INSIGHTFUL OPINIONS
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It's a dog eat dog world
Week of 6th April 2020
In the face of a crisis, each man is not only for himself, but each dog is also eating another dog for survival.
The world is battling for personal protective equipment (PPEs) in order to survive, and news of world’s super powers who typically had offered help to others, are letting known their ugly side. Politico’s “Lord of the Flies: PPE edition” provides a good summary of US’ piracy against Canada, Germany and France. Meanwhile, over in EU, Germany has also been accused of unnecessarily withholding supplies to landlocked neighbours such as Austria and Switzerland.
During a pandemic, each government has the obligation to protect its country, which certainly explains Trump’s highest approval ratings. However, when each country’s desperate need spills over and exacerbates another country’s desperate need, a man becomes a dog. If this continues, maybe no dog will survive.
If time is limited, I highly recommend reading:
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Reactions from netizens on Reddit
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Andy J Semotiuk’s Facemask dispute strains US Canada relations in COVID-19 crisis
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Céline Geissmann and Hérve Moritz’s Covid-19: The cost of a ‘non-Europe’
From the web:
From our Chief Opinionator:
Time for a new Captain World
Each country is trying to protect and save its people, which is perhaps, in my humble opinion, the utmost important responsibility a government needs to uphold. But when a government causes, directly or indirectly, death of other countries by hijacking or delaying the delivery of life saving personal protective equipment, it is essentially war.
The last few years, the world was severely fragmented and it is difficult not to blame it on Donald Trump. Unity in fighting climate change chipped away, globalization of trade destroyed, tolerance and acceptance of different religious beliefs ripped up, all thanks to the US having elected a deplorable president.
Unfortunately, Europe was unable to seize the opportunity for a rise of Captain Europe. As Germany receives patients from France and Italy, she is also being attacked for holding up shipments for neighboring Austria and Switzerland. Given how interconnected the world is, shifting a problem to another country is not only hurting political relationships, it also does not save the world from a pandemic that sees no borders.
I strongly believe three important points can be recognized by the world from the pandemic.
Without dispute, solidarity and international cooperation are strongest weapons in times of global crisis. Experience needs to be shared. Cross border trades should be enhanced. Vaccine discovery cannot be hogged. Germany receiving patients from France and Italy means a faster recovery for the whole of Europe. China sending doctors and PPEs across the world means the pandemic can be slowed down and defeated sooner.
United States of America is not the world’s superhero and the infighting of political gain is making US a clown on the world stage. As China is praised by WHO and receives gratitude from all over the world, a US law maker makes a bullying statement against WHO, and loudly demands for all debt to China be erased at a minimum. Meanwhile, Canada’s Justin Trudeau shows the US who is the bigger man by being an adult and openly decries retaliation against US’ selfish banning of exporting N95 masks.
Finally, China needs to be given a chance for a prominent place on the world’s political stage. It is time to recognize that China is not the bad guy in the world. A new Captain World is needed and this is certainly a role that China might very well steps into. China, once being known as the country who copies others’ intellect, has reversed her course to teach others through her own experience, a learning opportunity that the world cannot afford to brush aside.