Governments around the world are offering a tragic lesson in how denial, incompetence, and inequity have exacerbated the unfolding coronavirus pandemic. That is just as true in the United States, where President Trump’s lies, denials, and half measures — as well as our woefully underprepared health system — are making the virus deadlier.
But there are also tremendously impactful foreign policy decisions that are magnifying the pandemic’s toll. As we take steps to resolve the crisis, reversing this damage is every bit as critical as other aspects of our response.
Wars. The various wars that the United States has carried since 2001 have set the stage for an incendiary spread of disease in countries around the world.
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