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COVID-19 is a challenge to the global system.

The COVID-19 virus is affecting the world politically, economically, and socially. The pandemic has killed thousands of individuals irrespective of culture, religion, and gender. Nevertheless, the pandemic raises the question of the efficacy of the international system.

The virus has proved that capitalism and colonialism do not alleviate human suffering. COVID-19 reveals the flaws within the global system, which has failed to call for a United Nations Security Council meeting to counter the virus.

Billions of dollars are spent on the UN Security Council and other international organizations like the World Health Organization, International Labor Organization, International Criminal Court, etc. However, the outcome of their work is merely well-crafted reports that rarely resolve an issue.

The global system relies on such international organizations to remind civilians that peace is the fruit of organizing international efforts, which can easily be proved wrong.

The prosperity of Ancient Egypt, Classical Athens, and Ancient Rome has never been linked to international cooperation. These grand civilizations prospered and created their heritage relying on local resources and policies. On the contrary, the global system relies on a trans-border strategy. This strategy is utilized by several organizations and agencies like the UN, UCDH, UNHCR, UNESCO, UNRWA, OPEC, etc., which all hold and promote the same imperial principle but under different names.

This becomes apparent when scrutinizing these international organizations. OPEC, for instance, was introduced as the international administration of oil trade across the globe. Yet, many transnational meetings are organized by entities that have failed to come up with an equation to display and explain why people are suffering while oil prices increase. Keep in mind that OPEC as an organization does not produce oil; it tries to organize the global oil trade in a way that serves the system rather than civilians.

Many international organizations are performing a huge Aristotelian play through which the audience is emotionally manipulated, deceived, and fooled. The performance is conducted by different international organizations and their localized branches that are found in every single nation. They prioritize wealth and military power over peace, harmony, and independence.

COVID-19 crisis shows that many developing countries are officially governed by the military. Although their militaries do not have expertise in science, they are responsible for handling the COVID-19 through curfews, complete lockdowns, and resounding speeches. The involvement of the military in social affairs depicts the failure of governments in fulfilling their constitutional and societal responsibilities.

The epidemic is miraculously giving us the opportunity to carefully investigate the deficiencies of the global system. It shows that politicians and military officers lack the resources and will to serve humanity. Those experts have been unable since 1917 to accurately evaluate the Palestine-Israel conflict. Thus, it is illogical to expect any sort of real remedy for COVID-19 and other crises.

COVID-19 shows that international organizations cannot contribute to society. The crisis emphasizes the importance of university professors, physicians, medical researchers, nurses, and school teachers, who serve people rather than the global system. These groups of individuals are collaborating to contain the epidemic while treating the sick. Therefore, after the end of the pandemic, global priorities should be reassessed. The post-COVID-19 world should prioritize education, health, and humanity while ending wars and colonialism.

Malek Zuraikat is associate professor of English literature and culture in the Dept. of English at Yarmouk University, Jordan.