A Stir of Something Wicked

“Civilization is a race between education and catastrophe.”
-H. G. Wells

For the past few months, the world has teetered over the proverbial slippery-slope on several levels due to the SARS-CoV-2 (“Covid-19”) outbreak. Through no fault of their own, individuals, local communities, and vast populations have experienced consequential socio-economic disruptions and devastating hardships from which they may never recover. While overall numbers are lower compared to seasonal viruses like influenza, the loss of human life nevertheless has been astronomical in a relatively short time period; the exact toll continues to clarify with increased available testing. All due to communist China’s failures to properly contain and report on the coronavirus unleashed from their country before it erupted unchecked into a global pandemic - possibly, as history suggests, part and parcel of a calculated agenda.

In reaction, the debate centered around that deemed essential and non-essential in order to “flatten the curve.” Who decides who and what are essential? As it turns out, governments at all levels made that decision for everyone. Yet, what is essential for one person might not be considered essential for the majority, and vice versa. Not unexpected, this circumstance presented a handful of polarized, albeit mostly restrained, situations throughout several countries, including the United States, as citizens rebelled against mandated lockdown and safety procedures considered as infringing on freedoms and rights. Nevertheless, officials worldwide decided, and the general populace begrudgingly yet obligingly acquiesced, that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few, or the one.

Another “who” - the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) - decided what information, and from whom, was deemed essential to counter the ensuing pandemic. Logically, one might think weighing the most reliable information available to them would be followed by a proper course of action. Instead, they callously sided with China’s questionable assurances and statements, towing communist propaganda in its wake, while simultaneously ignoring Taiwan’s prescient and dire warnings. An international organization meant, in idealistic if not naive theory, to be above such collusion and politicization, the world continues to suffer for that biased decision. Arbitrarily, the W.H.O., no less acting on behalf of China whether intentional or not, decided the needs of the few, or the one, outweighed the needs of the many.

Amazingly, the global shutdown of daily life and adoption to this new, hopefully temporary, normal has not devolved into an apocalyptic hellscape as some predicted, and for which others possibly prayed. This has seen both positive and negative effects, highlighting frontline heroes while exposing bureaucratic villains. Intriguing, the United Nations (U.N.) has been relatively absent and more inert than usual during this chaotic time. Of course, the U.N., like its proxy agency W.H.O., equally is guilty of disseminating and parroting misinformation attributable to Chinese pundits and state-run media. Perhaps, the international body simply is too busy to verify before trusting the source, focused more on expanding its #uselessnations status admonishing countries (e.g. Israel, United States) that dare to act upon their independent, sovereign rights counter to U.N. agenda.

None of which downplays or excuses the true culprit: China. Not the Chinese culture or people in any general critique, although certain aspects of the former could, and conceivably should, be ended by the latter to ease future concerns. Rather, the communist Chinese government is to blame and bears sole responsibility for the pandemic. There must be a thorough investigation and accounting of their actions, followed by equally judicious punishment both economically and politically. Even more, there can be no return to the pre-pandemic conditions that allowed it to happen if humanity wishes to live any longer and further prosper in the aftermath. Those who would betray that ideal must be stopped now before they once more can throw the world into chaos and, time and again, onto the precipice of our ultimate self-destruction.

So say we all.

©2020 Steve Sagarra