Lona Goudswaard

COVID-19 Fact and Fiction #2

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 12:36 am Politics

Apr 292020

The world is dealing with an unprecedented health crisis caused by a new virus. With new insights in the way COVID19 spreads, in the way the virus behaves and in the way to deal with the pandemic every day, it is now more important than ever to safeguard the information we share is accurate and fact-based. We have to inoculate ourselves against the fake news and misinformation that infect our newsfeeds and timelines at this crucial moment by fact-checking.

For the duration of the pandemic, I will try to give you an overview of the main issues in CoronaCheck, an Australian email newsletter with the latest from around the world concerning the coronavirus.*

SHE’S ALIVE

Image source: News Break NG

Elisa Granato, one of the first recipients of a trial vaccine for COVID-19 at the University of Oxford, has been the subject of false reports that she had died shortly after receiving the vaccine last week, Full Fact and Reuters have found.

However, Dr Granato (she’s a scientist herself) tweeted at the weekend that she was “doing fine” while the university stated in response to a Reuters’ query which confirmed that she was “alive and well”. The UK Department of Health and Social Care also tweeted that the news was “completely untrue”.

Dr Granato is one of the 800 participants who will either receive the trial vaccine or a control vaccine as part of the study.

ANTI-VAXXERS ON THE WARPATH AGAIN

Image source: Facebook

The Facebook post, which was shared in the US, Canada and Australia, offered advice on “how to legally decline a vaccine” but has been debunked by fact-checkers at AFP and Lead Stories.

The post suggests people should ask whether a vaccine (and presumably any future COVID-19 vaccine) contains “MRC-5” and whether it this could lead to an “iatrogenic reaction”. If the doctor administering the vaccine answers in the affirmative, as their Hippocratic Oath compels them, then a person apparently has the right to decline. “This is how we can legally (and respectfully) decline their offered mandated services and there is absolutely NOTHING they can do about it!”

But AFP found that while there were ways to refuse a vaccine legally in either the US, Canada or Australia, they were not those listed. For example, some Australian states mandate vaccinations for children enrolling in childcare or school, however, the vaccination itself is not compulsory and people maintain the right to choose whether to receive a vaccination.

SCAMMED

In Australia, digital scammers are using the coronavirus pandemic to con them into buying goods, sharing personal information and installing malicious software on their computers. This may well be the case in other countries too.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says that since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, it has received more than 1000 reports of bogus coronavirus-related schemes by scammers impersonating banks, retail stores, and the Tax Office, while the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has warned of scams involving fake Post emails.

In one case study detailed by the centre, a US-registered cyber attacker managed to send text messages to Australian phones looking as if to have come from official ‘myGov’ sources. The link in the message led to a website hosting a banking Trojan known to target Android phones to steal personal financial information.

FROM AMERICA

Image source: YouTube: Fox News

Comparisons between the coronavirus and various causes of death have been rife around the world with commentators, politicians and CEOs pushing for economies to reopen and for a return to business-as-usual.

One such comparison was made by TV’s “Dr Phil” — real name Phil McGraw —claiming during a Fox News interview that 45,000 Americans die every year in road accidents, 480,000 from smoking and 360,000 in swimming pools. The first two numbers were correct but, in reality, only 3,709 drowned in 2017, including those people who drowned in natural bodies of water and baths, not just swimming pools. An overstatement US by almost 10 times the actual figure, as PolitiFact found.

However, these apples-and-oranges comparisons are beside the point according to Arthur Caplan, the founding head of the division of medical ethics at the New York University School of Medicine.
“The issue isn’t how many people die of car crashes or swimming pool accidents or strokes or whatever. The question is whether they all happen at once and overwhelm the healthcare system.”

Given the massive amount of attention already given to Mr Trump ponderings whether disinfectant could be injected into the body to kill off the virus, or whether “very powerful” light could be a potential treatment, I will refrain from a detailed debunking of his suggestions here.

