The hidden economic war behind the coronavirus outbreak

By Robert Inlakesh

Robert Inlakesh is a journalist, writer and political analyst, who has lived in and reported from the occupied Palestinian West Bank. He has written for publications such as Mint Press, Mondoweiss, MEMO, and various other outlets. He specializes in analysis of the Middle East, in particular Palestine-Israel. He also works for Press TV as a European correspondent.

The coronavirus pandemic is generating fear, the world over, with the numbers of confirmed cases growing exponentially. Countries around the world are now enforcing lockdowns, with the virus having had direct consequences on the lives of millions and has understandably drawn the attention of the entire world's media. But whilst Covid-19 is a concern, the bigger implications and war going on, are not due to the virus itself, but the economic impacts which come as a direct result of the measures taken to fight the virus.

Whilst most people, rightfully so, are concerned about what is going to happen with their own lives, jobs and properties as well as the prices of goods, and availability of those goods, the issue which is being continually ignored is the silent trade war, between the US and China, and the measures that are being taken to reshape the economies of the world. This issue is key because it explains the direction that governments are currently going and the incentives behind their actions.

Prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the economies of countries like the United States and Australia, for example, were already in a steep decline and we can track predictions of a coming recession in both these countries, back to well over a year from the beginning of the spread of the coronavirus to these nations.

In the United States, government miss-management, an ongoing trade war and huge crop losses had already added to a deeply debt plagued economy which was on the verge of financial recession, something that now seems to have been completely blamed on the coronavirus outbreak. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic has had a massive effect on the US economy and it would be insincere to suggest otherwise, but the pandemic itself is not the sole cause of the US’s current predicament.

Last year, roughly 50% of the US’s corn crop was lost and as a result, the US which is the largest producer of corn worldwide has resorted to buying additional corn from Brazil. Also things like cow meat are now being purchased from Brazil by the United States. This is significant to note as there are now experts projecting that there will be possible food shortages in the US in the coming months.

Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 in the US, there was also a loss of jobs reported in a number of sectors, affected by the trade-war with China. In fact shipping containers were just not arriving at some points and some docks were reported as empty. It was predicted that if the Chinese economy was to continue its economic growth, at its current rate, it would have an economy two and a half the size of the US’s economy within around 40 years.

Prior to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, we have seen over the past years the distancing of NATO member allies. Feuds between the US and its European allies, leading to sanctions, feuds between Turkey and its NATO member allies such as the US and also the likes of Greece and Italy. In fact when NATO member States last convened, we saw verbal battles and signs of States going in several different directions on policy.

Also now with Russia playing a major role in the oil world, it is clear that there is currently a re-positioning of global power, one that the US cannot simply ignore if it wishes to maintain its place at the top of the food chain. Russia has major leverage over Turkey, as well as leverage over the Syrian government and a healthy relationship with another regional powerhouse, Iran.

The United States is losing its power in the Middle East, its regime change project in Syria failed and now Iran and Russia have secured Syria as a key regional ally. Their “nation building” project in Iraq also completely failed to empower the United States and instead it remains there with only two options on the table; complete withdrawal or re-invasion in order to secure the West of the country for a Sunni autonomous sectarian State.

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China’s relationship with Iran is also stronger now than ever. US sanctions have failed to destroy Iran, despite the effects upon the people of Iran which we have seen at its most ugly during the ongoing pandemic.

In the West, it has been clear since the 2016 Presidential elections and even from before that time, that the media has sought to demonise Russia. Now we are seeing some of the very same with the Chinese government, with presenters on the likes of Sky News calling the era we are in now, a new Cold War.

A New Cold War?

Providing a little of the context to the current predicament, it is now easy to argue that the world could be moving towards a new Cold War-esk era. An Eastern versus Western block style race for power as it was portrayed in the past.

It is very possible that due to the economic impacts of the current ongoing Pandemic and the fact that the United Kingdom will exit, that the European Union could, if not fall apart completely, be severely weakened. The UK now seems to be going in the direction of the neo-Conservative led United States and will be a major ally of the States in years to come, meaning it will follow the US into any possible wars it wishes to be engaged in.

In the United States, there are currently in excess of 10 million people unemployed - a number which beats anything previously recorded by more than ten fold - meaning that many will remain that way after the crisis. The stimulus bill introduced by the Trump administration essentially provided for the biggest corporate bailout in human history, with no strings attached, whilst the ordinary working people received a one-time payment, essentially amounting to crumbs. The actions of the US government will mean imminent death for most small businesses. So whilst small business is destroyed, the big corporations and banks have received the biggest bailouts ever, with no strings attached.

This means that the Trump Administration has, yet again, made the wealthy even richer. But what this also means, is that the Federal Reserve has now been granted even greater powers over the Banks of America and that the centralization of power has just occurred. Everything will essentially go through big business and the Fed will have more power.

In the United Kingdom we see a very similar thing, although there has been more protection for the people than over in the United States. In the UK, many small businesses will be obliterated as the government backed loan scheme they have introduced, protects the banks and not the people, and has meant for some that they are being given loans at 22% interest.

The reason why it is important to discuss the re-shaping of Western economies, is because this shows a real concerted effort on their behalf to dramatically change the way they operate. It is as if they have used this current Covid-19 crisis in order to effectively reshape the future and pave the way for a new era of power and politics.

Should We Be Concerned?

If this current crisis ends and the Orwellian laws that have been introduced all over the Western World are maintained then this is a real reason to be concerned. This could be the official ending to the “freedom” that the West brags so much about.

On top of that, we have to think of all of the joblessness, broken businesses, possible food shortages, food price spikes etc., which could be caused as a result of the lockdowns currently in place. We also have to consider people’s mental health, their physical health and the fact that the government will not be there to protect the people. They have engineered a neo-liberal order of individual pursuit for material wealth, leading to a mass consumer culture and as a result of these community-less societies we live in, we can expect disorder in the West.

We also have to think about what the future stimulus to our Western economies will be. Looking back at our governments pasts; there is ample evidence to suggest that war will be that shot of adrenaline to kick-start our economies once again.

There is much more than meets the eye when it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic and the governments of the Western World remain an enemy of their own people, as well as the wider world. Don’t believe what they are telling you, follow what you see on paper in front of you. Actions speak much louder than words.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV.)

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