Why Western societies fail to deal with the pandemic

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor

02 Feb 2021

One of the highlights of my annual calendar is my vacation at home in the English countryside, surrounded by stunning and majestic views of the wonderful green lands that I grew up loving.

In that place, I recharge my batteries to face the various challenges that lie in my path.

But it is different this year.

In fact, I am deeply concerned about the downward trajectory that Europe, Britain and America seem to be sliding into on almost all levels.

Many of the people I meet express their fear of what the future holds, or express their anger at the restrictions imposed on them that have not brought them any benefits mentioned to date.

People are fed up in these countries by closing their borders, airports and ports to business and tourism.

And airlines have laid off tens of thousands of employees, and there is no doubt that many of these companies will go bankrupt.

Our world is an interconnected global village.

Therefore, turning these countries into fortresses leads to ruin.

As for open borders, it saves economies from the collapse that can be caused by mass unemployment, and it is sufficient for travelers to abide by safety rules, and to present a recent examination that proves that they are not infected with the virus.

These people are also tired of mandatory quarantine, similar to the one that was recently imposed on the British returning from travel, with the decision coming into effect only hours after its adoption.

People who were on vacation panicked and started flocking to return home before the deadline passed.

It is time for Western countries to act to save the travel industry from intensive care.

It is true that the Corona virus is fearful and worrisome, but the constant closures imposed by countries, in my opinion, are more harmful than those caused by the epidemic itself.

The World Health Organization has announced that the epidemic will remain with us for at least two more years, while many countries suffer a second wave of the epidemic.

There has been an increase in the incidence of depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide.

And when the funds allocated to stimulus plans in support of small businesses and the unemployed are exhausted, hundreds of millions of people may be without work and thus without a source of income.

Globally, some 2.5 billion people face the risk of unemployment if these economies continue to be deliberately stifled.

When people no longer have anything to eat, they are overwhelmed by despair and turn towards theft, kidnapping, and trafficking in women, children, or human organs in order to be able to secure their daily sustenance.

Poor management and politicization of the epidemic will cause greater distress than the epidemic itself.

This is what I call a slow death.

We are seeing protests in many countries around the world over coronavirus restrictions and closures, among them France, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Russia and Hungary.

People are running out of patience.

The US and British governments have imposed a temporary ban on evictions, but tenants fear that they will find themselves on the street with their belongings after the ban is lifted and their inability to pay the accumulated arrears.

Parents with young children say they are terrified.

The death toll in the UK has exceeded 105,000, so the British government has nothing to boast about.

The late disruptive and lukewarm lockdown, combined with failure to adhere to the rules of social distancing, not only led to the outbreak of the virus but also caused the destruction of the economy.

It is true that almost all countries have not been able to survive the virus, but it seems that citizens of developed countries are suffering the most because many of those who live in Western democracies refuse to abide by the rules of social distancing, while they denounce wearing masks and consider it a violation of their personal freedoms.

The World Health Organization recommends that we have to live with the virus at the present time, and this means that we should adapt to the circumstances, not isolate ourselves and give in to despair, while we wonder where we will get our next meal?

If the "First World" countries continue to implement their harmful policies, the repercussions will be very dangerous, as happened after the Second World War.

If things continue like this, within six months, some "first world" countries will fight a harsh battle to avoid bankruptcy, not to mention the risk of facing widespread popular unrest.

They need to make firm plans and are determined to reinforce them.

China, which was the epicenter of the outbreak of the "Covid-19" epidemic, was able to fight the virus and maintain its economic balance, despite the fact that it includes the largest number of people among the countries of the world.

Western democracies must open their borders and allow their citizens to resume their normal lives while implementing strict measures to maintain public safety.

If these countries do not act and save their economies at the last minute, the repercussions will be very dire.