When a lot of policy is made on the national level I don’t think it makes sense to speak about world-wide health problems. US COVID policy is primarily about doing what’s good for US citizens.
COVID-19 has no lobbyists that advocate for the economic interests of it while big tobacco has strong economic interests. To the extend that the Chinese are willing to buy US tabacco, the US policy makers are happy that China buys something.
When BAT bullies African countries it’s not something that damages US interests and thus the US doesn’t try to stop that behavior.
Tabacco deaths in the third-world are different from Malaria deaths. Americans don’t care about Malaria deaths but they do care about the economic benefits it brings them to cause tabacco deaths in the third-world.
When a lot of policy is made on the national level I don’t think it makes sense to speak about world-wide health problems. US COVID policy is primarily about doing what’s good for US citizens.
COVID-19 has no lobbyists that advocate for the economic interests of it while big tobacco has strong economic interests. To the extend that the Chinese are willing to buy US tabacco, the US policy makers are happy that China buys something.
When BAT bullies African countries it’s not something that damages US interests and thus the US doesn’t try to stop that behavior.
So reason 2. Americans care more about deaths in America than elsewhere. I agree that is much of the explanation.
Tabacco deaths in the third-world are different from Malaria deaths. Americans don’t care about Malaria deaths but they do care about the economic benefits it brings them to cause tabacco deaths in the third-world.