The world is at war with an invisible enemy, an enemy that Russia,
USA, France, UK, and China (5 superpowers) cannot just bomb away, and to quote DU30
(Philippine president), “kung pwede sana barilin, e di sana tapos na.” (if only
it can be shot, it would have been long gone).
The wonder of wonders, however, is that this unseen enemy seems to be pro-poor, targeting with impunity mostly the titans of power of planet Earth, sparing the less fortunate of nations. It remains to be seen, however, if yes, third-world countries will suffer less.
The USA, the most powerful nation on the planet, seems to be the enemy’s number one target—no other nation comes close to being second. With 250K+ infected and 35K+ dead, the UK is far second, although Brazil is catching up and may replace the UK in the next few days.
The economic devastation this enemy has wrought upon the
high and the mighty boggles the mind. Schools and universities are closed. Trains,
cars, and all public transport stopped running while Jetliners stopped flying. Luxury ships and shipping lines stopped sailing. Malls are closed, and the industry that keeps these super malls running smoothly has halted, throwing
people out of work. In the USA alone, 35 million people were out of work, forcing
the government to reopen businesses. Eventually, every country on the planet will
have to follow the USA’s lead – people need to work regardless of the enemy’s threat
to our health. Our mental and financial well-being is more important than the threat of contracting a disease that has little chance of killing us anyway, especially if one is
healthy. The fittest will survive, while the weakest will go. It's the nature of life.
Looking back years from now, we will ask ourselves if lockdowns and community quarantines were the most effective measures. Does the perceived benefit outweigh the affront to our mental and financial well-being? In the following weeks, the crime rate is expected to rise. More beggars will ply the streets of the city. Although the future is grim to ponder, the government's Build3 program could offer a glimmer of hope. It can employ the legions of unemployed as a consequence of COVID-19.
It is hard to tell how long the enemy will linger in our world, or whether it will forever stay. Eventually, we will have no choice but to accept the alien enemy in our midst, just as we have adapted to the flu viruses in the air that we breathe.
It is hard to tell how long the enemy will linger in our world, or whether it will forever stay. Eventually, we will have no choice but to accept the alien enemy in our midst, just as we have adapted to the flu viruses in the air that we breathe.
