One Big Thing: Is the United States losing its global leadership role due to COVID-19?
Join the conversation and take our poll
What is it?
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have global effects, questions have been raised about how the outbreak has affected the United States’ place in the world order.
In times of crisis for the past 75+ years, the United States been the global leader, extending a helping hand to countries and people that needed it most. The best example, of course, is the Marshall Plan, which helped rebuild Western Europe after WWII.
Turning our backs to global crises is not in our best interest as it allows for authoritarian countries to fill the void where the U.S. has traditionally led.
Criticizing China might be a distraction and disadvantageous from the goal of finding a cure for COVID-19 as cooperation between the U.S. and China is needed to fight the pandemic. However, the fact remains, China has one of the worst human rights records in the world and praising a country with one of the worst human rights records should be done with extreme caution.
The United States is at its best when it confronts global issues with an open hand, whether it was President Kennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corp and USAID or President George W. Bush’s response to combatting the AIDS pandemic through PEPFAR. American leadership for global good should remain strong.
What can you do?
Find out how the United States leads around the globe to support a better world:
The USA is not losing leadership skills to Covid. The USA is losing leadership skills because of trump and his dumb/moronish administration. the USA is being laughed at by the world because trump is ridiculous and dangerous and the republicans back him just to stay in power. America is falling apart because of TRUMP!!!
I agree with almost all comments. I'm embarrassed of our President & his mishandling of just about everything he has endevourod to do. It truly amazes me that people are still backing that clown. We would NOT be in our current situation if Trump hadn't gotten rid of the pandemic Dept that president Obama put in place. Besides his constant blaming China or his disinfect idea he has made a mockery of our countries highest office. We regardless if we were stupid enough to vote him in it's time to end this. We are now looked upon much differently since he was elected and now his presidency has a body count that's due in large part to Trump directly.
As a Canadian it has been shocking to see the travesty currently occurring in the United States. For most of my business career I worked with many U.S. clients and still enjoy wonderful relationships with friends and business associates there. Hopefully, this horrible Covid 19 situation will allow voters to see how Trump and his band of thieves has been instrumental in ruining the reputation of the United States.
The US has been loosing its leadership since this a President and his merry band have been in office, this pandemic is bringing to light his vast stupidity and constant hubris.
President Trump’s and the White House’s handling of the pandemic have caused yet another decline in our role as global leaders. It is a sad day when we are embarrassed daily.
The US has demonstrated poor leadership during this pandemic. The administration has been concerned with ripping apart the works of previous leadership. Had the pandemic team still existed, the US wouldn’t have suffered such a massive amount of sickness and death. Sad state of affairs for the “leaders” of the world. Unfortunately, those of us located in the US are suffering from poor decisions by a poor leader.
We are losing our leadership role due to our insane president, his actions, policies, and decisions. He has surrounded himself, not with qualified advisors, but with people that are unqualified and agree with him, praising him at every opportunity. I never thought I would see this in our country. After being impeached he should have been removed from office.
As the United States continues to decline in its role as a global leader. I feel an urgency, for the respective parties to unite together into a solid front. If we can not come together and be united, if our bickering between parties is broadcast across the world, how are our enemies to take us seriously? I believe Woodrow Wilson said it best when he stated “How can the government do what it is supposed to do, when the various parts are at war with one another?”. There are cracks as wide as the Grand Canyon inside of our unity. How long will it take for our enemies to use those cracks to divide and conquer us? If the process hasn’t in fact, already began?
We've been lost for the past few decades. We don't innovate. We don't inspire. We are no longer the shining city on the hill. We're the fat drunk former college football player that brags about his glory years.
Yes, but Trump's incompetence is just pulling the curtain back on what has been happening for several decades. Once we decided to move away from an economy that manufactures actual items to one that outsources to the cheapest producer we headed down this path and weakened our standing in the world. Building wealth by shuffling numbers on Wall Street and selling debt to our competitors was a shell game that was bound to fail. Throwing away our strength with endless wars in the Middle East just accelerated the decline of this country. I fear that the American Century is over and we are now living in the Chinese world.
