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.