Things that don’t cure and/or prevent COVID-19**

#18: A few drops of hydrogen peroxide in the ear canal “This does not sound plausible. Liquids won’t penetrate the eardrum. In fact, it seals off the middle ear and prevents that from happening. Some drugs can be absorbed through the skin, but hydrogen peroxide is not one of them.” Dr Mark Prince, quoted by Lead Stories

*The facts in this article are derived from the Australian RMIT ABC Fact Check newsletters which in turn draw on their own resources and those of their colleagues within the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), of which RMIT ABC Fact Check is a member.

A note about Tom from Wendy

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 7:26 pm Politics

Apr 252020

Hi there,
WWW here on Tom’s behalf. Wanted to let you all know that Tom was admitted to the hospital last night for dehydration and a possible infection in his intestines. Of course, it took them 7 hours to make that decision – so we were both in a fine mood when it finally came. They tested him for trump virus and the results have not come back yet. Because of this, he is in isolation and is unable to receive visitors or any belongings from home. As you can imagine, that put him in an even more cranky mood. They are giving him yet another trump virus test today because they feel he is at high risk for the virus. He is anxious to get home back to his cat box. Unfortunately, I think this is the beginning of some yucky side effects to the chemo. We will both appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers for a quick return home. If need be, I will post another update but am hoping he will return home tomorrow.
Kind regards,
Wendy

COVID-19 FACT AND FICTION #1

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 2:25 am Politics

Apr 232020

RACISM

Image source: Twitter through RMIT ABC Fact Check

A video of an altercation over a repeat of a surplus purchase of tins of baby formula in a Melbourne Big W store that went viral is now being used to spread a claim that Chinese nationals have been banned from Australian supermarkets, according to AFP Fact Check. But in these times of fear for the coronavirus, the video is now being shared alongside false claims that “Chinese are banned in Australia[n] supermarkets”.

A spokesperson for Woolworths told AFP they welcomed anyone wishing to shop at their stores while a Coles spokesperson said the claims were “absolutely untrue”.

ANTI-VAXXERS ALREADY ON THE WARPATH

Image source: Twitter through RMIT ABC Fact Check

Scientists are rushing to develop a coronavirus vaccine and may be on the brink of testing it on humans, so anti-vaccination campaigners have taken to social media to spread misinformation and fear.

One claim, that seven children died after being vaccinated against COVID-19 in Senegal, has been comprehensively debunked by at least six independent fact-checking organisations; PolitiFact, Lead Stories, Snopes, Reuters, factcheck.org and AFP Fact Check all found the claim, made in the voiceover of a video shared on Facebook, to be false. A spokeswoman for Senegal’s health ministry also rejected the claim as “fake news”.

The video contains news footage of an incident in Senegal which never happened, in which two people were allegedly arrested for falsely claiming they were health ministry officials, there to vaccinate children. In reality, it was a man selling cosmetics door to door, arrested after joking that he had vaccines while wearing a health ministry T-shirt.

Anti-vaxxers are taking advantage of people who only follow news on Facebook and Twitter and who are oblivious to the fact that scientists are only on the verge of testing possible vaccines and that no one is being vaccinated at this point.

YOU CAN CUDDLE YOUR PETS

Image source: Facebook through RMIT ABC Fact Check

A Facebook post suggested that hand sanitiser contains ethylene glycol, which is found in antifreeze and is toxic to humans and animals. But hand sanitizers sold in Australia contain 60 to 95 per cent alcohol in the form of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol and a small amount of some other chemicals. A hand sanitizer would only be dangerous to pets if they licked the hands of someone who had just applied the rub, something most animals would be averse to doing unless they like alcohol.

AND THEN THERE’S RUSSIA

Researchers at Myth Detector in Georgia have determined that the bulk of coronavirus misinformation and disinformation, such as stories that the virus was man-made in the US, that the EU had “abandoned” Italy, and that only authoritative countries like Russia and China could handle the outbreak, which is spreading throughout the country is political and being spread by “openly pro-Russian” news websites.

