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Will coronavirus slow the world's conflicts -- or intensify them?

21 Comments
By Philippe RATER

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21 Comments
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Sick and Sad to see people fighting while facing a pandemic, but who knows, this virus knows no borders, it could be of a great help in eliminating them.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Syria, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, the Sahel... with the great powers focused intently on the COVID-19 virus, will armed conflicts across the world decrease in severity or intensify?

I would say yes, they’ll decrease for a time, at least until the central banksters and corrupt politician’s bailout the system again with Ctrl-P.

invalid CSRF

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

The 1917/1918 Flu seems to have helped in a way to end World War One so with any luck it might make some people stop and think about life and if all the madness is really necessary or if there can be another more peaceful solution. Then again, this virus may make things far worse as shortages and medical issues cause people to lose their minds. We have already seen minor fights in grocery stores in some parts of the world for daily items such as toilet paper.

So the real answer is, we don't really know, it could go either way.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

KnowBetter

that's exactly what I'm thinking

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The 1917/1918 Flu seems to have helped in a way to end World War One so with any luck it might make some people stop and think about life and if all the madness is really necessary or if there can be another more peaceful solution. Then again, this virus may make things far worse as shortages and medical issues cause people to lose their minds. We have already seen minor fights in grocery stores in some parts of the world for daily items such as toilet paper.

While I understand your hope here, there's another side to the coin. There are many scholars who say that the reason the so-called 'Dark Ages' became so violent, and there were conflicts such as the 100 Years War, etc, was due to the Bubonic Plague. Basically, with so many people dying of the plague, people started to see life as cheap, something that could be struck down at any time. So why not war on your neighbor, and take what he has? You fail, all you've done is met The Reaper a bit faster. You succeed, and you have a slightly more comfortable time with the looted riches until the plague strikes you down anyway.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Sick "soldiers" in these kinds of conflicts can't fight each other. Diseases can lay low (and even bury) even the most powerful people. If they're stupid enough to keep fighting for idiotic reasons then what will be done will be done if they don't wise up.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My guess is that conflict will either intensify, reduce or stay the same. I’m fairly confident of this.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Casualties" from coronavirus are still vanishingly small.

This article seems to me to be a bit contrived.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Right now, it seems as if it is intensifying them. Trump is causing more people to rise up and commit crimes against asians in America and the recent war of words between America, China, and Taiwan are also making things worst. Ignorance is really dangerous right now.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

JJ Jetplane:

Trump is causing more people to rise up and commit crimes against asians in America and the recent war of words between America, China, and Taiwan are also making things worst. Ignorance is really dangerous right now.

In what way is "Trump causing people to rise up and commit crimes against Asians in America"? And what "recent war of words" are you talking about? The CCP is always at war with words against Taiwan and any critics. But a war of words between Taiwan and America? Where?

I am curious how you get these ideas.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

A lot of these conflicts would play out with less intensity or not exist at all, if our politicians stopped meddling, so if the virus stops that, it would be a good thing.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Wakarimasen:

"Casualties" from coronavirus are still vanishingly small.

This article seems to me to be a bit contrived.

Not only small, they affect the elderly and sickly, not the young healthy population that does the fighting, so they Corona deaths are pretty irrelevant there. However, if they stop the foreign involvement, I can see only good results. Yes, the article seems to be based on a false premise.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

To those who wage wars, I would say, "a plague on both their houses".

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Big Yen:

Not necessarily. The virus might prove a lot more deadly to the young if it gets established somewhere where health facilities are limited or non-existent, like say the Sahel in Africa.

The statistics collected so far seem pretty consistent in showing that the virus hardly affects young people at all (other than in being carriers and spread to the vulnarable population of course). And if you have no health complications, you do not need hospitals, so that seems irrelevant.

I understand the Spanish Flue was very different in that it attacked young healthy people MORE than the elderly, which meant it had such a big effect in WW1.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

War is good only for weapon makers. Not for good people.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Zaphod

In what way is "Trump causing people to rise up and commit crimes against Asians in America"? And what "recent war of words" are you talking about? 

Many asians have been reporting being attacked and local chinese restaurants have begun to be vandalized more since Trump, during his press conference, told reporters and the world that this is the "China virus." "They should blame China." Also, his most recent attacks on China about it being only their fault when they questioned his initial responses to the virus as being not quick.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Jjjtplane

You do know the entire news conference is online for you to watch? It's not blaming anything on Trump. He is the President of the United States. His words hold weight and has influence. So naturally, words such as the ones he's spouting will only embolden certain people.

The media would blame Trump for everything, regardless what he says. Get real.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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