“The rest of the world sees the United States not as a leader in dealing with the coronavirus but as the country with the highest number of coronavirus infections and covid-19 deaths, and with the disease far from under control. European nations have responded with the unprecedented step of blocking Americans from entering their countries.
From abroad, the United States is seen as having lost confidence in itself as it grapples not only with the pandemic but also with long-standing political divisions and a racial reckoning over the treatment of black Americans. The perceived loss of confidence among Americans in turn has led others to question the United States’ appetite or capacity for a collaborative leadership role at a time when the health and economic crises call out for committed global cooperation.” A must-read from WaPo’s Dan Balz. Since the beginning of the Trump era, I’ve felt like the domestic damage could ultimately be fixed. But America’s role in the world might not return for a generation, if it gets there at all. America’s global standing is at a low point. The pandemic made it worse. Balz doesn’t let Obama entirely off the hook in the piece either.