BRITISH CONSPIRACY THEORISTS

Rumours have appeared online that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn’t have the disease he says he’s now recovering from.

One post, shared widely, claims staff at the hospital where Mr Johnson was treated were forced to sign the “Official Secrets Act”. Two doctors apparently refused to do so and said they didn’t believe the Prime Minister was actually ill. But that post was originally written as satire, according to fact-checkers at Reuters, who spoke to the author. Full Fact also found the post to be based on satire.

But the truth doesn’t seem to matter and the rumour that the PM faked his illness continues to spread on Twitter.

Things that don’t cure and/or prevent COVID-19**

#1: Boiled orange peels with cayenne pepper are NOT an effective treatment for Coronavirus. – Lead Stories
#2 Drinking and gargling water: “It’s incorrect to suggest that people who have COVID-19 could cure themselves (either during this initial period or at any other time) by drinking water or gargling.” – F ull Fact
#3 Bathing in hot water: “Taking a hot bath will not prevent you from catching COVID-19.” – The World Health Organisation
#4 Tea: “At present, there is absolutely no evidence or data to support the claim that tea can cure coronavirus.” – Dr Neeraj Jain, as quoted by The Quint
#5 Bitter gourd (bitter melon): “This message is false, there is no such information issued by Bihar health department nor there is any evidence that bitter gourd juice can cure COVID-19.” — Dr Naveen Chandra Prasad, quoted by BOOM
#6 Drinking hot liquids and avoiding ice cream: “Neither drinking hot liquids nor eating cold foods will have a bearing on the body’s core temperature, so would not affect the chances of fighting off the virus.” — Reuters
#9 Alcoholic drinks: “False reports are circulating that say drinking alcohol can reduce the risk of COVID-19. THIS IS NOT TRUE.” — Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, quoted by Rappler
#10 Garlic: “Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.” — World Health Organisation
#11 Putting antibiotic ointment up your nose: “It’s an antibiotic, not an antiviral and does not have activity against viruses.” — Dr Carrie Kovarik, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania, quoted by AP
#12 Cannabis: “Killing coronavirus is not included in the known benefits of cannabinoids.” — As listed by the US government’s National Institutes of Health, Rappler
#14: Silver solution (colloidal silver): “Often [colloidal silver] is peddled as an immune-boosting, disease curing dietary supplement, but there is no scientific evidence to back up these claims.” – PolitiFact
#17: Tonic Water and Zinc: “There is no scientific evidence that tonic water and zinc can prevent or treat COVID-19. As of mid-April 2020, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for the illness.” – Reuters

** I’ve gathered all the “things” from previous issues I could find, but #13, 15 and 16 seem to have disappeared from the internet. In future posts, I will only report on any new myths.

As Seen from Afar 01/04/2019

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 8:59 pm Personal, Politics

Jan 032020

ICONIC CLIMATE CHANGE PICTURE?

Cath Bowdler and Jack Egan lost just about everything when their North Rosedale home, south of Bateman’s Bay in coastal New South Wales, went up in flames. ABC NEWS 4 December 2020.*

After a few harrowing hours during which they didn’t know if the other had survived the ordeal, they returned to where their home had stood to survey what was left of their property after the blaze that hit on New Year’s Eve.

The pair made it through the emergency alive, but their home was reduced to a mass of warped iron, scorched wood and ash. Only a sign Mr Egan made to campaign for climate action somehow survived the blaze.

“I didn’t expect the sign to make the point so strikingly as it does now,” Mr Egan noted and he had asked Ms Bowdler take a photo of him by the sign with the remains of their home in the shot to make a point.

I think this foto may well turn out to become the most iconic and poignant Climate Change picture of 2020.

* Bushfire destroys couple’s North Rosedale home but climate change sign survives

Update
I know there’s a limit to how many NYT articles you can read per month, but I can highly recommend this opinion article: Australia Is Committing Climate Suicide. As record fires rage, the country’s leaders seem intent on sending it to its doom. By Richard Flanagan, a renowned Australian author.

