What a Difference a Month Makes!

摘要

Just a month ago, writing the editorial column for the last issue of MT, coronavirus was a word that -whilst not being ignored - fell into the "it seems serious but it is all happening elsewhere" category: a relatively common human reaction when confronted by threats that seem distant or remote. Now, as these words are written in mid-March, it is the single most important word in the lexicon. Almost all other news has been pushed to one side or, at the very best, accorded a far lower priority below the multiple stories about infection rates, global reactions, frantic government intervention (and, in many cases, indecision) and the mounting death toll. It will have a dramatic effect on our community -the defence and security community, that is - as it will on every other community on Planet Earth. This is, perhaps, the Great Leveller, a phenomenon whose effects may be felt for years, if not decades, to come. Or, perhaps, not.