Benjamin Franklin in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, 1789, writes “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Death and taxes are a customary part of our day to day thoughts because they are categorically etched in our realities. We are mortals and at some point in life we all have to pay our fair share. Latterly, a new sheriff in town has surfaced with palpable disruption refusing to be ignored. It initially set foot as an outburst aloof from the rest of us and we assumed it would subside with the passage of time akin to other human problems. Nonetheless, Murphy’s law applied morphing it into something with a definite impact on our lives. A pandemic, Covid -19 is indeed fatal,more so, rapidly altering our lives.
In sociology pandemics are recognized vital agents in influencing societal change and behavior. Politics lies at the heart of societal change. Beyond health systems, Covid-19 has challenged every other facet of our lives, our political systems included. In this regard, we must appreciate a political espousal that has dawned upon us and before doing so understand the dichotomy of ideas running our political gamut.
The Tennis Court Oath 1789 in France was a significant part of a slew of historical events influencing contemporary political branding and ideology – siring the terms “left wing” and “right wing” in political lexicon. Mature democracies have modeled their spheres of politics along these two ideas. For instance, Canada hosts a left wing identifying political party, the Liberal Party of Canada contrary to right wing inclined Conservative Party of Canada. United States is home to Democrats and the Grand Old Party, leaning left and right respectively. Similar to Britain where the Labour Party and Conservatives frequently face each other mano a mano every electoral cycle paying fealty to their preferred ideas. In a nutshell, leftists proffer increased participation of government in running of state affairs whereas right, a minimalist approach in conduction of government- former U.S President Ronald Reagan crystallized this conviction, “Man is not free unless government is limited.” It is an argument of small government, left, versus big government, right.
Despite our local political parties being dogged by provincial ethnicity within our nascent democracy, we must acknowledge that Kenya has also depicted slivers of ideological politics with the pendulum shifting from left to right. At independence, arose two political powerhouses KANU and KADU. A huge rift ensued since KANU wanted to form government based on a unitary system unlike KADU which advocated for a regional system dubbed Majimboism in Swahili. KADU deemed an expansive government fit for infant Kenya at the time while KANU thought we would do better without – again corroborating the notion of small versus big government.
When the Cold War dissipated (1947-1991), the left were Socialists and the right Capitalists. Aforementioned will give us grave insights into just how Covid-19 will potentially have a revolutionary impact on these ideas.
Countries worldwide have been dealt a great blow by this virus. Intriguingly, it has torpedoed the big hitters and debilitating their fabric of life. Currently, United States is leading in number of confirmed cases. Italy, a vastly developed state, has suffered most casualties. Ironically, it comes not as a surprise to experts that countries possessing arguably the best healthcare systems are simultaneously under the cosh. A number of reasons suffice this postulation; first world countries have a pronounced ability to detect cases because they boast better health systems, they enjoy more travel within and without spiking infection rates and also they are more transparent compared to other states but to mention a few. Apart from WHO rallying efforts uniting the world in combating the virus, there have been similarities in response taking place among nations worldwide. The devil is in the details.
Nancy Pelosi alongside Mitch Connell in the United States senate presided over the passing of an unprecedented national stimulus package worth 2 trillion dollars with cash and assistance for regular Americans, main street businesses and hard-hit airlines and manufacturers, among others. Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, requiring domestic manufacturers to allocate materials, services and facilities towards production of equipment necessary in fighting Covid-19. It also gives POTUS the ability to control the civilian economy so that scarce and critical materials necessary to the national defense effort are available for defense needs, at this moment health needs and calling for concerted efforts from both private and public sector in this time. Currently all business is state business.
Ireland is nationalizing its whole healthcare system.“ There can be no private versus public in the face of a pandemic,” said their president. Spain, which has recorded most deaths after Italy, has already announced nationalization of all hospitals and healthcare providers countrywide in a move to combat the spread of the pandemic. France has vowed to nationalize large enterprises “if necessary” to ebb out the virus. Ditto Italy. Saudi Arabia, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Brazil, Japan, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia are also a cohort of countries that have allotted notable percentages of GDP to provide citizens with stipends during this period of indefinite economic inactivity.