As Seen from Afar 04/05/2019

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 2:41 am Politics

Apr 052019

BREXIT IS GETTING HILARIOUS

No matter what British Prime Minister Theresa May has tried in the past two years, she wasn’t able to unify the MP’s in the Lower House behind any of the versions of her Brexit Plan. And no matter how much pressure her political opponents put on her, she wouldn’t quit either. If May doesn’t come up with some miracle solution, Britain is going to crash out of the European Union on April 12, crash meaning no deal whatsoever. The British public can do nothing but wait and, in the meantime, does what it usually does: bear it all with a stiff upper lip, protest, or make fun of it.

As usual British born John Oliver puts his finger on the sore spot in a humorous way two weeks ago (for Brexit watch up to 2:10):

However, some protesters have had it with their government thrown in absolute disarray and spending all of its time debating Brexit, and Brexit only. (New York Times) Of course, they did it with some humor too: they stripped nearly naked in the public gallery, proclaiming that climate change, not the stalemate over Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, was the real emergency facing the country.

When PM May’s Brexit Plan was voted down for the third time (ABC news), opposition politicians declared the deal as good as dead. Labour Party legislator Ian Murray likened it to the dead parrot in a Monty Python comedy sketch.

“Her deal is no more,” he said. “It has ceased to exist. It is bereft of life. It rests in peace. It’s a deal that has been nailed to its perch. It’s an ex-parrot, it is an ex-deal.”

Even the iconic parliament buildings are straining under all this pressure. British Parliament is falling apart. No, literally (ABC News). For months, political pundits have questioned whether British Parliament is falling apart in the wake of months of Brexit chaos — and a leaky roof, it would seem, is doing little to quell those concerns.

The sheer lunacy of the Brexit process doesn’t escape the New York Times when it reports:

Politico reported the other day that the French European affairs minister, Nathalie Loiseau, had named her cat “Brexit.” Loiseau told the Journal du Dimanche that she chose the name because “he wakes me up every morning meowing to death because he wants to go out, and then when I open the door he stays in the middle, undecided, and then gives me evil looks when I put him out.”

If you can’t take a joke you shouldn’t have come to London right now, because there is political farce everywhere. In truth, though, it’s not very funny. It’s actually tragic. What we’re seeing is a country that’s determined to commit economic suicide but can’t even agree on how to kill itself. It is an epic failure of political leadership.

Well said, I’d say.

Cross-posted on Care2 HERE

As Seen from Afar 12/11/2018

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 12:54 am Politics

Dec 112018

A SOFT, A HARD OR NO BREXIT? THAT IS THE QUESTION, AGAIN.

Today, Tuesday 11/12/2018, should have been the day British Prime Minister Theresa May would have put the Brexit deal, which she has been negotiating for two years with the EU in Brussels, to the vote of the MP’s in parliament. However, at the last moment, the British government decided yesterday to postpone the House of Commons vote indefinitely. Mrs May had come to the same conclusion as everyone else: the current agreement would receive insufficient support in parliament. Dozens of Conservative MPs had been planning to join forces with Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the DUP to vote down Mrs May’s deal. Especially the status of Northern Ireland and border with Ireland is a problem.

Mrs May announced that she still intended to put her deal to MPs, but she would first ask the EU for more “reassurances”. To get these “reassurances” she has started her round of talks with European leaders this morning at the Catshuis in The Hague, where she’s met with Dutch PM Rutte. The relations between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are very good despite the Brexit plans. Within the EU, the two countries often draw together.

After that, Mrs May is to meet with German PM Angela Merkel. It is unclear if Mrs May will meet with other European leaders in the coming days. Several of them have already said that there is little more to negotiate and EU-president, Donald Tusk has confirmed this on Twitter:

Tusk’s statement means that no letter will change to the agreement made between the British government and the EU last month. However, a passage may be added in the accompanying political statement to clarify certain points in the agreement.

