Two different worlds

• The West and the East have always been marked as great distances not only geographical but also civilizing.  The pandemic context manifests as few things how different these civilizations appear today, since the virus does not make geographic or political differences.  Let us make a comparison taking the current United States as a western representation and the paradigm of eastern civilization, China, from the Central Empire to today's Democratic Republic, as representation of the Far East.

 Noticing the existence of an unknown virus that was beginning to cause deaths, the Chinese government, after a time of hesitation, understandable in the face of something that was not previously experienced, quarantined 50 million people and notified the  World Health Organization, which, in turn, communicated the situation to the rest of the world.  Whether or not Beijing acted quickly enough can be debated, but there would be no definitive conclusion due to the exceptional nature of the situation and the serious consequences of giving a false alarm on these issues.

 From there, the Chinese government controlled the pandemic at a point that places it among the countries with the best results.  It is enough to compare infected and dead every million inhabitants.  At the same time, Beijing began to send medical aid and sanitary equipment to countries that required it, called to create a world health community, and pledged to declare the vaccine discovered in China universal.

 The North American government ignored the recommendations of the WHO, and when the pandemic began to wreak havoc, it gave confusing and contradictory indications, without a common plan or articulation between the federal government and the states.  With victims increasing, to a point where the United States is in the absolute top spot of infected and dead, President Donald Trump's reaction has been to blame the Chinese government and the WHO.

 The US president has not been deprived of recommending, through Twitter, medications not approved by the world medical community, and the sole concern for the continuity of economic activity and consumption and an evident insensitivity to the lives of  inhabitants of your country.

 Today, in the midst of the pandemic, the White House faces one of the most massive and widespread popular rebellions.  For racial discrimination and police brutality, yes, but which expresses the complaint of broad sectors for economic discrimination and social exclusion.  With 40 million unemployed, the United States is facing a recession that could bring down GDP in double digits.

 China today is preparing to continue growing "modestly" and keep its word that there will be no more poor people in its territory in two years.  Two worlds, two civilizations (and two different political, economic, and social systems).