America ‘is profoundly troubled’

Donald Trump is unable to provide the unifying leadership America needs as it grapples with profound social, economic and health crises, according to The Australian's Paul Kelly, America has been plunged into disarray overnight, with a state of emergency declared in Georgia and the National Guard has been called in as violence spreads to 30 cities across the United States over the death of George Floyd. Mr Floyd was an unarmed black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes as he told them "I can't breathe". Riots have broken out across the US, with protesters setting police cars alight and smashing small businesses' windows as police struggle to maintain order. The violence, sparked by Mr Floyd's death, comes as the death toll from the novel COVID-19 passes 100,000. Unemployment has surged as governments shut down large swathes of the economy, with 40 million Americans filing for jobless claims. Mr Kelly told Sky News the recent tumult has shown America is a "profoundly troubled" society. "We have had more than 100,000 Americans die as a result of this pandemic," he said. "The tribulations that has caused right across the country in terms of households and political systems is really deep seated. "Unemployment in America is the highest it has been since the Great Depression...and the prospect is things will get worse, the economy will get worse, the unemployment level will get worse. And then we have the flawed leadership of Donald Trump, and that tweet he sent out 'when the looting starts, the shooting stars', this is a president who cannot provide unified leadership and this point in time and I think that is another real problem."

from National | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/3dkG8C3