“Small business owners X waged employee; young X old; left X right.
Picking a side alone cannot change any.
As usual, “politicians” are simply stating the obvious after the mess is already made, in order to disconnect themselves from any responsibility. I am not sure about the logic in that, but it has worked to explain basically anything lately. So why not this?
The suggestion is that the economic crisis can be more deadly than the virus because people will lose their jobs and have no money to eat. This offers unreasonably polarized choices in order to justify governments’ unwillingness to commit to any systemic change to benefit the people. Implying the two “sides” (Economic system X Lives) are similar “issues” and equally hard to solve while suggesting we (the people) “take one for the team” and make the hard but “inescapable” choice to protect the economic system even if it costs our own lives or the planet itself. After all, this “economic system deity” is our very human purpose, our obligation and our way of life. This cynic narrative is, to say the least, an oversimplification of complex issues while refraining to offer substantial actions to address the issues. Instead of addressing the issues, people are basically being directed to pick a side and pay the price. This has been the current approach to preserve the Status Quo in many different spheres.
These issues are not similar. We are talking about a virus and we cannot control that, period. With time we can learn, develop treatments or build up herd immunity against it, naturally, through vaccines or otherwise. Our economic system, on the other hand, is man-made and man controlled. If it is a matter of choice, let’s focus on what we can regulate to suit society’s needs. Can we pick human lives over money for once? Please don’t just accept a blind bet that says “whoever dies, dies” as long as we protect our God-like corporations!
Right now, I would suggest people rally governments focus on investment in:
- The intensification of public health systems capabilities and on safeguarding the people that make these systems work;
- Protect small farmers, food producers, local food systems, and work (maybe with the army?) to largely increase their supply chain, integration and logistic capabilities, which are some of their main struggles, that could significantly contribute to securing the distribution of food and essentials in a resilient way (while decrease travelling/contamination distances).
- Ask institutions to find ways to protect, reorganize and redirect the workforce safely for essential products and services. (creating jobs while ensuring the continuation of essential provisions)
If instead we get distracted fighting each other to protect our individual needs and world views, it will make even harder for these already vulnerable essentials providers. (Please, no more wrestling each other over toilet paper)
Make no mistake, no matter the party, in the next election we will hear from all sides “I told you this would be bad, and whatever I did was the right solution for your concerns” and the option left for us will be to pick one.
This is urgent! Let’s take this opportunity to unite behind humanity through community organization. Contact your neighbours (from a distance); Write to your local representatives, Imagine and share ways you can contribute to making your own community more resilient. Let’s concentrate on find solutions and communicate them clearly, to each other and to local representatives, because it’s too late to fight over whose fault it is. We have all played a role in creating this.