CoronaWHYrus

International politics deals with the interaction between nations, State or non-State actors; coming together by forming institutions to tackle global issues and help the progression of society. I think that the role of these institutions is one that commands a lot of respect but is arguably not as powerful. I think that clever decision making on the part of these institutions, taking into account those affected by policy changes and the way to best incentivize them to achieve the wanted outcomes will have the biggest impact on the future of international relations. Taking the latest pandemic-the Corona Virus into focus, I am going to be discussing the roles of institutions and States, and how they deal with a global crisis such as this quickly transmissible virus.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) fulfills the information sharing functional role as it acts as a constant news update to the general public, regardless of which country they may belong too. This way people know that the disease is an airborne sickness that affects people with pre-existing immune problems, especially related to the respiratory system, and those above the age of 70. The WHO along with the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) identify that although the death rate is a mere 3%, it is easily contagious and hence can very quickly reach the vulnerable. The CDC also offers guidelines to the general public, dissuading them from meeting in groups of more than 35 (such as concerts, parties or the Tokyo 2020 Olympics) and health recommendations like avoiding touching one's face and the use and importance of hand sanitizers and breathing masks. Without these organizations, the masses wouldn’t know the necessary precautions to be taken and the seriousness of this problem. 

Another major area affected by this pandemic is international travel. After country after country gets hit with this virus, they are forced to prioritize the health and interests of their citizens more than anything. Keating discusses this aspect of States - how governments view people with different citizenship. A personal example will help solidify this connection-I am a US citizen born to two Indian passport holders who grew up in India with different citizenship known as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). Indian passport holders are welcome back in the country at any time, but OCI cardholders such as myself cannot return to the country unless we arrived on Thursday the 12th of March. Keating argues that States and institutions can absolve responsibility owed to a group of people by just invalidating their citizenship based on ethnicity or place of birth. Although I pose the same (or debatably lower) potential threat as my Indian passport holding counterparts studying elsewhere in the US or the world, the Indian government needn’t worry about the medical responsibility owed to us if the place a restricted travel ban on the country. 

In late February, China banned the consumption and cultivation of wild animals-a sign of institutionalized social change. This virus and the subsequent international dialogue that took place between the general public, health officials and the WHO (and other international organizations) led to a change in the norms in society. Eating wild animals such as bats and snakes will soon develop a stigma and like Tabborak argues in their Nuclear Taboo theory, eating wild animals could soon be a taboo. Years of non-consumption would solidify the taboo which would encourage non-consumption and the cycle would continue. Spreading the understanding of the consequences of eating wild animals (CoronaVirus as well as Ebola) fulfills the norm-developing social role, and could help avoid a future potential pandemic that may arise from such traditions.

In conclusion, I am royally ticked off that a concert I was supposed to go to in Chicago got postponed indefinitely till we figure out what the hell is going on with this Virus. Apart from feeling like I’m living a dystopian, Maze Runner meets Allegiance sci-fi novel, I believe that the power that institutions and our elected officials have right now is more than enough to make effective change. Money for research should be pumped into health organizations like the WHO and the CDC so we can truly understand more of the disease. Governments must look outside their own nations and see that this is no longer a problem that can be solved without international cooperation-poorer nations should be helped out through money and kind. The nature of this virus is such that a simple travel ban isn’t going to mitigate enough the potential havoc it's going to wreak. Quarantine centers must be set up to handle the capacity of patients and they must get admitted as soon as possible to avoid more spreading. Similar to the 123-year-old legislation reinvoked in my Southern State of Karnataka in India, those who refuse medical treatment are liable for prosecution. It is no longer just an issue of ‘I’m not going to die if I get it’ because the next step is infecting other people as well. 

In further conclusion, I hold faith that we as a collection of nations can come together and solve this issue. Like the ban of CFCs and the recuperation of our ozone layer, countries tend to work better together fighting a common problem rather than when it’s a conflict of interests between States or groups. Countries also tend to work more cooperatively when the problem is one that affects all. This pandemic is problem enough that the entire world is practically shutting down-unlike the fires in just Australia or the Rohingya refugee displacement in just Burma. In other crude words, people are more involved as they’re forced to give a shit because they are more likely to be affected. I hope this positive attitude is what gets me through the Spring term and I hope more than anything that this health regression can be halted as soon as possible so I can safely come to school in the Fall term!