OPINION: COVID-19 Threatens Populism

OPINION:

COVID-19 Threatens Populism

By Sonnet Gomes

Capitalist vs Communist

After the end of the Second World War, the world experienced a new political polarization. New alliances were established. Capitalist and Communist propaganda divided the entire world into two camps. This polarization also influenced the global economy. Over the last decade the world has watched as a large number of populist political leaders have ascended to power, changing dynamics in a new way.

Two Powerhouses

Despite the existence of a few non-alliance movements, the US and USSR have been the dominating military powerhouses for six decades. Economically, Russia is a third world country and has never challenged the United States in that realm. In the 1980’s through the 1990’s it was the U.S. facing off against ally Japan for economic dominance.

Challenging The U.S.

Over the last two decades it has been China that has challenged the U.S. for world economic dominance.  The world has seen a lot over the last couple years, as power shifts, both militarily and economically.  A devastating trade war between the US and China has shaken up the accepted.  With Brexit, the economic difficulties in Greece and Italy the European Union is showing signs of unraveling. There has been an ongoing shadow war among the Middle Eastern states, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Yemen, Syria and Iran. Additionally, economic polarization is rearing its ugly head among Latin American nations.

Change On The Way

It can be easily imagined that the post-coronavirus era will be even more complicated. In fact, all the fundamental existing alliances and collaborations are likely to fade away. Eventually, a new world with modified political beliefs and economic strategies are predicted to evolve.

Impact On ‘Democracies’

For the last few years, the world has seen the rise of hard-line nationalists in every corner of the world. Charismatic political leaders like Donald Trump in the U.S., Boris Johnson in the UK, Xi Jinping in China, Narendra Modi in India and of course, Erdogan in Turkey, have been at the forefront of this wave of political nationalism, and xenophobia.

“Enemy Of The People”

Each of these political leaders have had one thing in common. They pick and weaken a sector of the society and turn them into “the enemy of the people.” Trump and Johnson picked immigrants, whereas Modi and Jinping chose the native Muslims. Erdogan in Turkey the Kurds. Netanyahu in Israel, pointed to the Palestinians.  It is clear that these populists are dividers, not uniters. Each of them asserting that they, and only they, represent the voice of the “people”.  No matter how radical these methods are, they were working until the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Xi Tried To Hide The Outbreak

The pandemic first emerged in the Wuhan metropolis of Western China at the end of 2019. The Chinese government used all the efforts of the state to cover up the quickly spreading epidemic, and many suspect they still are . By January 2020 the simmering pot reached a boiling point and spilled over into world-wide headlines. Finally, as grim videos emerged of body bags piling up, the Chinese government was forced to admit they had an epidemic on their hands. The world slowly, as the weeks passed, realized the gravity of the situation.

Untouchable

Xi Jinping in China is now, politically untouchable He has been given a life time job. Any criticism of him or the ruling government hierarchy has been dealt with by the strictest measures. However, the netizens or social media actors all over the world are furious with him handling of the outbreak. The Chinese social media participants were the first to cheer Dr. Li Wenliang.  Dr. Li Wenliang was the 34-year-old doctor who tried to warn the world about the coming danger, and was arrested and threatened with life imprisonment by the Xi government. Dr. Li Wenliang later died of the coronavirus and has become a hero to the Chinese people, and the world.

Trump’s Denial

In the United States, Donald Trump took a similar stance. Deny everything.  Initially, he dismissed the risk of COVID-19 blaming it on his political enemies, calling it a “hoax”. Trump identified the disease as a “foreign virus” and said it would never affect the US, still using his time-worn political playbook. It took nearly four months for Trump to publicly name COVID-19 as a clear and present danger. Trump presents a shifting stance on what action should be taken.  Most recently he admits that there is a possibility of 100,000 to 240,000 Americans dying from the coronavirus. Trump’s arrogance and ignorance have been booed and condemned from all sides. Right now, the U.S. has the highest number of active coronavirus cases in the world and the disease continues to spread.

Modi And Johnson

Johnson and Modi took the most reliable route and tried their best to catch up with the situation after the fact. Modi announced a Mass Curfew, attempting to start a stay at home order.  The order backfired. The order terrified hundreds of thousands of poor immigrants who chose to head back en mass to their homes in rural areas of the country. Boris Johnson also responded slowly to the expanding spread of the fatal disease. These delayed responses by the political leaders, however, could not stop the outbreak in their respective countries. The number of confirmed cases and the death toll is on the rise in the UK. In fact, Boris Johnson and Prince Charles have both tested positive for COVID-19, and are self-isolating. All the while, India is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis.

