Coronavirus and politics: what does the epidemic tell us about democracy and other regimes?

Krzysztof Trzcinski @Krzysztof-Trzcinski

23 March 2020 95 7K Report

Most of us experience far-reaching restrictions on private and public life, introduced by governments all over the world because of the coronavirus epidemic.

Generally, these restrictions make a deep sense from the perspective of combating the epidemic and reducing its harmful consequences.

Different governments take different actions at different rates.

Their effectiveness is also different.

Is a democratic regime more effective than an undemocratic one in fighting the spread of the epidemic?

Or is it the opposite?

What other observations do you have on this topic? Share your opinions with others.

Muhammad Akram Popular answer

we need to accept few restrictions of our freedom of movement so as to protect community and ourselves from COVID- 19.

Olatunji A Shobande

CV is difficult to control in democratic settings due to wide range of human right laws. While in terms of the politics of CV is too complex to comment on at the moment as there is no enough evidence to justify my position.

Orlando M Lourenço

As a starting point, the occurrence of the terrible COVID-16 is giving us many lessons:

1) We all -- the rich and the poor, the democratic or undemocratic countries -- are fragile creatures or institutions at the mercy of unpredictable negative events.

2) Despite being negative, these events show that people and countries tend to forget their divergences and be more cohesive to get rid of the same enemy.

3) United people and countries become stronger on these negative occurrences.

4) I have no data, but in principle a democratic regime will be more effective than an undemocratic one in fighting the spread of the epidemic outburst.

Chinaza Godswill Awuchi

Two things are clear

1. It's easier to restrict people's movement in authoritarian regime than in democratic system

2. Diseases like Covid-19 do not distinguish between different systems of government; everyone is a potential target for the virus

Charalampos Triantis Martinos

Democracy, the respect of other's freedom. The problem is not about policy but strategy!

Orlando M Lourenço

Diseases like Covid-19 are blind. They do not distinguish the rich from the poor, nor they distinguish the developed countries from the developing ones. I live in a democratic countries. Even so, people are accepting the government's decisions even those that deprive them of some rights, for example, to walk freely on the streets. The world is global and what happens in a country tends to affect what happens in other ones.

Harun Hadžić

Dear Krzisztof Trzcinski,

First of all, in this problem, there are several important questions to ask. For example:

1. Is human life or human freedom more important?

2. How far are the limits of human freedom?

3. Can people who are infected with a virus enjoy complete freedom of movement?

4. Does an infected person have the right to infect a member of their family or any other people?

There can be a lot of questions like this.

So, I dont prefer dictatorship over liberalism, but ...

Practice has shown that in emergencies, when rapid action is necessary, they are more organized and more efficient in their undemocratic way, ie. repressive systems. They are more efficient in order and discipline and perform the task much faster. This is especially the case in the so-called less "civilized" societies.

On the other hand, in the so-called western too "civilized" democracies, repression does not produce good results. In these democracies, political appeals, scientific persuasion, critique of illicit behavior, fines or imprisonment, etc. are better served.

An interesting example, when it comes to the corona virus, is, that the epidemy in "undemocratic", communist China, more effectively stopped than in "democratic" Italy, Spain, etc.

Regards.

Orlando M Lourenço

In these sad days we need more actions than words. For example, we have to accept some restrictions of our freedom of movement so as to protect others and ourselves from COVID- 19.

Muhammad Akram

we need to accept few restrictions of our freedom of movement so as to protect community and ourselves from COVID- 19.

Rudolf Pfister

There is one dimension you forget, dear discussants: that you need people who can organise and manage a megapolis like Wuhan; who know about logistics, calculate how many Intensive Care Units are needed and how much personnel must be available, and how much machinery like ventilators must be brought there. It needs a moudlar, adaptative thinking. An before the epidemic you need to train people in various specialties and have a good medical system in place.

Albert Manfredi

Of course, it is easier to herd people, in a totalitarian regime. On the other hand, can anyone guess, whether it is totalitarian countries, or democratic countries, which have the best track record at developing vaccines and other sophisticated drugs? There's the answer to the question! Ultimately, vaccines will solve this, not much else. The rest are short term measures to buy some time.

Praneeth Silva

There are different government regimes in this world and classified in many more ways based on different factors. However in general decisions are made by either one person or group of people in any country who may have either concentric power entirely resting an one person or even distributed power among citizens.

However, the perspective of combating the epidemic of COVID-19 and reducing it's harmful consequences completely depends on the strength of correct leadership not with the type of governing regime. Reducing the spread of COVID-19 among people and complete eradicating of this virus can be executed through a correct leadership, on time correct decisions linked with definite vision and mission.Those measures can definitely save the citizens, the nation and whole country.

Mohammed Faez Hasan

Krzysztof Trzcinski According to WHO speaker in my country, he said that this pandemic needed to best reaction and not the best healthcare system. So, regardless the government was democratic or any other regime. Urgently response to this threat is the better action.

Harun Hadžić

In some situations, some freedoms need to be suspended. This is governed by the constitution of each country and international instruments.

Human life is the highest value.

Shakir Tuleab

The epidemic tells us that democratic countries spread the virus very quickly because their people do not adhere to what was approved by the leaders of these countries while countries that do not respect human rights, the spread of the virus is controlled by fear because fear prevents these people from violating the strict laws of movement or Human movement with some exceptions ((Iran)) for religious and ideological reasons

Orlando M Lourenço

The impact of the COVID-19 on the world is going to be so big that it makes sense to speak of a world before COVID_19 and after COVID-19. Again, such a virus is blind in the sense that it affects equally the poor and the rich, the developed and the developing countries. So, in many aspects we are equal and there is no reason for the existence of arrogance. In my democratic country all people are adhering to what was approved by the leaders.

Neil Dagnall

That the current difficulties were not anticipated. In the UK, advice has been contradictory and confusing. For example, the tube fiasco.

Orlando M Lourenço

We, arrogant people who think that we are superior creatures in relation to all animals, are now at the mercy of microscopic forms of living that can kill us without asking us for any permission. No one has reasons to be arrogant.

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