“We can see how other countries are dealing with the pandemic. Some are doing well, especially those that have decent bureaucrats, respect for science, and high levels of trust: South Korea and Taiwan, Germany and Slovakia, much of Scandinavia, New Zealand. Some countries are not doing well, especially those run by divisive populists on both the left and the right: Russia, Brazil, Mexico, and, of course, the United States. But even within this latter group, we stand out.” Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic: Trump Is Turning America Into the ‘Shithole Country’ He Fears.

+ I wonder if Trump really cares about being a shithole country, as long as he gets to be the shithole’s most popular entertainment draw. Windsor Mann: Donald Trump Is All Done Caring. “His politics are an extension of his ego—which is why, at his rallies, he tells the crowds how big his crowds are and not what his policies are. Trump says he’ll hold rallies after he wins the 2020 election, too—even though he will be ineligible to run for the presidency again. Instead of holding rallies for the purpose of getting elected, Trump wants to get elected so he can keep having rallies … Instead of using Twitter to advance his political agenda, Trump uses the presidency to advance his Twitter agenda.”