Are World Leaders Too ‘Positive’

While doomers can be faulted for seeing the world from a glass-half-empty perspective, when a virus wreaks havoc across the world, there is something to be said for the other side.

In responding to the pandemic, governments in major economies like the UK, US and Brazil have adopted the toxic positive ‘Prozac leadership’ as their modus operandi.

Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Jair Bolsonaro, all supposed ‘alphas’ have played down the effects of the virus, ignored medical advice. In each case, these leaders articulated a hyper-optimistic discourse of male bravado, defining themselves as “strong men” and virile leaders who were personally invulnerable to the virus.

Maybe it is telling that they all contracted the virus.

Is the ‘I’m fine, no big deal’ approach a worrying sign among global leaders and a comment on their general disposition?