ẃn Doṇld Trump lōnćt hiz bid fr ɖ prezidnsi. Ɖ unrīznñ mehem, ɖ dvîsiv reṭric, ɖ dstructiv, dluźnl bhevyr n ɖ vayḷns ɖt ingulft Cápitl Hil on Wenzde r hōlmarcs v ɖ bnîtd Trump ira. It wz obvịs ɖt America’z loñ slîd intu igṇmini mst ivnć̣li end in tirz. N so it hz.
Ɖs dṛmatic imploźn śemd ɖ wrld’z līdñ dmocṛsi, śoct its frendz n dlîtd its eṇmiz. Phps it cd hv bn avôdd wɖ betr s’kṛti. Yt in mni wez, a fînl, hîli simbolic c’liźn btwn Trump’s ugli brand v popylizm n istabliśt pǎr, imbodid bî Congres, wz un’vôḍbl. Trump lacs bǎnḍriz. H olwz gz tù far – in hiz confṛnteśnl poḷsiz, hiz vilif̣ceśn v oponnts n hiz dsfuñśnl rleśnśps. Hiz post-ilex́n brecdǎn, rūtd in bruzd īgo n dnayl, léd inevitbli t meltdǎn.
Trump’s atac on Congres wz an atac on America n ol hu hold its valyz dir. It wz a despṛt bid t clñ t pǎr bî a wìc, ignṛnt n slfiś deṃgog hu hz śoun himslf an eṇmi v dmocṛsi, a frend t tîṛnts n unfit t b prezidnt. Ẃn h b’letidli riylîzd, amd nir-yṇvrsl condmneśn, ɖt h hd crost a lîn, h cevd n crevnli dsond hiz ǒn s’portrz. Aftr ɖ meltdǎn, ɖ clîmdǎn. It wz Trump’s last stand – n it feld mizṛbli.
Trump śd rzîn. Felñ ɖt, h śd b rmuvd fṛm ofis bî consttyśnl mīnz. N felñ ɖt, h śd b impićt, az līdñ Deṃcrats pṛpoz. No matr ɖt h hz onli 10 dez left t srv. It’s vîtl ɖt ɖr b svir, swift n viẓbl consiqnsz fr hiz unpresdntd brīć v trust. Ɖ îdīa ɖt an Americn prezidnt, hvr dtaćt fṛm riaḷti, cd insait a vayḷnt rbełn agnst hiz ǒn cuntri’s guvnmnt n g unpuniśt z intolṛbl.
Trump z t blem n mst pe a prîs. Bt uɖrz mst olso tec rsponsbiḷti fr ɖ pôzṇs poḷtics ɖt léd t ɖ “Cápitl cù”. Rpublicn seṇtrz sć az Mić MConl, Linzi Greym, Tom Cotn n Ted Cruz śd b aśemd v ɖer rǒl in fasiḷtetñ Trump’s abysz, rpitñ hiz laiz n cnspîrñ wɖ him t dyp miłnz v Americnz. Fr fîv yirz, ɖe n ɖer alîz norṃlîzd hiz aḅrnt bhevyr n toḷretd hiz asōlts on deṃcratic insttyśnz. Ɖe, tù, crietd ɖ mob.
Īvn aftr Trump’s ragtag armi hd stormd ɖ dbetñćembr, brññ pṛsidñz t a tmprri hōlt, 139 Hǎs Rpublicnz n et seṇtrz stl stuc wɖ Trump’s mndeśs naṛtiv n votd t oṿtrn an ilex́n ɖt wz fri n fer. Ɖs dsoṇrñ v ɖer consttyśnl dyti, ɖs aṛgnt disrigard fr ɖ wśz v miłnz v votrz, wz olmst az śocñ az ɖ rayt itslf.
Ɖ fact ɖt sm Rpublicnz hv sins brocn wɖ Trump mīnz litl. Ɖ parti az a hol nǎ fesz a rec̣nñ. Fr yirz, it hz jerimandrd cngreśnl districts, inactd vots’preśn meźrz n bloct ilectṛl rformz. Rpublicnz beṇfit unferli fṛm historicl anacṛnizmz ɖt, fr xampl, aḷcet az mni seṇtrz t Wîomñ, popyleśn 578,000, az t Caḷforńa, popyleśn 39.5 miłn.
Ɖ GOP hz tecn ɖ prezidnsi twîs sins 2000 aftr luzñ ɖ popylr vot. F Rpublicnz trūli valy America’z dmocṛsi, az ɖe se, ɖe śd stop unḍmainñ it fr parṭzan advantij n hlp rforṭfî n rny it. Most rjntli, ɖe śd cooṗret wɖ prezidnt-ilect Jo Bîdn in fîtñ ɖ pandemic ɖt Trump so badli mshandld. On ɖ de ol îz wr on ɖ Cápitl, 3,963 Americnz daid v Covid.
Trump’s dsgres n insywñ Rpublicn dis’re mt b ʈt a gift t Bîdn. Bt Trump’s ovr-ol leġsi z dīpli toxic. Az ɖ wefr-ʈin marjinz in last wīc’s Jorja Senit run-ofs śoud wns agn, Bîdn inherits a cronicli dvîdd cuntri split bî rês, eʈniṣti, jndr, ej, incm n edyceśn.
Sć dviźnz hv olwz xistd, bt Trump dlibṛtli xasbetd ɖm. Bîdn’z prîṃri tasc z t bild bac trust, in insttyśnz, in poḷtics n in Americn dmocṛsi itslf – bʈ at hom n abrōd, ẃr confidns in YS līdrśp hz bn badli śecn. H mst śo guvnmnt cn wrc fr evriwn, ɖt nbdi nīd fīl disrispctd, dspîzd or left bhnd. Trump xplôtd, dsivd n ultiṃtli btreid sć ppl on Cápitl Hil. F ɖe r ignord agn, ɖr wl b mor mobz, mor crîsīz, mor hymilieśnz.
Ɖ imīɉt ćalinj z t privnt Trump dwñ mor damij in hiz fînl dez. Pnṭgn ćīfs śd hīd ɖ Hǎșpīcr Nansi Pelosi’s apil t yz ol “aveḷbl pricōśnz” t enśur a les ɖn stebl Trump dz nt d eniʈñ raś. Ɖ oṿdy dsiźn bî Twitr n Fes-bc t sîḷns hiz laiz, cnspiṛsiz n pṛvoc̣tiv rants z hlpfl. Ɖs denjṛs man mst b cept frmli in hiz box untl inōğreśnde dōnz.
Loñ aftr h hz gn, Trump’s Cápitl ǎtrej wl b rmembrd wɖ a śudr n a śivr. Wɖ angr, pen n śem, ɖ rayt rflectd ol ɖt wnt roñ undr ɖs most dspicbl v Americn līdrz. Trump drouv hiz cuntri intu a dić. Ɖ cuntri wl rcuvr. Trump nvr wl.
Ẃt tc so loñ? “Ẃn smwn śoz y hu ɖe r, b’liv ɖm ɖ frst tîm,” Maia Anɉlu cǎnsld. Doṇld Trump’s cīnist s’portrz b’livd him. Bt tù mni uɖrz, īvn amñ ɖoz hu rvîld him, nnɖles asymd ɖt ɖr wr limits. Ɖe cn no longr b cmplesnt. Ɖ Americn carnij v Wenzde nît – ɖ stormñ v ɖ Cápitl bî an armd n vayḷnt mob, insaitd bî ɖ prezidnt, in an atmt t terrîz Congres n stop ɖ pīsfl transfr v pǎr – marct an xtrordnri momnt in YS hisṭri. “F ɖ post-Americn ira hz a startdet, it z olmst srtnli tde,” rout Rićd Haass, prezidnt v ɖ Caunsl on Foṛn Rleśnz.
Yt ɖs wz mirli ɖ ultiṃt n undinaybl prūf v ẃt wz olwz evidnt: ɖt ɖs man z nt onli unfit fr hiz ofis, h z olso a denjr t dmocṛsi ẃl h rtenz it. H bilt hiz p’liticl s’xes on lîz, cntmt fr deṃcratic standdz, ɖ stǒcñ v dviźnz – most v ol reśl – n ɖ glaṃrîzñ v fors. Ɖe wr evidnt ẃn h campend fr ɖ prezidnsi, n mor bletnt ẃn h tōct v “vri fîn ppl” amñ ɖ ẃît sūpreṃsists v Śarlotsvil. Ẃn ɖ Hǎs impićt him fr abyzñ pǎr fr ilectṛl prṗsz. Ẃn h laid ɖt ɖ ilex́n wd b stoḷn, n ɖen laid ɖt it hd bn. Ẃn h cōld s’portrz t Wośñtn. Ẃn h tld ɖm ɖt ɖe wd “nvr tec bac ǎr cuntri wɖ wìcnis” n rjd ɖm on t ɖ Cápitl.
Ɖ Senit mjoṛtilīdr, Mić MConl, n uɖrz dzrv no credit fr b’letd paytiz abt ɖ stet v ɖ Rpublic. Ol ɖoz hu hlpt or “hymrd” Mr Trump’s ilex́n-stìlñ atmts r culṗbl. Olrdi xprt in mor jntīl indevrz, sć az votrs’preśn n jerimanḍrñ, ɖ Rpublicn ilits hv inebld n incurijd Trumpizm: standñ at hiz sîd, aqitñ him ẃn impićt, steyñ sîḷnt, or ampḷfayñ hiz lîz. Hvñ invîtd in an arṣnist n s’plaid him wɖ axelṛnt, ɖe ofr a cup v wōtr t dǎs ɖ infrno.
Ɖ rjnt iśu z hǎ t dīl wɖ Mr Trump. No feʈ cn b pt in hiz last-minit promis v an ordrli trnziśn ẃn h cntinyz t f’mnt rej. Ɖ Deṃcratic līdr in ɖ Senit, Ćuc Śūmr, hz cōld fr hiz imīɉt rmuvl. Cabiṇtmembrz r rportidli nǎ dscusñ ɖ ys v ɖ 25ʈ amndmnt, ẃć alǎz ɖ rplesmnt v an “unfit” prezidnt. Bt ɖs z nt abt mir felñz or inc̣paṣti: a betr ćôs wd b t bgin impićmntpṛsidñz. Ax́n mst b tecn agnst Mr Trump, az it mst agnst ɖoz h insaitd, t privnt him fṛm runñ agn n snd a clir mesij t eniwn tmtd t folo.
Fr ɖ trūli importnt iśu z hǎ t salvij dmocṛsi in America. Ẃl Wenzde me pruv a wec-up cōl fr sm Trump votrz, mni r olrdi xplenñ awe ivnts, or xkzñ ɖm ʈru fōls iqivḷnsz wɖ ɖ Blac Lîvz Matr muvmnt. Dviźnz run dīp ʈru Americn ssayti n īvn its insttyśnz. A fl invstgeśn z nīdd v ɖ fełr t pṛtct ɖ Cápitl ẃn xtrimists hd opnli tōct v sć a plan – in starc contrast t ɖ intns s’kṛti n agresiv trītmnt ɖt grītd pīsfl BLM pṛtstrz. Tnz v miłnz v Americnz nǎ b’liv ɖt ɖ ilex́n wz stoḷn: wn rport sjsts ɖt onli a qortr v Rpublicnz trust ɖ rzult. Rîtwñ mīdia hv fostrd lîz, n sośl mīdia alaud ppl t dwel in oltrṇtiv p’liticl yṇvrsz. Ɖo Fes-bc hz fîṇli sspndd ɖ prezidnt’s acǎnt, ɖ stebldor z śutñ loñ aftr disinf̣meśn gaḷpt of intu ɖ distns. Nn v ɖs wl end ẃn Jo Bîdn z inōğretd on 20 Jańri.
Dmocṛsi xists nt in ɖ pṛviźnz ritn dǎn on pepr, bt so loñ az it z practist, ẃć z t se, dfndd. Ɖ rmarcbl twin vicṭriz in ɖ Jorja run-ofs on Wenzde, gvñ ɖ Deṃcrats cntrol v ɖ Senit via ɖ vîsprezidnt’s castñvot, wr a welcm tstiṃni t ẃt z poṣbl. Bt ɖer importns z dworft bî ɖ ʈret lūmñ ovr ɖ sistm itslf. Ɖ strugl z onli jst bginñ. America hz śoun its ppl ẃt it z. Ɖe śd b’liv it – n act acordñli.
Bṛziłn prezidnt Jair Bolsonaro, sntr, n hiz ministrz arîvñ in Bṛziła. Foṭgraf: Joédson Alves/YPA
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F Boris Jonsn z mshanḍlñ ɖ pandemic, h z nt alon. Fōlsli clemñ evriʈñ z undr cntrol, dojñ rsponsbiḷti, hîdñ fṛm public vy, xplôtñ ɖ crîsis fr p’liticl gen, mǎntñ arṭfiśl dstrax́nz n blemñ ɖ mīdia: ɖz r comn bhevyrpatnz xibtd bî sm v ɖ wrld’z most pǎrfl – n śifti – līdrz.
Wl ɖe pe a prîs fr ɖer līʈl incompitns n siṇsizm? It’s poṣbl sm wl, ɖo it me tec a ẃl. Ɖ pandemic z ćenjñ p’liticl calkleśnz arnd ɖ glob. Līdrz hu lct invulnṛbl sudnli apir les so. Ɖt in trn cd śift ɖ stṛtījic calkḷs n oltr ɖ baḷns v pǎr btwn cuntriz in wez bʈ unixpctd n prṃnnt.
Doṇld Trump’s pformns z a lésn in hǎ nt t handl an imrjnsi. It me bcm a cmpulsri ceștudi fr fyćr stydnts v crîsismanijmnt. Trump miṇmîzd ɖ ʈret rli on, ofrd foni aśuṛnsz, n feld t mc a plan. H hz sins akzd Ćîna v dlibṛtli spredñ “pleg” ẃl weṗnîzñ ɖ crîsis t smir hiz Deṃcratic rîvl, Jo Bîdn.
Ɖ prezidnt’s mirịd caṛctrflwz nīd no rhrsl hir. Bt it sīmz a despṛt Trump wl stop at nʈñ t rībūt hiz riilex́nprospects. F ɖt mīnz f’mntñ a cold wor wɖ Ćîna, or stǒcñ reśl dviźnz n anti-mîgṛnt, anti-Mŭzlim bays, h’z p fr it. N f ol ɖt felz, h me trî t dle Nvmbr’z ilex́n, a s’nario nt rūld ǎt bî hiz sic̣fantic sun-in-lw.
C’roṇvîṛs hz md a sort v lepr v Trump. A lac v fedṛl līdrśp n hiz s’port fr preṃtyrli endñ stet locdǎnz h nvr trūli s’portd apirz t b pṛpelñ a rîz in Covid-19 cesz in smōl mid-wst tǎnz n rṛl cḿṇtiz fṛm Aywa t Texs. Ɖz r ɖ hartḷndz v Trump’s America, ẃr hiz most loyl votrz liv.
Az a rzult, Rpublicnz runñ fr Congres r runñ awe fṛm Trump, firfl v infx́n fṛm ɖ miazma v lîz n dstrust inveḷpñ ɖ Ẃît Hǎs. Az jobz dis’pir bî tnz v miłnz, Deṃcrats’ hops v winñ ɖ Senit r rîzñ. Bîdn’z līd in ci batlgrǎnd stets z wîḍnñ, fyld bî ic̣nomic meltdǎn n Trump’s gafs.
Vlajīmir Pūćin z anɖr līdr in sirịs vîṛl dificlti. Onli munʈs ago, h lct invinsbl. Ol ɖ tōc in Ruśa wz v consttyśnl “rformz” ɖt wd ifctivli mc him prezidnt fr lîf. Ɖoz planz r nǎ on hold, phps prṃnntli. Pūćin’z dsiźn t śīld himslf fṛm harm, îṣletñ awe fṛm Mosco, hz badli dntd hiz imij az firlis tuf-gai līdr.
Aftr wīcs v cmplesnsi at ɖ top, Ruśa fîndz itslf wɖ ɖ secnd fastist ret v Covid-19 infx́nz in ɖ wrld. Pūćin’z hand-pict prîm̦inistr, Miħîl Miśŭstin, z in hospitl, az z ɖ Cremlin spocsmn Dmitri Piskov. In vidioconfṛnsz hld t dscus ɖ crîsis, Pūćin hz lct mor bord ɖn cnsrnd. Emṗʈi wz nvr hiz stroñ sūt.
