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Virus should be ‘no-politics’ zone

Apr 16, 2020 Editorial

We agree wholeheartedly: the virus should be a ‘no-politics’ zone. This was said by New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo, while still delivering a sharp jab to his fellow New Yorker, now president of the United States. There is much blame to pass around in the political arena, especially when leaders still put politics above everything else. This, too, has been the worrying reality in Guyana.
In the US, the politization of the virus moved the man in the White House to cut funding to the World Health Organization. At this most crucial time, this most vulnerable of times, the US leader saw it fit to withhold some part of the 22% of contributions that flow from various American governmental agencies. According to a Wall Street Journal article dated April 14 and captioned, “US to cut funding to World Health Organization over coronavirus response.” This is the cover sheltered under “while it investigates WHO’s response to the pandemic.” And this from a president whose own response to the damaging virus has its share of glaring failures.
We are at a loss as to what has to be investigated and rises to the level of urgency that it must be done now and cuts off vital funding. The Journal was frank enough to speak of discontent with giving aid money to international organizations that need to hire more Americans. It is an ancient contention with no better or more strident a flag-bearer than the incumbent president to lead the charge. What is not so old is deep US concern over China’s growing influence on the world stage and how to rein in that competing juggernaut.
World leaders have quickly contributed to a growing chorus of voices disagreeing diplomatically, on the one hand, or denouncing sharply, on the other, the action announced by the American Chief Executive. From the United Nations Secretary General “it is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against the COVID-19.” The UN head is unshakable, as we are, in recognizing the work of the WHO, the need for a united front behind it, and for what is unhelping and undermining to be left alone. (New York Times, April 15). A NATO partner and Western ally through the sharply critical words of Herr Heiko Mass, the German Foreign Minister, registered the same point: “It doesn’t help to blame” he wrote on Twitter. “The virus knows borders.” And the Chinese weighed in through a Foreign Ministry spokesperson to urge “the US to fulfill its obligations to the W.H.O at a critical time.”
No one, not even leaders bent on having their way and intent on recording the last word and the last licks, should be so irresponsible, so lacking in understanding, as to what it is that the world is up against, and for which it has no confirmed or persuasive medical answer. Guyanese leaders should listen. There is not much on which to grasp, but there must be mandatory dedication to coalesce energies to fight the best fight possible against an invisible and lethal enemy. To do otherwise, such as cutting off funding in the middle of the battle, is to put blinkers on and go down the wrong road, a sabotaging road.
From all indications, the necessary learnings are occurring on the run, through looking over what has been experienced and making informed and timely judgments on where matters stand and how to proceed forward. Money is needed, strength and spirit are called for, and one voice and one combined vision forward is the only way. And this is while there are newer understandings that the virus could either remain or return, after it is declared beaten.
Nothing has been conquered in Guyana. We don’t know the full story of where we stand regarding the virus, with any story sure to be savaging. And yet, this is the time that we maintain political divisions: we are of two heads, going in different directions. The worst thing that happen to us is welcomed as what is best, given electoral circumstances. No leader should need any exhortation that the virus must be a ‘no-politics’ zone.

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