When the matrix shifts, everything shifts

In the Hollywood movie Matrix III, an army of urchin-shaped alien creatures attacks the remaining human race that fights for survival on a space station because their own planet was destroyed as its resources were devoured by human greed and shortsightedness. Does this sound familiar?

After watching Matrix III, we are left asking: Shouldn't we all rise above the shortsightedness and rivalries, and unite to fight the aliens attacking us before it is too late?

This may sound like sci-fi movie fantasy. But it is not. It is real and happening right now. You can watch it in the news throughout the day.

We humans must recognize that the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic is exactly like the war against the aliens in Matrix III only the common human enemy is not any alien but the novel coronavirus. So everyone must unite to fight it. The more divisions there are among countries in the fight the longer it will take to defeat the enemy and the more devastation the human race will suffer in terms of health and lives.

Advanced sciences and high-tech aside, experience points to only one thing that could effectively control and prevent the spread of the virus. That is quarantine and isolation.

In a country of 1.4 billion people, about one-fifth of the world's population, the virus has been largely contained. And that was made possible because of China's clear-headed leadership, effective implementation of control and prevention measures from the provincial to the village and neighborhood levels, general people's cooperation, the backbreaking and highly risky work of medical workers, and the sacrifices of the people in Wuhan and its parent province of Hubei, where most of the cases were concentrated in China.

A few days ago, about 100 Chinese scientists wrote an open letter requesting the United States administration to stop playing the blame game and allow Chinese and American scientists to work constructively to find a vaccine against the virus. In response, about 100 American scientists, present and former government officials, and other conscientious persons asked Washington to support this effort. Let's hope Washington heeds their request.

But, in reality, will anybody in the US administration listen to reason?

Well, there's an American saying about the lights being on but nobody being home.

Today, China has the best knowledge and practical experience of controlling the spread of the virus and minimizing the damage. The numbers speak for themselves, and the World Health Organization has verified these numbers. China is sharing this knowledge and experience with the WHO and other countries, and dispatching medical supplies and medical teams to other countries to boost the global fight against the pandemic. For instance, New York City received 1,000 ventilators from China, and the city mayor himself thanked China for the help.

The pandemic has become politicized at every level of US society. Which has not only polarized the Democrats and Republicans, but also prompted many to hurl racist slurs at China, even though China has been helping other countries with medical supplies, including face masks, personal protective equipment and ventilators, to fight the pandemic.

So irrational is the White House's policy on the pandemic that it has halted the US funding for the WHO, and earlier dismissed a navy commander's request for medical help for the treatment of infected crewmen.

This is a time for unity. We must all join hands to fight the virus. Even in the slums of South Africa, gang leaders have called for a truce and are using the traditional but illegal narcotics delivery channels to supply food to people in confinement. If gang members can put aside their rivalries and join hands to fight the pandemic, can't the White House too?

Somewhere in all this lies the answer and key to defeating the coronavirus.

In Matrix III, the only way humans can defeat the urchin-like aliens is by having everyone, regardless of caste, creed and color, shelve their differences and unite for a single purpose－to fight the aliens. For those in Washington who still cannot get this point into their heads, please go to YouTube before supply chain defaults force it to shut down and watch Matrix III. Thank you!

The author is founder of Himalayan Consensus. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.