As a species, humans have been plagued by several catastrophes and how we have emerged in a better position is something commendable. The basis of our survival has been cooperation, whether forced or not forced doesn't change the fact that human survival has come about due to the realization of the need for each other. Now in 2020, humanity is put to test once again with this Covid-19 pandemic which will not wipe us out but will surely leave an impact that will forever be felt. Just like World War 1&2 and other tragic moments throughout history, no one knows when we'll be relieved and to what degree the world will be affected. Before we move any further we must first understand what threat we're facing and which measures can be put in place so as to win this war. One wonders what question this is given that the virus has had the worst effect due to human contribution through spreading the virus by contact and the first humans who found a delicacy in poisoned bats, meaning that one of the threats we face is the human contribution to prolonging this catastrophe. I wouldn't want to suggest that there's someone out there who wishes for entire populations to die en masse but I hope those in a position to be able to limit the effects of this catastrophe are not procrastinating with a solution just because they need as much capital gains out of it because a crisis like this has so many opportunities that one might wish it actually continues to affect a lot of people. Don't read much into my analysis hey, I'm obviously just talking about the toilet paper manufacturer who reached a record sale after people decided to buy out toilet paper. I just hope they'll use it to wipe out their fears too. Looking at this crisis from a capitalist perspective, because the world economy will suffer the most out of this, who stands to lose and who will abundantly gain? I'd like to first talk of how Jeff Bezos and several American execs surprisingly dumped stocks before the coronavirus even hit the markets. Can one then assume that the likes of Jeff Bezos saw this coming? Or, there's more to it than meets the eye because a similar incident happened during the Napoleonic wars when Nathan Rothschild cleaned up on the Gilt market thanks to his rapid, reliable, and finely honed communications system that brought him news of Wellington's victory ahead of anyone else in Westminster and the City. Either way, Bezos' Amazon is likely to be the most profitable business as Shops have closed down and people are becoming more and more reliant on the delivery of services. He has even put out job offers for 100 000 delivery people and an increase in wages so it is better days for him and he won't be appealing for a bailout. He's one of the few businesses that'll profit from this crisis as others, especially airline operators, appeal for a government bailout. This is a classic tale as we've seen it when the banking system almost collapsed in 2008 and the US government had to print more money to delay a global depression which might be coming anytime soon especially with the funds that the US and British government have availed for grants during the isolation period as employers might struggle with wages and to those unemployed. In as much as citizens will be happy with this gesture, basic economics doesn't' approve of such because consumer spending patterns have gone down, productivity is low and it's likely that most people, out of naivety will save this money instead of investing it meaning that the economy is sitting on a ticking time bomb. The world economy is heading for hyperinflation as interests go on an all-time low and more disposable cash is available to many people in the United States unless China takes lead in the global recovery because they do have the strongest economy at the moment and they are combating the COVID-19 more effectively than any other country. The USA won't allow that of course as they've imposed their currency on all nations throughout the world with the IMF endorsing the US dollar as the global currency and at this point, there's no prospect of that changing so folks "In God We Trust". I think I have talked much about the economic problem ahead of us, I'll be posting reference material onsite as time goes on. Now onto the social problem and again I have to stress on the fact that things are not so bad as mainstream is painting it out, it's more about the perspective you have on things and unfortunately many people are not being critical about the situation. The majority of the urban population is panicking, rural people won't suffer from much anxiety due to poor communication, this virus has come with physical and mental illness spread by the efficiency of transport and communication. Some people were already affected before the virus even hit their countries and the president of Zimbabwe, without a thorough assessment of the Zimbabwean situation chose to implement the 21-day lockdown. I'm not undermining his authority as President but it is crucial to lay the facts on the ground. A country with an economy like Zimbabwe's won't make it through 21 days unless the government and other big enterprises are willing to cushion people with an income to take them through. The informal sector dominates Zimbabwe's economy so the majority of the people rely on hand to mouth, they have no savings or investments. At this point, there's a thin line between global cooperation or isolationism. Travel has been banned, which is not a bad thing in the effort to reduce the spread of the virus. Borders might be closed but countries have not closed off each other as we've seen Jack Ma aiding all 54 nations in Africa with masks, test kits, and other essentials and Cuba also sending doctors to Italy to assist in the fight against the virus. It's a war of a different nature because even the most equipped countries are facing devastating losses and humanity is on the same side, every country wants the other to win. No one deserves "to be punished". The problem, just like every other war, is that the general commands the foot soldiers even though he never gets to be on the battleground and the same is happening right now. Scientists are doing the work but they're at the mercy of policymakers who can't really claim to have an attachment to people's problems as they serve those who keep them in office. In as much as