1 page essay, 4 paragraphs, ~130 words each (approximately 6-9 sentences), ~520 total

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization and an Interconnected World when it Comes to the Spread of a Virus

Advantages

  • Different states can work together in investigating the source of the virus.
    • Actors from Hong Kong cooperated with a United States agent in studying the interactions of Beth Emhoff in a Hong Kong casino.
  • Speedy development for vaccines.
    • In the movie, it took 133 days to release the first vaccines to the public.
    • Internet and instant communication made it easier to work together between states and organizations.
  • Existence of intergovernmental organizations
    • The World Health Organization are working alongside CDC in developing the vaccine.

Disadvantages

  • Traveling can facilitate the widespread dissemination of the virus
    • In the movie, Beth Emhoff was able to spread the virus from Hong Kong to the United States. Moreover, we can see the virus quickly spread from different countries as well, like Japan.
    • The movie highlights this in their explanation of the role of fomites—materials carrying the infection.
  • With the introduction of the internet, misinformation can run rampant
    • Alan Krumwiede, a blogger and conspiracy theorist, was able to easily fuel the distrust of people against the government and pharmaceutical companies.

Actions of State Actors

How it is Reflected in Their Policies

  • Prevent public panic: hide information related to the severity of the virus.
  • Controlling the chaotic public response: strict military supervision
    • This ensued from the ruckus caused by the public against pharmacies.
  • Measures to restrict the propagation of the virus: enforcement of social distancing and quarantines, and closing down of borders.
  • Efficient management of limited supply: government provides a controlled amount of food to the public to ensure that everyone has equal access to food despite the lack of supplies (due to stores and borders shutting/closing down).

How Different Theories Explain it

  • Realism: sovereignty and border restrictions. Stronger nations also get access to the vaccine first.
  • Liberalism: Collective action, cooperation, and interdependence.

Power Dynamics between Developed and Developing Nations during Global Health Crisis

  • Sovereignty and border restrictions
  • Later access to vaccines and resources
    • This is illustrated when Orantes was taken as a hostage because Sun Feng’s family has lesser access to the vaccines, since they are not American (or live in America).
  • Although Hong Kong cooperated with the United States in their investigations, they still were not provided the benefit of getting early access to the vaccines.
    • Not only to the risks in Hong Kong greater (since that is where it originated), but they gained nothing and loss more by cooperating (in the short term).

Parallels between the COVID-19 Pandemic and Contagion

  • Forsythia and Trump hydroxychloroquine
  • Loss of livelihoods for some people
  • Limited resources and supplies
  • Emptier places due to lockdowns and or quarantines
  • Border restrictions
  • Plans for online jobs (as discussed by Lyle Haggerty and Dr. Ellis Cheever)
  • Chaotic public panic and hoarding in supermarkets
  • Rise of conspiracies and distrust in the government and pharmacies
  • Burning of corpses for reducing the spread of the virus
  • Social distancing

Changes in Global Systems or World Politics after COVID-19

  • Workplaces: Increased usage of online tools in the workplace
  • Liberalism, capitalism, and interconnected economy: shown as being vulnerable to the spread of virus
  • Challenged relations between some countries, such as China and US, and Russia and Saudi Arabia, due to their handling of or response to the pandemic
  • Increased suspicion and distrust among between countries as some are allegedly diverting resources to serve their own interests
  • Economic fallout and debt in some states