At this point in time, the Irish border backstop proposal seems to be the largest bone of contention. It concerns the border between Northern Ireland, which will leave the EU as a part of Great Britain, and the Republic of Ireland, which will of course remain. After Brexit, it will become the only land border between the UK and the European Union. (Although Spain-Gibraltar is also a topic still under discussion)

The backstop proposal is intended to be a safety net, a way of avoiding (the return of) a hard border in Northern Ireland, if appropriate customs arrangements cannot be agreed by the EU and UK in time for the end of the transition period in December 2020. The EU believes the backstop should mean Northern Ireland to stay in the single market for goods and the customs union until the UK comes up with solution to the border issue. Mrs May wants a backstop that would see the whole of the UK staying in the customs union for a limited time after the transition period, something the EU has said is unacceptable.

Adding to the problem, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said it was not possible to renegotiate the Irish border backstop proposal without “opening up all aspects” of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The British Tory rebels and the DUP do not like the Northern Ireland “backstop”, because it is a legally-binding proposal for a customs arrangement with the EU, which would come into force indefinitely if the two sides cannot agree a future relationship which avoids the return of customs checkpoints on the Irish border.

But to be frank, the backstop is only one problem the British can’t agree on; it is impossible to negotiate a deal with Brussels that will please everyone. So, for now there is a array of possible outcomes, ranging from a disorderly Brexit with no deal to another referendum on EU membership. Staying in the EU has now become an option again as the European Court of Justice ruled the UK can cancel Brexit if it wants

The question is of course if Mrs May will be the one to initiate the next step. Leading Conservative Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Moggis is trying to get enough Tory MPs to submit letters of no confidence in the PM to trigger a leadership contest. Crispin Blunt became the 26th MP to do so on Monday, but as 48 Conservative lawmakers must submit letters for any challenge to be initiated, it’ll take a while before they make the numbers, to the dismay of Boris Johnson who has been looking to fill Mrs May’s quirky shoes for a long time. Boris Johnson stated in interviews that he could make a much better deal, without a backstop, than Theresa May, but later on that the UK should withhold payments to Brussels and prepare to leave the EU without a deal Which led the former foreign secretary, Sir Alan Duncan to note that Mr Johnson was the “last person on Earth who would make any progress in negotiating with the EU at the moment.” Let’s hope that most Tories see the value of that remark and that Mrs May is safe for now, unless the Labour Party tables a vote of no confidence in the PM.

The fact that US President Trump is also stirring the pot, pushing for a hard Brexit with no deals, by taking back his promises of “great trade negotiations with Britain” because Mrs May’s deals are too soft to his liking, doesn’t give either Britons or Europeans much confidence in a good outcome either.

Sources:

Theresa May calls off MPs’ vote on her Brexit deal

Brexit: Theresa May to meet EU leaders in bid to rescue deal

May heeft ‘brexit-ontbijt’ met Rutte

Brexit vote postponed by British Prime Minister Theresa May, plunging deal into turmoil

Boris Johnson: Go forward with Brexit deal but remove the backstop

Posted to Care2 HERE

UPDATE 12/13/2018

I was quite wrong. Theresa May wasn’t safe for long at all; in fact her leadership was challenged the next day. However The PM won the ballot on her leadership by 200 votes to 117 on Wednesday night. (GMT). She’s now heading to Brussels for an EU summit, less than 24 hours after surviving that vote of confidence. Again Mrs May is seeking legally binding pledges from EU leaders on the Irish backstop. It is understood the EU will not renegotiate the deal but may be willing to give greater assurances on the temporary nature of the backstop.

As Seen From Afar 09/14/2018

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 1:40 am Politics

Sep 142018

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS WITH NATIONAL ANTHEMS ABOUT?

We all are familiar on Politics Plus with the controversial kneeling protests of NFL players during the national anthem in the US, initiated by quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016. Kaepernick and his fellow players kneeled while the American anthem played as a silent protest against police brutality and racism.

