Trump’s isolationism won’t work. We have to think global – and the US should lead

As a global superpower, there are steps the US should take to ease the ability of other nations to take on the coronavirus.

As a global superpower, it is more important than ever that the US takes a leadership role in the international response to this crisis. And yet, so far, President Trump has placed his own near-term political interests above the country and world, placing blame for the virus on other countries, even taking the extreme step of halting funding for the World Health Organization. In a world as connected as ours, an isolationist strategy will be devastating to millions of people around the world and here at home. The US should instead seize this opportunity to lead the global response and reinvest in diplomacy.

As grave as the threat is to the American people, it is even starker for poor countries. The World Economic Forum has expressed concern over how the economic shutdown is affecting supply chains and could potentially worsen hunger in the developing world. In a devastating real-life Hunger Games, richer countries are snatching up life-saving supplies and driving up their costs, leaving poorer countries helpless. Millions live in refugee camps, where water and latrines are shared. Millions more live in densely packed urban areas, where social distancing is a fantasy. The 1.2 billion people who live in Africa, where there are just five ICU beds available for every 1 million people, are essentially facing a time bomb that they must try to defuse.

While we are justifiably consumed with fighting the virus within our borders, there are steps we should take to ease the ability of other nations to take on the virus in their communities.

First, we should ensure that the coronavirus vaccine, once found, is available to everyone, everywhere, for free. While European leaders are giving assurances that they would make the vaccine available globally, the US and China are already in an arms race to be the first to own the patent. Corporate lobbyists are arguing that a vaccine won’t be found without patent protections and lobbying to this effect. But this vaccine is a public good. The Cares Act allocated billions of taxpayer dollars to research. Plans must be made to ensure that countries around the world can access the vaccine once it is created.

Second, wealthy nations should forgive unsustainable debt burdens that currently impose daunting obligations on poor countries. Developing countries were scheduled to pay tens of billions to other countries, multilateral institutions and private lenders in 2020. The IMF recently cancelled six months of debt payments in a package totalling $750m. But this is only a tiny fraction of what is needed. The UN says $2.5tn is needed for developing countries and global justice organizations are calling for far more.

The IMF could also contribute by issuing Special Drawing Rights, which would allow for hundreds of billions to go out to the poorest countries. This was done in the Great Recession of 2009, and is supported by the IMF leadership and European countries, but is currently being blocked by the Trump administration. Much more could be done – not simply to create less of a burden, but to actually provide support. As the largest contributor to the IMF and leading force behind the establishment of the World Bank, the United States should take the lead in demanding full debt forgiveness and relief for developing countries.

Third, we must lift US economic sanctions. If ever there was a time to put aside old grievances with our foes it’s now. Iran is one of the countries most affected by Covid, alongside Italy and Spain and the US. But US sanctions on Iran are creating shortages in basic medical supplies, such as masks, and making the economic crisis much worse. The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights has recently called to ease sanctions in countries including Iran, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Human Rights Watch has echoed that call, as has Representative Omar and a number of members of the US House and Senate. It is unconscionable to place additional burdens on countries as they try to fight for their lives.

Lastly, we must halt deportations during this outbreak. As we have seen, the coronavirus does not discriminate based on borders or nationalities. The Guatemalan health ministry recently reported that more than half of all deportees flown back to Guatemala in recent weeks tested positive for the coronavirus. In one flight, over 75% tested positive. By deporting Covid-19 patients to countries with weaker healthcare infrastructure, we are actively spreading the virus. Nations are begging us to halt deportations. We should listen and encourage our allies to do the same.

As we take these actions, we might also re-examine what global leadership should look like today. It should mean leadership in health, not just military superiority. It should mean supporting global institutions that facilitate coordination, information sharing, and distribution of resources, not because it’s profitable, but because it is necessary. It should mean investing in a different kind of armament – not stockpiles of weapons, but stockpiles of health supplies; not warplanes, but light rails; not preparedness for battle, but readiness to resettle the stateless and house the homeless.

The list of policies above require little sacrifice on the part of the American people, but would have enormous long-term benefits. Now is not the time for retrenchment into isolationism. It is time to reimagine what it means to lead, and how we might work together as a global community.

• Ilhan Omar is a Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota. Leah Hunt-Hendrix is a writer, organizer and a founder of several institutions including Way to Win