The trend is negative and must be stopped

Their power resides on the capacity to build collective fear. In different parts of the world, some governments are taking advantage of the pandemic to create extreme anxiety among their people. Then, they make sure, through all kinds of media platforms, that they are perceived as very decisive, able to take tough decisions to save as many lives as possible. Some of those measures go far beyond the necessary, from a public health perspective. They basically have a political purpose, to strengthen those in power. In addition, such radical measures allow the governments to hide the weakness of their national health systems, their extremely poor capacity to respond to emergencies. The truth is that many governments are just inept and cannot find the balance between an adequate health response and the mitigation of poverty. That incompetence and the political dividends they expect to draw from tough decisions are just ruining their countries. We are going back to a world that will combine despotism, increased inequality, and desperation. Can we accept that trend? The answer must be clear and strong.