CC BY
17
«
I
SCIENCE TIME
I
IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Zharaspaeva Ayaulym Asilbekovna, Astana International University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
E-mail: aaulymzaraspaeva@gmail.com
Abstract. This essay includes information about the impact of Covid 19 on International Relations. Specifically, how it affected capitalistic system, U.S. authority, increased racism towards asian race and generally changed countless lives.
Key words: international relations, Covid-19, capitalism, USA.
Covid-19 pandemic appeared unexpectedly and created changes in many spheres - starting from our personal lives to the international politics. International Relations is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states, in a broader sense - it concerns all activities between states-such as war, diplomacy, trade, and foreign policy. International Relations are an unstable field and system itself and the pandemic has created even more instability within that system. Even though scientists have warned us all about upcoming diseases that are the consequences of authorities turning a blind eye towards global warming, our medicine also was not developed enough to handle it right away, so the vulnerable political system and majority of population of our planet had taken in many damages [1].
This lock-down led to all of us being worried about the future of our states. Many people lost their jobs, others were not able to afford even essential things as food, supplies for working or studying from home, medicine etc. The world politics built by the principles of capitalistic ideologies came across very hard times. However, it made it clear once again that capitalism as a system is and always has been unstable and unreliable. Countries like U.S. neglected the fact that their citizens are dying from virus and government kept delaying the lock-down for working class. Authorities of U.S. justify their actions by saying that all of the sacrifices were made for the sake of economy or blame China for the transmission of the virus, instead of immediately handling the situation and offering more affordable health care system for their citizens. The United States is the fourth largest country in the world in area (after Russia, Canada, and China) they also have big influence on world politics. Just like U.S South Korea also faced the virus. South Korea in 2020 was at the front pages of
»
6
1 SCIENCE TIME 1
world's media after China for countless covid cases. South Korea introduced what was considered one of the largest and best-organized epidemic control programs in the world, along with Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Various measures have been taken to mass test the population for the virus, and isolate any infected people as well as trace and quarantine those they had contact with, without any further lockdown [2; 3].
No matter how much states will claim to be democratic, like U.S. - it is obvious that everything is deeply rooted in capitalism. Therefore, capitalism is rooted and built on classism and racism. There are also no possible ethic ways of becoming rich and gaining power besides exploitation. Working class at the bottom of that system are used and exploited as "cannon fodder". Expectedly once again in this pandemic -working class are used to feed and fence the people at the top from the global issues. After analyzing the position of capitalism after pandemic, some politicians, and economists as Richard Wolf, are predicting the final end of capitalism. The end of capitalism will hopefully bring new possibilities in the international politics and help to get rid of systematic classism - that has been around for many centuries [4].
As was mentioned previously, the authorities, specifically 45th president of the United States - Donald Trump, after neglecting the growing problems with the virus in his states, selfishly blamed China and Chinese people for the transmission of the virus, which later on increased already existing systematic racism towards not only Chinese people but also towards whole Asian race. In addition, Asian people of different ethnicities were harassed, beaten up, called slurs, and killed in USA, Australia and European countries. Asian-Americans and Asian tourists for obvious reasons started to feel unsafe and that later on affected tourism of mostly white-populated countries. Asian people that immigrated in these countries hoping to find safer and better home or better education, had to suffer yet again due to recklessness of the government. That of course led to Asian countries, specifically East-Asian countries not wanting to cooperate with U.S. and other countries with mostly white population. That, furthermore, for sure had some impact on economy and tourism of previously mentioned states. This situation can also be provided as a great reminder that every action has its consequences. All named events affected the lives of millions of people and of course the unstable system of international relations. In 2020, there were 279 hate crime events against people of Asian heritage, compared to 158 instances in 2019.More than 60% of hate crimes in the United States were carried out on the basis of an individual's race, according to FBI data release [5].
Society is waiting for the moment when the world goes back to its "normal" condition. What we are forgetting or intentionally ignoring is that the "normal" has changed, just like it did hundreds of times in just 21st century alone. This demonstrates our ability to adapt. International relations just like humankind have the ability to adapt and capability to be flexible.
1 SCIENCE TIME 1
References:
1. Pandemic and World Politics [Электронный ресурс]. - Режим доступа: https://the-steppe.com/gorod/koronavims-i-politika-kak-pandemiya-povliyaet-na-mezhdunarodnye-otnosheniya
2. [Электронный ресурс]. - Режим доступа: https://www.cambridge.org/core/ journals/international-organization/article/song-remains-the-same-intemational-relations-after-covid19/C0FAED193AEBF0B09C5ECA551D174525
3. [Электронный ресурс]. - Режим доступа: https://academic.oup.com/ia/ article/96/5/1227/5901405?login=true
4. Capitalism: Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism by Michael Parenti.
5. Racism towards Asian population [Электронный ресурс]. - Режим доступа: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56218684
6. [Электронный ресурс]. - Режим доступа: https://s.abcnews.com/images/ US/200228_vod_orig_voices_attacksAA_hpMain_16x9_384.jpg
»
8
