The New Paradigm of War
In any war, the winner is the one who has a better plan and who is ready to lose own men and materials to achieve a strategic objective.
It seems that in the global economic war, China has both the qualities needed for winning the global war which is economic and is not military. And you can be sure that China is winning hands down.
China has lost about 3500 men and women (mostly old unproductive persons, not young soldiers) to achieve its strategic long-term objective of being the leading economic power of the world. Other countries have naively (one might also say, foolishly) fallen into the trap. They are all trying to save every single life. Not willing to lose any lives, the democracies of the world have lost the war.
In old times it was said that war is too important to be left to generals. In the present war, the democracies are being led to defeat since they are listening to doctors (whether sitting in WHO or in their domestic establishments). It is a doctor's job to save each and every life - a strategy that is sure recipe for disaster in this war.
In an economic war, strategic assets are factories, farms, companies and businesses. Of course, even in a military war the backbone of a marching army is the economic infrastructure of the country. One must always aim to destroy the economic backbone of the enemy country quickly. Ideally, if it can be done without loss of human lives - so much better. Let the enemy have lot of hungry mouths without the means to feed them. That is exactly the objective of China in this war.
Lockdowns and curfews recommended by WHO and doctors but implemented most vigorously by Government of India have broken the backbone of India's economy. This is the time for reaping of rabi (wheat and chana) crop in India. Farmers are not allowed to go to their fields. Even if they defy government orders and reap the crop, they have no place to sell the crop since markets are closed. Apparently, they have no option but to let the crops including vegetables and fruits rot in the fields. Poultry farms are burying live chickens. Factories and mines have been ordered to be closed. Businesses have been advised to keep paying their workers even when they are not working. Surely, that is a recipe for bankruptcy. No problem, the government will suspend the law relating to bankruptcy.
In essence, China did not need to bomb our factories and farms. Government of India has done the job effectively across the country on expert advice from doctors who understand neither economy nor war.
Will someone please tell the governments of India and major democracies of the world that Coronavirus and Covid-19 are not just about health and medicine. The world is in a global war for economic supremacy and China has won the first round with minimal damage.
Let India and the democracies of the world think strategically and plan for salvaging their economic assets and not just of saving a few hundred or few thousand lives. Let us be prepared to sacrifice 0.001% of our population (say about 13,000 persons in case of India) instead of losing the war to China and being a slave of China for decades to come.
In the modern paradigm of war, a country's independence is guaranteed not just by sacrifice of young able bodied soldiers on geographic borders, but also by sacrifices of citizens willing to brave it out. Leaderships of all democracies must understand the new paradigm of war and act fast before it is too late.
Anil Chawla
Follow @AnilThinker
25 March 2020