(formerly the Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars)

Voices from the Field

Commentary & Opinions


The Critical Asian Studies Commentary Board publishes public-facing, non-peer reviewed essays by scholars of Asian Studies bringing their expertise to bear on contemporary affairs in the Asian region. Essays typically take one of two forms: 1) Commentary pieces that offer a clear and concise perspective on a social, cultural, political, or economic issue of the day; or 2) Notes from the Field that engage topics confronting the field of Asian Studies as a whole, ranging from ongoing research projects, emerging questions, or field experiences, to issues facing researchers and teachers of Asian Studies. Explore recent Commentary Board essays listed below or use the search bar below to search by author or keyword. The Commentary Board is curated and edited by Digital Media Editor Dr. Tristan R. Grunow. Contact him at digital.criticalasianstudies@gmail.com or see more information at the bottom of the page if you are interested in submitting to the Commentary Board.


Read the most recent Commentaries here or view the archive below:

2020.6: Peter Van Ness, Loser-in-Chief Donald J. Trump

Seen from overseas, Donald Trump’s narcissistic blunders prompt disbelief.  How could one man destroy the good will and international reputation of a global power so persistently and so powerfully in less than a single term in the presidential office?  And how could a President of the United States be so oblivious, and apparently so uncaring, about the immense cost in human lives that his dilly-dallying from the White House in response to the pandemic has produced?

91,981 virus deaths in America, as of May 19:  all on Donald Trump’s watch.   He owes an explanation to the family of each one; he needs to apologize for his complete failure to deal with the coronavirus, which has led to the loss of fathers, mothers, partners, sisters, and  brothers.  He is responsible.

Trump’s failure in America is disastrous for the country and a colossal warning to the world about the costs of government incompetence.   Trump wants to blame everyone but himself.   First, he blamed China, then the World Health Organization and denied them further US financial support, then the governors of America’s fifty states, and now China again.  

The cost in American lives under Trump is more than twice the cost in any other country, including Italy (32,007) and the UK (34,796).   Even China, the source of the virus, only reports 4,634 deaths.   Other countries have been more successful in dealing with the global health pandemic:  only 749 total deaths in Japan; 263 in South Korea; 100 in Australia; twenty-two in Singapore; and seven in Taiwan.    Vietnam and Cambodia have reported no pandemic deaths.

The lessons were there to be learned:  test, trace, quarantine, and inform.   Instead, President Trump assured the world that, “we have it under control,” and “it will be just fine,” meanwhile playing state governors against each other over the availability of the vital PPE (personal protective equipment) for doctors and nurses fighting the virus.   “Liberate” the country from lockdowns and social distancing restrictions, calls out President Trump, terrifying public health officials, who have assessed the likely costs of opening up too soon.

Trump fends off charges of responsibility, using one tactic or another.  He wants his critics to play his game, a game in which they can’t win, and he can’t lose.  Trump excels in sending journalists off on wild goose chases, pursuing false leads in yet another excuse for what he has done, while  suggesting taking hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19, or injecting disinfectant.   He would love to be seen as a wartime president, mobilizing the citizenry to support his victories against a new “Pearl Harbor.”

The pandemic, like climate change, has shown the world just how important cooperation is  in responding to a common threat.  Effective leadership and creative collaboration are needed, especially from the major powers, like the United States and China.   Trump, instead, picks fights with China, first over trade, then over the source of the coronavirus and the early stages of China’s handling of the crisis.  For Trump, scoring points against China is more important than providing the joint, cooperative leadership between the world’s two superpowers that should be expected in a time of need.

Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, his continued attacks on US allies and praise of dictators, his assault on vitally important international organizations like the WHO, and, now, his failure to support the EU-organized virtual summit to fund the search for a Covid-19 vaccine, makes one wonder how the United States could survive a second term with President Donald Trump.   The Canberra Times recently concluded a critical editorial with the question:  “Has the American dream become the American nightmare?”

The evidence is clear.   Donald Trump is a world-class loser, a loser whose terrible price is being paid by America and the rest of us.