WORLD
WAR III – COVID-19 PANDEMIC
A HISTORY IN MAKING
Round
-1: Advantage China
The
year 2020 came with a horrendous gift from China – The Corona Virus. By the
time the world awakened to its lethality, it was already too late. By
mid-April, the death toll has risen to around one hundred thirty thousand and
the number of affected people to above two million. The worst affected are the
USA, Italy, Spain, Iran, France and Britain and almost all the countries across
the globe.
Till
this time the world is still ignorant about the cause. Some believe that the
virus crossed over from bats to humans from animal markets of Wuhan, while
others believe that it got leaked from a military Bio-chemical warfare
laboratory located on the outskirts of Wuhan.
Now,
while I call it a world war, obviously I subscribe to the latter theory. The
format below is how the History textbooks will record this history in making,
for the posterity.
CAUSES: After the dissolution of the USSR, the world
became unipolar. During the early 21st century, the largest splinter of
the erstwhile USSR, Russia, under President Vladimir Putin started to assert
itself as a super-power. By the end of the second decade, China revealed its
ambition as a superpower, trying to influence the balance of power against the USA
and the NATO by easing out its relations with Russia and some lesser powers
like North Korea.
2. The free trade and rising interdependence of all nations for
economic development became an all-important existential goal for everyone.
Profiteering became the single driving force for development. This gave birth
to big multinational companies, who went across the borders in search of cheap
labour and big markets for gaining higher profits. Borders became meaningless
for these companies and for their influential shareholders. Thus, ECONOMIC
IMPERIALISM raised its ugly head. Naturally, World War -III would be fought
for extending a country’s economic hegemony and consequently physical conquest!
3. With the economic influence becoming all-important, clash of
interests is its natural corollary. With China extending its economic influence,
through aggressive exports to the USA, Europe and countries in South-East Asia
including India, to Pakistan, Italy, and Spain through its ‘One Road, One Belt’
programme, it was becoming an eyesore, particularly to the USA and NATO.
4. In 1919, the showdown between the USA and China culminated in the economic war between the two. Stringent sanctions were clamped down against one
another. This was the right moment for China to go ahead with a full-fledged economic
war. How China planned to gain out of this war and get away with it, we will
soon know.
MAIN EVENTS: The virus was leaked out from its
Biochemical warfare facility in Wuhan in December 2019. One Dr. Lee, who was
later silenced by the PLA, detected the Virus and warned about its ability to
spread with lightning speed. However, China kept silent and informed the WHO
on 13th February after thousands of people were infected mortally by
the virus. By this time around 5 million people had left Wuhan for different
parts of the world. Maximum traveled to Italy and Spain, its one belt one road
partners and the USA and Europe, carrying the virus to these destinations.
2. Whether the leak was accidental or
intentional may not be known, but what followed after it was intentional and
well planned. Shocked? Yes, if not, how is it that while it spread like
wildfire in Wuhan, infecting around 80,000 people and killing around 4000 and
then crossing over to all parts of the world, while not spreading to other parts of
China? Shanghai and Beijing reported only a couple of deaths seemingly under
controlled conditions just to hoodwink the world. If it could stop the virus from spreading to other parts of China, why it could not stop its export from Wuhan
to the world outside China?
3. The only way to fight the onslaught of this virus is social
distancing and complete lockdown. All countries had to implement complete
lockdown while complete extinction is staring at their face. This shattered the
economy of the USA and Europe. Markets crashed and shares of powerful
multinationals tumbled.
4. By the end of March 2020, China claimed complete control
over Corona. The loss of the rest of the world was its gain. Without any loss of time
it started purchasing the shares of powerful multinationals, thereby attempting
to gain effective control over the affairs of such Companies in the name of
investment.
5. As the business houses have sizeable control in the polity
of western nations, China hopes to influence the decision making of these nations to
suit its economic interests and spatial hegemony.
CONCLUSION: If the world is able to survive the
pandemic during the next couple of weeks, China may be able to consolidate its
gains as it may be able to bring around the majority of nations to accept its
pleadings that it was also a victim of the circumstances.
However,
this seems to be very unlikely. The virus may claim more lives before
scientists stumble across some effective medication. Even China will shy away
from letting the world know of the antidote, even if it has one already, for
obvious reasons. It wouldn’t like the world to suspect that COVID-19 is a bioweapon. Therefore, the WAR will enter ROUND -2.
USA
has vehemently alleged that the pandemic went out of control because China
suppressed information of virus infection and WHO colluded with it. The cacophony
against China will rise as the death toll rises. The developed world will restrict free
trade by passing new laws. All nations will make renewed efforts to promote self-reliance
as a hallmark in their economic policies. Trade with China will go downhill
with its credibility touching the abyss. India will be a new destination for
cheap labour and a responsible market.
China
will have to pay heavily for its misadventure!
Round-2 will have the
potential of pushing the world to Round-3, the Atomic War!
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