The legacy of the pandemic

Pandemics and other natural calamities have left a profound impact on human society, in some cases transforming it completely while also spawning a number of problems that take years or decades to be sorted out.

They leave a deep mark on the psyche of the survivors who witnessed the decimation of their loved ones, the destruction of their towns and annihilation of their villages. Such natural catastrophes also prompt people to adopt a superstitious attitude that adds to their miseries as such an approach cannot help them get rid of these calamities in the future. Contrary to this, if they follow a rational approach, pondering over the natural or physical factors that led to the spread of the disease, they could come up with some sort of solution. In such a situation scapegoating also becomes a fashion with the gullible blaming vulnerable communities, races or nations for the calamity that has befallen.

History is replete with instances where societies that were hit by pandemics were greatly destabilized, leading to the emergence of social and political fault lines which were exploited by demagogues and Machiavellian politicians. For instance, the Athenian plague of 430 BC was one of the factors leading to breakdown of the democratic order in 411 BC. The mighty Roman Empire that subdued states from continental Europe to North Africa and parts of Asia had to surrender before the Antonine Plague (165-180 AD) and the Plague of Justinian (542 AD); the former is said to be a smallpox pandemic and the latter a bubonic plague. The black death of the 1340s in Europe not only led to the annihilation of one-third of the continent’s population, it also shattered the powers of omnipotent feudal lords. The appalling death toll created an acute shortage of peasants which partly encouraged them to revolt against their tyrant masters in 1381.

These horrific incidents led to bands of superstitious thugs who would roam about the regions whipping themselves publicly in the naive belief that acts of penance might ward off the Last Judgment. The incidents also prompted the ruling elites of Europe to find a scapegoat for the plagues, leading to the outbreak of anti-Semitism. Jews living in Cologne, Frankfurt and Mainz for decades were obliterated in 1349. Concocted stories were spread, accusing the Jews of causing the Black Death by poisoning the water supply. The Jews of Strasbourg were asked to choose between death and conversion to Christianity. Those hapless souls that turned down the offer were incinerated alive in the Jewish cemetery. The third bubonic plague pandemic of 1855 that gradually spread to other parts of the world killed around 12 million people with 10 million in India alone, triggering fury against the British colonial administration.

It seems that the current pandemic has also sparked social changes. We have already witnessed the eruption of movements of black people across the US and in parts of the UK. There seems to be a simmering anger against the Western countries and the US where a large number of people perished despite the presence of advanced technology. The pandemic has also exposed the corruption of Western ruling elites, highlighting the voracious greed of the corporate world and the profit-making pharmaceutical industry. It has also sharpened class differences, prompting people to ask as to why more people from the bottom layers of social stratification fell victims to this natural calamity.

In addition to that, the contagion has also created a situation whereby the West may not be in a position to hold sway on world affairs. The British economy is going through the worst crisis in centuries. The US unemployment rate is skyrocketing, besides the phenomenal rise in corona cases, and the apathy of the Trump administration could tear the social fabric of American society. Several European countries that shifted their manufacturing, banking on tourism instead, are far from recovering any time soon. Politicians, instead of addressing the outbreak of the virus on an urgent basis, kept trading allegations – creating frustration among the people who suffered death and destruction. Despite all the devastation caused by the contagion, they are not in the mood to reform their health sector or rein in the powerful companies that are to be partly blamed for the suffering of the masses.

What may be catastrophic is the belligerent approach of the Western powers that will not only harm their economies but will also cause the waning of their political power. The West and the US economically are not as dominant as they used to be in the past. Their technological edge is being challenged from various parts of the world. Their innovation is no more exclusive. The US that would contribute around 50 percent of the world’s GDP during 1945 has seen its share shrinking to just 25 percent. The share of Europe is also shrinking gradually. It is true that the top global companies are still Americans. It is also correct that the second largest democracy houses the largest number of the super-rich but that did not help to solve the homelessness of millions of Americans. It has also failed to extend medical cover to each and every American.

This belligerent approach will force countries in the West to allocate a large number of resources for non-productive sectors like defence and arms. Such allocation would be made at the expense of other crucial sectors like health, education and housing. The US is already pumping over 600 billion dollars into defence. It is also preparing a space force while it is unable to control protesters who are demanding justice on land and more rights for themselves. The world economy is intertwined. Any conflict in one part of the world is bound to have an effect on other parts. The German economy is heavily dependent on exports. A significant portion of this goes to China and North America. The UK is one of the biggest trading partners of China which is also one of the biggest investors in the great democracy. Chinese export is also heavily dependent on the US and the European markets.

Given all this, it is important that the countries in the East, West, North and South work together to deal with the myriad of problems that have been caused by the contagion. Blaming one another or showing military muscle at the time of this pandemic could be a recipe for disaster; not only for big powers but the Global South as well that has nothing to do with this belligerence. If saner voices in the world did not prevail in London, Paris, Washington and Beijing then the devastation caused by this pandemic could lead to more destruction.

The ruling elites of powerful countries should not behave like the Roman and Greek politicians who wasted time in fighting instead of serving their people. It is time they stabilized the global economy, put their differences aside and came up with a comprehensive plan to snuff out the resentment that is brewing in several parts of the world. Failure to act will lead to catastrophic consequences, which we must avoid at all cost if we have to ensure our survival.

The writer is a freelance journalist.

Email: egalitarianism444@ gmail.com