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Ppl wer fes mascs n gluvz on ɖ Mosco Metro. Ruśa nǎ fîndz itslf wɖ ɖ secnd fastist ret v Covid-19 infx́nz in ɖ wrld. Foṭgraf: Alexander Zemłańićenco/AP
Ɖ p’liticl impḷceśnz r ptnṣ́li far-renjñ. Añśs t avôd prsnl blem fr twin hlʈ n ic̣nomic dzastrz, Pūćin hz śiftd rsponsbiḷti fr maṇjñ ɖ crîsis t ɖ rījnz, ẃć hv ifctivli bn left t fnd fr ɖmslvz. Wlʈi biznisṃn – ɖ so-cōld oligācs – hv stept intu ɖ brīć. In sć wez dz a līdr’z pǎr irod n slip awe.
Uɖr poḷtiśnz r śowñ a dgri v reclis insūsịns ɖt mcs Boris Jonsn lc poztivli swićt on bî cmparisn. Bṛzil’z prezidnt Jair Bolsonaro hit a ny lo fr irisponsbiḷti bî ridklñ public-pṛtx́n meźrz. Bṛzil hz ɖ hîist Covid deʈret in Latin America. Bt Bolsonaro prifŕz barḅkpartiz t hospitlvizits. H me yt pe wɖ hiz job in a cuntri ẃr preẓdnśl impićmnt acć̣li wrcs.
In Trci, mnẃl, ɖ vîṛs hz bròt a gret mni pijinz hom t rūst. A strucćṛli frajîl icoṇmi, a holoud-ǎt sivl ssayti n mīdia, n a clîṃt v fir crietd bî Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hz nt pruvd cndysiv t a yṇfaid naśnl ef̣t – līdñ aṇlists sjst ɖ sultnprezidnt’s rên me b drw̃ t a cloz.
Mjoṛti Crdiś eriaz in īstn Trci, fr xampl, ɖ sīn v frīqnt conflict wɖ ɖ sntṛl guvnmnt, hv rportidli bn hard hit. Diyarbakir-best acṭvist n oʈr Nurcan Baysal tlz a fmiłr têl v hlʈwrcrz afreid t g t wrc dy t a lac v pṛtctiv iqipmnt. Bt it’s a p’liticl probḷm, tù.
“Tde, ɖr r nt inuf tsts, nt inuf doctrz, no sivl ssayti, no mẹrz, n nt inuf meźrz t tacl ɖ c’roṇvîṛs in Crdiś sitiz,” Baysal sd – partli bcz mni Crdiś doctrz n nrsz wr sact in Erdoğan’z prjz.
A sntṛl actr in ɖs globl drama, Ćîna’z modn-de emprr Śí Jñpñ z nt abt t fōl – olɖo h rićli dzrvz ɖ sác. Rɖr, an imboldnd Śí riscs ovr-pleyñ hiz hand az h sīcs t trnsform a c’laṃti intu a PR vicṭri fr Ćînīz soft pǎr, streñʈ̇nñ Bêźñ’z clǎt at ɖ xpns v wìcnd wstn cuntriz.
Americn fumḅlñ, plus Ruśn n Yṛpiyn dbiḷti, ofr Śí a mcābra oṗtyṇti t advans hiz viźn v Ćîna az dominnt globl pǎr. Bt ɖ agresiv, Boxr Rbełn-stîl provceśnz v hiz “wlf-worịr” dipḷmats n parti cādraz r fīdñ an inṭnaśnl baclaś.
Preśr z growñ t rtaliet bî qoṛntīnñ Bêźñ, p’liticli n ic̣nomicli. N ɖt, in trn, būsts Trump’s confṛnteśnl, slf-xculṗtri campeņaṛtiv.
Trump clemz Ćîna wonts t dnî him a secnd trm. Yt ɖ oṗzit me b tru. Śí nz a ysfl idịt ẃn h siz wn – n ɖs YS prezidnt z īẓli ǎtfoxt. Ɖ ʈt ɖt Ćîna’z oṗziśnl tactics cd hlp gt Trump riilectd z inuf t mc eniwn sic.
In libṛl dmocṛsiz, ɖ integṛti, imparśiaḷti n pṛfeśṇlizm v intelijns-ejnsiz matrz. Ɖt’s ẃ it z isnśl ɖt intelijns-ejnsiz rmen alūf, nt onli fṛm ɖ p’liticl dbets v ɖ de, bt olso fṛm ɖ poḷsi-dsiźnz ɖt indivijl guvnmnts me tec. Ɖ intelijns-cḿṇti’z cor tasc z t pṛvîd brūṭli rịlistic anaḷsis on ɖ ʈret-invîrnmnts w fes so ɖt guvnmnts cn ɖen mc ɖ bst-informd poḷsi-dsiźnz poṣbl t prizrv ǎr comn s’kṛti.
Ɖ fełrz v ɖ intelijns-cḿṇti bfr ɖ Irac wor, ɖ guḷbiḷti v mć v ɖ wstn mīdia, az wel az ɖ sinicl mnipyleśn v bʈ bî ɖ p’liticl clas v ɖ de, pṛvîd s wɖ a starc rmîndr v ẃt cn g radicli roñ. On 8 Sptmbr 2002 ɖ Ny Yorc Tîmz publiśt wn v ɖs snćri’z most conṣqnśl nyz-articlz. Ɖ fruntpej stori, s’plaid bî ɖ Bś admiṇstreśn, clemd ɖt Sadam Hŭsein hd stept p hiz qst fr wepnz v mas dstrux́n bî aqîrñ ci cmponnts fr a ńclir wepn. In ɖ YC, ɖ Bler guvnmnt’s “doji dosie” cmpǎndd ɖ err. Jon Hawd dd ɖ sem in Ostreła. Ɖ probḷm wz ɖt it jst wz’nt tru. Ɖz wr oṿegd storiz dzînd t sofn ɖ public p fr ẃt wd bcm a dzastṛs wor.
Ɖ inveźn v Irac in Marć 2003 casts a loñ śado. Hundṛdz v ʈǎzndz v ppl wr cild, frst in ɖ inveźn, ɖen ɖ insywñ ceos, ɖen in ɖ rîz n fōl v Izlamic Stet. It streñʈnd Iran’z hand in bʈ Irac n Siria. It cntribytd t a masiv ǎtflo v refyjīz acrs ɖ wrld, a factr in ɖ rsrjns v ɖ far rît acrs Yṛp. N Wośñtn hz spent nirli tū decedz trapt in a Midl Īstn mes v its ǒn mcñ, dvrtñ mć v its atnśn fṛm Ćîna’z rījnl n globl rîz.
Laiz wr rportd az facts. Creḍbl sceptics wr dǎnpleid, ignord or atact az unpatriotic “apizrz”. Ɖ ʈril v landñ a big “stori” oṿtc ɖ mīdia’z funḍmntl dyti t privnt ɖ public fṛm biyñ dsivd. Jrṇlists hu b’livd ɖe wr muṣlñ p t a lūmñ s’kṛtiʈret trnd ǎt t b wrcñ instd agnst ɖer ǒn cuntriz’ loñ-trm inṭrests. N in ol ɖs ɖ Mrdoc mīdia wr līdñ ɖ pac acrs ɖ anglosfir az ɖ unrilentñ ćirlīdrz fr wor – n viḷfayñ ɖoz, lîc m, hu opozd it.
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Doṇld Trump n Rūṗt Mrdoc. Foṭgraf: Carlo Alegri/Rôtrz
Ɖs brñz s t ɖ Covid-19 pandemic n ɖ public hlʈ n ic̣nomic mêhem it hz unlīśt acrs ɖ glob. Ɖ śir magṇtyd v ɖ damij mīnz ɖt ɖ ppl v ɖ wrld hv evri rît t nǒ hǎ ɖs cem abt. Ẃɖr Ćîna’z ny clas v “wlfworịr” dipḷmats cer t rec̣gnîz it or nt, ɖr r funḍmntl qsćnz w cn ol ljitṃtli dmand ansrz t. Ɖz includ ɖ oṛjin v ɖ vîṛs in Wūhan; ẃɖr ɖ rliist jnetic evidns v ɖ ǎtbrec hz bn proprli prizrvd fr indipndnt rsrć; ɖ denjr v wîldlîf “wet marcits” in ɖ trnzmiśn v sć vîṛsz; ẃt dlez ocŕd in noṭfayñ sntṛl oʈoṛtiz; ẃ sm locl medicl staf wr îɖr sîḷnst or puniśt; ẃt dle ocŕd in noṭfayñ ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn v hymn-t-hymn trnzmiśn, gvn Ćîna’z obḷgeśnz undr ɖ reḷvnt inṭnaśnl hlʈreğleśnz. Ɖr r olso funḍmntl qsćnz on ẃɖr ɖ WHO proprli dsćarjd its mandet t pṛvîd clir n rli wornñz t ɖ inṭnaśnl cḿṇti. N ẃɖr naśnl guvnmnts tc ol nesṣri ax́nz t priper fr ɖ vîṛs rīćñ ɖer ǒn śorz, or ẃɖr ɖz wornñz wr ifctivli ignord – az apirz t hv bn ɖ ces in ɖ YS.
Bt amd ol ɖz qsćnz, n ɖ paṛlel dbet abt ɖ mec̣nizm nǎ nīdd t conduct an ifctiv inṭnaśnl inqîri, w sudnli hv a yṇlatṛl decḷreśn bî ɖ YS prezidnt n hiz secṛtri v stet ɖt ɖ bodi v evidns oṿẃlmñli pônts t ɖ vîṛs hvñ līct fṛm ɖ Wūhan Insttyt v Viroḷji, ẃr rsrćprojects hv bn undr we intu verịs caṭgriz v c’roṇvîṛs bòrn bî bats. Ɖe clem a “hî dgri v confidns” in ɖs ʈiyri, sáitñ cmpelñ bt az-yt undisclozd evidns – dspt ɖ YS d’rectr v naśnl intelijns iśuwñ a rer public stetmnt dspaṛjñ ɖs ʈiyri.
Entr ɖ “globl xclūsiv” stori v Rūṗt Mrdoc’s Ostrełn Dêli Teḷgraf last wīc-end, hedlînd “Ćîna’z bati sayns – bomśel dosie lez ǎt ɖ ces agnst ɖ Ppl’z Rpublic”. Ɖ pepr clemz t hv bn līct a 15-pej rsrćdosie priperd bî uņemd “wstn guvnmnts” on ɖ Ćînīz guvnmnt’s culpbiḷti fr ɖ ǎtbrec. Ɖ clir infṛns fṛm ɖ Teḷgraf rport z ɖt ɖ dokmnt wz priperd bî ɖ “Fîv Îz” intelijns-cḿṇti lincñ ɖ YS, YC, Ostrełn, Cnedịn n Ny Zīḷnd intelijnșrṿsz. Uɖr Mrdoc jrṇlists, rīriportñ ɖ stori, hv xpresli stetd it wz a Fîv Îz dokmnt. Ẃl ɖ articl itslf śîz awe fṛm stetñ xpliṣtli ɖ dokmnt’s oʈrśp, ɖ nyzpepr gz on t dītel a numbr v invstgetri ax́nz biyñ unḍtecn bî ɖ Fîv Îz t nêl ɖ Ćînīz stet’s rsponsbiḷti.
Ɖ most criticl part v ɖ Teḷgraf nyzpepr rport dīlz wɖ apaṛnt dviźnz amñ ɖ wîdr intelijns-cḿṇti on ɖ oʈntiṣti v ɖ “Wūhan l’boṛtri līc” ʈīsis. N it’s hir ɖt Mrdoc’s pepr bcmz xplisit in its asrśn ɖt ɖ Fîv Îz rsrćdosie hlps vaḷdet ɖ az-yt-unpruvn clem bî Doṇld Trump n Mîc Pompeo ɖt ɖ vîṛs wz “invntd” at ɖ Wūhan l’boṛtri. Ɖ articl n asośietd storiz r lêst wɖ culrfl rportñ abt Ćînīz “batvîṛs” rsrćrz – “batmen”, “batwimin” n uɖr têlz fṛm ɖ Wūhan batcev. Nnɖles, hvñ dlivrd its p’liticl ordinns in s’port v Trump n Pompeo, ɖ Mrdoc stori cerf̣li n clevrli sīcs t cuvr its tresz bî stetñ rpitidli ɖt nʈñ z yt prūvn abt ɖ l’boṛtrilīc.
Ɖ Mrdoc jrṇlist in qsćn, Śari Marcsn, a fy dez lêtr pops p az ɖ prîm inṭvy on ɖ Mrdoc-ǒnd YS cebl TV netwrc Fox Nyz. Ɖ inṭvywr z nn uɖr ɖn Trump’s prsnl feṿrit, Tucr Carlsn, hu tgɖr wɖ Śōn Haṇti r hiz ćirlīdrz-in-ćīf in ɖ Americn mīdia. Rît on cy, Tucr ćîmz in ɖt ɖ dosie “z ɖ most sbstanśl conf̣meśn v ẃt w’v sspctd ɖt w’v hd so far” n ɖt “bcz it’s a multinaśnl ef̣t I ʈnc it wd b hard t dsmis it az a p’liticl dokmnt”.
Ɖ truʈ z, at ɖs stej, nn v s nǒ dfiṇtivli ẃɖr ɖ vîṛs cem fṛm ɖ Wūhan l’boṛtri. Ɖ bst w cn d z axpt ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt’s asrśn ɖt ɖs z at bst a 5% posbiḷti. P’liticli, ɖ botm lîn z ɖt ɖ līc v ɖs alejd Fîv Îz intelijnsdosie t ɖ Mrdoc mīdia in Ostreła, bfr biyñ rīsold bac intu ɖ YS p’liticl ōdịns bî ɖ vri sem Mrdoc mīdia, apirz dzînd t bac Trump’s n Pompeo’z clem. Bt ɖs tîm wɖ ɖ add “oʈntiṣti” factr v ɖ dosie biyñ “multinaśnl” n nt jst a norml drop fṛm ɖ Ẃît Hǎs t Fox, ẃć hv bcm a dîm a duzn.
Ɖs z ol abt YS preẓdnśl poḷtics. Ɖr r ʈri iśuz in ɖs campen: Trump’s hanḍlñ v ɖ vîṛs; hǎ t dig ɖ YS ǎt v its vîṛs-indyst ic̣nomic houl; n hu cn b most hardlîn on Ćîna – ɖ Doṇld or “Bêźñ Bîdn”, az ɖ Rpublicnz nǎ sīc t tag hiz Deṃcratic oponnt. Ɖr’z litl els on ɖ tebl. Ɖrfr, yzñ an intelijnslīc pśñ Ćînīz culpbiḷti, lōndrd ʈru a foṛn cuntri, trboćarjd wɖ ɖ creḍbiḷti factr v biyñ an alejd Fîv Îz product, hlps ɖ parṭzan p’liticl cōz. N let’s b clir: Mrdoc z campenñ fl-bòr fr Trump.
Hir r qsćnz nǎ fr ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt n ptnṣ́li its Fîv Îz partnrz. Frst, wz ɖs an “intelijns” product, or wz it simpli opn-sors mtirịl d’rîvd fṛm inf̣meśn in ɖ public dmen? Secnd, wz it an oʈ̇rîzd Fîv Îz product, or wz it jst priperd in ɖ YS? Ʈrd, hu līct it, gvn ɖt līcñ sć mtirịl z a criminl ofns – az ɖ YS hz md plen in its hanḍlñ v Ćlsi Manñ’z n Jūłn Asānj’z cesz ɖt includd ɖ larj-scel unoʈ̇rîzd rlis v claṣfaid Fîv Îz mtirịl. Wr eni ministrz v ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt cmplisit in ɖs? Or wz ɖ YS embsi in Canbra involvd? F ɖ Ostrełn guvnmnt z sirịs abt ɖ pṛtx́n v claṣfaid dokmnts, ɖen ẃ hz’nt a fl p’līs-invstgeśn bn cmiśnd? Or z ɖ guvnmnt firfl v ẃt it mt dscuvr f, az z lîcli, ɖ līc hz bn drivn bî p’liticl n ilectṛl inṭrests wɖn ɖ YS.
