Gearing up for a world after COVID-19

This is a time to accelerate globalisation and build a better integrated system, instead of fracturing the world once again as it happened in the last century.

The analogy to war and the related lexicon are completely misplaced and it clouds our mind. We are not at war with each other, let that be clear. In witnessing how people are suffering all over the world, it is an opportune moment to make all efforts to unite mankind. The suffering is irrespective of any religion,

colour, race or gender.

Our philosophies or political ideologies are not bringing us into conflict with each other. Effective leadership now needs to bring the world together. It is certain that we must learn from history. But it does not mean that we do the same thing that we did the last time. It’s because the situation this time after the coronavirus pandemic will be very different from situations that arose after conflicts in the last century.

First, the productive infrastructure in every country is intact now. When World War II ended, several countries were completely destroyed and had to rebuild from scratch. Fortunately now, that is not the case. The machines are there.

Secondly, we all are knowledgeable about several more things than before. The technological and knowledge advancement in the last one century is far more than at any other time. So, we have the intellectual power to rebuild in a better manner. There is an abundance of intellectual resources.

Thirdly, unlike the last time when only a few countries were left standing, this time around, many of the countries are on an even keel. Among those left standing now, the ones that are much stronger than the others, are not the ones which were left standing last time. Overall though, we are much more economically stable. Now, this changes the equation considerably as there is monetary independence.

Fourth, the task of rebuilding the previous time involved a lot of economic experiments and new theories of national macro-economics. This time around, we have knowledge concerning the performance of such theories to help us fine tune them to rebuild our economies. We know how to build the wealth of nations much better now than we did in the past. We also have an understanding of what constitutes wealth now. Such knowledge of what is better wealth and how to build it is available globally rather than being concentrated in a few ivory towers as in the last century. The methods are better understood.

Fifth, the managers needed to rebuild and integrate the world into a better place are also available all over the world now. These managers – of industry and nations – are more cosmopolitan in their exposure, experience, attitude, and acceptance. The manpower is available.

The post-COVID world will be a far better world when the people, with the right global mindset, employ the methods with the money and machines available, to build an integrative world that our future generations can thrive in. Lives, livelihoods, and lifestyles can then be better for all of mankind.