A New War

The world was already divided into multiple camps before the coronavirus outbreak. When the dust of this pandemic settles down, we may see a drastic shift in these alignments. It looks like the world will be on economic life support once the coronavirus threat passes. Common sense would suggest that the richer the country the better it will weather the economic trauma of this pandemic.  Many expect to see a new and intensifying antagonism between the U.S. and China develop.

Trade Wars

The U.S., under Donald Trump’s leadership, seems uninterested in maintaining any ideological grip on global politics. On the contrary, he is keener towards economic domination. The outbreak of the pandemic took place at the peak of the trade war between the United States and China. Both countries have moved full throttle to develop new alliances and exert economic domination over each other across the world.

The Blame Game And Conspiracies

Right now, both countries are blaming the other for the development and spread of the virus. China already declared that the United States military personnel brought the virus to China during a training exercise last year. On the other hand, American officials are claiming the COVID-19 began in the open markets of Wuhan. It is no wonder other countries, including Russia and Iran are shifting and jostling for the most beneficial political and economic response.

Conspiracy Theories

Trump, renamed the coronavirus, referring to it as the  “Chinese Virus”, and  the “Kung Flu”. He claimed that the Wuhan Military Institute developed the virus as a biological weapon. The outbreak, he believes, is an act of carelessness from Chinese authorities.  None of these conspiracy theories has any base or evidence; however, the traditional allies are backing up the claims from their partners. A former director of MOSAD supported Trump’s claim in the press last week.

Initiatives To Expand Influences

Under the cover of these conspiracy theories and fear mongering, both the U.S. and China are trying to create new trade and business deals. Additionally, diplomatic representatives are working to resolve the Huawei issue.  Against the backdrop of the global coronavirus pandemic, the tech giant has threatened that China will punish the U.S., cutting the tech supply chain to American companies if the pressure on Huawei doesn’t stop.

Post Brexit

China is providing medical equipment to profoundly affected areas in Europe and Asia. No one could miss the impact of a Chinese group visiting Italy to offer money, equipment and human resources to aid the beleaguered Italian medical system. Political analysts believe such outreach will expand Chinese influence in Europe, in a post-Brexit shattered Europe. At the same time, the United States is sending medical supplies to both Italy and China.

Bypassing The Politicians

Digital communication platforms and social media have given the ordinary citizen  enormous power. Until now, this power has mostly been used for political outrage and political power maneuvering. The most notable the 2010 Arab Spring with protests organized through social media across the Middle East and North Africa. More recently the 2019 Hong Kong unrest and riots. Nevertheless, during this pandemic, the power of social media is being used as a humanitarian tool. The whole world, in a true sense, has become a global village.

Communication And Support

In the most affected regions like Iran, Italy, Spain, Korea, and the U.S., netizens have used social media to resist government but also to encourage and back up their fellow citizens. Citizens not only use social media to communicate but also to give medical and logistic supports. In the United States pleas for personal protective equipment for medical staff has been driven by social media sites, while the federal government has provided lackluster help.

Fall Of Populists

The pandemic has transformed the attitude of people towards political leaders and their leadership. There is a clear failure of the populist mantra, and disappointment with the charismatic leadership formula. These failures have changed the mindset of the average person.  It is evident citizens are searching for ways to become more involved in the political life of their country. However, current political institutions are unable to accommodate such aspirations, leading to disillusionment and disappointment.

Fumbled Responses

It seems clear that the coronavirus pandemic will mark a change in the relationship between the great powers. Donald Trump has no legitimacy, either by popular vote, or his effectiveness as a leader. Xi Jinping, faces similar complaints. The ordinary people are realizing that the bureaucratic complexities, the “deep state” claims are nothing but eyewash. Eyewash by the populists to hide the fumbled responses.

A New World

I believe the new world after the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer believe the boundaries drawn by the populists. Instead, they will depend more on human instinct and form new alliances. This change in the political psyche may bring the technocrats and liberal political leaders back into the driver’s seat. But, they have to be careful while implementing their political agendas. It is people who matter the most now, not petty divisive politics, practiced by divisive political leaders. We need uniters, not dividers.