Ɖ xtnt t ẃć ɖ Ostrełn intelijns-cḿṇti hz sòt t distns itslf fṛm ɖ “dosie” sjsts it dz nt wś t b in eni we drwn intu dmestic poḷtics – îɖr Ostrełn or Americn. Ɖ Britiś intelijns-cḿṇti z rportidli dwñ ɖ sem. Ɖs z gd. Ɖz insttyśnz apir t hv lrnt fṛm ɖ Irac wor fiasco n ɖ p’liticl abys v intelijns-ejnsiz ɖt ocŕd at ɖt tîm. Bt on ɖs qsćn, ɖ bitr lésnz v Irac apir t hv bn lost on Trump n ɖ Mrdoc empîr ɖt s’ports him.
Ćîna hz mć t ansr fr, includñ ɖ ultiṃt oṛjinz v ɖ vîṛs. Bt f Trump’s clem in ɖ Wūhan l’boṛtri sāga ultiṃtli endz p biyñ dspruvn, îɖr bî ɖ Fîv Îz or bî YS intelijns itslf, ɖen ɖ îṛni z ɖt ɖ net p’liticl winr wl b Ćîna. Rmembr ɖ hymilieśn ẃn no WMD wr faund in Irac? Bêźñ wd sīc t xoṇret itslf az a rzult v igrījs preẓdnśl oṿrīć – wns agn edd n abétd bî ɖ Mrdoc mīdia. Ɖs z ẃ ɖ woćwrd v eni sfisṭcetd intelijns-ejnsi z cōśn in indorsñ preṃtyr cncluźnz untl ol ɖ facts r on ɖ tebl.
‘W c’nt hlp ʈncñ hǎ mć les wurid w wd b f a hymen, compitnt, wel-informd adult wz mcñ ɖ dsiźnz ɖt afct s ol.’ Foṭgraf: Andru Cabayero-Renldz/AFP via Geti Iṃjz
Ẃl ɖ neśn grīvz, ɖ YS prezidnt hz spent les ɖn fîv minits xpresñ cmpaśn fr ɖoz hu r suf̣rñ
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Fransīn Prǒs, Tyzde 5 Me 2020
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T xist at ɖs momnt z t naṿget (or trî t fnd of) ɖ flud v grīf ɖt ʈretnz t sbmrj īvn ǎr rer boynt momnts. W mōrn ɖ deʈ v frendz n reḷtivz, ɖ absns v hymn contact n ɖ evride pleźrz w wns tc fr grantd. W c’nt stop ʈncñ abt ɖ tnz v ʈǎzndz v faṃliz fesñ hungr, bancrupsi n homlisnis īvn az ɖe strugl t indyr ɖ los v smwn ɖe dirli luvd.
Ẃt’s strîcñ, f nt s’prîzñ, z ɖt ɖs delyj v soro hz run drî at ɖ dor t ɖ Ovl Ofis.
Wn’z hart gz ǎt t ɖ rportrz hu hv siftd ʈru ɖ Doṇld Trump presbrīfñz on ɖ cuṛnt pandemic – aur aftr aur v bombast, slf-pṛmośn, vitrịl, laiz n reclisli unsạntific spekleśn – fr eni evidns v simṗʈi fr ɖoz hu r in pen. It’s hardli a śoc t lrn ɖt ǎr prezidnt’s xpreśnz v cer n cmpaśn hv okpaid a totl v les ɖn fîv minits, ǎt v ol ɖt tîm.
Aftr ol, a man hu moct a dsebld jrṇlist n bostd abt grabñ wimin wz’nt ilectd fr ɖ depʈs v hiz cîndnis n ɖ pyṛti v hiz moṛl conśns. N it sīmz unrịlisticli opṭmistic t hv hopt ɖt ɖ xtreṃti v ɖs crîsis śd hv inspîrd, in ǎr līdr, a dīp n isnśl ćenj v hart.
Arğbli, fy poḷtiśnz sīc (n r ilectd t) ofis ǎt v an xes v cmpaśn. Īvn ɖoz hu rspond t ctastṛfi in mor aproprịtli “hymn” wez – Jorj W Bś mōrnñ ɖ victimz v 9/11, Obama tirñ p at ɖ sait v ɖ Sandi Hc scūl śūtñ – hv bn p’rocịl in ɖer simṗʈiz; ɖr wz litl seṛmońl grīvñ fr ɖ iṇsnt ćîldcaźltiz v ǎr bomñ n dron strîcs in ɖ Midl Īst.
N yt w c’nt hlp ʈncñ hǎ mć les wurid w wd b f a hymen, compitnt, wel-informd adult wz mcñ ɖ dsiźnz ɖt afct s ol. Ɖo w’v lrnt ɖt Franclin Delano Rūzvelt trnd awe refyjīz fṛm Hitlr’z Yṛp, w cn stl imajin hǎ cumf̣tñ it wz, fr ɖoz hu livd ʈru ɖ Gret Dpreśn, hírñ hiz rediospīćz: abzorbñ ɖer mesij v ri’śuṛns n hop, hiz dtrṃneśn t comprihnd n miṭget ɖ suf̣rñz v ǎr neśn.
Trump’s inrejd, slf-infaćuetd mōnḍrñz r ɖ oṗzit v Rūzvelt’s cām rzolv. Yt ultiṃtli ǎr prezidnt’s fełr v emṗʈi z les dstrbñ ɖn ɖ wez in ẃć it apirz t reẓnet wɖ hiz s’portrz. H n hiz alîz hv fremd ǎr rspons t ɖ crîsis in trmz v parṭzan poḷtics, t implî (inc̣recli, az ɖ poulz sjst) ɖt tuf cnsrvtivz r īgr t gt bac t wrc snr ɖn scerdi-cat, ste-at-hom pṛgresivz.
Ɖ flag-wevñ, gun-tǒtñ, dfayntli unmasct pṛtstrz stormñ ɖ cáṗtl bildñz in Miśign n Wisconsin wd sīm t s’port ɖt vy. Ɖs, tù, z a sićueśn ɖt cd hv bn dfyzd bî a prezidnt hu pṛjctd simṗʈi, hu pswedd hiz lisnrz, az Rūzvelt dd, ɖt ɖ pen v ɖoz hu hv lost jobz n bizṇsz z śerd bî s ol. Instd w si Trump’s ef̣ts t stǒc rej n bitrnis bcz h sspcts ɖt it mt hlp s’lidfî hiz bes.
It me b ɖt ɖ dīṗnñ poḷrîześn in ǎr cuntri – ɖ sspiśn, grīvns n rej ɖt ɖ prezidnt z spǎtñ n incuṛjñ – z les p’liticl ɖn spirićl. Ɖz dvîdz g dīpr ɖn hǎ w vot; ɖe xpres ǎr cor b’lifs abt ǎr rsponsbiḷti t ɖoz wɖ hūm w śer ɖs brīf span on ɖs damijd planit. Az Slet editr Tom Scocca postd on Twitr: “Cnsrvtivz hv bî nǎ bn cndiśnd t b’liv ɖt ʈncñ abt uɖr ppl’s nīdz or inṭrests in eni we z tiṛni bî def̣niśn,” a sntimnt ecoud bî Eṃli Raboteau in ɖ Hufñtn Post: “I c’nt dbet smwn intu cẹrñ abt ẃt hapnz t ǎr felo hymn biyñz.”
Ɖs îdīa ɖt emṗʈi n altruizm r xpreśnz v wìcnis n nîīvti z nʈñ ny; it’s ɖ fǎndeśn v noṿlist Ayn Rand’z Objctivizm, n it rsivd a mejr būst jrñ ɖ Regn-Bś yirz, ẃn “tricl-dǎn” īc̣nomics dd litl t stem ɖ growñ probḷm v homlisnis. Bt it’s nvr sīmd so viryḷnt az it dz tde, phps bcz it hz nvr bn so opnli advcetd – so bletntli demnstretd – az bî ǎr prezidnt. It’s hard t ʈnc v eniʈñ mor c’rupt or c’ruptñ ɖn t bost abt wn’z s’xes ẃn (az I rait ɖs) mor ɖn 60,000 Americnz hv daid v Covid-19. It’s hard t imajin eniʈñ mor gṛtesc ɖn yzñ ɖ pandemic az an xks t frɖr ɖ ongwñ campen t sepṛt faṃliz n xclud asîḷmsīcrz n uɖr imigṛnts.
Ẃt’s most frîṭnñ t m z ɖt ɖ lac v emṗʈi – ɖ slfiśnis, ɖ rzntmnt, ɖ hop ɖt uɖrz wl sufr īvn mor ɖn w r suf̣rñ – z itslf a cnd v vîṛs: cntejs, denjṛs, poṣbli īvn līʈl. I’v hŕd ppl se ɖt ɖ Wisconsin n Miśign pṛtstrz – śǎtñ śoldr t śoldr, rfyzñ t obzrv ɖ simpl rūlz v sośl distnsñ – w’nt lrn hǎ pṛfǎndli Trump hz btreid ɖm untl ɖe ɖmslvz cntract ɖ vîṛs ɖt ɖe hv bn incurijd t dǎnple. I’v īvn hŕd it sd hǎ unfer it z ɖt ǎr oṿweit, ǎt-v-śep poḷtiśnz – tù ven t wer a masc, flǎtñ sạntific advîs n ɖ dictets v comn-sns – hv pruvd iḿn t ɖ dziz ɖt hz fld so mni dīsnt, jenṛs ppl.
Bt sć stetmnts eco ɖ absns v cmpaśn ɖt Trump, bî twīt n bî xampl, z incuṛjñ s t fīl. It’s bcm anɖr ʈñ t rzist. I d’nt wont t wś ɖt eniwn wl lrn ɖt ptiklr hard lésn, in ɖt ptiklrli hard we: nt ɖ guvnrz oṗnñ ɖer stets fr biznis bfr it’s sef, nt ɖ deṃnstretrz on ɖ stetcápitl steps, nt ǎr prezidnt. Dspt mî ǒn angr, fṛstreśn n fir, I stl c’nt brñ mslf t clem suf̣rñ az a s’xes.
Ɖ YS deʈtol cd gt mć wrs ʈancs t a prezidnt cnsrnd abt riilex́n rɖr ɖn ɖ welfér v sitiznz
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Frîde, 1 Me 2020
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Lisnrz cd b fgivn fr a sns v deja vu: “It’s gwñ t g. It’s gwñ t līv. It’s gwñ t b gn,” Doṇld Trump pṛnǎnst v c’roṇvîṛs on Wenzde.
Ɖ wrdz wr īṛli similr t ɖ prezidnt’s pridix́n in lêt Febrri ɖt “It’s gwñ t dis’pir” – a ʈīm h harpt on rpitidli az ɖ ceslod n ftaḷtiz rouz. Sins ɖt fōrcast, a miłn Americnz hv fōḷn il wɖ c’roṇvîṛs – olmst a ʈrd v ɖ globl totl – n mor ɖn 60,000 hv daid, in jst a fy wīcs s’pasñ ɖ YS deʈtol in ol ɖ yirz v ɖ Vietnam wor. Ɖs wīc, it wz rportd ɖt olmst 70 ppl hd daid at a sngl vetṛnz’ nrsñhom in Maṣćusits. Ny Yorc z struġlñ t beri its ded.
Ɖs z ẃt ɖ prezidnt’s sun-in-lw, Jared Cŭśnr, dscrîbz az “a gret s’xeștori”. Ɖs z ɖ contxt in ẃć ɖ admiṇstreśn z letñ its fizicl-distnsñ gîdlînz laps, instd advîzñ mć les strinjnt meźrz.
Mr. Cŭśnr sjsts ɖt bî Jlî ɖ cuntri cd b “riyli rocñ agn”. Bt Americnz wl sufr fṛm Mr. Trump’s cīņis t gt bac t biznis, az f ɖ prīc̣roṇvîṛs stet v aferz wr stl poṣbl. Medicl xprts hv olrdi wornd abt ɖ riscs v anɖr srj in cesz. Ɖ qsćn z ẃɖr stets, sitiz, insttyśnz n indivijlz cn agn miṭget ɖ harm h z rīcñ upn hiz cuntri. Sm me; uɖrz r līdñ hiz ćarj: in Jorja, sć isnśl srṿsz az ttuparlrz n bolñaliz r wns agn playñ ɖer tred. Texs z alawñ śops, siṇmāz, śopñmalz n resṭronts t rīopn, olbiit wɖ rstrix́nz on cpaṣti. Wɖt sgnificnt tstñ n tresñ, it z evidnt ẃr sć dsiźnz wl līd.
Ɖ bst ɖt cn b sd fr Mr. Trump’s ilex́n-drivn wiśfl ʈncñ z ɖt it z les imīɉtli denjṛs ɖn hiz rīsnt public ḿzñz ɖt ppl mt hv injx́nz v disinfctnt az a kr. Ć wīc v ɖ pandemic hz bròt ny śem upn ɖ prezidnt: h feld t iqip hiz cuntri n its hlʈwrcrz, t advcet fizicl distnsñ ẃn it wz despṛtli nīdd, or īvn t lc lîc h wz sirịsli cnsrnd abt ɖ ǎtbrec n its victimz, prifŕñ instd t bost abt ɖ retñz fr hiz brīfñz.
Ẃl līdrz arnd ɖ wrld injoid a srj in s’port az ɖ pandemic tc hold – ɖ rali-arnd-ɖ-flag ifct – Mr. Trump’s apōlñ pformns hz fîṇli tecn a tol on hiz popylaṛti. H hd cǎntd on a stroñ icoṇmi t si him bac intu ofis in Nvmbr. Bt wɖ mor ɖn 30 miłn YS wrcrz fîlñ unimplômntclemz in ɖ last six wīcs – n icoṇmists sjstñ ɖt ɖ riyl levl v joblosz cd b far wrs – hiz confidns hz bn śecn.
Ɖs wīc it wz rportd ɖt h hd laśt ǎt at hiz ǒn campen aftr polls śoud him trelñ Jo Bîdn in crūśl stets n wɖ oldr votrz. Wɖ ɖ Deṃcrat fesñ a sx́l-asōlt clem n runñ a vrćl campen ẃl Mr. Trump cmandz dêli ertîm, it z clir ɖt ɖ prezidnt z dwñ ɖ damij himslf. H z sīcñ t śift ɖ blem fr ɖ pandemic t ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn (hvñ ignord its rpitd wornñz) n t Ćîna. On Ʈrzde h contṛdictd hiz ǒn d’rectr v naśnl intelijns bî clemñ ɖt h hd sìn evidns ɖt ɖ vîṛs oriɉnetd in a Wūhan l’boṛtri; Trump ofiślz hv rportidli līnd on ɖ ejnsiz t fînd evidns t bac ɖ ʈiyri.
Ɖs conduct tù z unplezntli fmiłr. Hiz cntmt fr ɖ truʈ; hiz dtrṃneśn t ived rsponsbiḷti ẃl holdñ ɖ most pǎrfl job in ɖ wrld; hiz ignṛns, hiz narssizm n ɖ ʈret h pozz t hiz cuntri – ol hv bcm stl mor penf̣li evidnt ʈru ɖs crîsis, bt wr clir bfr. Yt h hz so far dfaid ɖ lwz v p’liticl graṿti. Americnz hv peid dirli fr Mr. Trump’s cmplesnsi, reclisnis, iraṣ́naḷti n incompitns. Bt r ɖe at last redi t mc him pe?
Ɖ līdr v ɖ most prominnt grūp in ɖ YS péḍlñ ptnṣ́li līʈl industrịl blīć az a “miṛclkr” fr c’roṇvîṛs rout t Doṇld Trump at ɖ Ẃît Hǎs ɖs wīc.
In hiz letr, Marc Grenn tld Trump ɖt clōrīn dîoxîd – a pǎrfl blīć yzd in industrịl prosesz sć az txtîlmańfacćrñ ɖt cn hv fetl sîd-ifcts ẃn drunc – z “a wundrfl dītox ɖt cn cil 99% v ɖ paʈ̇jnz in ɖ bodi”. H add ɖt it “cn rid ɖ bodi v Covid-19”.
A fy dez aftr Grenn dspaćt hiz letr, Trump wnt on naśnl TV at hiz dêli c’roṇvîṛsbrīfñ at ɖ Ẃît Hǎs on Ʈrzde n pṛmotd ɖ îdīa ɖt disinfctnt cd b yzd az a trītmnt fr ɖ vîṛs. T ɖ astoniśmnt v medicl xprts, ɖ YS prezidnt sd ɖt disinfctnt “nocs it ǎt in a minit. Wn minit!”
H wnt on t se: “Z ɖr a we w cn d smʈñ, bî an injx́n insd or olmst a clīnñ? Bcz y si it gts in ɖ luñz n it dz a tṛmnḍs numbr on ɖ luñz, so it’d b inṭrestñ t ćec ɖt.”
