blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M
1. Many of us must have read or seen the film on the wars of the world. I believe it was based on fiction written by H.G. Wells.
2. In this story creatures from another planet rocketed on to this planet earth and attacked it. They intended to conquer the world.
3. Mankind set their armies to defend our world. There was no mention of any particular country.
4. Humanity was facing a common enemy. We had to be together to defend this planet. Fortunately the aliens were killed not by our defence forces but by germs which infected the aliens. They had no knowledge about infectious diseases and had no antibiotics. The disease killed the aliens and the world was saved.
5. The aliens from other planet were our common enemy and we fought against them as the people of this planet earth.
6. Today the peoples of this earth are being attacked by a common enemy; the coronary virus. We should be fighting this common enemy together. But we are not. Each country fights for itself alone. What happens to other countries is of no concern to other countries.
7. The richest country in the world actually reject the organisation dedicated to the management of the health of the world.
8. The United Nations (UN) had set up a World Health Organisation (WHO) obviously for the benefit of the whole world. It was funded by the countries of the world. But the richest country in the world decided to stop funding WHO.
9. Yet this common enemy is not only common for all the countries of the world but is so powerful that no one on their own can defend themselves. The economies of all countries have gone into recession.
10. When vaccines were developed, the rich countries secured practically all the supplies for themselves.
11. Since the World Health Organisation have been deprived of funds, it is in no position to supply vaccines to the poor countries. And no attempt is made to have a central command to deal with this common enemy.
12. As hundreds of thousands die from the attack by this common enemy, many saw only the financial gain to be derived from the vaccine manufacturing industry. Admittedly much money is needed to develop and produce the vaccines. But access should not be limited to those who can pay only. It is possible that some countries and some people will never be immune to the disease.
13. Mutations are a problem. In fact it is possible that the present strain had mutated from some harmless strain. If the poor people are not protected through vaccine, the researchers may develop new strains which can result in another pandemic.
14. The Central Command should be strongly financed and given power to control the distribution of the vaccine so that rich and poor could be protected. Research must be controlled by the central body because it is entirely possible for new lethal strains to emerge and accidentally let loose on the world.
15. What we all must realise is that a common enemy need not come from another planet. It has been shown that it is entirely possible for a common enemy for all the people in our planet to be produced here, in our backyard so to speak.
16. It is important that we have a common front to face this common enemy. The World Health Organisation must be given the authority to licence research and oversee their work. We face the danger of research producing another virus which may wipe out all living things in this world.
17. Don’t laugh. It has already happened. And look at the destruction COVID-19 has wrought.
