An open letter to the people of the world

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Dear people,

The battle we have waged against the COVID-19 pandemic created by the novel coronavirus will ultimately culminate in an all-out economic war and this war has begun already. As the battle intensifies, the world is sinking into an epic catastrophe. As all the nations act to avoid the catastrophe, each is expected to be taking the steps dictated by the rules of economics.

One question, however, arises – why such a tearing hurry for fiscal steps? Instead of focusing on containing the spread of COVID-19, why is the economic front being opened up?

The slew of economic measures seems to be iterating that unless the factories are put into motion immediately, the wheels of progress might be jammed forever. Perhaps such an outlook is tempered by the mores of traditional economic philosophy.

But in light of the current situation, was it impossible to seek or conceive an alternative outside traditional economics? That harsh reality inflicted by the coronavirus upon our economies should have spurred us to consider what solutions might lie outside the realm of traditional economic theories, and the explorations of possibilities of a new economic construct might as well become the new normal, to effectively break out of the contours of traditional economics for experimenting with new paradigms and bid to discover new economics.

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As yet, we do not fully understand the nature of the coronavirus and we do not know where this will end.
Also, we are yet unable to comprehend the effects of the virus upon the physiology and psychology of the affected population and neither do we know of future repercussions in terms of physiological or psychological risks amongst those who are now being healed. And without any regard for these outcomes, there are steps being taken to pump prime the economy. Are the leaders of our world disinclined to confront the prospect of the deaths of millions? Many are questioning, instead of focusing on containing the coronavirus, why was it more important to lay stress on economics? Given the collective will and a universal effort, could the virus not be contained within a matter of a period of time, say three or four months? Did the leaders of our world consider concerted action using uniform policies to confront the crisis that now engulfs the world?

The failure of diverse, disconcerted attempts by various nations to control the coronavirus is telling that unplanned, uncoordinated steps will be unable to contain the pandemic. To bear in mind, half measures like half lockdown or half a health infrastructure are ineffective and there are no alternatives to a worldwide lockdown and a robust system of healthcare, preferably under the supervision of the United Nations. This will need billions truly, at least to provide food and other needs for billions under a universal lockdown. The question that arises is from where these billions will come? To which one answer is those who have capital will provide. Nations, business enterprises, capitalists are ones who have the capital. A counter-question is why nations, corporations, capitalists will open their coffers? For a singular logic – unless coronavirus is controlled completely, the wealth of nations, corporations, capitalists, no matter in which strongholds they are stored, will become worthless. To assume that economies will remain functional while coronavirus still runs rife is but a fallacy. In this fight against the coronavirus, the stalling of the economy and possible depletion of financial resources are acceptable risks for nations, corporations and capitalists. If people survive, the global economy will start functioning once more. Time and again, mankind started from scratch and rebuilt. The peoples of our world must in unison, determinedly, rekindle the world economy in the post coronavirus future.

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In the course of reconstructing world economy, we will be forced to debate the rectitude of the economic order as we know of it today; we will debate whether it has been used to threaten mankind; we will debate how far laissez-faire economics was to blame. Wasn't free trade to blame for polluting, darkening our horizons? The realities today are telling us, compelling us, to audit the anti-nature stance of contemporary economics.

Regrettably, however, the concerns for the environment or for that matter, an impending natural disaster, pale in comparison with those that are being brought to bear upon the economic crisis.

While the connection between environmental disaster, climate change and the spread of the coronavirus isn't yet conclusively proven, this can't yet be dismissed out of hand. It's now for the people to bring to bear upon our world the significance of such analyses.

As a citizen of the world, in deliberations of an economic revival, I think due consideration must be accorded to the notion of environmental disaster. The reality, as we see it today, is reminding us that it is high time we assessed which economic and political actions are going against nature and these thence ought to be banned. Clearly, civic planning, mass transport, fashion and food are being accused of excesses. Worst is the towering injustice of war and the power-plays in an unbridled arms race that have a direct negative impact on nature and humankind.

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Our ecosystems form the edifice on which our lives and livelihoods are constructed.

Consequently, ours is one of those prime responsibilities to determine a balance that preserves our nature. And from nature, must we derive that path; upon a path illuminated by the wisdom of nature we need to walk, if we are to enlighten ourselves, our lives, our lifestyles. And this path we must seek using mainly the applications of sciences.

Not only inventing the new, but the natural sciences also seek to discover the largest and tiniest phenomena, like the mirroring of the universe in nuclei. But not all the lofty philosophies of the sciences are instantly comprehensible for the layman while the laws of motion and heat are understood widely, exemplifiable is a liquid that turns dense at 4 degrees Celsius to form ice and evaporates into vapour at 100 degrees – the three states of water depends upon heat and the application of electricity that bares its chemistry of hydrogen and oxygen.

Outside the physical sciences, the life sciences keep on studying the evolving nature of life – cells, bacteria, viruses – the three sisters at creation's dawn. The cell proliferated, evolved. The bacteria and virus having failed, are at odds with the chemistry of the cell, attacking oft and on the cells in both plants and animals, alike the coronavirus that now targets humans in a cataclysm hitherto unknown, that tiny organism now humbling mankind's vanity about progress and development, sending our scientists scurrying for microscopes, ventilators, masks, PPE, drugs, vaccines.

Which begets the question: if the right steps are followed, might the virus be contained? Yes, in light of the facts that have emerged, this virus can be contained, the foolproof condition being the confinement of the entire mankind within their homes. For the time being. And confinement means confinement. Caveats like "if" and "necessity" are most avoidable. People must simply not set foot outside their homes.

In this context, observe two simple laws of nature. The application of heat will separate sugar in a suspension with water with the vapour condensing to its liquid state upon cooling. But unless heated to the right temperature for an optimum amount of time, the suspension will yield only partial results. After partial heating, if left to cool before returning the suspension to the process of reheating, the calories used earlier would have been wasted. Similarly, anything below the required voltage of electricity in a scheme of hydrolysis will be unable to split water into oxygen and hydrogen.

Inadequate temperature or electricity does not fetch desired results and instead is wasteful. Similarly, half a lockdown will be a waste of time and opportunity. There is no alternative to total lockdown and there is no alternative but to provide the billions that will be needed to finance such a lockdown. And it goes beyond saying that the nations of our world and their economic infrastructure will have to provide the sums of money.

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In this situation where we are combating the coronavirus crisis, if the state, the financial-commercial infrastructure and the capitalists fail to fulfil their roles, if they cannot bear the public responsibility, then the people of the world can be justified in raising the question, why did we nurture these political leaders? Why has the public spent so much for the upkeep of the political establishment? Why have you built these political edifices? To which end, the industry and transport infrastructure? What have you gained out of these great experiments with fashion, styles, food, sport? Is the massive economic infrastructure actually so feeble that it will not be able to support mankind in a deep crisis? To politics, is it only the right to tax and rule?

We have been mistaken, we have taken the wrong route. Of all the messages from this coronavirus, perhaps the most significant is this: our perception about the ring of security that surrounds us may be false. Beyond doubt, coronavirus will compel us to rethink about everything that is natural, political, economic, philosophical, religious, historical, social and what not else. It will be the most terrible fallacy to expect redemption if we chart a course based on previous experience. Upon such a path, we shall be misled.

In conclusion, I appeal to you as a fellow citizen that you must strive to create a nature-friendly society, a differently benign political atmosphere, a new economic order in a new world.

Thank you,

A fellow citizen of your world