I am deeply puzzled by something. Western governments are spending billions of Euros – or trillions of US$ – in saving their economies from a massive (economic) fall-out of Covid-19. China does not seem to be spending such amounts. To the contrary. Why?
Allegedly, China will even report economic growth for 2020, although its quarterly reports do show some (economic) fall-out of Covid-19: Q1: – 6.8% versus Q2: +3.2% versus Q3: +4.9%. Why are cause and effect of Covid-19 so different between Chinese and Western economies?
Recently, CNN reported that China is significantly underreporting its coronavirus fatalities (see Sunday’s blog). Hence, it’s possible – and perhaps even likely – that China is also underreporting its (economic) fall-out of Covid-19.
On 11 March 2020, the WHO finally decided to declare Covid-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), despite reports from Wuhan in December 2019 – and possibly even late August 2019 (eg, BBC, Harvard). The WHO decision was most likely delayed by China’s incorrect, incomplete and late reporting, and its political pressure on the WHO.
While China is not handling Covid-19 as a pandemic, Western governments are:
“Under the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR), States have a legal duty to respond promptly to a PHEIC.” (Wiki) Note: bold and italic markings by LO.
In general, the answer(s) to my Why questions above can be found by following the money. A money trail usually shows who benefits. In the absence of a beneficiary, there was neither a (master) plan nor a conspiracy. I fail to see clear beneficiaries in the above.
The only logical explanation that remains is the “infinity of human stupidity“, a paraphrase of a quote by Albert Einstein. Also see my 2020 blog on The Peter principle and human stupidity.
The only thing you could argue is that China is benefitting from Western stupidity. That would explain Chinese gloating on the efficacy (or ruthlessness) of its political system during Covid-19.
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.” A quote by Ernest Benn, often misattributed to Groucho Marx.
Stephen Colbert & Stupidity (2003)
video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2, Wiki-3 The Daily Show 9 July 2003
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise.
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