By abandoning the WHO and failing in preparedness, the US is not only unwilling to lead by example or in other concrete ways, it has also become unable to lead the world or to help its own citizens.
The USA is not losing leadership skills to Covid. The USA is losing leadership skills because of trump and his dumb/moronish administration. the USA is being laughed at by the world because trump is ridiculous and dangerous and the republicans back him just to stay in power. America is falling apart because of TRUMP!!!
Trump has destroyed the U.S.A.’s Standing in the world. I am ashamed and embarrassed to be a citizen at present.
I agree with almost all comments. I'm embarrassed of our President & his mishandling of just about everything he has endevourod to do. It truly amazes me that people are still backing that clown. We would NOT be in our current situation if Trump hadn't gotten rid of the pandemic Dept that president Obama put in place. Besides his constant blaming China or his disinfect idea he has made a mockery of our countries highest office. We regardless if we were stupid enough to vote him in it's time to end this. We are now looked upon much differently since he was elected and now his presidency has a body count that's due in large part to Trump directly.
As a Canadian it has been shocking to see the travesty currently occurring in the United States. For most of my business career I worked with many U.S. clients and still enjoy wonderful relationships with friends and business associates there. Hopefully, this horrible Covid 19 situation will allow voters to see how Trump and his band of thieves has been instrumental in ruining the reputation of the United States.
The US started to lose its global leadership with the election of D trump. Angela Merkel is the new leader and a far better ibe,
I see nothing during this epidemic that says we are losing our leadership role.
I feel deeply sad thinking about this possibility. God bless!
The US has been loosing its leadership since this a President and his merry band have been in office, this pandemic is bringing to light his vast stupidity and constant hubris.
President Trump’s and the White House’s handling of the pandemic have caused yet another decline in our role as global leaders. It is a sad day when we are embarrassed daily.
The US has demonstrated poor leadership during this pandemic. The administration has been concerned with ripping apart the works of previous leadership. Had the pandemic team still existed, the US wouldn’t have suffered such a massive amount of sickness and death. Sad state of affairs for the “leaders” of the world. Unfortunately, those of us located in the US are suffering from poor decisions by a poor leader.
The United States is losing its leadership role because it is led by an incompetent idiot.
We are losing our leadership role due to our insane president, his actions, policies, and decisions. He has surrounded himself, not with qualified advisors, but with people that are unqualified and agree with him, praising him at every opportunity. I never thought I would see this in our country. After being impeached he should have been removed from office.
Current administration is the laughing stock of the world
As the United States continues to decline in its role as a global leader. I feel an urgency, for the respective parties to unite together into a solid front. If we can not come together and be united, if our bickering between parties is broadcast across the world, how are our enemies to take us seriously? I believe Woodrow Wilson said it best when he stated “How can the government do what it is supposed to do, when the various parts are at war with one another?”. There are cracks as wide as the Grand Canyon inside of our unity. How long will it take for our enemies to use those cracks to divide and conquer us? If the process hasn’t in fact, already began?
We've been lost for the past few decades. We don't innovate. We don't inspire. We are no longer the shining city on the hill. We're the fat drunk former college football player that brags about his glory years.
Yes, but Trump's incompetence is just pulling the curtain back on what has been happening for several decades. Once we decided to move away from an economy that manufactures actual items to one that outsources to the cheapest producer we headed down this path and weakened our standing in the world. Building wealth by shuffling numbers on Wall Street and selling debt to our competitors was a shell game that was bound to fail. Throwing away our strength with endless wars in the Middle East just accelerated the decline of this country. I fear that the American Century is over and we are now living in the Chinese world.
Yes our role inthe world is deminished by Donald Trump and his nationalist associates.
Incredibly incompetent leadership on display to the whole world, we are becoming a laughingstock NOT a leader.
By abandoning the WHO and failing in preparedness, the US is not only unwilling to lead by example or in other concrete ways, it has also become unable to lead the world or to help its own citizens.
With the White House's support of the inane POTUS responses, no rational person would look to the US as a world leader in science!
We must confront this virus with world-wide cooperation and focus.
Our "leadership" is failing