Repairing International Damage

May, 2020

Washington and Berlin –  What are Europeans thinking about America's handling of the coronavirus pandemic?  And what does it bode for the NATO Alliance?

Millions of Germans are reading Die Zeit's translation of George Packer's article in The Atlantic, "We are Living in a Failed State."  The headline:

Corona-Krise in den USA:Gescheitert?

Inkompetenz, Verschwörungstheorien und Wunderheilmittel: 
Wie die Pandemie den Amerikanern zeigt, dass sie unter 
einem korrupten Regime leben.

The truth about ourselves hurts, and hurts our international standing.  If Joe Biden becomes president, he should immediately appoint special envoys to our allies to repair the damage.  Two names that come immediately to mind:  Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis and former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, patriots both.  This would show bipartisanship, a necessary repudiation of our current aberration, and a way forward to restore healthy international relationships.