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Trump flots denjṛs c’roṇvîṛstrītmnt îdīaz az Dr. Brx lcs on – vidio
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Trump dd nt speṣfî ẃr ɖ îdīa v yzñ disinfctnt az a poṣbl reṃdi fr Covid-19 cem fṛm, n ɖ sors fr hiz nośn rmenz obskr. Bt ɖ Gardịn hz lrnt ɖt pédlrz v clōrīn dîoxîd – industrịl blīć – hv bn mcñ d’rect aproćz t ɖ Ẃît Hǎs in rīsnt dez.
Grenn stîlz himslf az “arćbiṣ́p” v Jeṇsis II – a Floṛda-best ǎtfit ɖt clemz t b a ćrć bt ẃć in fact z ɖ larjist pṛdysr n dstribytr v clōrīn dîoxîd blīć az a “miṛclkr” in ɖ YS. H brandz ɖ cemicl az MMS, “miṛcl minṛl-s’lūśn”, n clemz frōjḷntli ɖt it cn kr 99% v ol ilṇsz includñ cansr, mleria, HIV/Edz az wel az ōtizm.
Sins ɖ start v ɖ pandemic, Jeṇsis II hz bn marc̣tñ MMS az a kr t c’roṇvîṛs. It advîzz yzrz, includñ ćildṛn, t mix ʈri t six drops v blīć in wōtr n drinc it. In hiz wīcli teḷvîzd redio śo, postd onlîn on Súnde, Grenn réd ǎt ɖ letr h rout t Trump. H sd it bgan: “Dir Mr. Prezidnt, I am preyñ y rīd ɖs letr n inṭvin.”
Grenn sd ɖt 30 v hiz s’portrz hv olso ritn in ɖ past fy dez t Trump at ɖ Ẃît Hǎs rjñ him t tec ax́n t pṛtct Jeṇsis II in its blīćpéḍlñ activtiz ẃć ɖe clem cn kr c’roṇvîṛs.
On Frîde, aurz aftr Trump tōct abt disinfctnt on lîv TV, Grenn wnt frɖr in a post on hiz Fes-bc pej. H clemd ɖt MMS hd acć̣li bn snt t ɖ Ẃît Hǎs. H rout: “Trump hz got ɖ MMS n ol ɖ info!!! Ʈñz r haṗnñ focs! Lord hlp uɖrz t si ɖ Truʈ!”
Paṛdoxicli, Trump’s ǎtbrst abt ɖ poṣbl valy v an “injx́n” v disinfctnt intu ɖ luñz v Covid-19 sufrrz cem jst dez aftr a līdñ ejnsi wɖn ɖ prezidnt’s ǒn admiṇstreśn tc ax́n t śut dǎn ɖ péḍlñ v blīć az a c’roṇvîṛskr arnd ɖ YS.
Last wīc ɖ YS Fūd n Drug Admiṇstreśn obtend a fedṛl cort-ordr barñ Jeṇsis II fṛm selñ ẃt wz dscrîbd az “an unpruvn n ptnṣ́li harmfl trītmnt fr Covid-19”. Ɖ FDA olso ordrd a dsîpl v Jeṇsis II, Ceri Rivera, t rmuv clemz ɖt MMS krd c’roṇvîṛs fṛm hr websait.
Last Ōġst ɖ FDA iśùd an rjnt wornñ rjñ Americnz nt t bai or drinc MMS, ẃć it sd wz a “denjṛs blīć ẃć hz cōzd sirịs n ptnṣ́li lîf-ʈreṭñ sîd ifcts”. Drincñ MMS cn cōz nōzia, dạrīa n svir dīhîdreśn ɖt cn līd t deʈ, ɖ fedṛl ejnsi sd.
Ɖ Gardịn cntactd ɖ Ẃît Hǎs ascñ ẃɖr Grenn’z letr hd inflụnst Trump’s coments on disinfctnt, bt dd nt imīɉtli rsiv a rspons.
Anɖr advc̣t v blīć az a miṛclkr hu hz bn sīcñ t inṭrest Trump in ɖ trītmnt z Aḷn Cìz. H z a formr ambasdr n advîzr t Ronld Regn hu ran unṣxesf̣li az a Rpublicn canddet fr ɖ YS Senit n on ʈri oceźnz fr ɖ YS prezidnsi.
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Doṇld Trump: coments abt injctñ disinfctnt wr ‘sarcastic’ – vidio
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Cìz hz fīćrd Jeṇsis II blīćproducts az a miṛclkr on hiz onlîn cnsrvtiv TV śo, Let’s Tōc America.
It z nt noun ẃɖr Cìz hz dscust MMS wɖ Trump. Bt ɖ tū men hv oṿlapñ inṭrests.
Nt onli hv ɖe bʈ fīćrd in Rpublicn parti n preẓdnśl poḷtics, bt ɖe wr bʈ līdñ pṛponnts v ɖ Brʈr cnspiṛsiʈiyri ɖt roñf̣li sjstd Baṛc Obama wz born ǎtsd America.Cìz’z TV śo z hostd on IAMtv, a rîtwñ web-best ćanl. IAMtv’z uɖr līdñ ancr z Bob Sisn, hu hz olso advtîzd Jeṇsis II blīćproducts on er.
In wn v hiz śoz, frst rportd bî ɖ Dêli Bīst, Sisn hld p tū botlz v Jeṇsis II MMS n sd: “Gna mīt Trump, it’s onli a matr v tîm. Prezidnt Trump’s gna invît s p ɖr, ẃn h fîndz ǎt abt ɖs stuf.”
On Frîde Trump clemd h wz biyñ “sarcastic” in hiz rmarcs bt ɖr z no evidns t bac p ɖt clem n h apird intîrli sirịs az h md ɖm.
Bî lêt Dsmbr last yir, doctrz in ɖ sntṛl Ćînīz siti v Wūhan wr startñ t wuri abt peśnts qoṛntīnd in ɖer hospitlz suf̣rñ fṛm an unyźl tîp v ńmońa.
Az ɖ misṭri-ilnis spred in wn v Ćîna’z mejr industrịl hubz, sm traid t worn ɖer colīgz t tec xtra cer at wrc, bcz ɖ dziz rzmbld Sars (svir akt rspiṛtri sindrom), ɖ dedli rspiṛtri dziz ɖt hd cild hundṛdz v ppl acrs ɖ rījn in 2002-03 aftr a guvnmnt cuvr-up.
Wn v ɖoz hu traid t rêz ɖ alarm, ɖo onli amñ a fy medicl-scūl clasmets, wz a 33-yir-old Ćînīz ofʈalmoḷjist, Li Wenłañ. Sevn ppl wr in îṣleśn at hiz hospitl, h sd, n ɖ dziz apird t b a c’roṇvîṛs, fṛm ɖ sem faṃli az Sars.
In rli Jańri h wz cōld in bî p’līs, reprimandd fr “spredñ rūmrz onlîn”, n forst t sîn a pepr acnoḷjñ hiz “misḍminr” n proṃsñ nt t rpit it.
Mni rli cesz wr linct t ɖ siti’z Huwnan sìfūd n freś prodys marcit, ẃć olso sold wîldlîf, sjstñ ɖt ɖ frst cesz wr cntractd ɖr.
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Ɖ Wūhan hîjīn imrjnsi-rspons tīm līv ɖ clozd Huwnan sìfūd holseilmarcit on 11 Jańri. Foṭgraf: Nol Selis/AFP via Geti Iṃjz
Sayntists wd dscuvr ɖ dziz hd probbli oriɉnetd in bats n hd ɖen pást ʈru a secnd spīśīz – in ol lîclihd, bt nt srtnli, panġlinz, a tîp v sceli antītr – bfr infctñ hymnz.
Bt ɖ infx́nz wr sn spredñ d’recli btwn peśnts, so fast ɖt on 23 Jańri ɖ guvnmnt anǎnst an unpresdntd locdǎn v Wūhan siti n ɖ srǎndñ Hūbei provins.
Tū wīcs lêtr, on 7 Febrri, Li, hu hd cntractd c’roṇvîṛs himslf, daid in hospitl fṛm ɖ cndiśn abt ẃć h hd traid t rêz ɖ alarm. H hd no noun unḍlayñ cndiśnz n left bhnd a wîf n yuñ ćîld.
Li bcem ɖ fes v ɖ mstirịs ny dziz. Ɖ stori v hiz deʈ n picćrz v him in a hospitl bed wẹrñ an oxijnmasc md mīdịhedlînz acrs ɖ glob, includñ in ɖ YC.
Ɖ wrld, it sīmd, wz slǒli bcmñ mor awer v hǎ līʈl c’roṇvîṛs cd b, ɖt it wz nt jst anɖr form v flu wɖ ferli mîld simtmz.
Bt ẃl YC sayntists n medicl rsrćrz wr bcmñ mor cnsrnd, n studiyñ ɖ evidns fṛm Ćîna, ɖoz amñ ɖm hu wr most wurid wr nt gtñ ɖer meṣjz ʈru t hî plesz.
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Dstractd bî Brexit n rīśuflz
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Ɖ Cnsrvtiv guvnmnt v Boris Jonsn hd uɖr mor imīɉt priokpeśnz at ɖ start v ɖs yir.
Jonsn wz stl bascñ in hiz jenṛl ilex́n s’xes last Dsmbr. Aftr h rtrnd fṛm a seḷbretri Caṛbiyn hoḷde wɖ hiz fiãsé, Cári Simndz, ɖ p’liticl weɖr fr ɖ prîm ministr sīmd t b set fer. It wz hunimūn tîm.Ʈri n a haf yirz on fṛm ɖ Brexit ref̣rendm, ɖ YC wz fîṇli abt t līv ɖ YY on 31 Jańri. Ɖ fîrwrcs n partiz fr ɖ big nît wr biyñ pland, ɖ seḷbretri 50p cônz mintd.
Mîndz wr srtnli nt on a dveḷpñ hlʈ-imrjnsi far awe, az Jonsn priperd t xplôt ɖ momnt v ɖ YC’z dparćr fṛm ɖ Yṛpiyn Yńn fr ol it wz wrʈ. “I ʈnc ɖr wz sm oṿconfidns,” admitd wn vri sīńr Tori last wīc.
Ɖ prîm ministr n hiz ćīf advîzr, Doṃnic Cumñz, wontd t mc an rli impreśn at hom in uɖr wez tù, az dmestic rformrz. Cumñz wz wejñ a wor on sivl srvnts in Ẃîthōl, ʈrowñ hiz weit arnd n dlibṛtli upsetñ ɖ Wsminstr aplcart.
Ẃl h md ɖ hedlînz, brīfñ abt hiz îoṇclastic ambiśnz, Jonsn wz pripẹrñ a big Cabiṇt rīśufl t asrt hiz ǒn oʈoṛti in uɖr eriaz nǎ Brexit wz dn n dustd.
Wɖ Lebr ifctivli līdrlis aftr its forʈ cnsektiv ilex́n dfit, ɖr wz litl opziśn t trubl Jonsn on eni frunt at ol – n srtnli nwn v not ascñ tuf qsćnz abt c’roṇvîṛs.
Ɖ prîm ministr dyli rīcast hiz cabiṇțīm on 13 Febrri – fîv dez aftr Li’z deʈ in Wūhan. H md big ćenjz bt unṣprîzñli rtend ɖ hiɖrtu sef per v handz v Mát Hancoc az hiz hlʈsecṛtri.
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Boris Jonsn spīcñ abt ɖ YY on 3 Febrri. Foṭgraf: Rôtrz
In a sîn v ẃr prîoṛtiz le – n ɖ lac v cnsrn ɖt a ptnśl crîsis mt b hedñ ǎr we fṛm ɖ īst – Hancoc westd no tîm rcordñ a vidio v himslf grinñ wɖ dlît on rīśuflde.
H smact hiz rît fist intu hiz left pām seyñ h cd nt wêt t “gt cracñ” n ɖt h reliśt ɖ ćans t dlivr ɖ Tōriz’ maṇfsto proṃsz, rform sośl cer n impruv lîfsaynsz. N lastli, in a mor sombr vôs, h spouc v “dīlñ wɖ c’roṇvîṛs n cīpñ ɖ public sef” bfr adñ, az ɖ grin rtrnd: “Nǎ let’s gt bac t wrc!”
It z phps tù rli t cnclud fr śr ɖt Jonsn, Hancoc n ɖ guvnmnt’s intîr tīm v sạntific n medicl advîzrz wr còt aslip at ɖ ẃīl. Bt ɖ fact ɖt Jonsn n Hancoc ɖmslvz, in comn wɖ mć v ɖ Dǎnñ Strīt staf, wd g on t cntract ɖ vîṛs or sufr simtmz, frɖr sjsts ɖt ppl at ɖ top hd nt bn sfiśntli on ɖer gard.
Nǎ, 11 wīcs on fṛm ɖ frst cesz biyñ cnfrmd in ɖ YC on 31 Jańri – a pirịd jrñ ẃć mor ɖn 14,000 ppl (n probbli sevṛl ʈǎzndz mor wns cerhom ftaḷtiz r cǎntd) in ɖ YC hv daid fṛm Covid-19 – n wɖ ɖ cuntri in locdǎn, ɖ icoṇmi fesñ pṛloñd rseśn az a rzult, scūlz clozd, n no sîn v an end in sît – hard qsćnz hv t b asct.
W olrdi nǒ wɖ sm srtnti ɖt uɖr cuntriz, sć az Jrṃni, Sǎʈ C’rīa, Tîwan n Ny Zīḷnd, wl imrj fṛm ɖs crîsis hvñ pformd far betr ɖn ɖ YC. A fy wīcs ago ɖ guvnmnt’s advîzrz crasli sd ɖt fywr ɖn 20,000 deʈs wd b “a vri gd rzult” fr ɖ YC.
Az w fast aproć ɖt grim tali, mni xprts nǎ b’liv ɖ YC me cm ǎt v ɖs crîsis, ẃnvr ɖt me b, wɖ wn v ɖ wrst recordz on fîtñ c’roṇvîṛs v eni Yṛpiyn neśn. Wns ɖ fl tali z cǎntd, fy xpct ɖ numbr v deʈs t b b’lo 20,000.
Bî contrast, on Frîde, Jrṃni wz seyñ it ʈt it hd bròt c’roṇvîṛs larjli undr cntrol. It hd hd 3,868 deʈs, les ɖn a ʈrd v ɖ totl in ɖ YC (n Jrṃni’z popyleśn, at 83 miłn, z far hayr), hvñ cnductd wîdspred tstñ fr Covid-19 fṛm rli on, prisîsli az ɖ YC hz feld t d.
Hǎ, ɖen, dd it cm t ɖs? Hǎ dd c’roṇvîṛs spred acrs ɖ glob, promtñ difṛnt rsponsz in difṛnt cuntriz? Dd ɖ YC simpli fel t hīd ɖ wornñz? Or dd it jst dsîd t tec difṛnt dsiźnz, ẃl uɖrz setld on oltrṇtiv ax́nz t sev lîvz?
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Ɖ wornñz gro lǎdr
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Devid Nbaro, pṛfesr v globl hlʈ at Impirịl Colij, Lundn, n an envô fr ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn on Covid-19, sz wn ʈñ z fr śr. Ol guvnmnts wr wornd hǎ sirịs ɖ sićueśn wz lîcli t bcm az rli az ɖ end v Jańri. Ignṛns v ɖ denjr ɖt wz cmñ cn b no xks. Yt it wd nt b untl lêt Marć – lêtr ɖn mni uɖr cuntriz – ɖt Jonsn wd anǎns a cmplit locdǎn.
“WHO hd bn folowñ ɖ ǎtbrec sins ɖ end v Dsmbr n wɖn a fy wīcs it cōld a mītñ v its imrjnsi cmiti t dsîd f ɖs ǎtbrec wz a ‘public-hlʈ imrjnsi v inṭnaśnl cnsrn’,” sd Nbaro.“Ɖt z ɖ hîist levl v alrt ɖt WHO cn iśu, n it iśùd it on Jańri 30. It md it vri clir ɖen – t evri cuntri in ɖ wrld – ɖt w wr fesñ smʈñ vri sirịs indd.”
Wel bfr ɖ end v Jańri, ɖ WHO hd bn tracñ ɖ growñ ʈret mînytli: 14 Jańri wz a ci de in ɖ spred v ɖ dziz ɖt wd bcm noun az Covid-19. Ɖ frst ces wz cnfrmd ǎtsd Ćîna, wɖ a wmn hospiṭlîzd in Tîland.
