Introduction:
The global outbreak of the new corona virus in early 2020 has severely affected politics, the economy, and caused social and psychological problems. It will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for sustainable development around the world. The study of economics, environmental and political damage during the Corona Crisis is of interest to researchers and experts in various fields. Many scientific and sometimes unscientific theories and visions have been put forward during this period (Sarfraz, 2020). However, it is important to be able to distinguish between valid scientific studies and rumors, especially in the ambiguous circumstances like these days.
Thus, science and politics can play a decisive role in balancing health against economic effects and a stable globe in such a situation.
One of the most important areas of research on this epidemic is reporting and interviewing people. Popular sources are always the best source of scientific research because they point to facts that they themselves have encountered. Facts help prove a scientific study. My country, Iran, was hit hard and suffered a lot from the virus in all areas of socio-economic and political life. I selected two of my relatives in Iran for an interview to gather their views on this issue.
Background of the person 1:
Male
48 years old
Undergraduate
Liberal, supporter of human rights, freedom, and freedom of expression
Holds an active political background against the regime in Iran
Building Painter - Freelance Jobs
Background of the person 2:
Male
43 years old
Post Graduate
Politically conservative, religiously conservative, and in favor of the current government
One of the managers of a private car spare parts company.
1. Pandemic impact:
Liberal
Corona was the greatest tragedy of our century. The resulting fear created many social and psychological problems. People fought over a toilet paper in shops of the most civilized countries, fought over food in the markets. In addition, it hit the economies of countries hard. Many people lost their jobs. Family disputes escalated due to economic problems. In general, I think we took it too hard on the population and we did not consider the economical and psychological side effects it will have.
Conservative
In my opinion, the country that first spread the virus is to blame, whether caused by humans in the laboratory or by genetic mutations. Corona is currently leading a major global health crisis and has caused major disruptions to the global economy. Perhaps an individual or groups with specific purposes have expanded it. Who knows, there might be political or economic interests behind this. However, whatever it is, I want the issues behind this story to be revealed sooner.
2. Affected personally:
Liberal
I am a construction worker. I don't have a formal job and I sign contracts depending on construction projects. We weren't doing well before Corona's outbreak, but with the start of Corona, I couldn't get any projects because no one was asking for construction work. I had a hard time keeping food on the table for my family of four, using only my prior savings. The stress transferred to me, also transferred down to my family, not knowing what the future may hold for us. Therefore, it has somehow effected our mental well-being.
Conservative
I am one of the managers of a private company. During this time, we were forced to lay off a number of our employees because we could not pay their salary. The market and production situation has fallen sharply, and the company suffered huge economic losses. We have to work for months to get the company back to normal. Of course, I’m effected like every other person, but my company which I’m responsible for suffered more than I personally did.
3. Government control:
Liberal
I think the government didn’t do enough to organize the process. They didn’t act on time. The government didn’t stop the elections. They didn’t close anything when they should have. The outbreak started in Qom, but the government did not control it, and people continued to travel to the shrines. They quarantined cities too late, and when they announced a quarantine, they passed no laws to control the situation. After Corona's expansion spread across the country, many airlines to China and other countries were still open. It was as if people's health didn't matter to them. One of our relatives worked at the hospital. She said the quality of care for patients with corona was not good at all and that facilities for treatment were difficult to provide. It’s not a surprise, we woulnd’t expect love and care from this government.
Conservative
In my opinion, the government has taken the right steps to control the virus. They restricted the movement of people by creating checkpoints. Unnecessary domestic travel was stopped. Entertainment centers, shopping malls, cinemas and schools were closed. However, I have witnessed many times that people have broken the laws. Even on Nowruz (Persian New Year’s) days, people traveled to the north of the country for leisure. On the other hand, sanctions during this situation put more pressure on the government than ever before, and external aid routes were locked due to the sanctions. The government did what they could, and if there are any weaknesses in the handling, it’s because of the international sanctions on us. They have limited our medical capability.
