Goodbye War On Terror Hello Permanent Pandemic?

After two decades of “the war on terror,” the world pivoted to fighting viruses. Suddenly airports were quiet, not guarded. Some people said governments had swapped one endless emergency for another — a “permanent pandemic.” There’s truth in the comparison: crises can justify long-lasting powers. But instead of global scheming, what we’re really seeing is how slow bureaucracies are to let go once they’ve tasted control.