Mankind in the times of COVID-19
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A.K.A. “Gabo” is probably the most influential and renown
Spanish writer of the last century. His majestic writings include one – which admittedly
it’s not within my top 5 – called “Love in the times of Cholera”.
It’s surprising to read or see so many posts, private or public, have used this title to
make a reference to COVID-19. Love in the Times of Covid-19, Love in the Times of
Corona, hopefully nothing else than people trying to play with a famous title, which
probably haven’t read the book, or know the story behind it. The true story, is an
endless love, representing Gabo’s parent’s relationship, involving all sorts of stones in
the road. Stones, are, I believe, the only good metaphor you can use to link the Book
and the Pandemic times we are living. Who would have thought? Right?
I’m 38 years old, born and raised in Argentina. Ever since I have memories, I’ve been
hearing... “you didn’t suffer dictatorships, you didn’t live through WWII”, as well as so
many others, Vietnam, Segregation, and probably tons I’m not including here. But hey,
we now have to live Social Isolation. We now have to live in what’s closer to an Orson
Wells novel, or even worst, honestly think about a possible E.L.E. (Extinction Level
Event). There are 5 registered or taken into account by science, being the last two,
probably the ones we are more familiarized with: End Triassic, which wiped out around
80% of life on earth around 200m years ago, and End Cretaceous, which wiped out
around
76%
of
all
species
around
66m
years
ago.
This is of course, not an E.L.E., for now. We are not facing a massive detonation, we
are not facing a melting of the poled – well we actually are for several years now -, we
are facing a fast spreading virus, we are facing ourselves. We are truly facing
ourselves, against our own mirrors.
Was the world ready for this? Of course, it wasn’t. Everyone seems to agree on that
now, but we have allowed the biggest economies – and by the way several are not
even countries, to focus their spend in all the wrong places. Military Advancements
mostly,
“Two years into the Sustainable Development Goals era, global spending on health
continues to rise. It was US$ 7.8 trillion in 2017, or about 10% of GDP and $1,080 per
capita – up from US$ 7.6 trillion in 2016.”
Sounds amazing right? But so far, clearly has been too little too late.
How can we still live in a world where people die of diseases that have basically been
eradicated decades ago? How can we still haven’t been able to defeat hundreds of
diseases taking millions every year? It’s not about COVID-19, it’s about so much more,
take AID’s as an example, 40 years around, and well, if you have money you might be
able to live with it. That’s good! We are still living in a world that evolved. Money doesn’t
bring happiness, but apparently gives you a fantastic access to medicine, which 99%
of the world’s population doesn’t stand a chance.
COVID-19 is the latest, probably the worst we have ever had to face as mankind, as
individuals and as society members. And what are we doing about it? We are
complaining about social distancing. We are still worried about tomorrow, which I
understand, it’s the biggest concern for that 99%, but what are the rest doing? Some
“noble” gentlemen, the classic philanthropist, Bill & Melinda Gates, amongst others,
UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) or RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems)
leading this, new WMD’s (which we are still waiting to see in several invaded regions
over the last decades...) and who knows what else, super soldiers? 1.8 trillion dollars
are spent yearly on military defense, that’s of course, official projects,
WHO (World Health Organization), has instituted a plan to increase health
expenditure.
Some people, maybe the smartest and most influential of them all, have been talking
about this for years, destining massive parts of their fortunes towards improving
people’s lives, funding key research in several areas such as medicine, R&D,
technological advances towards sanitizing water, turning garbage into bricks, and so
many amazing things, but who’s helping them? Are they the ones that have to put this
on their shoulders and try and save the planet?
Rousseau’s 1762 masterpiece focused on the concept of the Social Contract. It’s an
easy concept; to summarize, individuals agree to relinquish certain liberties and
submit themselves to the authorities of governments, who in return the state is the one
in charge of protecting their remaining rights and maintain the social order.
This is how the world has existed since the “Enlighten Era”. And the theory is, at my
belief, still correct. What’s not, is the way the state or its governments have lived up to
their part of the bargain. And this needs to stop.
Governments make decisions based on party or economic groups benefits. We can
hardly see any country in which its government is as small, effective, politically
untainted and devotes its whole efforts towards the greater good of their people. This
includes all classes, which, want it or not will always exist, but it’s our duty to make
sure that the lesser fortunate have their basic rights covered, home, education, health,
work. We daily see how Nation A tested a new Weapon, how Nation B retaliated with
a Massive Interstellar Shield, how a country based entirely on immigrations intends or
better said is advancing on building a massive wall against one of their closest
economies who has hundreds if not thousands of benefits by maintaining the
aforenamed relationship. It’s crazy. There is no other way of saying this.
We will probably survive COVID-19, some won’t, but what I’m unsure of is as to how
we are going to survive the economical aftermath that’s coming. Tough global
decisions will have to be made. In a world as globalized as this, is there any sense in
having borders like we have now, territorial or political? Shouldn’t we finally understand
that all economies are interlinked, and crisis are generated from a butterfly effect?
Why can we still endure wars when our own kids cannot get medicine, or a transplant
when needed, or -maybe the worst- dying of hunger in a planet that produces more
food than what the global population needs?
I’m not talking about Communism, not talking about Socialism, but we clearly need a
change. Capitalism as such has shown is strengths and weaknesses, it has been
weighted and has been found wanting.
Let’s start working on that path. Companies have to be a part of it. Social Impact is a
must. Social Awareness is a must. Social Capitalism? Might be. Leave this last part to
you all, to comment, to expand, criticize and above all use your voices.
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