When you watch the news, you might think that the world has gone off the deep end. On the one hand, you have the coronavirus epidemic that’s ravaging the country and the entire world. On the other hand, you have a teetering economy that’s struggling to stay afloat. And in between, you have countrywide racial tensions and an approaching presidential election. Is it any wonder that people are so tense these days, that there is so much violence and anger? Society is on the brink of collapse
There is no point drawing post COVID scenarios since people aren’t blind; they see that COVID isn’t going anywhere. If anything, it’s only ensconcing itself deeper in the country. As things stand today, I don’t envy the next president. Nothing that any government can do will ease people’s anxiety, get rid of the virus, or get the economy back on track.
But in fact, right now we don’t need to do anything; we need to understand! We need the right perspective, and then we’ll know what to do.
We need to realize that the world around us has changed. We will not return to excessive consumerism, frantic tourism, and the noxious attitude we proudly called “capitalism.” Thank God, the virus killed them all; they were old, had countless background illnesses, and the virus did away with them. In that sense, the virus cured us.
Actually, the fact that the coronavirus is so contagious is a blessing in disguise. People were so hostile to each other and felt so alone that tens of millions of young Americans were forced to find refuge in substance abuse, depression, all sorts of escapism, and extreme violence, both homicides and suicides. If we follow the doctors’ orders and keep our social distance and wear our face masks, we will at least stop hurting each other. Afterwards, we can start thinking about reconnecting in a non-toxic way.
It is no coincidence that staying six feet apart is called “social distance” and not “physical distance,” which is what it is. Our social relations are the problem, they contaminate our relationships and the disregard toward the doctors’ orders is simply a symptom of our disregard for one another. If we wanted to heal the country, we could end it by simply following their orders for a couple of weeks and the virus would be gone. But we don’t care about each other, we do whatever we want, and the virus is having a field day.
If we don’t begin to change our attitude to one another, the coronavirus will destroy our healthcare system, ravage our entire population, disrupt supply chains, products will not reach the stores, and all the money that the government will pour into people’s bank accounts won’t help them feed their children since the shelves will be empty.
This is the future we are building for ourselves just because we don’t care about each other. In today’s reality, one cannot live in disregard for others. It is called “mutual responsibility” and today it is essential for our survival. If we exercise it, we will live, and live well. If we spurn it, we will starve.
[Workers separated for social distancing because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic listen to Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden as he speaks about the U.S. economy during an outdoor campaign event at McGregor Industries, a metal works plant that manufactures stairs and stair railings, in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 9, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner]