The World Is at a Dangerous Crossroads on 'China Virus' and US 'Political Virus'

Abstract

As of 17 October 2020, the novel coronavirus without vaccination has resulted in 1,109,654 deaths; the United States is leader in total cases of 8,288,278 and 223,644 deaths with the mortality rate of 2.7%. While the virus is in its 2nd wave of resurgence, this is a crucial time for unity to fight against the invisible coronavirus, and this is the only way to defeat it. Leaders of nations across the world (President Trump in particular) should be extra careful at a time like this and avoid using xenophobic language that may create stigma. Attaching a disease caused by a virus to a nation and calling it “China virus”, “Wuhan virus”, “Chinese virus”, or “Asian virus” is an ugly case of US ‘bullying’ and US ‘political virus’. Coronavirus (also known as COVID-19, and in virology defined as SARS-CoV-2) recognizes no borders, ethnicities, or skin colors; moreover, the virus spares no people and nations based on levels of wealth and economic status. Political leaders, government officials, and medical experts commit an unlawful act by describing the novel coronavirus as China virus, trying to influence others with words without accuracy and empathy will only result in a dangerous spike in abhorrence, racism, aggression, stigma, and xenophobic attacks. Although unilateral economic sanctions have become the centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration, this low cost/low risk combatant has been ineffective in exerting the “maximum economic pressure” on rogue nations to deter their malign activities. Abundance of research on the topic shows that unwarranted sanctions without multilateral support do not work well as a security tool. Iran and North Korea are two examples that the increased US abuse of sanctions and its use of the dollar as a weapon of mass economic destruction have produced trivial results, not mentioning that all parties involved have been adversely affected.

Keywords: China Virus; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Sanctions; US Political Virus

JEL Classification: O31, G12, E42, E50, F60, C40, Q32, Q54, H23, I10