A WHO ofiśl wornd ɖen ɖt it wz poṣbl ɖt hymn-t-hymn trnzmiśn hd ocŕd in faṃliz v victimz – a sîn ɖt ɖ dziz hd ptnśl t spred far n fast – n, insd Ćîna, ofiślz wr qaytli tld t priper fr a pandemic.
Ɖr wz litl inṭnaśnl atnśn on ɖ de, ɖo, bcz Bêźñ’z dîr wornñz abt a pandemic wr md in sīcrit, n a WHO spocsmn róud bac fṛm hiz colīg’z clem.
Ofiṣ́li, Ćîna hd nt sìn a ny ces v ɖ c’roṇvîṛs fr ovr a wīc; ɖ ǎtbrec apird t b fedñ. It tc anɖr six dez fr Ćîna t pubḷcli acnolij ɖ graṿti v ɖ ʈret, tîm ɖt sayntists b’livd mnt a frɖr 3,000 ppl wr infctd.
Bt on 20 Jańri, ofiślz anǎnst mor ɖn 100 ny cesz n admitd ɖ vîṛs wz spredñ btwn hymnz, a red flag fr cnsrn t eniwn hu wrcs on infx́s dzizz. Ɖ vîṛs cd no longr b cntend bî fîndñ ɖ animlsors v ɖ infx́n n dstroyñ it.
Tū dez lêtr, ɖ scel v ɖ ćalinj wz md clir t ɖ jenṛl public ẃn Bêźñ loct dǎn miłnz v ppl. Ol transport intu n ǎt v ɖ mtroṗlis v Wūhan wz cut of, an unpresdntd modn qoṛntīn ɖt wd cm at hyj hymn n ic̣nomic cost.
On 29 Jańri, ɖ YC wd hv its frst tū cnfrmd cesz v ɖ dziz. Ɖr wz litl sns ɖt Ćîna’z dlema n its aproć – śut dǎn lîf az w nǒ it or woć ɖ deʈtol spîṛl ǎt v cntrol – mt hv t b ǎr nîtmer wɖn wīcs.
In rli Febrri, Doṇld Trump anǎnst a ban on travlrz hu hd pást ʈru Ćîna in ɖ prīvịs 14 dez. Yṛp bgan foc̣st tstñ v ppl wɖ simtmz n travl hisṭriz ɖt linct ɖm t ɖ dziz, bt litl els.
Jonsn, it sīmd, stl hd Brexit n fri tred mć mor on hiz mînd. Eni hint v dṛcońn ax́n t fît c’roṇvîṛs ɖt mt hrt ɖ icoṇmi wz ɖ last ʈñ h wz enttenñ.
In a spīć on Brexit in Grenij on 3 Febrri, h md clir hiz vyz on Wūhan-stîl locdǎnz. “W r startñ t hír sm bizar ōtarcic reṭric,” h sd, “ẃn barịrz r gwñ p, n ẃn ɖr z a risc ɖt ny dzizz sć az c’roṇvîṛs wl trigr a panic n a dzîr fr marcitsegṛgeśn ɖt g bynd ẃt z medicli raṣ́nl t ɖ pônt v dwñ riyl n uņesṣri ic̣nomic damij.
“Ɖen, at ɖt momnt, hymaṇti nīdz sm guvnmnt smẃr ɖt z wilñ at līst t mc ɖ ces pǎrf̣li fr frīdm v xćenj, sm cuntri redi t tec of its Clarc Cnt specṭclz n līp intu ɖ fonbuɖ n imrj wɖ its clǒc flowñ az ɖ sūṗćarjd ćampịn v ɖ rît v ɖ popyleśnz v ɖ Rʈ t bai n sel frīli amñ ć uɖr.”
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‘Hrd-iḿṇti’: YC gz it alon
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Bî rli Marć it wz abundntli clir t mni acdemics n sayntists ɖt ɖ aproć biyñ adoptd bî ɖ YC wz marcidli difṛnt fṛm ɖoz foloud bî uɖr cuntriz. Fṛm Sǎʈ C’rīa t Jrṃni, guvnmnts hd invstd heṿli in xpandñ tstñ-cpaṣti fṛm ɖ frst wīcs v ɖ eṗdemic.
Hoñ Coñ, Tîwan n Snġpor hd bròt in cntrolz on travlrz fṛm infctd rījnz n strict contacțresñ t hlp unḍstand hu cd hv bn xpozd, inform ɖm n rqîr slf-îṣleśn. Fesmascs bcem wîdspred in īst Eźa, loñ bfr it wz rec̣mndd elsẃr.Tstñ n contacțresñ hz bn at ɖ hart v ɖ aproć advcetd bî ɖ WHO, so ɖt cuntriz cn istabliś hǎ trnzmiśnćenz wr ocŕñ, in ordr t brec ɖm.
Mni olso bròt in sm sośl-distnsñ meźrz, banñ larj gaɖ̇rñz, clozñ scūlz or xtndñ hoḷdez, n incurijd ɖoz hu cd d t wrc fṛm hom. Nn wr az xtrim az Ćîna’z śutdǎn, or ɖ Yṛpiyn n Americn locdǎnz ɖt wd folo.
Raitñ in ɖ Obzrvr last munʈ, Devi Sridhar, ćer v globl public hlʈ at ɖ Yṇvrṣti v Edinbra, notd ɖ dstñt YC aproć. “Rɖr ɖn lrnñ fṛm uɖr cuntriz n folowñ ɖ WHO advîs, ẃć cmz fṛm xprts wɖ decedz v xpirịns in tac̣lñ ǎtbrecs acrs ɖ wrld, ɖ YC hz dsîdd t folo its ǒn paʈ. Ɖs sīmz t axpt ɖt ɖ vîṛs z unstoṗbl n wl probbli bcm an ańl, sīẓnl infx́n.
“Ɖ plan, az xplend bî ɖ ćīf sayns’dvîzr, z t wrc twdz ‘hrd iḿṇti’, ẃć z t hv ɖ mjoṛti v ɖ popyleśn cntract ɖ vîṛs, dveḷp antibodiz n ɖen bcm iḿn t it. Ɖs ʈiyri hz bn wîdli yzd t advc̣t fr mas vax̣neśn fr mīzlz, mumps n rūbéla. Ɖ ʈncñ z ɖt, f most v ɖ popyleśn z vax̣netd, a smōl psntij cn g unvax̣netd wɖt cesz imrjñ.”
It wz nt jst ɖ YC huz poḷtiśnz n sạntific advîzrz wr, arğbli, slo t act in ɖ rli stejz. Uɖrz cuntriz, includñ Spen n Frans, wr còt ǎt tù, bt it wz Iṭli’z traɉdi ɖt alrtd Yṛp t ɖ scel v ɖ ʈret it fest.
Yṛpiyn guvnmnts n sitiznz wr forst t recn wɖ ɖ riaḷti ɖt in an ej v globl travl, ɖ ʈǎzndz v mîlz seṗretñ ɖm fṛm Ćîna mnt olmst nʈñ at ol. Ʈǎzndz v Brítnz wr hoḷdeyñ in Iṭli ɖ wīc ɖt it śut dǎn. Ɖe wr advîzd t g intu slf-qoṛntīn on rtrn, bt wr nt rejistrd bî ɖ hlʈ-oʈoṛtiz, nr wr ɖer contacts tráct.
Iṭli n ɖ YC hd bʈ hd ɖer frst ces a de apart at ɖ end v Jańri, bt cesz rouz fastr in Iṭli. Ɖ cuntri me jst hv bn unluci ɖt carịrz v ɖ dziz flù t its norɖn sitiz n sci-rzorts rɖr ɖn t uɖr Yṛpiyn capitlz.
Ẃtvr ɖ rīzn, cesz n ɖen deʈs startd clîmñ śarpli in norɖn Iṭli in lêt Febrri. Duznz v tǎnz wr loct dǎn fṛm ɖ 21st, bt in ɖ rest v ɖ cuntri lîf carid on az norml.
It wz sn clir ɖt ɖ probḷm hd nt bn cntend. On 8 Marć, ɖ prîm ministr, Jsepi Conte, qoṛntīnd 16 miłn ppl acrs ɖ norʈ v ɖ cuntri, n ɖ nxt de xtndd ɖ locdǎn t ol v Iṭli.
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Ruśn bạlojicl-worfér trūps, cōld in bî ɖ Itałn oʈoṛtiz, disinfct ɖ Pǒp Jon Pōl I cerhom nir Bergamo. Foṭgraf: Ruśn Dfns Miṇstri/TASS
Ɖ meźrz sevd lîvz, bt cem tù lêt fr ʈǎzndz v Itałnz. Ɖ deʈtol ǎtstript Ćîna, n ɖ wrld lct on hoṛfaid az hospitlz wr oṿẃlmd, doctrz forst t ćūz hu śd hv a ćans on a vnṭletr n hu śd dî. On 11 Marć, ɖ WHO dclerd a globl pandemic. On 14 Marć, Spen wnt intu locdǎn, n ʈri dez lêtr Frans dd ɖ sem.
Bt in ɖ YC ɖr apird t b gretr rluctns t act dsîsivli wɖ locdǎnz: ɖ banñ v mas gaɖ̇rñz n ɖ cloźr v pubz n resṭronts. Ɖ guvnmnt’s sạntific n bhevyṛl-sayns advîzrz wr wornñ ministrz ɖt ɖ public mt riact badli t dṛcońn meźrz n wd nt toḷret ɖm fr loñ.
In an apaṛnt śo v dfayns agnst ɖ locdǎnrz, Jonsn n Simndz atndd ɖ Ñgḷnd v. Wêlz rugbimać at Twicnm on 7 Marć. Ɖ Ćlṭnm Fstivl, atndd ovr ʈri dez t 13 Marć bî 250,000 rês-gwrz, wz alaud t g ahd.
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Śutdǎn: Jonsn ćenjz tac
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Ɖ ton wz abt t ćenj. In a Dǎnñ Strīt presconfṛns on 12 Marć, Jonsn, hu hd sd a fy dez bfr ɖ frst YC deʈ ɖt ɖ dziz wz “lîcli t spred a bit mor” sudnli bcem ɖ dlivrr v grev wornñz.
Prīvịs tōc bî hiz advîzrz v avôdñ locdǎnz n dveḷpñ “hrd iḿṇti” hd bn baniśt n rplest bî a brūtl oṇsti. “I mst levl wɖ y,” Jonsn tld rportrz. “Mor faṃliz, mni mor faṃliz, r gwñ t lūz luvd wnz bfr ɖer tîm.” On 18 Marć – jst dez aftr Dǎnñ Strīt hd sjstd it wz nt on ɖ cardz – ɖ guvnmnt anǎnst ɖ cloźr v ol scūlz untl frɖr notis. Pubz n resṭronts wr ordrd t śut on 20 Marć. Ɖ YC hd cm lêt intu lîn.Wn formr cabiṇtministr last wīc dscrîbd ɖ ćenj v aproć az a “scrīćñ U-trn”. Jonsn n hiz ministrz wr nǎ, īvn mor ɖn bfr, tecñ cuvr bhnd, n advîs fṛm, ɖer sạntific n medicl advîzrz. Mni v ɖz advîzrz hd bcm incrisñli cnsrnd ɖt ɖ YC hd bcm ǎt v step wɖ uɖr cuntriz bcz v p’liticl rzistns fṛm ministrz t meźrz ɖt wd hit ɖ icoṇmi. Ɖ Obzrvr hz bn tld ɖt at līst tū sīńr guvnmnt’dvîzrz wr on ɖ brinc v qitñ bfr Jonsn swićt hiz aproć.
Ɖ guvnmnt hz faund itslf unebl t iscep ɖ consiqnsz v a wîdr fełr t priper. Az hospitlz ʈretnd t b oṿẃlmd bfr ordrz wr gvn t masivli xpand cpaṣti, ministrz cem undr intns criṭsizm ovr ɖ lac v pṛtctiv iqipmnt fr frunt-lîn NHS staf, ovr ɖ lac v vnṭletrz fr peśnts in intnsiv cer, n fr a fełr t tst mor wîdli fr Covid-19, ptiklrli amñ NHS wrcrz.
Ɖ lac v priperidnis n instnsz v ceotic planñ hz śoct mni in n ǎtsd ɖ NHS.
Last wīc, Dr. Alisn Pitard, ɖ dīn v ɖ Faclti v Intnsiv-Cer Meḍsin, ɖ pṛfeśnl bodi fr intnsiv-cer practiśnrz, sd ɖ minimm spesif̣ceśnz fr ɖ guvnmnt’s ǒn homgroun vnṭletrscīm wd pṛdys mśīnz ɖt wd onli trīt peśnts “fr a fy aurz”. “F w hd bn tld ɖt ɖt wz ɖ ces… w’d hv sd: ‘D’nt boɖr, y’r westñ yr tîm. Ɖt’s v no ys’,” ś tld ɖ Fnanśl Tîmz.
Last munʈ ɖ guvnmnt míst a YY pṛkrmntdedlîn fr vnṭletrz bcz, ministrz sd, an īmeil wnt uņotist. Ɖ NHS hd sd 30,000 mor wd b nīdd, Hancoc rdyst ɖs t 18,000. Pitard sd hr faclti hd bn wornñ fr yirz abt a śortij v intnsiv-cer cpaṣti n intnsiv-cer nrsz in hospitlz.
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Boris Jonsn n partnr Cári Simndz wɖ ɖ Ñgḷnd captin Own Faṛl at Twicnm on 7 Marć. Foṭgraf: Facundo Aŗizabalaga/EPA
Norṃli ć intnsiv-cer peśnt wd hv wn intnsiv-cer nrs in atndns ol ɖ tîm, ś sd. Nǎ ɖr wz wn nrs t six peśnts, olɖo uɖr staf hd bn rīdiploid t intnsiv-cer ynits t plug ɖ gaps, n ɖ ny sistm wz wrcñ bcz v hrǒic ef̣ts. Olɖo ś wz rluctnt t criṭsîz ɖ guvnmnt, ś sd ɖt f ɖ faclti hd bn lisnd t, “w wd’nt b startñ fṛm ɖs ples”. Jrṃni, ś pôntd ǎt, hz 29 intnsiv-cer bedz p’ 100,000 ppl, cmperd wɖ six in ɖ YC.
Ɖ Tori MP n formr hlʈministr Dan Pūltr, hu wrcs part-tîm in ɖ NHS, sd ɖt gvn ɖ inorṃti v ɖ ćalinj fesñ guvnmnt “it olmst sīmz roñ t b criticl”.
Bt h b’livz part v ɖ probḷm z ɖt inṣfiśnt advîs hz bn sòt fṛm xpirịnst NHS cliniśnz hu wd hv wornd v probḷmz wɖ PPI rli on, n v ɖ śortij v vnṭletrz n wd hv tld ministrz v ɖ rjnt nīd t tst NHS staf.
“An rli oṿrlayns on acdemic moḍlñ olso rzultd in a lac v xpirịnst fruntlîn NHS cliniśnz – in uɖr wrdz, ɖ ppl hu riyli unḍstand ɖ de-t-de ćaḷnjz ǎr hospitlz n hlʈsrvis fes – fṛm fīdñ intu ɖ iniśl Covid-19 ax́nplan,” h sd. “Ɖs hz maṇfstd itslf amñst uɖr ʈñz in ɖ slǒnis v pṛvîdñ adiqt PPI fr fruntlîn NHS staf n in ɖ lac v vîṛs-tstñ fr hlʈcer staf in ɖ rlịr part v ɖ ǎtbrec.”
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Hǎ ɖ sayntists riactd
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Ẃn ɖ invstgeśnz intu ɖ YC’z rspons t Covid-19 cm t b ritn, ɖr z wîdspred recgniśn amñ xprts ɖt ɖs lac v loñ-trm stṛtījic planñ wl b at ɖ sntr v it. So tù śd b ɖ nīd t enśur ɖt ɖ vyz v xprts r féd intu guvnmnt mor ifiśntli n wîdli. Ɖ prospect v a prīvịsli uņoun dziz spredñ caṭstroficli arnd ɖ glob n infctñ miłnz z, aftr ol, nt a ny wn.
