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Covid-19: Can money buy happiness?

Likely not... but can it at least help overcome the misfortune of the coronavirus? This is the question leaders of the United States and the rich countries of Europe (the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium and Germany) might well ask themselves. These countries alone represent nearly 40% of the world's wealth and managed to mobilize several trillions of dollars in a matter of days! Despite this formidable deployment of financial resources, the results fall short of expectations. Four months in, these countries are still at the centre of the pandemic, with 76% of deaths worldwide, or an average of 426 per million inhabitants. The reason: decisions made too late, marked by hesitation and often by contradiction, as we have seen in the United States. Are Euro-North Americans happy? Perhaps, but in any case this has not helped them neutralize the virus.

Let's take a look at what is happening on the opposite extreme of the world's wealth spectrum. A case in point, Morocco (again). With limited financial resources (its GDP represents just 0.14% of world GDP) and a population of 37 million, the epidemic seems to be under control, relatively speaking: a total of 186 deaths, or 5 per million inhabitants. The reason: resources were mobilized optimally, largely thanks to donations, but above all judicious decisions were made in a timely fashion. Are Moroccans happy? Hard to say, especially during this special confined edition of Ramadan, but at least the virus has also been confined.

Benyounès    

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