4. The role of science:
Liberal
I believe that science is valuable to any society because the use of scientific knowledge helps meet many basic human needs and improve living standards. During this time, I became well aware of how scientific and health issues could become a global crisis. By following the confirmed scientific news about Corona, I was able to free my family and myself from the fear and anxiety. I even helped some of my friends get rid of anxiety.
Conservative
In my opinion, science can be both helpful and in some cases dangerous. Because some individuals and groups use science to achieve their own economic and political interests. In a world where everyone is pursuing their own economic interests, science, no matter how valuable, is only a lever in the hands of certain people.
Personally, I don't like scientific studies and I can't trust scientific articles, especially in critical situations like Corona, when everyone was giving a theory. During this time, I kept away from the news as far as I could. I only followed the internal news of my country. Because I knew that, the government itself was doing everything it could to come out of this situation.
5. Politics in the pandemic:
Liberal
In my opinion, politics has played a very effective role in the context of the epidemic crisis, such as the outbreak of Corona. For example, democratic and populist countries gave priority to the health of their people. They quickly closed and quarantined to prevent the spread of the disease.
However, in a country like Iran, where the government's priority was to protect its own political and economic interests, it acted too late to close and quarantine. They did not give priority to people's health. As a result, Iran ranks third among the high-risk countries. I am not even sure that the government properly reported the death toll of the new corona. Wrong policies have killed more people, and no one is responsible for such a political view.
Conservative
I think that many countries based on capitalism have procrastinated in the context of the Corona outbreak and did not take the situation seriously in order not to harm their economy. However, in Iran, government policies worked, and although Iran was a high-risk country during the outbreak of the epidemic, in the short term, the government’s correct policies helped control the situation. Despite the fact that in many cases the people did not comply with the rules imposed by the government, but still they managed to control the outbreak. Let’s not forget that Iran is a nation with 80 million. Therefore, it’s a lot harder to handle than smaller countries. Even though we are under tough sanctions, but we still did our best to keep the people safe.
6. Outcome over the next year:
Liberal
I believe that the effects of this crisis in the social and economic fields will continue until next year. Especially if the vaccine is not found. However, the important thing is to know that we are not alone and that we are all more or less in the same situation and because we have some experience about Covid 19, so I think we can cope with this condition in the future. We must help each other to overcome this crisis.
Conservative
I agree with the government's view that it predicts that in fall we will again face waves of the virus, but not more severe than the initial epidemic. We must be cautious and we should take the warnings seriously. On the other hand, due to the severe impact on the economy, it is necessary to return to normal economic situation by next year. It’s not something to predict, but we should be prepared for it.
7. Comparison of the two cases and conclusion:
Comparing the two interviews with each other, I can conclude that political views could have a profound effect on the way each person thinks and approaches the issue in times of crisis. Although they both live in the same country, but their political views have led each one to different answers and views regarding specific questions about the government's role in controlling corona. This interview was only from two people with opposite views, but it can be generalized to a wider population. In my opinion, a democratic system that pursues populist policies prioritizes public health in times of crisis such as Corona. Nevertheless, systems known as dictatorial regimes prioritize maintaining their political system, because they know that in such a situation, the social crisis will rise. At the same time, the economy needs the country and the people to survive, and economic problems cause many social problems. That is why the balance between economy and health must always be maintained. In addition, the role of science and scientific research in critical situations such as Corona is very important, and scientific studies should be able to separate the destructive policies that lead to unscientific rumors and conversations in the right ways. Thus, science and politics, in the balance of health against economic effects in a global crisis such as the outbreak of coronavirus can control the situation and lead to a sustainable planet after the crisis is over.
Reference
Sarfraz, M. (2020). The Impact on Psychology of Sustainability, Sustainable Development, and
Global Economy. Research gate. Retrieved April 14, from
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