Page 30 - 2021 White Paper
P. 30
1 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
outbreak began on a similar trajectory in both Politics and Polls
countries, with the number of confirmed cases
increasing at a comparable rate. But South Korea’s Covid-19 has affected almost every country
government quickly acted to create a market for around the globe. As of this writing, the World
rapid innovation and fulfillment of testing demand, Health Organization has confirmed cases in 216
boosting its capacity to 15,000 tests per day and countries and, a total that represents more than
establishing unique ways to conduct them. As of 85% of 251 entities recognized by the United
March 20, South Korea had carried out more than Nations. Yet each government has responded
300,000 Covid tests—a rate exceeding 6,000 per differently to the coronavirus pandemic —
million inhabitants — despite being home to none including how data on the disease have been
of the 20 largest diagnostics companies. Just over shared with each country's citizens. The
two weeks after reaching 100 confirmed cases, selectiveness with which governments release
the country flattened its curve, with very few — if information about the number of confirmed cases
any — new cases per day. In the US, by contrast, and the deaths caused by the coronavirus suggest
delayed government intervention left markets techniques of “bio-power” may be in play. French
in charge of meeting accelerating demand. As of philosopher Michel Foucault invented the concept
March 20, the country had performed roughly of bio-power in his lectures at the College de
100,000 tests — about 300 per million people. France in 1977-78. He defined bio-power as a "set
New cases –— and the death toll — continued to of mechanisms through which the basic biological
rise. Simply put, swift government intervention features of the human species became the object
worked in South Korea, whereas the market’s of a political strategy, of a general strategy of
invisible hand failed in the US. Globally, the power." Foucault found an early example of bio-
development of diagnostics has long been left to power in the smallpox vaccine developed by
markets, many of which are highly specialized. the end of the 18th century — one of the first
But while there are diagnostics markets for major attempts to manage populations in terms of the
infectious and non-infectious diseases, and even calculus of probabilities under the banner of public
neglected tropical diseases, there is none for health. A balanced take on Covid-19 and a proper
pandemic diseases. Governments can of course course of action to deal with the pandemic means
counteract market deficiencies, but the commonly the information provided by governments must
used mechanisms still require a trace level of be complete, valid and reliable. Unfortunately,
demand, which does not exist for pandemic- that is not happening in many cases. When
disease diagnostics until the brink of an outbreak. examining how some countries have responded
And national governments, subject as they are to the pandemic, bio-political factors should be
to political and ideological constraints, cannot considered. This includes how governments are
be relied upon always to create markets with the collecting and sharing data about the coronavirus.
same swiftness demonstrated by South Korea. For example, in addition to being the only source
Reactive market creation is therefore not the way of information about Covid-19, the Russian
forward. Instead, national governments should government also took every effort to protect its
support the creation of a global coordinating monopoly on the production and dissemination
platform for pandemic preparedness. Such a of the relevant data. Anyone who attempted to
platform can take the lead in raising and pooling collect and disseminate Covid-19 figures without
capital to channel toward rapid development, having a "license to inform" faced criminal
production, and distribution of diagnostics for charges for being an agent provocateur. A group
pandemic diseases (Silva and Braunstein). of medical doctors in Chechnya, the previously
rebel region in the Caucasus now under the tight
control of the central government, attempted
to complain about the lack of preparedness to
combat the coronavirus. They were promptly
accused of "provocations" and forced to deliver
public apologies. According to government data,
Russia has one of the lowest Covid mortality rates
30
outbreak began on a similar trajectory in both Politics and Polls
countries, with the number of confirmed cases
increasing at a comparable rate. But South Korea’s Covid-19 has affected almost every country
government quickly acted to create a market for around the globe. As of this writing, the World
rapid innovation and fulfillment of testing demand, Health Organization has confirmed cases in 216
boosting its capacity to 15,000 tests per day and countries and, a total that represents more than
establishing unique ways to conduct them. As of 85% of 251 entities recognized by the United
March 20, South Korea had carried out more than Nations. Yet each government has responded
300,000 Covid tests—a rate exceeding 6,000 per differently to the coronavirus pandemic —
million inhabitants — despite being home to none including how data on the disease have been
of the 20 largest diagnostics companies. Just over shared with each country's citizens. The
two weeks after reaching 100 confirmed cases, selectiveness with which governments release
the country flattened its curve, with very few — if information about the number of confirmed cases
any — new cases per day. In the US, by contrast, and the deaths caused by the coronavirus suggest
delayed government intervention left markets techniques of “bio-power” may be in play. French
in charge of meeting accelerating demand. As of philosopher Michel Foucault invented the concept
March 20, the country had performed roughly of bio-power in his lectures at the College de
100,000 tests — about 300 per million people. France in 1977-78. He defined bio-power as a "set
New cases –— and the death toll — continued to of mechanisms through which the basic biological
rise. Simply put, swift government intervention features of the human species became the object
worked in South Korea, whereas the market’s of a political strategy, of a general strategy of
invisible hand failed in the US. Globally, the power." Foucault found an early example of bio-
development of diagnostics has long been left to power in the smallpox vaccine developed by
markets, many of which are highly specialized. the end of the 18th century — one of the first
But while there are diagnostics markets for major attempts to manage populations in terms of the
infectious and non-infectious diseases, and even calculus of probabilities under the banner of public
neglected tropical diseases, there is none for health. A balanced take on Covid-19 and a proper
pandemic diseases. Governments can of course course of action to deal with the pandemic means
counteract market deficiencies, but the commonly the information provided by governments must
used mechanisms still require a trace level of be complete, valid and reliable. Unfortunately,
demand, which does not exist for pandemic- that is not happening in many cases. When
disease diagnostics until the brink of an outbreak. examining how some countries have responded
And national governments, subject as they are to the pandemic, bio-political factors should be
to political and ideological constraints, cannot considered. This includes how governments are
be relied upon always to create markets with the collecting and sharing data about the coronavirus.
same swiftness demonstrated by South Korea. For example, in addition to being the only source
Reactive market creation is therefore not the way of information about Covid-19, the Russian
forward. Instead, national governments should government also took every effort to protect its
support the creation of a global coordinating monopoly on the production and dissemination
platform for pandemic preparedness. Such a of the relevant data. Anyone who attempted to
platform can take the lead in raising and pooling collect and disseminate Covid-19 figures without
capital to channel toward rapid development, having a "license to inform" faced criminal
production, and distribution of diagnostics for charges for being an agent provocateur. A group
pandemic diseases (Silva and Braunstein). of medical doctors in Chechnya, the previously
rebel region in the Caucasus now under the tight
control of the central government, attempted
to complain about the lack of preparedness to
combat the coronavirus. They were promptly
accused of "provocations" and forced to deliver
public apologies. According to government data,
Russia has one of the lowest Covid mortality rates
30
