COVID-19: World humanity in a multidimensional crisis.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, humanity has faced at least two major global crises. The first crisis is related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. This unexpected and disgusting incident helped the US-led war on terror. As a result, state surveillance systems have become increasingly widespread around the world. On the other hand, widespread extrajudicial killings and the spread of militant activities have been facilitated.

We are currently fighting to survive the multidimensional threat of a global epidemic caused by coronavirus infection. This second crisis (Covid-19) is already causing multidimensional problems for governments. In order to reduce the growing infection rate, educational institutions, restaurants, cultural and commercial centers, and other institutions have been forced to close down to various levels of lockdown.

If we consider the far-reaching, immediate, and deadly effects of this highly contagious disease, it is safe to say that the coronavirus is spreading multiple crises at an unprecedented level.

The Corona epidemic is going to cause a severe economic crisis worldwide. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the economic planning authorities of various countries have forecast a contraction in global economic activity. It has also brought a terrible crisis in the field of public health. By mid-August 2020, at least 21 million people had been infected worldwide and about 660,000 people had died. So far, corona infections have occurred in about 215 countries around the world. Many countries are struggling to provide adequate intensive care to patients under the national health care system.

The COVID-19 epidemic could hamper democratic progress around the world. Political leaders can use this epidemic as an excuse to use emergency power. Governments may be interested in implementing various 'check and balance' policies in the name of democracy to prevent crises. This epidemic could manifest a tendency to deny the representation of professional skills and knowledge by accelerating the spread of trolls and the rise of fake news. The crisis could also reinforce widespread doubts about the reliability and legitimacy of established institutions, including public health. Even conspiratorial political parties can deliberately indulge in this debate.

The Corona epidemic has begun to expose the failures of the global capitalist system in protecting human natural dignity and rights. The conventional capitalist system is undermining the welfare state tradition and undermining the state's ability to effectively manage public health. Steps are being taken to reduce state aid to healthcare under the guidance of international financial regulators and in the light of neoliberal capitalist policies. As a result, the global health sector is now under extreme pressure due to this epidemic. The coronavirus is showing us this cruel truth with a finger in the eye.

Neo-liberal capitalism is having various effects in different political regions of the world. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a mandatory lockdown in the capital, Manila, amid public criticism. Millions of poor Filipinos struggling to survive are trying to hide the state's inability to ensure health care, food, and housing. With the support of a weak state agency and its elite allies, Duterte quickly deployed members of the military and police forces in Manila in the first phase of the lockdown to ensure public order amid growing public discontent against the epidemic. Duterte set up a national anti-epidemic task force with congressional authorized emergency powers and  2.00 billion in funding. He appointed three former generals to lead. Its main purpose is not to ensure the survival of Filipinos but to ensure their own political survival. There was no visible plan to strengthen the healthcare sector in the Philippines, with no effective measures to meet the basic needs of the workers. Duterte also did not show interest in the constructive proposals of civil society and opposition political parties. Duterte's militarization strategy on public health issues severely suppresses peaceful political protests. As a result, mass arrests and starvation threaten the lives of millions of poor Filipinos.

Similarly, weak liberal states in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and beyond can lead to crises on multiple fronts as a result of years of neo-liberal capitalist policies in the social and healthcare sectors. There is a lack of systematic and long-term preparedness for the epidemic.

In the neo-liberal northern hemisphere, the Corona epidemic threatens the lives of high-risk citizens as it undermines state commitments in public sectors such as public health and social services. In the United States, poor African-Americans are at high risk of dying due to the lack of accessible and affordable hospital services. But U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to provide federal funding for the massively damaged cities and regions and publicly acknowledge the damage done to the poor minority U.S. community as a result of the epidemic. In the UK over the past decade, the government has reduced public funding for the elderly and people with disabilities in the public health system and in the social services sector for various public organizations as well as educational institutions. These so-called liberal measures are playing a direct role in increasing the risk of the poorer sections of the society, especially the minorities.

Economic inequality is increasing as states move away from their core responsibilities. As a result, very rich icons are coming forward to expand their wealth base and consolidate social legitimacy. The generous donations of billionaires such as Bill Gates, Jack Ma, and Jeff Bezos during the Corona epidemic represent the social legitimacy of their wealth creation and the efforts to further strengthen global capitalism. Its goal is to protect the health of the global economy instead of providing health care to vulnerable people. This neoliberal healthcare system has reduced long-term investment and expanded the role of individuals. Instead of calling for a restructuring of the global economic landscape, billionaires and multinational corporations have resorted to philanthropy as a way to influence public opinion by exaggerating their morals.

On the positive side, however, the Corona epidemic has provided an opportunity for the world to see the end of the so-called neo-liberal capitalist system, which has turned the individual into a commercial and inhumane object. This global epidemic has presented to the states the issue of making real human life and dignity meaningful through the process of transformation. And exploring timely ways of long-term government investment and political system restructuring in the public interest.