Westlessness

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View this email in your browser Westlessness: Europe and the Post-American World  Liam Kennedy kicks of this week's newsletter with a brilliantly titled piece looking at how the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the discord in transatlantic relations: "The Covid-19 crisis has harshly illuminated fault lines and failings in “the West” as a cohesive geopolitical configuration and as a compelling myth of transnational identities. Transatlantic relations, a symbolic linchpin of the Western-led global order, are in a parlous state, reflecting both internal crises in the US and in many European nations and a loss of faith in broader visions of supranational alliances... The growing consensus is that Europe’s American dream is busted and American exceptionalism is a discredited myth. There is no expectation, or even the vaguest hope, that the US will demonstrate moral leadership or promote liberal values." Read More >> The Inside Line from Scott Lucas  What You Need to Know Now  Donald Trump v. The Doctors Look for Trump to push White House medical advisors aside, if not over a political cliff. He's already pushing: after Drs. Anthony Fauci and Robert Redfield cautioned against a quick reopening of the US and warned of a resurgent Coronavirus, Trump questioned Fauci's expertise Variation Among States While Trump is consumed by press appearances and Twitter, State governors take the initiative in approaches to easing restrictions. But there is a wide variation from State to State. Some Republicans are defying medical advice with widespread "re-opening". Other Governors, such as New York's Andrew Cuomo, are pursuing gradual, phased plans. A Rising Death Toll While some States like New York have passed the apex of the virus, others are only at the start of their outbreaks. So the US death toll, officially now more than 84,000, is projected to rise farther. One highly-regarded model projects a rise from 1,700/day to 3,000/day by June 1. "Blame China" Pressure As Donald Trump tries to divert blame from himself to Beijing, the Administration is trying to strong-arm other States over relations with China. The UK is being warned not to pursue post-Brexit economic links with the Chinese, or else risk losing a trade deal with the US. But Washington is already facing defiance: Pakistan's military has just confirmed its use of the Chinese GPS system Baidu. White House on Aid to States: "Dead on Arrival" The Democrat-led House passes a third Coronavirus relief package, including the first significant aid for States. But Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are having none of it: they say the bill will be "dead on arrival" in the upper chamber. Kung Flu   Sheng-mei Ma (Michigan State University) has a new piece out for us examining the racist Sinophobia underlying President Trump and conservative media’s insistence on describing coronavirus as the “the Chinese virus.” He argues it represents the flip side to the exoticisation of China in American popular culture: “Indeed, the Janus-faced America is split between the Sinophiliac Kung Fu Panda franchise from Hollywood and the Sinophobic Kung Flu Panda-mic spread from the index patient in the White House.”  Read More >>   The Post-Individual Supermarket Supermarkets have become one of the sites of contestation over lockdown measures in the US. Andrew Warnes (University of Leeds) finds that “demands for an imaginary ‘right to shop’ seem to seek the return not of shopping per se—most things remain available, especially online—but of a certain lived idea of shopping-as-freedom.” He questions this myth and points out that the one-way systems currently in American supermarkets have a forgotten history. Read More >> The Weekend Long Read India and the US: Towards A New Partnership This week's long-read is a conversation on the future of US-India relations between Dr. Jivanta Schottli, (Dublin City University) and UCD Clinton Institute graduate student Sayantan Mondal:    "There has always been a large section of Indian intellectuals and policymakers who do not trust the USA. Today, there continue to be naysayers and cynics but also pragmatists who see that improving relations with the USA is a strategic calculation, with benefits and risks. The main goal is not external validation or trust but increasing India’s leverage. Friendship need not, and in fact probably should not, be the ultimate aspiration at the level of international politics. Solidarity yes, global collaboration and endeavours for the sake of humanity but as the current COVID-19 crisis shows, we, as citizens of any country really depend on the state and its ability to raise resources and leverage influence in the international community." Read More >> Check out UCD Clinton Institute's most recent promotional video.  Thank you for reading and please send us your comments and feedback. Until Next Time. America Unfiltered Team.  Copyright © 2020 UCD Clinton Institute. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: americaunfiltered@ucd.ie  Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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