From metaphor to militarized response: the social implications of “we are at war with COVID-19” – crisis, disasters, and pandemics yet to come

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the framing of the emergency response to the novel coronavirus (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]; severe acute respiratory syndrome-like coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2]) in 2020 with wartime combat language. Metaphors have been used throughout American politics and society to frame perceived social problems, to both mobilize support and demobilize opposition. By simplifying and dichotomizing social problems, latent negative consequences frequently emerge, which tend to have a disproportionate impact on minority communities.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used a case study and applied text from presidential press conferences and policy speeches from multiple sources on the War on Poverty, the War on Drugs and the War on COVID-19. The work identified common themes, actions and policies that can lead to other stakeholders adapting the “war” rhetoric.FindingsAn apparent cycle emerged – from disdain to metaphorical “war,” to policy, to law, to consequences and back to disdain – that fueled the American political system and, by extension, systematic oppression. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be another crucible for this cycle to repeat itself. The series of examples illustrate how public leaders use the “war metaphor” as an all-out victory approach to galvanize policy responses to social issues, crises and natural disasters. By local, national and international stakeholders.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of this study are the limited use of the metaphor and the time of completing this manuscript. The paper only views the presidential use and interpretation of the war metaphor. The COVID-19 pandemic disaster is persisting and the race for a vaccine is underway. While the authors present the immediate policy impacts, it is too early to understand the long-term policy impacts typically measured over decades.Practical implicationsThis paper contributes to the literature by employing three case studies: the War on Poverty, the War on Drugs and the War on COVID-19 pandemic to draw comparisons between wartime rhetoric, social policies and the sociopolitical implications of those policies, as well as how these policies have the potential to disproportionately affect socially vulnerable populations.Originality/valueThis paper builds on research regarding the use of metaphor, this analysis bridges a knowledge gap by employing the COVID-19 case to the historical use of the war metaphor.

Experiences of Nurses Diagnosed With Covid-19

“…The analysis of qualitative data was made based on Braun and Clarke's (2014) thematic analysis approach consisting of six steps. The first step is to read the data multiple times so that the researchers become familiar with the data and identify remarkable statements about the participants' experiences.…”

“…Similarly, various studies report that some individuals in quarantine experience a feeling of loneliness, frustration, and exclusion (Chen et al, 2020a;Fernandez et al, 2020;Lu et al, 2020;Shen et al, 2020). Especially, those living alone at home are afraid of being alone, and fear of death or staying in quarantine for a long time may cause individuals to miss the social life they are accustomed to and deepen loneliness (Fernandez et al, 2020;Lu et al, 2020).…”

“…In this study, one of the nurses was afraid of being excluded because she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and it happened even by her colleagues after treatment. argued that regardless of whether they were diagnosed with COVID-19 or not, individuals who experience the quarantine process due to contact can be seen as a potential source of virus in the society, and interaction with these individuals is avoided (Chen et al, 2020a). This situation may cause the individual to experience a feeling of exclusion.…”

The challenges of providing certainty in the face of wicked problems: Analysing the UK government's handling of the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Swift decisions are needed, but information is fluid and everchanging, and those operating within health care systems require leadership. These characteristics of decision‐making and leadership are often attributed to military contexts and especially warfare (Grint, 2008 ), and it is no surprise that some of the most used metaphors in discussing COVID relate to warfare (Chapman & Miller, 2020 ; Isaacs & Priesz, 2020 ; Kohlt, 2020 ).…”

How Constructive News Outlets Reported the Synergistic Effects of Climate Change and Covid-19 Through Metaphors

“…One possible explanation might have to do with their perceived benefits as they are believed to be especially well-suited for expressing definitive, clear-cut outcomes (such as victory or defeat); be highly successful in conveying and invoking emotions; encourage the expenditure of massive resources to achieve an outcome; create a sense of urgency to act; draw on shared basic knowledge about how wars develop (even if that knowledge may be second-hand); and have a simple structure for discussing the parties involved (in terms of allies versus enemies) (Annas 1995;Baehr 2006;Flusberg, Matlock, and Thibodeau 2018). But arguments have been made against the use of War metaphors especially when discussing health issues starting with Sontag's (1989) seminal work on cancer (for more recent examples of such calls relating to COVID-19 see e.g., Bates 2020; Chapman and Miller 2020;Pfrimer and Barbosa 2020). Concerns include that militaristic language encourages stigma by blaming individuals for "not fighting hard enough" when they fail to recover from an illness (Sontag 1989).…”