John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, bestselling authors and experts on global affairs, discuss how the pandemic has unveiled the vulnerabilities of Western governments. They tackle the contrasting success of Eastern nations in managing COVID-19, questioning the effectiveness of liberal democracies. The conversation delves into the implications for governance, the rise of big government, and the need for reform to reclaim public trust. Key issues on technological tensions and the impact of China's governance model on the West also emerge.
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insights INSIGHT
Government Matters
Good government is crucial, impacting life and death, as evident in COVID-19 outcomes.
Western governments' assumed advantage is questionable compared to East Asian counterparts.
insights INSIGHT
East's Political Revolution
The East's political revolution, marked by effective governance and innovation, has been overlooked.
China's potential evolution into a sophisticated authoritarianism poses a significant threat.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Comparing COVID Outcomes
London suffered 6,000 COVID deaths, while New York had over 20,000, highlighting stark differences in outcomes.
Seoul, a comparable city, only experienced around 50-60 deaths.
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Fear is on the march. All over the world citizens have surrendered basic freedoms to the state in order to be protected from Covid-19. Good government has become not just important but a matter of life and death. But the assumption that Western governments have any advantage over the rest of the world is questionable: ask yourself, where would you feel safer today – in Los Angeles and Barcelona or in Singapore and Seoul?
The pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of the West, argue bestselling authors John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, and it is accelerating a shift in the balance of power to the East. While Western democracies have been consumed by in-fights such as the battle over Brexit or partisan showdowns in Congress, countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, as well as China, have been stealing a march economically, technologically and, arguably, politically in recent years.
Earlier this month, Micklethwait and Wooldridge came to Intelligence Squared to talk about the themes of their new book, 'The Wake Up Call'. What are the lessons to be learned from the pandemic? Should we recognise, as many on the Left maintain, that big government is back for good and should be expanded permanently to deal with other global crises? Or should a balance be struck between collectivism on the one hand, and freedom and entrepreneurialism on the other? And how can the West respond creatively to the pandemic, reverse decades of decline, and ensure that China does not overtake the US in the struggle for global leadership?
To find out more about the book click here: https://bit.ly/3ounpKl
Intelligence Squared 
