Andrew Harmer

Me: Taking the world 'as it is' conveniently obviates the need to build a better one. Don't you agree, Margaret?

Margaret: That'll be £17.95. Have you got a ClubCard?

Me: Politically, though, Carney's immediate capitulation to Realism seems self-defeating. Better to hold onto that insight from Constructivist IR theorist Alexander Wendt that "Anarchy is what States make of it".

Me: The world is 'as it is' because it's been shaped that way by wealthy States that have wished it so. But don't worry, the capitalist global economy will ensure that it continues to be that way.

Me: Just reflecting on Mark Carney's advice that “We take the world as it is, not as we wish it to be".

Geopolitics of global health: a call for papers External factors are forcing change to the global health architecture, demanding creative reform amid an uncertain future If 2025 marked the dismantling of the global health architecture, then 2026 m...

BMJ Editorial: www.bmj.com/content/392/...

What's the difference between American Progressive Democrats and Progressive American Democrats? And why are they so far apart?

Economic growth is still heating the planet. Is there any way out? Rising GDP continues to mean more carbon emissions and wider damage to the planet. Can the two be decoupled?

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

YouTube video by davepeo77 Zero B - Lock Up

If you associate the 1990s music scene with Britpop, then I'm afraid you went to the wrong party.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkfw...

You can't be a 'public intellectual' on Substack. Just saying.

True, but they endure whether he likes it or not. Norms are like colds to autocrats - difficult to shake off. He won't even be at the WHA. Others will decide, not him.

Starmer camp warns leadership challenge risks economic chaos Investors also signal concern at prospect of a more leftwing government

The economy is one thing but the more important question is who is best placed to defeat Farage. It's the UK's 'Biden moment'. Unlike the US experience, there is still time to decide this question and avert a monumental disaster.

www.ft.com/content/c855...

Trump shifts blame to aide as he refuses to apologize for racist video of Obamas After first dismissing uproar over depiction of Obamas as apes, White House then said it was erroneously posted by staffer

Important to factor into your equations that, for Trump, this is as easy to do as breathing.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

As we focus on fighting the spread of fascism in the US, it is important to remember that far-right populism is on the rise across the globe. In Lille, Belgium last night, far fight extremists broke windows and graffitied the LGBTQ center and other locations.

It's interesting from a power perspective. Practically, as the analysis points out, Trump won't support the WHO. But legally, he can't just 'leave'. The power of the norm prevails! The EB was silent but I imagine the WHA discussion will be much more lively, and important (crucial even).

Putin isn’t really winning. Europe needs to make that clear Behind Russia’s victory narrative in Ukraine is a system under strain. To fight back, the ‘middle powers’ must work harder on their own story

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

I've never understood the point of asking someone to estimate (guess) something they have no knowledge of. Pollster: What is the weight of the sun. Me: I don't know. Pollster: Give me an estimate. Me: No.

Anthropic’s breakout moment: how Claude won business and shook markets Start-up’s bet on enterprise users is paying off as coding tools fuel revenue and investor frenzy

"It marks an early demonstration of “agentic” capabilities investors hope will unlock massive new markets, as AI models gain the ability to carry out complex tasks independently".

www.ft.com/content/a755...

And by factors, I mean people. Actual living, breathing people, who had families, and who are now dead. Because of Trump and his inhuman administration. Vote Trump out and maybe the US will return.

Of course, we are in a different historical moment to the one facing MS in 1949 (when the Soviet Union withdrew). By 1955, all MS had returned. Will the US be back by 2032? If it is, what factors will have been instrumental in determining that?

The WHO Could Mend Its U.S. Breakup By Playing the Waiting Game | Think Global Health The World Health Organization still has a trump card to play in its contested separation with the United States

The US withdrawal is a done deal and nobody save China had anything further to say. MS want more clarity on the legal implications of Argentina leaving but as Spain says, its a reality now. Not sure where that leaves Bollyky's analysis, which now seems moot
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/the-...

Ok, ngl agenda item 29.2 of the EB was a bit of an anticlimax wrt the US withdrawal, saved only by the China delegate leaping to the defence of WHO and by the DPRK delegate's 'cold' reference to the Chinese delegate as "the WHO spokesperson" (ouch). EB158/45 and EB158.CONF./10 were noted/adopted.

WHO launches 2026 appeal to help millions of people in health emergencies and crisis settings The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched its 2026 global appeal to ensure millions of people living in humanitarian crises and conflicts can access health care.

www.who.int/news/item/03...

Newsletter

Check out this week's IHP news 865: On WHO's 158th Executive Board meeting & much more. www.internationalhealthpolicies.org/newsletter/ pdf: www.internationalhealthpolicies.org/wp-content/u...

WHO Executive Board In Heated Debate Over Gaza Health Crisis As Israeli Amendment Fails - Health Policy Watch A contentious debate at the World Health Organization’s Executive Board exposed the continued deep divisions between Israel and most other member states over

With a summary from HPW here
healthpolicy-watch.news/who-executiv...

Egypt's intervention at the EB yesterday during discussions on item 21 (health conditions in occupied Palestine) in which he describes the systematic dismantling of the Palestinian health system BY ISRAEL is essential viewing
player.4am.ch/who/20260202...

US government to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities in Europe State department grants to spread ‘American values’ are part of Washington’s 250th anniversary celebrations

"Sarah Rogers travelled to Europe in December to meet influential right-wing think-tanks and has spoken to key figures in Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party about deploying a pot of money to spread American values"

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

I missed Wayne when it came out in 2019 but, wow, such a great series!

But, BUT, so many MS are using the forum to make political points precisely because it provides a rare opportunity to hold MS accountable for their egregious health violations. Health is inherently political.

Those member states complaining that the WHO is 'too political' have no qualms whatsoever in using the EB platform to make political points (looking directly at you Israel, Iran, Pakistan, DRPK, Russia, China, Japan).

Iran’s killing of protesters reached level rarely seen, emergent count shows Even in the scale of global attacks on civilians and crackdowns on dissent, the magnitude of Iran’s violence against protesters stands out.

And a similarly hypocritical response from Iran's delegate describing Israel as a 'so-called member' of WHO, whilst neglecting to reflect on his government's brutal attack on protestors.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...