Globalization Is the Best Medicine for a Sick Planet
Even a vague promise of international cooperation is better — and more in the U.S. interest — than the Trump administration’s actions.
Flying solo.
Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Following a remarkable virtual summit, leaders of the Group of 20 industrialized nations on Thursday affirmed that they will work together to overcome the medical and economic devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. The joint statement commits, somewhat vaguely and generically, to helping international institutions strengthen health-care systems, expand the manufacture of medical supplies, reduce trade barriers and resolve “disruptions to trade and global supply chains.” But the specifics aren’t as important as the overall message: We have too little globalization, not too much.
The Covid-19 global pandemic is wreaking havoc on the interconnectedness of economies, hindering travel across national boundaries, straining international cooperation as countries focus on their national emergencies, and giving globalization a bad name.