Human Rights Online Philippines

The coronavirus is the monstrous product of the present nefarious global system

The whole world now is once again in the middle of an international humanitarian crisis whose extent and magnitude are utterly pervasive. This is brought about by a virus which is now pandemic and threatens the whole existence of humanity.

The coronavirus which started in Wuhan, China late last year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) now affects 210 countries across the globe. This worldwide scourge is reminiscent of the Bubonic plague and the Spanish Flu. The first one was triggered by Europe’s thirst and greed for new colonies. Hence, it is the deadly product of colonialism.

While the latter emerged during the First World War between the most powerful empires and rich countries.

Hence, it is the fatal offspring of Imperialism.

Throughout the course of human history, every time a virus will emerge, there is an on-going war between the rich and the powerful and as always the victims of the virus or plaque that they cause are the vulnerable people, the poor, the marginalized, the outcast, the wreathed of the earth.

Today, my view is that this so-called corona or Covid-19 or Wuhan virus is continuing manifestations, inherent detects natural abnormalities, and imbued ills of the prevailing global economic system whose features are international finance and consolidation of capital.

Sad but true, this monstrous virus is the latest product or curse spawn by capitalism!
I substantially agree with Filippo Grandi and Michelle Bachelet that this “coronavirus outbreak is a test of our systems, values, and humanity”. (See, The Telegraph, March 10th).

This reminded me of the line said by Joker (2008):

“See their morals, their code, it’s a joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They’re only as good as the world allows them to be. I’ll show you. When the chips are down, these civilized people, they’ll eat each other. See, I’m not a monster… I’m just ahead of the curse.”

Indeed, our guy Joker is not a monster, rather he was made a monster but evil and monstrous system that is based on commodity and biofuel industry. He is not even a curse. The curse is the system of capital and we are all victims of this evil system, including those idiots who taught they can tame and control its erratic powers.

The coronavirus is the incontestable evidence of the hypocrisy and weakness of the global system; a system that is based on the exploitation of man by man, a system that frowns upon at universal health care and a system that is pretending to be equal, humane and inclusive.

The sad and brutal truth is that the alleged “value” of this system is not humanity, but undeniably exclusivity, discrimination, and indeed, inhumanity.

The values of this system are madness and barbarity!

Where can you find an international system wherein the people of the world are already dying by the thousands all across the globe, but the mindset and the aim of the powers that be in their business interest, profits, and further income?

In the words of Karl Marx:

“There must be something rotten in the very core of a social system which increases its wealth without diminishing its misery…”

Nonetheless, all is not lost for mankind.

In an immediate and prompt sense, we have to execute the cogent proposal and rational suggestions lucidly laid down by Filippo Grandi and Michelle Bachelet:
a. The need for international solidarity and multilateral systems are more vital than ever,
b. We must accelerate the work of building equitable and accessible public health care,
c. Our response to this crisis must be grounded in the principles of public trust, transparency, respect, and empathy for the most vulnerable.
Who are they?

The most vulnerable as always are those people and nations that are poor, whose health care infrastructure is weak, if not completely inadequate, the immigrants, the prostitutes, the dirty workers, the street urchins, the refugees and other similarly situated desperate folks and voiceless human beings living for the gutter and bottom of society.

Why is that that the world must come together and unite to defeat this latest phantom menace and challenge?

We have no choice, because if we will not unite — then there is a possibility that this virus wipes a great score of us, if not a human annihilation whose scope is beyond our comprehension.

I know that in the end man will win, we shall survive and overcome. But the pertinent questions are: to what cause? To what ends?

Is it enough to uphold the intrinsic rights of every human being? That we aspire, desire to invent the necessary drug, vaccine, or solution to the present menace and to learn our lesson on this for future reference?

Though undeniably they are also important and utterly necessary, in my view, this is all shortsightedness and incontestably preposterous.

Why?

Until the poor, the marginalized and oppressed peoples of the world rise up to overthrow this prevailing evil system that creates, spawns and produces these sicknesses, calamities and catastrophic viruses due to the insatiable greed and lust for power, money, and privileges only for the few elite and minority individuals that control the whole operations of the system and owns the world financial establishment, all these viruses, calamities, and catastrophic mayhem will keep on coming to haunt humanity and shall continue to spread deaths, famines, pestilence, destruction of our true human values and global miseries.

Hence, working-class peoples of the world and common folks, listen to this call:

The abolition of this evil system that creates the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for our real and true happiness. Hence, I call on you all to give up your good for nothing illusions about these fantastic conditions and ardently persuades you to give up a condition that requires illusions.

Capitalism is far more sinister and deadlier than the coronavirus, sars, and ebola combined.

The choice is ours!

Rosa Luxemburg is correct when she asked and dared us to choose: “Barbarism or Socialism?”

Jose Mario De Vega

Philosophy Instructor
Department of Philosophy and Humanities
College of Arts and Letters
Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Ph.D. Student
Asian Center
University of the Philippines

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