Indd, mni wornñz hv bn gvn in ɖ past abt ɖ vîṛl denjrz fesñ hymaṇti. “Gvn ɖ cntińl imrjns v ny paʈ̇jnz … n ɖ evr-incrisñ cnctidnis v ǎr wrld, ɖr z a sgnificnt probbiḷti ɖt a larj n līʈl pandemic wl ocŕ in ǎr lîftîm,” Bil Gets pridictd sevṛl yirz ago. “N it wl hv ɖ impact v a ńclir wor,” h wornd, ẃl rjñ neśnz t start stocpîlñ antivîṛl drugz n ʈeṛpiz. F onli.Fr its part, ɖ WHO priperd – sevṛl yirz ago – a list v vîṛsz wɖ no noun trītmnts or vaxīnz, ilṇsz ɖt cd wn de trigr ɖt pandemic n cil hundṛdz v ʈǎzndz. Pṛspctiv cilrz includd nipā-dziz n laṣfīvr az wel az an eilmnt it simpli cōld “dziz X” – “a sirịs inṭnaśnl eṗdemic cōzd bî a paʈ̇jn cuṛntli uņoun”.
Az t ɖ most lîcli nećr v ɖt mstirịs vîṛs, most moḍlñ asymd ɖt dziz X wd b flu-lîc in bhevyr, sz Dr. Josi Goldñ, ɖ eṗdemicslīd at ɖ Welcm Trust. Aftr ol, influenza hd cōzd so mni dedli globl ǎtbrecs in ɖ past. Az a rzult, a lot v invstmnt wnt intu mcñ influenẓvaxīnz in preṗreśn, ś sz. “Bt hv w bn ʈncñ abt dzizz uɖr ɖn influenza ɖt mt bcm pandemics? I d’nt ʈnc w hv. Ɖr hz bn a riyl gap in ǎr ʈncñ.”
Ɖen cem ɖ apiṛns v Covid-19 – cōzd nt bî a stren v influenza bt bî a c’roṇvîṛs – in Nvmbr. Iniṣ́li, onli a fy cesz wr hîlîtd, a trend ɖt bgan t ćenj rli ɖs yir wɖ a rîz in numbrz v infctd il ppl.
“Ɖ rport ɖt riyli grabd mî atnśn cem ǎt in mid-Jańri,” sz eṗdīmioḷjist Pṛfesr Marc Wŭlhǎs at Ednbra Yṇvrṣti. “It sd 41 cesz v ɖs ny rspiṛtri ilnis hd nǎ bn dạgnozd in wn smōl eria v Ćîna, arnd Wūhan. N ɖt set ɖ alarm belz rññ fr m.”
Fr Wŭlhǎs, ɖ clustr v cesz in wn ples śoud ɖs wz nt a matr v a fy ppl scatrd arnd Ćîna picñ p an oceźnl infx́n fṛm an animl sć az a bat or a ćicn. “Forti-wn cesz in wn smōl eria at ɖ sem tîm cd nt b xplend ɖt we. Ppl r nt picñ ɖs p fṛm animlz, I riylîzd. Ɖe r acć̣li spredñ it t ć uɖr. It wz olrdi hedñ ǎt v cntrol.”
Ywn Birni, hed v ɖ Yṛpiyn Bîoinf̣matics Insttyt, part v ɖ Yṛpiyn Mleklr-Bîoḷji L’boṛtri, in Cembrijśr, olso notd ɖ sgnificns v ɖ ny dziz at ɖ tîm. “I prizymd, at frst, ɖt ɖs wn wd olso brn itslf ǎt, probbli smẃr in Eźa,” h sz.
Hiz rīẓnñ wz stretfwd. Ɖ ǎtbrec v Sars ɖt apird in 2003 in Ćîna wz cōzd bî a c’roṇvîṛs n cild mor ɖn 10% v ɖoz it infctd. “In fact, it cild or hospiṭlîzd so mni v ɖoz it infctd, ɖ ćen v trnzmiśn fṛm wn prsn t uɖrz wz cut. It wz tù līʈl fr its ǒn gd. So I ʈt ɖs mt hapn wɖ ɖs ny dziz. Bt it trnz ǎt Covid-19 z mć mîldr n inc̣paṣtets fywr indivijlz, so ɖr z no cut in its trnzmiśn. Ẃn ɖt bcem apaṛnt – arnd mid-Jańri – I bcem vri wurid.”
Ɖen ɖr wz ɖ infx́snis v ɖ ny vîṛs. A prsn wɖ Sars jenṛli starts t dsple simtmz bfr ɖe infct uɖr ppl. Ɖt mcs it mć īzịr t cnten. Bt ɖs wz nt ɖ ces wɖ Covid-19. Rli deta fṛm Ćîna – agn rlist in Jańri – śoud ɖ vîṛs wz biyñ spred fṛm ppl hu wr dspleyñ onli ɖ mîldist simtmz, or in sm cesz no simtmz. Ɖs wz mcñ ɖ cndiśn vri dificlt t trac, sz vroḷjist Pṛfesr Joṇʈn Bōl v Notñm Yṇvrṣti.
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Ɖ Cǎnti Oc Medicl Sntr in Braitn wz clozd on 10 Febrri aftr a membr v staf wz infctd wɖ c’roṇvîṛs. Foṭgraf: Glin Crc/AFP via Geti Iṃjz
“At ɖt pônt I riylîzd ɖs ǎtbrec wz gwñ t b vri sirịs,” h add. “I snt a twīt t a colīg in Ostreła. It simpli sd: ‘Ɖs wn z ǎt v ɖ bag proprli’. H snt wn bac agriyñ wɖ m.”
Arnd ɖs tîm, Pōl Nrs, Nobel lorịt n hed v ɖ Fransis Cric Insttyt, rcōlz atndñ a confṛns ẃr h met Marc Wolṗt, hed v YC Rsrć n Iṇveśn, ɖ orġnîześn ɖt fundz a vast slîs v Britiś sạntific rsrć.
“H hd jst rsivd a txtmesij fṛm a colīg abt ɖ ǎtbrec n w startd t dscus ɖ impḷceśnz,” Nrs rcōlz. “It dd nt tec s loñ fr s bʈ t riylîz ɖs wz gwñ t b vri sgnificnt. It tc anɖr tū or ʈri wīcs t cnfrm ɖz wrst firz – bî mid-Febrri.”
Bî ɖs tîm, Birni hd riylîzd ɖ vîṛs hd a riyl stñ in its teil n cd cōz sirịs ilnis amñ ɖ eldrli n ɖoz wɖ uɖr unḍlayñ sirịs eilmnts. “It wz haf-trm n I wz on hoḷde wɖ mî peṛnts. Ol I wontd t d wz t gt ɖ hoḷde ovr n ɖen gt ɖm bac t ɖer hǎs in ɖ cuntri ẃr ɖe cd cīp ɖmslvz îṣletd.”
In Febrri, sṗradic cesz v Covid-19 wr apirñ rnd ɖ cuntri, rcōlz Tom Wñfīld, a cliniśn n infx́s-dziz xprt best at ɖ Liṿpul Scūl v Tropicl Meḍsin. “Ɖz wr cesz ɖt hd bn bròt intu ɖ cuntri, mnli fṛm Ćîna or Iṭli. Ɖen ɖr wz an ǎtbrec in Braitn [n a numbr v uɖr cesz wɖt foṛn travl] n I riylîzd ɖt ɖ vîṛs hd istabliśt itslf in a cḿṇti ɖr. It wz a trnñ pônt.”
Britn wz stl dwñ qt wel in cntenñ ɖ dziz bî tstñ, tresñ contacts n setñ p qoṛntīn fr ɖoz sspctd v biyñ infctd wɖ Covid-19 at ɖs tîm. “Ɖen, in Marć, ɖ guvnmnt dsîdd t abandn ɖs aproć n śift fṛm cntenñ ɖ dziz t dleyñ its progres,” sz Wñfīld. “I wd riyli lîc t nǒ ẃ ɖ dsiźn t gv p tstñ n contacțresñ wz tecn.”
Mni uɖr rsrćrz olso qsćn ẃ ɖ guvnmnt tc so loñ t riact t ɖer wornñz. “Part v ɖ trubl wz ɖr wr uɖr vroḷjists hu wr seyñ ɖs wz gwñ t b lîc Sars or flu n ɖr wz nt tù mć t wuri abt,” sz Bōl. “Bt Sars hapnd in 2003. Ɖ wrld z mć mor cnctd nǎ ɖn it wz ɖen. Mor t ɖ pônt, Covid-19 wz olso mć mor infx́s ɖn Sars. N so it startd apirñ in lots v uɖr cuntriz.
“Phps sm v s śd hv got p in frunt v BBC Nyz n sd y lot òt t b petṛfaid bcz ɖs z gwñ t b a pandemic ɖt wl cil hundṛdz v ʈǎzndz v ppl,” adz Bōl. “Nn v s ʈt ɖs wz a ptiklrli cnstructiv ʈñ t d, bt mbi wɖ hîndsît w śd hv. F ɖr hd bn mor vôsz, mbi poḷtiśnz wd hv tecn ɖs a bit mor sirịsli.”
“Ɖr z no qsćn ɖt w wr inṣfiśntli priperd,” Nrs sz. “W hd bn wornd a fy yirz ago ẃn rports md it clir ɖt ɖ YC wz nt redi t combat a mejr flūpandemic n w dd nt tec p ɖt wornñ. Az a rzult, w wr còt ǎt.”
H n mni uɖrz se an inqîri intu Britn’z Covid-19 priperidnis wl hv t b hld at sm pônt bt stres ɖt ɖs śd nt b startd untl ɖ crîsis hz bn dlt wɖ in ɖ YC.
Pṛfesr Iyn Bôd, a formr ćīf sạntific advîzr at ɖ Dpartmnt fr Invîrnmnt, Fūd n Rṛl Aferz, agriz. “Ɖr z a gret denjr ɖr wl b a lot v lcñ-bac wɖ ɖ beṇfits v hîndsît n pǒcñ fngrz v blem,” wornz Bôd. “Bt ẃn y r in ɖ midl v ʈñz y hv t mc a lot v vri hard 50-50 dsiźnz, n smtmz y mc ɖ roñ cōl. On ɖ uɖr hand, ɖr z no harm in mcñ śr ɖt w lrn az mni lésnz az w cn.”
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Ɖ lésnz fṛm ɖ rest v ɖ wrld …
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Boris Jonsn, aftr hiz ǒn bruś wɖ deʈ at ɖ handz v Covid-19, wl prizyṃbli no longr tec ɖ guñ-hǒ attyd t ilnis ɖt h olwz hd. A formr Tori ministr sd: “F Boris hd eni sns h wd tec cntrol v ɖ inqîri n līd it.”
Wn cncluźn ɖt xprts r olrdi drw̃ z ɖt it wz ɖoz cuntriz clos t Ćîna, wɖ meṃriz v Sars, or culćṛl tîz t ɖer nebr, ẃć wr mć fastr t act in rspons t Covid-19. Phps most noṭbl in its s’xes wz Tîwan. Closli linct bî ic̣nomic n culćṛl tîz t mênḷnd Ćîna, Tîwan cd hv bn at hî risc v a mejr Covid-19 eṗdemic. Turists n biznis-ppl travld reğlrli bac n fʈ.Bt hlpt phps bî hvñ an eṗdīmioḷjist az vîs-prezidnt, ɖ guvnmnt set p a gold-standd reźīm v tstñ n contacțresñ ɖt mīnz ɖt nirli ʈri munʈs on fṛm its frst cnfrmd infx́n, it hz rejistrd fywr ɖn 400 cesz n six deʈs.
Tîwan’z xtnsiv tstñ n ʈura contacțresñ r prisîsli ɖ cnd v ax́n ɖt ɖ formr hlʈsecṛtri Jeṛmi Hunt z dmandñ bfr ɖ YC locdǎn z liftd. Hunt pônts ǎt ɖt it z wn v ɖ isnśl cndiśnz set bî ɖ WHO t avôd a secnd wev rzultñ fṛm an īzñ v rstrix́nz.
Hoñ Coñ, ẃć olso sufrd fṛm ɖ Sars crîsis, olso muvd rli t infors qoṛntīn n sośl distnsñ, az wel az wîdspred mascwẹrñ, n tde hz rejistrd jst ovr 1,000 cesz n onli for deʈs.
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A man in Wūhan on 10 Febrri, ɖ 19ʈ de v ɖ transportlocdǎn. Foṭgraf: Geti Iṃjz
In lêt Febrri, Sǎʈ C’rīa lct lîc it wz on a tṛjectri t dzastr, wɖ ɖ hîist numbr v cnfrmd cesz ǎtsd Ćîna, n numbrz rîzñ rapidli. Bt aftr ɖ cuntri’z frst infx́n, ɖ guvnmnt met medicl cumṗniz n rjd ɖm t start dveḷpñ c’roṇvîṛs tstcits on a masiv scel.
Ɖ rzults wr impresiv. Ẃn ɖ eṗdemic hit, it wz redi t dplô larj-scel tstñ. Its meźrz alaud Sǎʈ C’rīa t bcm ɖ secnd cuntri t flatn its c’roṇvîṛs crv, wɖt ɖ swīpñ śutdǎnz v ssayti n ic̣nomic activti ɖt Ćîna hd paynird n ɖ wst wd b forst t adopt.
Ćîna’z xpirịns śd hv pṛvîdd a grim tmplet fr wstn cuntriz t yz t priper. Ɖ spīd wɖ ẃć Wūhan’z crîsis hd intnṣfaid śoud ɖt a reḷtivli advanst medicl sistm cd b swomt. Wɖn ʈri wīcs ɖr wr ovr 64,000 ppl infctd n 1,000 ded.
Ɖ pliz fr hlp fṛm Wūhan’z rezidnts n doctrz wr t b ecoud bî ɖoz fṛm Iṭli a fy wīcs lêtr, n sn aftr ɖ YC.
Lc bac ʈri munʈs, n in Ćîna ɖr wr nt inuf tsts t wrc ǎt hu hd c’roṇvîṛs, ɖr wz nt inuf pṛtctiv iqipmnt fr medicl staf trītñ peśnts, n ɖen, sn, trajicli ɖr wr nt inuf hospitl bedz n vnṭletrz fr sic peśnts. Ɖz r xacli ɖ ćaḷnjz fest bî oʈoṛtiz fṛm Ny Yorc t Rom, Lundn t Mdrid.
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… n ɖ uɖr cuntri ɖt dd’nt lisn
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F ɖ YC hz sirịs qsćnz t ansr, ɖ cuntri ɖt so far hz sìn ɖ wrst v ɖ ǎtbrec, ɖ Ynîtd Stets, wz slǒist v ol t act. Trump fr munʈs ignord, pleid dǎn or laid abt ɖ ʈret pozd bî c’roṇvîṛs, līvñ indivijl stets t act yṇlatṛli az it bcem clir it hd olrdi tecn hold on YS sôl.
On 17 Marć parts v Caḷforńa iśùd “śltr-in-ples” ordrz, ifctivli a locdǎn. Bî ɖ end v ɖt wīc Ny Yorc Siti hd olso śut dǎn, alñ wɖ a duzn stets, n ɖ mjoṛti v ɖ rest v ɖ cuntri hd pt sm rstrix́nz in ples. Onli fîv stets hd fy or no cntrolz.Ɖr hv nǎ bn nirli 700,000 cnfrmd cesz in ɖ YS n ovr 33,000 deʈs; acćl numbrz r lîcli t b hayr fr bʈ. Ɖ icoṇmi hz olso bn devstetd, wɖ mor ɖn 22 miłn ǎt v wrc az bizṇsz c’laps or śrinc undr ɖ stren.
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Ɖ YS wz slǒist v ol t act, bt Doṇld Trump z pripẹrñ t lift rstrix́nz olrdi. Foṭgraf: Alix Brandn/AP
Trump insists ɖ YS z trnñ a cornr, n hz traid t blem – amñ uɖr targits – ɖ WHO fr felñ t fŭli rêz ɖ alarm, n hz stript it v its YS fundñ.
Ɖr hv srtnli bn qsćnz abt ɖ orġnîześn’z stroñ prêz fr Ćîna n ɖ xcluźn v Tîwan, ẃć me hv cntribytd t ɖ dle in recgnîzñ hymn-t-hymn trnzmiśn wz ocŕñ. Bt it bgan dêli brīfñz on 22 Jańri n hd dclerd a globl hlʈ-imrjnsi bî ɖ end v ɖt munʈ.
