I am asking these questions to myself and others; because I am an integral part of this whole mess! I don't seek personal grandiose or bravado by asking these difficult and unpleasant questions, but anticipate wisdom and practical approach from others, about how to collectively face these problems.

Regards, Abdul

Dear Abdul Malek

I think your question is a good one- everything in this dimension has a positive and negative part and this also applies to the virus. Certainly, we are witnessing pollution in the cities drop to levels they have not been in years. I personally feel we are here to work in harmony with nature and not to control it. Maybe from this perspective, it is a wake-up call to start living in a way where we are more conscious of nature and the environment and other beings based on mutual respect and not on greed. Humans at the moment pollute everything - even space is cluttered as now we also want a faster internet (5 G). Are these modern needs really what bring happiness and contentment to people? Maybe as more people face death through the coronavirus, they will reflect on what is really important.

Warm regards Tina

Dear Tina Lindhard ,

I am not against technology, if is it under the control of man and not the other way around – man being controlled by technology, which is an alienation. I am concerned with the “freedom of the will” of man as a species; - a freedom achieved by progressively reducing the antagonism between man and Nature; of which he is a part – a harmony so nicely articulated in your comment.

To quote Frederick Engels on this issue: “Freedom does not consist in the dream of independence of natural laws, but in the knowledge of these laws, and in the possibility, this gives of systematically making them work towards definite ends. This holds good in relation both to the laws of external nature and those which govern the bodily and mental existence of men themselves – two classes of laws which we can separate from each other at most only in thought, but not in reality.

Freedom of the will therefore means nothing but the capacity to make decision with real knowledge of the subject.Therefore the freer a man’s judgement is in relation to a definite question, with so much the greater necessity is the content of this judgement determined; while the uncertainty, founded on ignorance, which seems to make an arbitrary choice among many different and conflicting possible decisions, shows by this precisely that it is not free, that it is controlled by the very object it should itself control. Freedom therefore consists in the control over ourselves and over external nature which is founded on knowledge of natural necessity; it is therefore necessarily a product of historical development. The first men who separated themselves from the animal kingdom were in all essentials as unfree as the animals themselves, but each step forward in civilization was a step towards freedom.” (Anti-Dṻhring).

It is a new disease that has spread among humans as a result of the development of the virus so that it was able to be transmitted from animals to humans, and an effective treatment will be found for it within several months. This case happened previously and will happen in the future as well, more than once.

As far as I know, all virus based diseases have leapt from animals to humans due to humans' close association with animals. This problem can be traced back to the first steps towards domestication when cattle and sheep were kept near to or within homes. It is a problem that will continue unless the world can get to the stage of globally accepted laws on higiene in its widest sense. The more globalisation the world experiences the greater the likelihood of pandemics occurring.

The world will learn from this experience and deal with the next one more quickly and efficiently.

Shakir Faris Tuleab and Stanley Wilkin

The issue raised here is more than a technical, medical one. I am not talking merely about hygiene and human health; I am pointing at the social health and the mental and intellectual condition of human life, in present socio-historical context; because all these are interrelated.

We are at a point in time, where enormous technological development, which is supposed to free man from dependence on unpredictable and uncontrolled condition of Nature and from his own hard physical labor; has instead given rise to his miseries, re-enslavement in a novel serfdom; his scope for creative abilities and intellectual development crippled and his environment is being destroyed to such a scale that the existence of life itself on this planet has become doubtful.

But all these to what end? For the insatiable growth of the surplus value and wealth of monopoly capital – a Frankenstein Monster with a limitless appetite for its own growth at the cost of its creator - man himself. The result is that it has given rise to unprecedented dispossession of the means of production and independent ability for subsistence for the vast majority of the global population. The concentration of wealth in few hands both at local and global level; unprecedented usurpation of human, technical and natural resources and their wanton destruction just to fatten monopoly capital. The vast majority of the world population, mainly in the Third World countries are more or less in bonded labor at less than subsistence level. In its early progressive period Capitalism (as opposed to feudal serfdom) provided its workers at least enough for their subsistence and the reproduction of future workers. This is no longer the case under parasitic monopoly capitalism, the result is that, even in the richest and most powerful country in the world, namely, USA a substantial fraction of the population lacks the very basic necessities for life, and the vast majority have to work for less than minimum wage and in more than one job for a living.