Now new headlines are made by someone who refuses to stand when an anthem is played, but this time it’s a nine-year-old girl in Australia who protests against the content of the anthem itself. The schoolgirl was given detention last week for “blatant disrespect” over her failure to participate with classmates during assembly when the song was rendered at Kenmore South State School in Brisbane.

Harper Nielsen has stirred controversy after refusing to stand for Australia’s national anthem in protest to “institutional racism”; she claimed the song “Advance Australia Fair” ignored the nation’s indigenous people, taking issue with the opening lyrics to the anthem, which read: “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free. “When it says ‘we are young’ it completely disregards the Indigenous Australians who were here before us for over 50,000 years,” she said. “When it was originally written, Advance Australia Fair meant advance the white people of Australia,” she added.

Harper’s parents, father Mark Nielsen, Associate Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland and mother, Yvette Miller, Associate Professor in Public Health at Queensland University of Technology, both said they were “proud” of her for showing “incredible bravery”, when she felt it was time to “raise awareness and get people thinking”. The Year 4 student said the decision to take a stand was made “mostly” by herself but the subject had been discussed with her parents.

The fact that this very intelligent girl had discussed her actions with her obviously very well-educated parents led controversial right-wing senator and One Nation Party leader Pauline Hanson to posted a video response on Facebook labeling Harper a “brat” and “disgraceful”.
“Here we have a kid that has been brainwashed and I tell you what, I would give her a kick up the backside,” the 64-year-old said. “We’re talking about a child who has no idea,” she says, adding: “This kid is headed down the wrong path, and I blame the parents for it for encouraging this — no, take her out of the school.”

Jarrod Bleijie, Queensland’s shadow minister for education from the center-right Liberal National Party, also felt obliged to criticized Harper’s parents and called their daughter’s actions a “silly protest”.

But others, such as Australian journalist and television host Georgie Gardner, praised Harper for her “strength and character”.
“I do applaud her for considering the words of the national anthem, a lot of people just rattle it off and don’t consider the meaning,” she said.

Perhaps more importantly, Brisbane Aboriginal community elder Sam Watson said Harper’s parents should be congratulated. “They’ve obviously raised a very bright and vivacious young woman and this one is going to grow up and do big things in her life,” he said.

Mr Watson further praised Harper, calling her “wise and courageous” for rightfully pointing out the nation is not young and free. “Here’s a young girl who could have simply mouthed the words … but she pointed out that she didn’t believe in the lyrics, she didn’t accept the contradiction, so she’s going to make a statement in her own way so I say congratulations to that young girl,” Mr Watson said.

On Twitter, users posted messages of support using the hashtag #HarperNielsen, calling the schoolgirl “Australia’s most fantastic and brilliant brat” and “the hero Australia doesn’t realize it needs”.

Perhaps at this point in the story it is fitting to point out that Australia is the only Commonwealth country that does not have a treaty with its indigenous populations and that it had a somewhat lukewarm relationship with its anthem. Most Australians feel “fairly apathetic” towards the anthem, with people often accusing it of having dated language. Which isn’t so strange considering the anthem’s history. Until 19 April 1984, Australia never had its own national anthem; it was Britain’s “God Save the Queen” until then. Advance Australia Fair – written and composed by Peter Dodds McCormick in 1878 won a 1977 referendum to select a new anthem with only 43% of the vote. It took seven more years for the Australian government to proclaim it as Australia’s official national anthem.

Since then voices were raised to replace this anthem by “I am Australian” (or “We are Australians”) written in 1987 by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers. Its lyrics are filled with many historic and cultural references, such as to the “digger”, Albert Namatjira and Ned Kelly, among others, incorporating everything that is Australian to all Australians. The song was sung in federal parliament when last year’s plebiscite on same-sex marriage resulted in a resounding “yes”, and the national broadcasting company ABC has adopted the version below as its signature song.

