Post #7

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a familiar and frightening subject to many. Along with disrupting daily life and keeping people in their homes for months, it has also claimed thousands of lives in the United States alone. As COVID-19 continues to infect people and flood hospitals with the sick, researchers and theorists have begun to take a closer look at the ways in which this virus came to become a global pandemic as well as predict the political unrest that will come as a result. Foreign Affairs recently released an article containing the opinions of 12 leading globalist thinkers and what they see for the future of globalization.

Globalization as we know it is a feat of modernization. Without communication and easy travel, movement and cooperation between nations would not be possible. Unfortunately, this interconnectedness is the reason COVID-19 spread so rapidly. This virus stresses the relations between nations as it forces border closings and “every man for himself” philosophies in otherwise allied nations. Stephen M. Walt from the Foreign Affairs article predicts that this virus will mark the end of modern globalization. Nations will become more independent and begin to install emergency measures in the event that another pandemic occurs. Walt also recognizes that while the Western hemisphere is often seen as the global power, it was the Eastern hemisphere that controlled the virus the best. The world may see a shift in global authority from the West to the East in the future (Foreign Affairs).

Before COVID-19 hit, the United States heavily relied on China for mass-produced products. Most notably is the making of single-use masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) used by healthcare workers. When the virus first emerged in China, the masks were kept in the country for their own use. As a result, the United States as well as other countries, no longer received their steady supply of PPE. When the virus made its way to the US, panic ensued as the realization that there was a very limited amount of available supplies to keep healthcare workers safe. Since this realization, the momentum has begun to bring factory jobs back to the United States. In the event that this happens again, being able to produce one’s own need would benefit the nation tremendously. In addition, the US would be better prepared to handle national emergencies such as another pandemic in the future (The New York Times).

It can easily be argued that human beings are the environment’s virus. Quickly adapting to new problems, humans have created deep-sea oil rigs and massive deforestation plans simply because the earth had resources that humans wanted. Humans take over everything, rather than allowing a natural equilibrium to take hold. Modern medicine, mass food production, among other things have insured that the number of humans exponentially rises, rather than plateauing like other species. As seen in a biopolitical view, humans can also be represented as viruses. By ensuring the survival of nations, rather than people, humans are becoming viruses against one another. Nations cooperated with one another until the pandemic began. Then, places like the United States became greedy. The US pulled out of international aid and began to focus on its own needs. Rather than working with others, and creating a situation that would have helped more people, the US focused on itself. The spread of COVID-19 has shown the survivalist nature of people. We save our own nation before worrying about others. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be traced back to the simple survival mechanisms that viruses use. COVID-19 has taught the world about the issues of globalization. Hopefully, global leaders will learn from this pandemic and be better prepared for the next global issue.