Matters Arising From US Ebola Strategy

Introduction

The last few weeks have been dominated by two ubiquitous constructions in the Anglo-US media; Daesh (ISIS) and Ebola.  While the former is a deliberate constructed continuous programme that metamorphosed into various forms in the last 2 decades, the latter suddenly took centre stage initially as a side attraction before it exploded on the back foot of misinformation and mismanagement. It is important to pay attention to US actions and reactions to delineate certain patterns, relationship and trends that suggest they intrinsically point to a US State either in a state of chaos or in gradual decline or in both states.

Charity Begins at Home

It is not worthy repeating that the countries affected by Ebola outbreak which continues as primary activity space without breaking out beyond their boundaries have the full responsibility of starting action against it. In the interim the geopolitical and geoeconomic dimensions is suggesting that these capitals maybe constrained to advance their positions even though such positions cannot be excused. 

If you observe the map below, it is obvious that the 3 primary countries form a contiguous space. In a sense Ebola outbreak is contained within this contiguous space which in part is nothing short of a miracle if internal and cross-border movements are considered. Certain laws of spatial diffusion & spatial interaction are challenged or maybe something may be suggesting an outbreak imposition rather than a natural organic outbreak.

Stable Ebola Activity Space - Devoid of Diffusion to Neighbouring Countries

How did each of the governments in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia initially reacted, identified, confirmed and tackled Ebola in each of  their territories remains to be deciphered. Were they under any form of pressure to stay timely intervention action? Did these countries share information, strategy and solutions with each other? Did they engage with neighbouring countries, regional groups, friends in high places? Sadly the western media is concentrating on the fact that NGOs first raised the alarm as if these governments are irrelevant. Surely they are perceived as the Other. It is a western thing, a Northern thing! This begs the question, is the NGO first (early warning) alarm the true picture? If it is the case, do the aforementioned governments have legitimacy?

US Stake

Prior to Ebola outbreak it is important to stress useful facts. The western media on the whole didn’t take it serious, meaning that their governments saw no need for immediate intervention since it is happening in Africa and to Africans. Obviously they maximised the benefits of delayed action. Responses only took place reactively and selectively because their citizens in the infected zones where victims as they were extracted like ticking bombs with clinical caution. United Kingdom did hers in full media glare and with military dimension in fact. However it is also a fact that United States has a biological research facility in Kenema, Sierra Leone. See Map below.

Kenema, Sierra Leone - Location of US Biological Research Facility

Until data is available, it is impossible to spatially delineate how Ebola in Sierra Leone diffused and travelled, and the relationship between the US biological facility and the outbreak. Data is urgently needed to map the pattern of spatial diffusion of Ebola in the 3 country to among other things identify possible linkages, isolated infections patterns, potential organic or inorganic diffusion including urban/non-urban divide. Naturally, one would have expected that for the sake of public diplomacy, Washington DC would have responded aggressively with the initial reports.

Active Response

The first US public response was the deployment of nearly 3000 troops to Liberia. What is unclear is whether the deployment was already scheduled to take place at the time. Whichever is the case, it is difficult to provide a causal link between the troop deployment and Ebola containment in the country.  Monrovia is rather very weak to resist any overtures from Washington DC. What was urgently needed were deployment of medical personnel, specialist professionals, equipment and interventions to any of the countries.

Rather US media went into over-drive on the unscientific dangers of Ebola with Texas Governor, cheerleading the misinformation. On the contrary Cuba, a country blocked for decades by US, deployed huge resources, specialist manpower, medications, interventions and solutions borne from successful experience of global medical health diplomacy. No other country has challenged this reality directed from Havana.

One message is the clear evidence of US isolation. The peddling of misinformation to scare domestic population for a country claiming ‘exceptionalism’ and is fully connected with the world; the impression is a serious indictment on national security response. One wonders whether Texas response is coordinated with the Federal Government or rather an expression of its defiance which suggests far more toxic procedural breakdown.

Facing Ebola At Home

For reasons which are yet to be analysed, spatial diffusion of Ebola beyond the 3 primary countries is constrained and contained. Even neighbouring countries have not recorded insignificant cross-border infections. The number of global cross-border Ebola infections remains insignificant so is the number of fatalities there from.

If one focus attention on direct US contact with and confrontation of Ebola, then you begin to understand either there is a misunderstanding of an enemy or rather the investment in strategy of selective confrontation. With misinformation already saturating domestic population it became clear that US private medical system couldn't cope with the infection. Health professionals who were looking after Ebola patient contracted the infection on duty. In a single action, the myth of ‘US having the best (selective) health care system in the world’ was laid bare.

This is a compelling outcome of an aspect of US power which has no room for accessible health care on arrival for all. It also testifies to a health care system that is ill-equipped to deal with very serious infections.  While Nigeria on the other side of the world successfully confronted Ebola sparing no resources, US was caught unprepared, ill-equipped and unaccountable to her own citizens. Despite the saturation of domestic airwaves with misinformation, the president of the republic had to make a special announcement informing citizens of the real nature of Ebola, sources of infection and relevant protective measures.  In a sense Federal, state and local departments of health essence has vanished. Sign of the times!

Penultimately US introduced ‘enhanced’ interrogation techniques for receiving passengers from West Africa at her airports. The epitome of strategy! Nigeria is ready to share important lessons if US needs it. In parallel, US Ambassador to United Nations, Samantha Powers, commenced irrelevant fact-finding Ebola diplomacy to the infected countries, yes African countries. It is not lost on observers that the same individual saw it fit to suggest, lobby for and obtained approval (by another African) for the violent destruction of another African country, Libya, in 2011. This face of anti-life and anti-Africa cannot be taken seriously by Africans who only saw Hellfire drones, Tomahawks missiles and evisceration of African lives in Libya. Africa sees no friend in the current US Ambassador to the UN as much as it struggles to certify US interlocution in African affairs. No, Africans can’t!

In the final assessment and without excusing the government and its inherent procedures; US is a divided country. There is marked division between the commons and the elite despite all the platitude of freedom. A sharp divide exist between the state and federal government. Ebola has among other things exposed the nature of US government and how it functions in real time and responds to real threat. It equally points out serious gaps with officials who for various reasons fail to invest in fit-for-purpose health care system.

Conclusion

In the annals of history great powers start very small. They get to the apogee of ‘superpower’ status over time and there is only one way to go; down. Some went down quickly, others with violence, few peacefully and others in a very slow fashion. United States handling of Ebola only displayed an atomised insight into a great power’s inability to engage clearly and seriously with a strategic threat evidencing loss of focus. If other atomised insights of error are aggregated over time, a tilted plateau across the horizon will show a declining trend.