I’m sure Harper would be proud to stand and sing it, and so would I, but the Pauline Hansons and Jarrod Bleijies of Australia will certainly prevent that from happening for some time to come.

Sources:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-12/national-anthem-protest-school-brisbane/10235792

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-45495675

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/year-4-student-harper-nielsens-advance-australia-fair-boycott-leads-to-detention/news-story/4368e8e72309376d9e6ae0eee994c06f

Cross-referenced at Care2

As Seen from Afar 05/07/2018

Posted by Lona Goudswaard at 3:52 pm Politics

May 072018

THE IRAN NUCLEAR ACCORD; WILL TRUMP DENOUNCE IT TOMORROW?

US president Donald Trump today tweeted:

I will be announcing my decision on the Iran Deal tomorrow from the White House at 2:00pm.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018

Under the international deal, the Islamic Republic has agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for reduced economic sanctions. Britain, France and Germany have been working behind the scenes for weeks in an effort to save the accord, which was closed during the Obama administration, and also signed by Russia and China. Trump, on the other hand, has made it clear right from the start of his campaign that he would pull out of the deal because it was mad, insane, the worst deal ever, horrible, laughable and disastrous among other things.

I could try to explain how and why Trump is trying to sell Americans his ideas on the deal and how terribly wrong it would be if the US pulled out of the agreement, but I’ll leave that to someone who can do that so much better, and far less boring, than I ever could: John Oliver:

In the past few weeks we’ve seen the head of states of the European dealmakers in this accord visit Washington to try and appease the American president and persuade him to stay on board by suggesting to iron out the flaws of the current deal and then negotiate a better deal with Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron had to admit defeat after his much-televised bromance with his American colleague. Macron afterwards said he believes US President Donald Trump will pull out of the Iran nuclear deal next month “for domestic reasons,” describing the US as “insane” for its constant global policy U-turns, according to a reports from the Guardian.

Next in line was German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was not granted more than a sober working lunch with president Trump. Merkel’s rational approach failed too and she went home without that important success to her name.

She later had to defend the Iran nuclear deal again in an interview with an Israeli TV channel. Merkel told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vehemently criticized the internationally brokered accord for not doing enough to contain Iran’s nuclear ambition: “We believe it is better to have this agreement, even if it is not perfect, than to have no agreement. We will continue to discuss this, but Germany will watch very closely to ensure that this agreement will be fulfilled.”

Time is running out, so the UK sent forth British foreign secretary Boris Johnson who tried an altogether different approach. He wasn’t scheduled to meet with Trump on his short visit to Washington, so he appeared on Fox & Friends on Monday morning to court Trump on his favorite TV show:

Johnson said Mr Trump was “right to see the flaws in the deal”, though he argued they could be fixed. In typical British understatement, the foreign secretary said without the accord, “Plan B does not seem, to me, to be particularly well developed at this stage”. I think the remark may have been lost on both Trump and Fox & Friends hosts.
Johnson continued with: “If you do that you have to answer the question what next? What if the Iranians do rush for a nuclear weapon? …Are we seriously saying that we are going to bomb those facilities at Fordo and Natanz? …Is that really a realistic possibility? Or do we work round what we have got and push back on Iran together?”

He added: “There doesn’t seem to me at the moment to be a viable military solution.”

But like most leaders have learned by now, flattery is the best way to score with president Trump, and in a separate interview during the visit, Boris Johnson discussed the possibility of Mr Trump winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

“If he can fix North Korea and if he can fix the Iran nuclear deal then I don’t see why he is any less of a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize than Barack Obama, who got it before he even did anything,” he told Sky News.

Well, tomorrow at 2:00pm we’ll learn if this combined European effort has managed to change Trumps mind or not. Or the day after, or have his decision rescinded in an early morning Tweet. After all, Trump can do with all the diversion he can muster and he is known to have a change of heart now and again.

Cross-posted with Care2 here

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