Ẃl iniṣ́li scepticl abt Ćîna’z distnsñmeźrz, it rjd uɖr cuntriz t adopt ɖm wns ɖr wz evidns ɖe wr wrcñ. It wornd abt śorṭjz v PPI ovr a munʈ ago, n sins ɖ bginñ v ɖ ǎtbrec hz rjd cuntriz, includñ ɖ YC, t “tst, tst, tst” t cnten ɖ vîṛs – a straṭji foloud bî olmst ol cuntriz ɖt hv manijd t s’pres it.
A sīńr Ẃîthōl sors wɖ dīteld nolij v ɖ YC’z rspons n ɖoz v uɖr cuntriz sd: “Ɖ fact z ɖt ɖoz cuntriz hu ń a lot abt Sars qcli sw ɖ denjr. Bt in ɖ YC ɖ attyd amñ poḷtiśnz n olso sayntists wz ɖt it wz riyli jst sm form v a flu. Ol ɖ guvnmnt’s pandemicplanñ wz best on a flu-s’nario. N ɖen it trnd ǎt t b smʈñ difṛnt n far, far wrs n ɖ rspons wz cmplitli inadiqt.”
N w r gwñ t b livñ wɖ ɖ consiqnsz fr a loñ tîm. D’nt xpct a vaxīn t cm t ɖ resk in ɖ śort trm, sz Nbaro. “Fr ɖ fōrsiybl fyćr, w r gwñ t hv t fînd wez t g abt ǎr lîvz wɖ ɖs vîṛs az a constnt ʈret t ǎr lîvz. Ɖt mīnz îṣletñ ɖoz hu śo sînz v ɖ dziz n olso ɖer contacts. Oldr ppl wl hv t b pṛtctd. Ɖt z gwñ t b ɖ ny norml fr s ol.”
Fr ɖ last munʈ in Ny Yorc, ɖ slf-cer rūlz v locdǎn hv lrćt wîldli az w figr ǎt hǎ t b at hom wɖt gwñ mad. In mî hǎs, w’v bn ʈru scedylz, no scedylz, dresñ in ɖ mornñ, nt dresñ in ɖ mornñ, aurz v scūlwrc t no scūlwrc. Az sn az w gt yst t wn ʈñ, it bcmz opresiv n w unravl n start agn. In ol v ɖs, hvr, ɖr hz bn wn, cnsistnt tenit v slf-preẓveśn: avôd woćñ Doṇld Trump at hiz Ẃît Hǎs brīfñz.
It’s nt olwz poṣbl. H’z olwz on, smẃr, pecñ ɖ er wɖ hiz handz, cōlñ rportrz hu asc tuf qsćnz “lǎd mǎɖz” n laśñ ǎt, bfr rtritñ intu rflexiv slf-prêz. It z strenj t rmembr a tîm, bfr ɖ vîṛs, ẃn sm aspect v ɖz pformnsz wz cmpelñ, ɖ carcraś qoḷti v “ẃt’s ɖs gai gwñ t se nxt?” so hard t pl awe fṛm. Nǎ, it’s imposbl t woć Trump wɖt jump-startñ a sns v fizicl rvulśn so xtrim it’s lîc a prelyd t vayḷns.
N yt. Ɖ dsiźn t tyn ǎt ɖ prezidnt in tîmz lîc ɖz olso fīlz lîc a deṛlix́n v dyti. W nǒ bî nǎ ɖr wl nvr b a goća-momnt wɖ Trump; ɖt hvr agresiv or cani a rportr’z qsć̣nñ, h’l nvr cnsid t ɖ slîtist err. Ɖ onli saṭsfax́n w’l gt z t woć aspects v ẃt, untl rīsntli, hz bn ɖ crimiṇli tem Ẃît Hǎs prescōr fîṇli adapt ɖer aproć t gt undr hiz scin; cīp t wn qsćn, cīp it śort, pś bac ẃn h blaɖrz n, ẃn h standz dǎn wn rportr, enśur ɖ mîc z pást bac t hr bî anɖr.
Nn v it landz. Bt it hz bn instructiv t woć Trump slîd intu meltdǎn practicli evri de az ɖz tactics unhinj him. Hiz nīd fr atnśn z so vast n hiz slf-awernis so stuntd, ɖt h cīps cmñ ǎt, standñ at ɖ podịm fr ẃt fīl lîc Fidel Castro strećz v tîm, apaṛntli untrubld bî ɖ posbiḷti ɖt hiz dêli pformns z ɖ most teṛfayñ aspect v ɖ hol crîsis.
Acć̣li ɖr z wn, īvn mor teṛfayñ aspect v Trump’s brīfñz, ẃć z ɖt, wɖ hiz uncani abiḷti t ple on ɖ firz n preɉdisz v hiz bes, nʈñ h hz dn wl unḍmain hiz popylaṛti. Ẃ wd it? Ɖ joc at ilex́ntîm wz ɖs gai’s gwñ t gt s ol cild, n nǎ a vrśn v ɖt pridix́n z acć̣li cmñ t pas, stl wn imajinz hiz blemśiftñ t ɖ Ćînīz, or ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn, or Yṛp, or ɖ Deṃcrats, wl b axptd bî ɖ sem ppl hu śrugd of ol hiz uɖr lūṇtic asesmnts.
Jo Bîdn, a dafi sntrist wɖ ẃt apird, jrñ ɖ prîṃri dbets, t b a nasti tmpr, pozz a sirịs ʈret t Trump t ɖ xtnt ɖt h c’nt rdys him t a sngl mnoṛticaṭgri. In hiz we, Bîdn, wɖ hiz lǎnjsñr swagr n er v totl slf-confidns, z az Teflon-cotd az Trump. H dz’nt swet ɖ dītelz, z pīviś ẃn ćalinjd n hz bn noun t tōc abṣlut garbij – ol xpreśnz, t a gretr or lesr dgri, v ɖ lîsns gvn t srtn ẃît men in poḷtics. At ɖs stej, ɖ stecs r so hî ɖt ol v ɖs hz t b swoloud or parct fr betr tîmz. Ol ɖt matrz z gtñ Trump of ɖ podịm.
Ɖ prezidnt’s fełr t hīd ɖ wornñz abt c’roṇvîṛs n act qcli hz set in tren a doṃno-ifct ɖt nǎ impeṛlz larj sweɖz v ɖ YS
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bî Ed Pilcñtn in Ny Yorc
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Frîde, 4 Epril 2020
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On 6 Marć, a grūp v eṗdīmioḷjists at Impirịl Colij Lundn gev ɖ Ẃît Hǎs c’roṇvîṛs tascfors a hedz-up abt ɖ teṛfayñ pṛjx́nz fr ɖ dziz ɖe wr abt t publiś rletñ t ɖ YS.
Ɖ Impirịl sayntists’ fîndñz wd hv indyst paṛlitic fir in ol bt ɖ most nonśḷnt Americn. Ɖe lîcnd Covid-19, ẃć bî ɖt pônt hd olrdi xtndd its tnṭclz intu at līst 28 stets in ɖ YS, t ɖ 1918 influenẓpandemic ɖt cild 50 miłn ppl arnd ɖ glob.
On ɖ besis v ɖer moḍlñ, ɖe calkletd ɖt f nʈñ wz dn t hōlt ɖ spred v ɖ dziz, wɖn wīcs it wd infct 81% v ɖ YS popyleśn. Ɖ vîṛs wd ravij ɖ neśn, iviṣret its hlʈsistm n – hir cem ɖ stñ – pt 2.2 miłn Americnz intu bodibagz.
W d’nt nǒ at ẃt pônt ɖt bon-ćilñ figr wz prizntd t Doṇld Trump. Ẃt w d nǒ z ɖt on ɖ sem de, 6 Marć, ɖ prezidnt v ɖ Ynîtd Stets wz tecñ a tur v ɖ Atlanta of̣sz v ɖ fedṛl dzizcntrol ejnsi, ɖ Sntrz fr Dzizcntrol n Privnśn (SDP).
H wz in ibŭłnt mūd. H hd jst hŕd on Fox Nyz ɖt ɖ lêtist tali v c’roṇvîṛs cesz in ɖ cuntri wz 240, wɖ 11 deʈs. Trump n hiz feṿrit TV ćanl wr az wn in ɖer intrpṛteśn v ɖoz figrz – ʈñz wr gwñ gret, ɖr wz riyli nʈñ t wuri abt.
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Doṇld Trump spīcs jrñ a mītñ wɖ Alix Êzar, hlʈ n hymn srṿsz secṛtri; Roḅt Redfīld, SDP d’rectr; n Stīv Mnro, asośịt d’rectr fr l’boṛtri sayns n sefti, in Atlanta, Jorja, on 6 Marć. Foṭgraf: Alix Brandn/AP
“It wl end,” h tld ɖ rportrz trelñ aftr him. “Ppl hv t rmen cām … Ol I se z: ‘B cām’.”
Ɖen a rzorsfl rportr asct him t set ǎt ɖ Trump admiṇstreśn’z lêtist fōrcast fr hǎ c’roṇvîṛs wd pṛgres in ɖ cuntri. H rplaid: “W d’nt hv a fōrcast, bcz w d’nt nǒ.”
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Trump’s ćenjñ riax́nz t c’roṇvîṛs: fṛm cām t clozñ bordrz – vidio-rport
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‘Wn de – it’s lîc a miṛcl – it wl dis’pir’
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Trump’s ansr wz wn v ɖ fy candid momnts ovr ɖ past ʈri munʈs v hiz hanḍlñ v ɖ c’roṇvîṛs crîsis. It wz tru ɖt ɖe dd’nt nǒ. Ɖt in a riyl sns ɖe wr wōcñ blînd.
Olrdi bî 6 Marć ɖ absns v ifctiv dạgnostic tstñ – cōzd in part bî ɖ SDP’s boćt rolǎt v its ǒn Covid-19 tst – wz svirli hamṗrñ ef̣ts t trac ɖ spred v ɖ dziz in ɖ hop v cntenñ it bfr it oṿẃlmd ɖ cuntri. “Enbdi ɖt nīdz a tst gts a tst,” Trump tld ɖ gagl v rportrz in Atlanta. “Ɖe hv ɖ tsts. N ɖ tsts r bytifl.”
Ɖ tsts wr nt bytifl, ɖe wr criticli flwd. Enbdi hu nīdd ɖm wz nt gtñ ɖm.
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A wmn līvz Lîfcer Sntr v Crcḷnd in Wośñtn stet on 29 Febrri. Duznz v staf n rezidnts at ɖ fsiḷti hd olrdi startd xibtñ c’roṇvîṛs-lîc simtmz. Foṭgraf: Devid Raidr/Geti Iṃjz
Wɖ vrć̣li no tstñ aveḷbl t inform public convseśn, Trump wz fri t unlīś hiz “naćṛl abiḷti” on ɖ probḷm, ẃć h dd wɖ abandn ʈrt ɖ rli wīcs v ɖ crîsis.
Trump tc t dscrîbñ himslf az a “wortîm prezidnt”, wɖ Covid-19 az ɖ eṇmi. Bt hiz dogid psyt v hiz ǒn instñts, hiz prefṛns fr letñ hiz “hunćz” līd ɖ neśn intu batl rɖr ɖn dployñ ɖ wepnri v evidns n sayns, hz bn ɖ hōlmarc v hiz rspons t ɖ cntejn so far. Fṛm ɖ frst cnfrmd YS ces in Wośñtn stet on 20 Jańri t Trump’s sáitñ v Impirịl’z 2.2 miłn pṛjctd deʈs, ẃć h dd fr ɖ frst tîm jst ɖs wīc, h hz cept p a rlentlisli upbìt fsād, dǎnpleyñ ɖ sveṛti v ɖ ʈret larjli fr ɖ beṇfit v ɖ Ny Yorc stoc-xćenj.
“W hv it toṭli undr cntrol,” h sd tū dez aftr ɖt frst cnfrmd ces n a de bfr Ćîna cut of Wūhan, a siti v 11 miłn.
“W onli hv fîv ppl, w priti mć śut it dǎn cmñ fṛm Ćîna,” h sd on 30 Jańri, ɖ de ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn dclerd a globl imrjnsi.
“It’s gwñ t dis’pir. Wn de – it’s lîc a miṛcl – it wl dis’pir,” h sd on 27 Febrri, ɖ de America mōrnd its frst c’roṇvîṛs deʈ.
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Trump’s ‘hunćz’ vrss sayns
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On Tyzde h fîṇli swićt ton. Ɖ cuntri wz in fr a “vri, vri penfl tū wīcs”, h sd, n evri Americn hd t b priperd “fr ɖ hard dez ɖt lî ahd”.
Bî ɖen ɖ bitr truʈ cd no longr b avôdd. Wɖ strinjnt sośl distnsñ, ɖ Impirịl’z 2.2m bodibagz cd b rdyst, bt bî ɖ rec̣nñ īvn v Trump’s ǒn advîzrz btwn 100,000 n 240,000 Americnz r stl lîcli t dî. Trump nǎ hz on hiz woć a public-hlʈ dzastr v devstetñ pṛporśnz. Sm 245,573 cesz hv bn cnfrmd acrs ɖ stets, twîs ɖ numbr in Iṭli, ɖ secnd-hîist neśn in ɖ Jonz Hopcinz līgtebl.
Mor ɖn 6,000 ppl hv daid n ɖ crv z stl rîzñ xṗnnṣ́li. Covid-19 z oṿẃlmñ hospitlz in Ny Yorc, Ny Orliynz, Dtrôt n z hrtlñ twdz ɖ Trump-s’portñ hartḷndz. Ɖ fedṛl stocpîl v isnśl medicl iqipmnt z nirli emti. Vnṭletrz n pṛtctiv gir fr frunt-lîn medicl staf r runñ feṭli lo. Doctrz r impṛvîzñ mascs t sev ɖer ǒn livz ǎt v plastic bagz n rubr bandz. Īvn dạgnostic tstñ, ɖ most criticl hop fr gtñ on top v ɖ dziz, rmenz hard t gt bcz v śorṭjz in swobz n vaylz, līvñ imrjnsicoorḍnetrz stl – ʈri munʈs intu ɖ crîsis – in ɖ darc.
It z a ctastṛfi ɖt mni sayntists n public-hlʈ imrjnsi xprts b’liv cd sbstanṣ́li hv bn avrtd, f onli Trump hd lisnd.
“Ɖs wl b rgardd az ɖ wrst public-hlʈ dzastr in America in a snćri,” sd Eric Topol, pṛfesr v mleklr meḍsin at Scrips Rsrć in San Diego. “Ɖ rūtcōz v ɖ dzastr wz ɖ lac v redinis t unḍstand ẃr, hǎ n ẃn ɖ dziz wz spredñ.”
Jeṛmi Cnondîc, a sīńr poḷsifelo at ɖ Sntr fr Globl Dveḷpmnt hu léd ɖ YS guvnmnt’s rspons t inṭnaśnl dzastrz btwn 2013 n 2017, sd ɖt starc contrasts in ǎtcmz btwn difṛnt cuntriz in trmz v ilnis n deʈ hv bn dtrmind nt bî Covid-19 itslf, bt bî hǎ sirịsli ć guvnmnt tc ɖ risc n hǎ rli ɖe actd.
“On ɖt scor w feld badli,” h sd. “Y cn hv ɖ bst sistm in ɖ wrld, bt f y gv ɖ vîṛs an et-wīc hedstart it wl īt y alîv.”
Fr Neymi Oresciz, a hisṭri v sayns pṛfesr at Harṿd, ɖ unfoldñ c’laṃti z ɖ flfilmnt v hr wrst firz.
“Ẃn w frst hŕd abt c’roṇvîṛs, I n sevṛl v mî colīgz wurid ɖt Trump wd nt atnd t sạntific advîs. Ɖs z a man hu hz xibtd a reclis disrigard fr sạntific evidns ovr clîṃtćenj; f h cd d ɖt, ɖr wz olwz ɖ qsćn v ẃɖr h wd tec sirịsli eni sayns.”
Oresciz siz Covid-19 az Trump’s ultiṃt ćalinj. Wd h pt ɖ livz v hundṛdz v ʈǎzndz v Americnz frst, or wd h dig intu ɖ traid-n-tstd Rpublicn ple-bc v śowñ hostiḷti t sayns n xṗtīz, reinñ in guvnmnt-inṭvnśn n prîoṛtîzñ ɖ munimarcits?
“Ɖs wz a tst v ẃɖr Trump’s guvnmnt wd act. Ẃt w’v sìn z ɖt fr ɖ ppl in pǎr in ɖs cuntri, îdioḷji bìts īvn an iminnt ʈret.”