Africa has not been left behind in efforts akin to those of westerners in battling this predicament. The virus was courteous enough to get here last, sternly adhering to African time. Rwanda, on a 14 day lockdown, is embarking on provision of comestibles to citizens by government. In Uganda, President Museveni has banned hoarding and increasing of prices of goods, he went ahead to retort that if traders tried to do so, he would revoke licenses of traders and well in jest that government would repossess traders goods to sell them to citizens at fair prices. Kenya led by President Kenyatta has instituted a raft of measures. Most notably, 100 percent tax relief for those earning 240$ and below per month. The President, top executive officials and also those in the legislature have taken salary deductions expressing goodwill while tackling the problem. Kenya Fashion Council on behalf of the government called upon local textile and apparel industries to make face masks for public use as well as other surgical use items. Rivatex, is underway manufacturing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for medical use. Government interventions were however, met by public hue and cry, Kenyans are asking for cash grants, suspension of monthly rent, provision of foodstuffs all in line with government efforts to cushion them from an already ailing economy.
Conquest against Covid-19 is eliciting a prevailing attitude in governance worldwide. Given that the virus knows no status quo, there has been a solidarity in which states have acted. Willingly and reluctantly taking hold of the reins of power. The truth is we are clutching at straws to stay alive and for once we are merely sticking to science. We are all in a transient period of collectivisim in deed. We are simply being pragmatic, to survive there is no ideology left or right – Republicans can lay claim to this after they unanimously voted for a “leftist” stimulus package. But maybe scientific pragmatism is a political ideology of its own all together. Scientists are asking us to wash our hands, uphold proper hygiene, maintain clean public and private spaces, practice social distancing, stay at home and also eat to survive. They are not begging us to but frankly appealing on our will to live. In normal circumstances we would all be up in arms but with increasing fatalities we have come to terms with our situation and are obliging diligently. As hard as it is we are managing.
For a long time states have been abdicating and delegating their responsibilities but not this time. States now realize that they have to make sure people are decent, well sheltered, disciplined, healthy and well fed as the bare minimum thanks to coronavirus. Governments are coming to terms with the fact that poverty after all is not about “bad character” nor one’s upbringing – hence moving in haste to provide essentials for a dignified life, not out of love or kindness but because science deems dignity a necessity for all human life. We are living in an epoch whereby one’s plight is all’s blight. Why? If I sanitize and you do not sanitize we both might just die.
Ubuntu, an African way of life that states, I am because you are – is now an indispensable principle of scientific pragmatism. Nature is rallying everyone to do their part. In my view, it explains why we are witnessing bouts of generosity from billionaires. Aliko Dangote said, “Dead people do not buy cement or goods.” Billionaires understand they have no business being rich without people hence channeling their wealth to the most suited agencies to curb Covid-19, which are states. Immortalizing Marcus Tullius Cicero’s words, “non nobis solum nati sumus ortusque nostri partem patria vindicat, partem amici” (“Not for us alone are we born; our country, our friends, have a share in us”)
Leaders known for their notoriety in privatizing state institutions, the chickens have come home to roost. They have no choice but to ante up public hospitals and infrastructure to cater for citizens or else there will be no state to plunder – if they fail to learn from this experience.
What politicians and elite will not want to admit is that they are knowingly and unknowingly expanding the ineluctable role of the state. Whether its leaning towards socialism or capitalism is another argument but today nobody gives a hoot about ideology. In essence, states are realizing that regardless of how much they would desire to facilitate a free market and let competition steer the economy, in times of dire need they are the ones who have to stand up and be counted. Remember, we are simply being pragmatic.
Therefore, going forward states have to rethink their level of immersion in the business of governing. In this moment of introspection, one thing is certain, though by varying degree, states will have to involve themselves more by hook or by crook if they are to avert future shocks. I am in no way belittling individual brilliance and ingenuity. However, we have to face the facts – we are where we are because we have been propped up by a particular system either strong or feeble.
Echoing sentiments of a man believed to have stoked the cold war, former U.S President Harry Truman “the buck stops here,” calamitous times remind us who bears the brunt when push comes to shove. May our stay home from Covid-19 be, “the buck stops with the state”
