Post-Pandemic World: Al Jazeera

Responses to crisis that resist fear, focusing on analysis and repair, will minimize damage. The liberal international order that emerged after World War II was “ gradually eroded by the combined forces of globalisation, poverty and the unresponsiveness of mainstream political parties to local discontent,” explains Fahd Humayun for Al Jazeera. Recent erosion of that order led to inequality, protectionism and reduced trust. The pandemic could reinforce such values or expose their futility. Humayun expresses optimism that the pandemic may blunt hyper-individualism: “While even the liberal global north takes drastic steps to isolate, quarantine and restrict the movement of citizens, in the long-term, the pandemic will likely demonstrate that a world without safety nets, cooperation and deep cross-border engagement is no longer tenable.” Leaders who rejected expertise and failed to prepare won't escape investigations with misinformation and belligerence. Cooperation on travel, trade, distribution of protective equipment, public health and financial strategies along with solidarity and generosity could end the crisis. The world will assess responses. Humayun concludes that COVID-19 may be a moral reckoning for governments on policies endorsing inequality, short-term thinking and environmental destruction. – YaleGlobal