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A vy v ɖ Ẃît Hǎs on 11 Marć ẃn Doṇld Trump md a prîmtîm adres abt ɖ c’roṇvîṛs crîsis. Foṭgraf: Brendn Smyalovsci/AFP via Geti Iṃjz
‘Az ɖ prezidnt fidlz, ppl r dayñ’
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Nansi P’losi, ɖ top Deṃcrat in Congres, tc ɖ xtrordnri step on Súnde v akzñ Trump d’recli v “costñ Americn livz”. Hiz leṣnñ v ɖ sveṛti v ɖ vîṛs rli on “wz dedli”, ś tld CNN, az wl b ɖ dlez in dliṿrñ medicl iqipmnt t ẃr it z nīdd.
“Az ɖ prezidnt fidlz, ppl r dayñ,” ś sd. Ɖt wz a tuf akześn, īvn bî ɖ standdz v ɖz hîpr-parṭzan tîmz. Bt a growñ numbr v sayntists n hlʈ-imrjnsi xprts r tnttivli drw̃ ɖ sem cncluźn.
“W nǎ nǒ ɖr wl b wel ovr 100,000 deʈs,” Topol sd. “A vast mjoṛti v ɖoz wl hv bn uņessṛli lost bcz v ɖ lac v priperidnis v ɖ Ynîtd Stets. Az a līdr, Trump hz t axpt rsponsbiḷti, ẃć v cors h w’nt.”
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Hlʈcer wrcrz ẃīl ɖ bodiz v dsist ppl fṛm ɖ Wîcof Hîts medicl sntr in Brŭclin, Ny Yorc. Foṭgraf: Brendn McDrmid/Rôtrz
It z nt az ɖo Trump wz’nt wornd. In ɖ wec v ɖ Ibola eṗdemic in 2014, ɖ Obama admiṇstreśn wz so firfl v ɖ denjrz v anɖr eṗdemic ɖt ɖe pt in ples sevṛl iṇveśnz dzînd t priper ɖ neśn fr a pandemic.
Cnondîc, hu wz sntṛl t ɖ Ibola rspons, hz woćt agast az evri elimnt v ɖt ef̣t hz bn unpict or oṿlct bî ɖ Trump admiṇstreśn. “W set p a speśl tīm fr pandemic priperidnis at ɖ naśnl s’kṛticaunsl – ɖe dsmantld ɖt. W left ɖm a vri dīteld ple-bc v ɖ iniśl steps fr maṇjñ an ivnt lîc ɖs – ɖe ignord ɖt.”
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‘Sayntists ń ɖ risc – rjnt ax́n wz nīdd’
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Ẃn c’roṇvîṛs rird its ugli hed, ɖr wz plenti v rli wornñ. Alix Êzar, ɖ hlʈ n hymn srṿsz secṛtri, bcem awer v ɖ ǎtbrec v a vîṛs in Ćîna az rli az 3 Jańri. Bî 5 Jańri sayntists in Śañhî hd obtend a cmplit vîṛl jīnom fṛm an infctd peśnt n rportd it imīɉtli t JenBanc, ɖ jnetic-sīqnsñ deṭbes v ɖ YS Naśnl Insttyts v Hlʈ (NIH). Bî rli Febrri, sayntists wr awer ɖt Covid-19 wz bʈ īẓli trnzmitd btwn indivijlz n hd a reḷtivli hî ftaḷti ret, ispeṣ́li fr oldr n vulnṛbl ppl. Ẃt w’v sìn z ɖt, fr ɖ ppl in pǎr in ɖs cuntri, îdioḷji bìts īvn an iminnt ʈret. “Ɖt wz inuf fr sayntists t nǒ ɖ vîṛs hd ɖ ptnśl t spred far n wîd n ɖt rjnt ax́n wz nīdd,” Cnondîc sd. At ɖ sem tîm, YS intelijns-ejnsiz wr pasñ on ɖer ǒn wornñz t ɖ Ẃît Hǎs. Acordñ t ɖ Wośñtn Post, Êzar traid sevṛl tîmz t sǎnd ɖ alarm bt cd’nt gt an ōdịns wɖ Trump untl 18 Jańri, at ẃć pônt ol ɖ prezidnt wontd t tōc abt wz vepñ.
Ɖ Post qotd an anoniṃs YS ofiśl hu sd ɖ sistm wz “blincñ red”. Ɖ ofiśl sd: “Doṇld Trump me nt hv bn xpctñ ɖs, bt a lot v uɖr ppl in ɖ guvnmnt wr – ɖe jst cd’nt gt him t d eniʈñ abt it.” Wɖ ɖ fl mît v ɖ YS sạntific cḿṇti at hiz dspozl, Trump apôntd indivijlz nt noun fr ɖer prǎis wɖ pandemics in ćarj v ɖ fedṛl rspons. Ɖ c’roṇvîṛs tascfors wz t b léd bî ɖ vîsprezidnt, Mîc Pns, hu hz bn wîdli criṭsîzd fr hiz hanḍlñ v a 2015 HIV ǎtbrec ẃn guvnr v Indiana.
Trump z olso incrisñli rlayñ on hiz sun-in-lw Jared Cŭśnr, hu md hiz frst apiṛns at ɖ tascfors brīfñ on Ʈrzde. Politico hz rportd ɖt Cŭśnr, huz scilset z in riyl istet, hz in trn rīćt ǎt t hiz bruɖr’z faɖr-in-lw, hu z at līst a fziśn, fr advîs on fîtñ ɖ pandemic.
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Jared Cŭśnr lisnz az Doṇld Trump mīts wɖ banc ĆXOz abt ɖ Covid-19 rspons in ɖ Cabiṇtrūm at ɖ Ẃît Hǎs on 11 Marć. Foṭgraf: Jebin Botsf̣d/Ɖ Wośñtn Post via Geti Iṃjz
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‘Trump wz ǎt v step wɖ ol ɖ xprts’
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Trump’s fełr t hīd ɖ wornñz n act qcli hz set in tren a doṃno-ifct ɖt nǎ impeṛlz larj swedʈz v ɖ YS. Ẃt bgan az an in’biḷti t gt dạgnostic tstñ gwñ on a mas scel hz dveḷpt intu a slugiś moḅlîześn v ɖ fedṛl guvnmnt, a stuṭrñ dplômnt v ɖ Dfnspṛdux́n Act t inlist ɖ fîrpǎr v corṗreśnz, n a stand-bac, olmst dtaćt aproć ɖt hz alaud stet guvnrz t tec ɖ līd in ẃt Cnondîc cōld ɖ brʈ v “50-stet aṇci”.
Wn v ɖ fy proactiv meźrz tecn bî Trump wz t impoz a parśl travlban on Ćîna n Yṛp. Sayntists tld him ɖ muv wd onli dle ɖ advans v Covid-19 in ɖ YS, it cd nvr stop it. Agn, h dd’nt lisn. “Trump ʈt in trmz v a wōl. Pt a wōl arnd Ćîna n ɖ vîṛs w’nt cm t ɖ YS. H wz ǎt v step wɖ ol ɖ xprts arnd him,” Topol sd.
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IMS prṣnél ǎtsd St Barnabas hospitl in ɖ Bronx, Ny Yorc, on 28 Marć. Foṭgraf: Mīśa Frīdmn/Geti Iṃjz
Az a rzult, ɖ YS lost ɖ rli ptnśl t cnten ɖ vîṛs, îɖr bî locñ dǎn hotspots az Ćîna dd wɖ Hūbei provins or ʈru agresiv tstñ t îṣlet ɖoz infctd, az Sǎʈ C’rīa hz dn.
Toṃs Pueio, a Stanf̣d-trênd cnsultnt best in Caḷforńa, hz leid ǎt in soḅrñ dītel hǎ qcli ɖ dzastr z leyñ west t ɖ YS. Hiz frst xpḷreśn v ɖ subjict, a deta-drivn pli t tec ɖ dziz sirịsli postd on Mīdịm in rli Marć, rsivd 40m vyz. On Wenzde h publiśt hiz updetd rsrć. It śoz America’z crv v cnfrmd cesz rîzñ mor stīpli ɖn ɖt v eni uɖr cuntri in ɖ wrld.
Ʈri wīcs ago, Pueio rmîndz s, ɖ YS hd fywr ɖn 1,000 cnfrmd cesz at a tîm ẃn Trump wz telñ ɖ wrld: “No, I’m nt cnsrnd at ol. No, I’m nt. No, w’v dn a gret job.”
Nǎ it standz at olmst a qortr v a miłn. “Ɖs z ẃt xṗnenśl groʈ lcs lîc,” h sd.
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Doṇld Trump arîvz bhnd Dr. Ánṭni Fǎći fr a c’roṇvîṛs tascfors brīfñ at ɖ Ẃît Hǎs on 31 Marć. Foṭgraf: Tom Brenr/Rôtrz
Hvñ hit ɖ Deṃcratic-cntrold hî-denṣti ŕbn sntrz frst – San Fṛnsisco n Siatl, ɖen Ny Yorc n Ny Jrzi, nǎ Dtrôt – ɖ vîṛs z marćñ inexṛbli in ɖ d’rex́n v ɖ mor rṛl suɖn n hartḷnd stets ɖt hapn t form ɖ crūṣbl v Trump’s bes.
Mni v ɖoz stets foloud ɖ līd set bî Trump n Fox Nyz, rmenñ rlaxt abt ɖ ʈret n muvñ astoṇśñli slǒli t pt fizicl-distnsñ cntrolz in ples. Floṛda, undr its Rpublicn guvnr, Ron DiSantis, hz ecoud Trump’s aproć n onli impozd a stetwîd ste-at-hom ordr on Frîde dspt hvñ ɖ sixʈ-larjist tali v cnfrmd cesz in ɖ cuntri. Jorja n Missipi foloud sūt. Sm Rpublicn stets includñ Ocḷhoma n Sǎʈ Caṛlîna stl hv no stetwîd mandetri ste-at-hom ordrz.
Pueio pônts ǎt ɖt Rpublicn votrz r adiśṇli vulnṛbl az ɖe hv a hayr ejprofîl ɖn Deṃcratic votrz. C’roṇvîṛs mcs no dstñśnz az t parti, bt it dz prei on ɖ eldrli.
So it z wn v ɖ gret paṛdoxz v Trump’s pandemic ɖt h me hv pt mni v hiz ǒn loyl s’portrz in mortl peṛl. Az Cnondîc pt it: “Trump hz indenjrd hiz ǒn s’portrz bî sndñ ǎt a mesij in contṛdix́n t ɖ sayns, n ɖe b’livd him.”
‘An utr fełr v līdrśp – ɖ lac v wil, intelijns, besic compitns or īvn cnsistnsi on ɖ part v ɖ Trump admiṇstreśn – hz trboćarjd ɖ probḷm.’ Foṭgraf: Rex/Śuṭstoc
Ɖ Gardịn vy on Trump n c’roṇvîṛs: indenɉrñ Americn lîvz
Ɖ abject fełr v ɖ admiṇstreśn hz magṇfaid ɖs crîsis. Ɖ prezidnt z olrdi trayñ t pas ɖ buc
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Frîde, 3 Epril 2020
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Īvn in ɖz xtrordnri tîmz, ɖ sît v ɖ prezidnt v ɖ Ynîtd Stets prizntñ a slîd ẃć anǎnst az a “gol” ɖ deʈ v p t 240,000 v its sitiznz wz olmst bynd b’lif. T hit ɖ lǒist end v ɖ targit, a staġrñ 100,000 Americn deʈs, wd śo ɖt hiz admiṇstreśn hd dn “a vri gd job”, Doṇld Trump clemd ɖs wīc. Ɖ hîist end wd b mor ɖn dubl ɖ YS caźltiz in ɖ frst wrldwor. Ɖs cd onli b cnsidrd a poẓtiv ǎtcm bcz ɖ oltrṇtiv z so śocñ: wɖt mitgeśnmeźrz, f ppl fel t ste at hom az advîzd, ɖ YS cd b hedñ fr btwn 1.5 miłn n 2.2 miłn deʈs.
Ɖ YS z nǎ ɖ ny sntr v ɖ pandemic, wɖ mor ɖn a fifʈ v ɖ miłn cesz rportd wrldwîd, n mor ɖn 5,000 deʈs. Ɖ vast mjoṛti v Americnz – mor ɖn 300 miłn – r nǎ undr sm form v locdǎn, ɖo ɖ strinjnsi v rstrix́nz vẹriz gretli n a fy stets r stl holdñ ǎt. Ɖoz meźrz hv cm tù lêt t stop hospitlz fṛm biyñ oṿẃlmd.
Ɖ rićist cuntri in ɖ wrld z strucćṛli il-iqipt t cǒp wɖ sć a crîsis. Ɖ lac v yṇvrsl hlʈcer or besic implômntrîts sć az statytri sicpe, n ɖ lo incmz on ẃć so mni Americnz svîv, r cndysiv t ɖ spred v dziz n t it hvñ ɖ most sirịs consiqnsz.
Bt an utr fełr v līdrśp – ɖ lac v wil, intelijns, besic compitns or īvn cnsistnsi on ɖ part v ɖ Trump admiṇstreśn – hz trboćarjd ɖ probḷm. N wɖt ɖ wrc v stetguvnrz n insttyśnz, hu hv priemtd ɖ admiṇstreśn n gn far bynd it in tecñ ax́n, matrz wd b īvn wrs. Mr. Trump hz at bst left ɖm t fnd fr ɖmslvz n at wrst activli hindrd ɖ fît agnst c’roṇvîṛs.
Hiz culpbiḷti acć̣li prīdets ɖ vîṛs’z imrjns in Ćîna. Ɖ admiṇstreśn got rid v most v ɖ staf hu wrct on îdnṭfayñ globl hlʈprobḷmz in Ćîna, ẃl rpitidli atmtñ t slaś fundñ fr ɖ Sntrz fr Dziz Cntrol n Privnśn. A comprihnsiv dokmnt on baṭlñ pandemics, drwn p undr ɖ Obama admiṇstreśn, wz “ʈroun on t a ślf” bî its s’xesr. Onli last Octobr, an intrnl fedṛl guvnmnt rport wornd ɖt ɖ YS wz wǒf̣li unḍpriperd n unḍfundd t tacl a vîṛs wɖt a kr.
Īvn aftr ɖ vîṛs wz cnfrmd t hv rīćt ɖ YS, Mr. Trump dǎnpleid ɖ crîsis at evri oṗtyṇti, firñ ɖ impact on ɖ icoṇmi. Az lêt az 25 Febrri h cōld it “vri wel undr cntrol”. H hz tǎtd unpruvn reṃdiz. Last wīc, h sd h wontd t rīopn larj sx́nz v ɖ cuntri bî Īstr n t si “páct ćrćz ol ovr ǎr cuntri” – ɖo h hz, ʈancf̣li, sins xtndd ɖ fedṛl “ste at hom” gîdns untl ɖ end v ɖs munʈ. Ɖ fedṛl guvnmnt śd hv moḅlîzd loñ ago t aqîr an aproprịt s’plî v tstñcits, pṛtctiv iqipmnt n vnṭletrz. It dd nt. Ɖs wīc, h wz forst t acnolij ɖt ɖ guvnmnt’s imrjnsi stocpîl v pṛtctiv iqipmnt z olmst xōstd.
Ɖ icoṇmi z rīlñ. An astoṇśñ 6.6 miłn Americnz sînd on fr unimplômntwelfér last wīc. Ɖ imrjnsi $2tn rlif pacij, ẃl nesṣri n welcm, ofrz mor t corpṛt America ɖn ɖoz on ɖ bredlîn.
Sm wundr f ɖs cd fîṇli brec hiz spel. So far, ppl r raliyñ arnd ɖ flag: a naśnl crîsis tndz t promt ppl t s’port ɖ līdrśp. Dspt hiz deṛlix́n v dyti, Mr. Trump’s apruvl retñz hv acć̣li incrist, az ɖe hv fr līdrz in olmst evri deṃcratic neśn. H me olso beṇfit fṛm ɖ roc-botm xpcteśnz ppl hv v him. N h z olrdi trayñ t rīrait ɖ facts n pin ɖ blem on uɖrz, atacñ guvnrz bʈ fr felñ t priper n fr hōrdñ iqipmnt.
Ɖz ef̣ts me yt s’xid. Bt ɖ truʈ z ɖt, az h hz fîṇli acnolijd, ɖ cmñ wīcs wl b “vri, vri penfl” – n ɖt hiz inax́n hz md ɖm mć mor so.