The Lords of monopoly capitalism has turned the vast mass of the world population into non-thinking semi-robots, efficient and easily trained, managed and controllable and the process of indoctrination starts at the very childhood through mass media, educational system etc. The society has been fractured to disconnected individual atoms; fresh and blood human relations are now substituted (for efficient control) by Internet based virtual relations that gives a false sense of freedom. The individual human atoms are given electronic gadgets (toys for adults as my 98 years old neighbor correctly put it) to keep themselves away from creative and liberating thoughts.

The potential revolutionary working class of the developed West is being pacified and partly subsidized by the bone-wrecking labor of the Third World working people; thereby turning the antagonistic Western working class into allies of their own exploiters. This alliance is strengthened by creating division among the working class through deliberate importation of cheap foreign labor and through lumpenizationa/Alienization of the indigenous working class through consumerism, hedonism, bigotry etc.

And most of all, the complete usurpation of revolutionary natural sciences in the service of monopoly capital, on the one hand allows it to selectively use it in profit making enterprises; and on the other hand use the prestige of natural science to fabricate sterile and esoteric theories of cosmology, for use as ruling ideas; the same way all previous parasitic ruling classes did; thereby making further progress in natural all but impossible. . We have ruling theories of physics for more than hundred years that have led to no tangible benefits for natural science and man, but still enormous, human, technical, financial and natural resources are being squandered in mega-projects just to deceptively “prove” them to keep their fledgling credibility alive! Please see the ongoing discussion in the natural science forums in ResearchGate itself on these issues.

All these frailties have now made man so miserably vulnerable and at such an astronomical scale; to a humble virus!

Years of profit centered policies weakened our capacity to tackle such pandemic. But hope the world will change after the catastrophic event for the survivors . You may get some insights from these popular articles:

1) https://www.pressenza.com/2020/04/mad-king-trump-angers-the-gods/?fbclid=IwAR0JzBdlsu1Hw3bI_cm8VuuNFtTDKg1rNbazcLvvTpJR8M83HV7FyVSo10c

2) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579?fbclid=IwAR1TcRt0AE0npic2yBHB3t2HEjvw3BRA8UUlddXC9ID2gPWVIIwTDJFZqtY

Abdul Malek please watch this small video, it depicts the situation you're talking about

Aman Swaraj , I am sorry to say that you completely misunderstood and distorted this question on social/scientific issue, into an issue of God! The "curse" I am talking about is the result of exploitation of man by man, aided in the present epoch by the Frankenstein Monster (Monopoly Capital) and your God! There was a time when scientists were burnt alive, put under guillotine etc., in the name of God. But now the Vatican dictates the theories of physics, God Particles creates the world, you have the statue of your Lord Shiva (Natraj) at the premise of CERN – the greatest center of modern physics created by decadent monopoly capitalism; the American dollar shows the power of God with the words, “In God we trust”; look at what your God has done to the Middle East in the last couple of decades alone; the savagery being committed right now in your own country by lynching mobs aided and encouraged by your fundamentalist rulers, in the name of your God! I could go on and on about this history of savagery in the name of God.

But I want to emphasize that the “curse” on humanity that I am talking about is the result of the historical plunder of social wealth and resources (the creations of human labor), by the ruthless ruling classes with God as their omnipotent partner! The abolition of the role of God from human affairs and the end of the exploitation of man by man is the only way humanity can get rid itself of all "curses".

Abdul Malek when there is a cataract in the eye, we should remove the cataract, not pluck the eye out.

There is corruption in every aspect of life, including religion, but that does not follow it is the purpose of religion or God.

I know what was your question was, but i gave you a different perspective to think of, but i guess you have a bad experience of God and perhaps institutionalized religion practices in Europe after which the famous renaissance happened.

In Soviet Russia, China alone, 10 times more people were killed than no of people combined in world war 1 and world war 2. And there was no religion involved there.

Real religion means to know God and to love him, when we love God, then only we can love everyone.

Trust me, I wish to achieve the same end which you want to.

and please forgive me if the video hurt you in any way, that was not my intention.

Sorry.

