The Harrowing of Nations

It looks as though my former thesis, that the COVID-19 virus might be God’s plan to overturn some immoral social orders, is not tenable.

As I said at the time, if the virus spread much further than China, Iran, and the EU, it must not be the case.

On the other hand, the virus as it spreads does seem to be a test of the various societies, in more or less the way a war is. How well can they deal with the threat? Those who do not handle it well perhaps will die, and perhaps deserve to die.

China seems responsible for the original problem. Yet we must now balance this with the fact that they seem to have gotten a handle on it. New infections have fallen sharply. The overall rate of infection is actually now higher, if figures are correct, in South Korea.

But South Korea, too, now seems to be getting a handle on it. New cases are down; and the death rate is surprisingly low. Lower than China; lower than anywhere.

Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan also seem to be weathering it fairly well.

By contrast, reports out of Iran and Italy are alarming: high death rates, hospitals overwhelmed, no apparent containment, signs of general panic, an apparent lack of information from governments.

Perhaps we are seeing the harrowing of nations. It is not so much central government control versus individual freedom, either; China exercises tight control, but South Korea, Taiwan, or Japan do not. The government of Hong Kong traditionally does not, is extremely free-market, and currently cannot.  Iran exerts tight control; Italy does not.

It looks more like East Asian social values being contrasted European and Iranian decadence.

We shall see how it goes from here as the virus becomes equally widespread elsewhere. But early signs from the US look shambolic, like Iran and Italy. Early signs from the rest of Europe, other than Italy, also are not good.

Perhaps we are seeing the future. East Asia is ascendant, and “Western civilization” is burnt toast.