THE LESSONS OF CO-VID 19
The Covid-19 crises proved a thing or two about the smallness of our world.
It also provided a lesson on the steps we must take for a more secure future.
The key to the equation is realizing the virus knows no national boundaries, as it’s impacting people in various nation-states and city-states around the world. Governments have scrambled to find solutions to the problem. The fight against Covid-19 also makes the geopolitical game between the Russia-China block, represented by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the United States block, represented by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Quadratic Security Dialog, less productive than ever.
Writer Graham Allison pointed out in her “Foreign Affairs” story “The New Spheres of Influence” that China and Russia should dominate their own spheres on influence, as the United States tolerated a Soviet sphere of influence in the Cold War. Allison also said the U.S. doesn’t have the military or economic power to keep China and Russia from having their own spheres. However, Allison’s suggestions are problematic.
The spheres of influence of the Cold War didn’t keep Soviet Russia from testing the United States and much was paid in blood and treasure on both sides. In addition, the spheres of influence approach doesn’t have a good history when it comes to securing peace. The Thirty Years Peace between Athens and Sparta broke out into war and Peace of Amiens between the United Kingdom and Napoleonic France also ended in war.
We should break down the current spheres of influence by cooperating with the opposing power blocks on Co-vid 19, but this would be only a start. The response of the U.S. and China in the early weeks of the crises leaves much to be desired. However, there’s no time for bickering in a world pandemic.
Like Co-vid 19, the issue of nuclear proliferation and climate change knows no boundaries. Millions more would suffer from a nuclear war than are currently suffering from Covid-19. Climate change will impact the entire world in different ways, but it also knows no boundaries.
The future of peace and security hinges on creating a concert of power involving the two power blocks. A concert of power is a form of collective security where the world’s powers meet and set standards of behavior, or international law. Power blocks should work through the United Nations to make this a reality. If we can’t do this, then our current security issues won’t be addressed and the blocks that make up the spheres of influence will engage in a power balancing act and spend untold amounts of money on arms.
The big question is weather the states that make up the international system will be able to work together to keep the worst from happening. Let us hope the voices in favor of a concert of power – like writer Michael Lind – will be loud enough to keep our world from falling apart. Otherwise, our future might not be so bright.
Jason Sibert is the Executive Director of the Peace Economy Project.