Aman Swaraj , You have a distorted view of recent history created and told by the very decadent monopoly capitalism that we are talking about. Sorry, I could not care less about your "Real Religion"; I go by what unbiased historical records showed us and what we see with our own eyes, now.

I have absolutely no appetite for any discussion on religion or God, "Real" or not; and will not respond to any further post from you on this issue, sorry again!

Abdul Malek

I'm no fan of the capitalists or the communists, one is the greed of Money, the other greed of power, Neither I'm a historian.

You say you go by what you see by your own eyes, true enough, then you should be able to see the sufferings of poor animals in the slaughterhouses.

we talk about humanity and kill innocent animals, where is justice in that?

Beatriz Vera

Thanks for posting this very relevant and interesting link - the core essence of this forum!

Regards, Abdul

Images of courage, hope and solidarity against COVID-19; in a small community in Eastern Québec , Canada:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/matanie-photography-project-social-distancing-covid-19-1.5519181

It is difficult to believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is the result of curse to the humanity.

Harasit Kumar Paul

Yes, of course it is difficult to believe for you, probably living a comfortable life with your riches! But it IS for billions of people across the glove who can barely make a living even with bone-breaking slave labor for the comfort of fortunate people like you, Sir!

Look at the number and who are perishing en mass with COVID-19 or even without it; through premature deaths. And now even in America - the richest country in the world they are physically forced to die from COVID-19 to keep up profits making for the rich! Congratulations to you!

Dear All, Please see some thoughtful journalism that is taking shape and may have clear impact for the times to come:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/24/covid-19-has-changed-everything-now-we-need-a-revolution-for-a-born-again-world

Please Go To This Link:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059261

I consider that the present crisis represents the collective Dark Night of the Soul, with reference to the famous poem from St John of the Cross, that will lead into a collective Illumination and eventually collective Divine Union.

The Western civilization, and especially the whealthy countries, need this strong weak-up call for initiating their awakening and rebirthing process.

In this sense, I consider that yes, the changes and positive initiatives will be permanent and lead into a progressive transformation of the Earth's landscape.

Let's hope that the economic crisis will be profound so people will be forced to "listen" to this Higher Calling.

Christiane Kirsch

Thanks for your thoughtful comment. While I share your noble optimism that the current human “positive initiatives will be permanent and lead into a progressive transformation of the Earth's landscape.”; as a dialectical materialist, I ascribe it to the essence and the “subjective will” of collective humanity alone and nothing else.

It is to the great credit of theology that it recognizes some limited form of “the freedom of the will” of man in contrast to the crass materialists of modern science (physics and biology in particular) and of philosophy, who take the position of “L'Homme Machine” of Julien Offray de La Mettrie; and do not recognize any “free will” of man. This is a current subject of my debate (as a dialectical materialist) against the position of modern physics and evolutionary biology, on “free will”. Please see my recent comments in the following forum and my RG project at:

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_Any_Effective_Refutation_of_Einsteins_Theories_of_Relativity_Possible#view=5ef8cfbc6c571c442306259a

https://www.researchgate.net/project/DIALECTICS-OF-LIFE-NATURE-MAN-THOUGHT

For dialectical materialism, the essence of humanity is to strive towards “the freedom of the will” based on real knowledge of the world and of itself– a subjectivity and the dialectical unity of the opposites of the objectivity of blind Nature (and as a part of Nature itself); in this infinite, eternal and ever-changing universe. This essence is an acquired ability that allows man to effectively change the conditions of his physical, mental and social existence based on the positive knowledge of the world and of himself (as a social being); in such a way as to progressively reduce the contradiction between subjective man and objective Nature, and to live in relative harmony with each other; as long as both continue to exist for any length of time in a life-harbouring planet like earth, in the cosmic scale. This necessarily is a complex of historical processes of “being” and “knowing”; mediated by dialectical chance and necessity and taking place in a temporarily life-harbouring celestial body where the subjectivity of life can evolve through discrete evolutionary leaps from blind non-living matter to the highest developed product of matter, namely the thinking brain of man.

Dear All, Please see the newly revived discussion forum on similar issues:

"What is the Most Fundamental Essence of Humanity?"

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What-is-the-Most-Fundamental-Essence-of-Humanity