Prior to the year 1914, no visa, passport was required to go to Europe, America and their colonies. Then the first world war took place and the situation changed.
Countries assimilated themselves and national boundaries became rigid. After this, a period of economic tightness and recession started. The sense of nationalism reached the peak of ultra-nationalism and it became the cause of the second world war. After the Second World War, a global world with mutual relations, interdependent and institutionalized. The same global order remained intact even after ups and downs for the last 75 years.
The epidemic caused by the corona virus is threatening to put the world's current global system in the same condition as before. After the First World War, countries of the world had become autistic and pro-power. Some political scientists have predicted the emergence of a similar world in the time of Corona virus in which the world will be more confined and full of narrow nationalism. 'Return of nations' is a new euphemism. Economists are talking about the days of globalization and free trade.
Where did so much disappointment arise? With just 0.125 micro diameter corona virus, which is equal to one thousandth part of our eyelid? Probably not. Not one virus, but two of the world's most powerful countries, has shaken the confidence of the entire world. Hoover Institution American historian Niall Ferguson calls these two countries 'Chimerica'.
For the past decade or so, China and the United States have developed a model of economic relations, which is compared with Ferguson Nichebei (US-Japan strong economic relations by the end of the last century). Coronavirus has converted this 'chimerica' into imaginary concept.
China Three Principles
The Chinese leadership is facing allegations of hiding the truth from the world, due to which the virus reached other countries and turned into an epidemic. China's claims are being challenged and their figures are being questioned. According to the official figures of China, there are 82 thousand patients infected with corona and 4500 people have died. However, Derek Scissors of the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank, has said that the number of infected people in China could be up to 2.9 million.
China is one of the few countries that does not follow any traditional curriculum. China talks about adopting historical experiences here. Whatever China is today is the product of a long revolution, after which Mao captured the power of China in 1949.
China's view of the world is guided by three important principles - GDPism, the sense of keeping China at the center and the realization of the extraordinary potential for self. These three principles came out of Mao's revolution. In 1980, Dang Xiao Ping declared in the 1980s, 'the most important principle is economic development.' GDPist says to Chinese economists.
The second principle is based on the sense of keeping China at the center of itself. Mao emphasized independence, autonomy and self-reliance.
Every Chinese word literally brings the lyrics of the famous Chinese patriotic song 'Geichang Juguo', composed by Wang Shen, in which the vast and beautiful China on the mountains, plateau and Yangtze and Hweng river is called our country. The third principle is related to China's extraordinary ability. China does not believe in learning anything from others. In the time of revolution, it obeys Mao's orders - 'Practice and just do'. China's leaders insist that solutions to their problems come out of their intelligence.
Better to fight Asian country Corona
Historical analogies may not always be true. China's nationalist view is very much in line with the attitude of Germany before the Second World War. Ethnic superiority, historical claims and exceptionalism of the Aryans, all of which the world was familiar with in the 1930s. It was common for many countries at that time.
When Hitler captured Sudetenland, the German-spoken part of former Czechoslovakia, Europe decided to appease Hitler instead of challenging him. Roosevelt was watching this happen from a distance while Britain, France and Italy were celebrating for Hitler under the Munich Agreement. US President Franklin Roosevelt said while praising Hitler, "I am sure that millions of people around the world will recognize your action as a historic service to humanity."
It is not surprising that within just one year, Hitler reversed his promise and started showing more aggression. This marked the beginning of the second world war. The situation in Britain in 1939-40 was the same as that of America today. Trump finally allowed Coronavirus to wreak havoc in America before finally waking up. On February 28, Trump was asking his supporters in South Carolina not to heed the warning of an outbreak.
He was calling the epidemic warning a media hysteria and saying that the threat of Corona would prove to be a new hoax. At the same time, European countries reaching China by mistake, to take advantage of Belt and Road, are struggling to stop the epidemic.
Interestingly, the countries that are steadily facing this infectious disease are mostly Asian democratic countries. It is led by South Korea which is conducting more tests every day than America with six times more population. Singapore managed to curb the epidemic through testing. Hong Kong and Taiwan took timely steps to prevent corona infection, learning from past experiences of the SARS virus.
Hope for a better struggle?
On the other hand, India has set an example of democratic activism to challenge Corona. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has managed to implement the provisions of lockdown and social distancing in collaboration with state governments. They are leading the way and they have the full support of the people. In a country with a population of 1.3 billion, more than 21 thousand people have been infected by Corona. As Prime Minister, Modi has not taken any arbitrary and authoritarian decision.
Although there have been attempts to spread provocations and misinformation like Islamophobia, but Modi has faced such provocations with full seriousness, restraint and optimistic attitude. He has proved that a democracy with visionary leadership can face such challenges without compromising liberal values.
In the new global system that is taking shape, India, along with countries like USA and Germany, can play an important role in building a new world based on Prime Minister Modi's suggested human resource-focused development cooperation. It is time for the new Atlantic Charter. Environment, healthcare, technology and democratic liberalism can be the basis of the new Atlantic Charter.
Today, China also has an opportunity. It is being criticized all over the world. Unrest within the country is also increasing. Xi Jinping's leadership continues to face challenges. The time has come when the Chinese leadership should turn to Deng's order, in which he spoke of 'feeling the stones to cross the river'. There is an idiom in the Chinese Communist Party - Laxian Duzheng ie Line Struggle. For some people, this power struggle is also there. But it also shows the struggle for a new party line. There have been many such conflicts in the past. The question is, should the world expect a better struggle this time?
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