Experts are rushing to express different \nviews and contemplate the ramifications of the spread of this infectious\n disease. Meanwhile, the world faces lethal cost of containing and \neventually controlling this virus in terms of economic decay and public \nhealth crisis of a magnitude unforeseen in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More specifically, however, \npoverty-stricken countries and those still engulfed in a civil war, \nincluding refugees, migrant workers, and asylum seekers, will wind up \ngetting the short ends of the stick. Most predictions point to the epic\n event of our time surpassing the great depression of the 1930s, with \ndeadly consequences, including the rise of extremism, mass suffering, \nsocioeconomic inequality, economic collapse, and possibly social unrest.\n It is not clear when the world exits from national lockdowns and \u201cstay\n at home\u201d strategy. If there is an agreement among experts, it is that\n going back to normal is impossible in the short term, as parts of the \nworld await a long recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What would the world be like in the post-coronavirus pandemic era?
\n Some experts, such as Stephen M. Walt, argue that populist politicians \nwill exploit this pandemic as yet another opportunity to blame refugees,\n migrants, and asylum seekers for the outbreak. Clearly, they push for \nclosing borders and adopting anti-globalization measures in the name of \nnationalism and economic protectionism. Others argue that the pandemic \nwill strengthen the state and bolster nationalism. Different governments\n will adopt emergency measures to curb the crisis and many will be \nreluctant to give up these newfound powers when the crisis is over. The\n coronavirus, Walt continues, will also expedite the \u201cshift in power and\n influence from west to east\u201d (Foreign Policy, March 20, 2020). The \nresult will be a world that is bereft of social justice, shared \nprosperity, environmental sustainability, and basic freedoms. \nConsequently, U.S. competence will be disputed, and its global influence\n likely to sharply decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, Richard N. Haass, the author of A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order (2017) argues that the post-coronavirus world will not be dramatically different from the one that came before it. \u00a0\u201cCOVID-19,\u201d Haass continues, \u201cwill not so much change the basic direction of world history as accelerate it.\u201d \u00a0The world that emerges from this crisis, Haass insists, will be familiar: \u201cWaning American leadership, faltering global cooperation, great power discord\u201d\u2014features that have come to accurately describe the U.S. declining leadership role in the world (Foreign Affairs, April 7, 2020). \u00a0Well before this virus overwhelmed the globe, Haass asserts, there had already been a drastic drop in the appeal of the US model. The pandemic is certain to heighten friction between the United States and China, while also reinforcing the democratic recession that has characterized the world since the 9\/11 attacks on the United States. Now more than ever, the possibility of a new Cold War between the United States China looms large. \u00a0There will be greater support for a larger government role in society, particularly in the form of curbing the movement of populations or providing economic aid. \u00a0Under such circumstances, civil liberties and political freedoms will be significantly restricted.
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Still, others argue that abandoning democratic norms will come with a hefty price, underscoring the need to assess the performance of authoritarian regimes in terms of alleviating poverty, protecting rights, and tackling socioeconomic and racial disparities. \u00a0The need for global coordination becomes so urgent that it would require cooperation at all levels\u2014international, national, and local. \u00a0Each country has much to learn from the experiences of the rest. \u00a0An ardent defender of liberal internationalism, G. John Ikenberry posits that in the future, while we may see the increasing great power rivalry in a divided and violent world, nation-states are likely to cooperate to achieve security and prosperity for all. \u00a0It is plausible that in the long term, Ikenberry writes, \u201cdemocracies will come out of their shells to find a new type of pragmatic internationalism (quoted in The Guardian, March 28, 2020). \u00a0While most liberal democrats acknowledge that this global pandemic could widen the divisions between countries and possibly fuel anti-migrant sentiments, there is a good chance it will buttress international cooperation, support for an international organization such as UN, and a willingness to seek negotiations rather than military and economic clash.
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Meanwhile, in the absence of global leadership and cooperation, traumatic effects of coronavirus will leave unresolved the possibility of the return of the liberal order narrative, making a critical assessment of the pandemic\u2019s disruptive consequences all the more urgent. \u00a0US Senator Bernie Sanders, along with several other Democrats, have asked the Trump administration to lift sanctions on Iran in light of the fact that the country is facing a humanitarian disaster in its campaign against coronavirus. \u00a0There is evidence that the sanctions have reduced Iran’s capacity to curb the outbreak. \u00a0Absent global cooperation and sustainable\/coordinated efforts, the future waves of this virus will be even more threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBy Mahmood Monshipouri, professor at San Francisco State University\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Experts are rushing to express different views and contemplate the ramifications of the spread of this infectious disease. Meanwhile, the world faces lethal cost of containing and eventually controlling this virus in terms of economic decay and public health crisis of a magnitude unforeseen in the past. More specifically, however, poverty-stricken countries and those still […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,1,6],"tags":[1093,1069,639,1094,1092],"yoast_head":"\n