this pandemic is going to be dealt with, the solution will serve the interests of the elite before the general population and the scientists themselves because if it's ever about the people then the Vietnam war would have ended earlier than it did. It's profit every time and in order to have profit there has to be a consumer. This time around the people are buying into the fear of a pandemic that will wipe them out hence the moment when they're subject to the mercy of government and corporates. With the previous wars where humans wiped out each other, a country didn't have a hard time justifying the invasion of an "enemy" state and prolonging the war. It was for insurance purposes. This time it's different and it's not only lives or income that might be lost, but it's also something way more than that. After this war, freedom might be the price we pay. We have a social experiment being fully implemented, technology is being fully infiltrated into the system. As we speak Amazon has been accused of being invasive by using their virtual assistance technology Alexa to share information with the government of the United States which has been monitoring people's behavior. With this lockdown being implemented across the world, the question is whether people will comply out of understanding and trust in the government or out of order and panic. Either way, there seems to be no option but to comply as armies and police forces have been released in several countries to enforce "order". We'll just have to take it as an extreme measure in combating the virus. One other striking thing is the use of mass surveillance to track down citizens who might have coronavirus, especially in China. "By closely monitoring people’s smartphones, obliging people to report their temperature and medical condition, the Chinese authorities can not only quickly identify suspected coronavirus carriers, but also track their movements and identify anyone they came into contact with. A range of mobile apps warn citizens about their proximity to infected patients". This is a good initiative in a time of crisis but we can't deny the danger associated with such extreme measures. Some ambitious government officials might normalize this practice of security state even after the virus has been dealt with, hence infringing on people's personal freedom. Throughout history, there have been concepts that wouldn't have been embraced in normal times but had to be imposed due to a crisis and allowed to outlive the crisis because of the benefits that came with it, eg. a global governing body like the UN or EU wouldn't be a popular idea pre-world war 2 because people were already fearing Hitler's imperial ambitions to bind Europe as a single nation and the failure of the League Of Nations to handle aggressive countries like Japan at that time but after world war 2 people suddenly saw the necessity of global brotherhood. It's the same right now, about a year ago no one would have embraced the idea of police and military patrols so that people "do the right thing" and the Big Brother concept of always being monitored but if people are to be convinced that this is the solution then it'll be normalized and such a system might live even beyond this pandemic. The same way the McDonald's self-serving kiosk hasn't gained much popularity because it'll make many fast-food jobs to be redundant, the number estimated at 80 000 in the US alone but with the lockdown going on, who knows how long it might take before McDonald's grabs this opportunity to permanently have this self-serving kiosk in all their outlets. Besides, food outlets have been allowed to open as they're an "essential service" but workers are in quarantine. It's only best that McDonald's have their self-serving kiosks in all their branches, for efficient service delivery and safety of their workers hey. I'm not a prophet but one thing I'll say is that usually when such systems are put in place and they stand to profit governments and businesses, it's a matter of time before the normal citizen has to embrace and live with it, that's why it is important to always be ahead in terms of information. I can bet that many people are waiting for things to get back to normal after this pandemic but no, things will never be the same. The system won't change as such but it'll surely evolve. In this modern world where war is no longer common, don't you think our governments across the world won't mind our military personnel assuming new duties like making sure that citizens "maintain order"? Will mass surveillance be dumped after this pandemic? Will global travel be encouraged or people will start appreciating their countries even more, to the extent that they endorse isolationist policies? Already in Zimbabwe, the government is fast pacing the refurbishment of several hospitals after many years of negligence due to the fact that the elites could fly to other countries for medical attention. Will we finally have a cashless society and come to terms with the use of Radio Frequency Identification? The entertainment industry has not been spared as we've seen many live shows being canceled and people opting for virtual entertainment. Several artists have been hosting online concerts which to my surprise have gained popularity. Will live shows still be popular after this crisis? Are we heading for world utopia, a promise on which organizations like the United Nations were founded or we're heading towards a dystopian Orwellian tragedy where freedom will no longer be part of our society? The good thing about all of this is that humanity has a choice. In this period of isolation, one should allow themselves to gain as much consciousness about their inner self and the world around in order to take proactive steps moving forward. It's only through self-mastery that one can be able to be a servant to humanity. We can never know what tomorrow holds but the way we treat the current situation will determine where we stand tomorrow. The only leverage we have over any "terrible" situation is consciousness. Remember Big Brother might be watching over you and necessarily not watching out for you, or maybe the opposite is true. Or Both.
In the name of Law Enforcement. Security forces carrying out their duty in South Africa. Is this the nature of order maintenance?
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