We are in the midst of a global pandemic, these are frightening and uncertain times. For individuals certainly, but also for businesses, neoliberalist ideas and capitalism itself. Covid-19 is spreading through the world; as it does so, it is exposing the fragility of our global systems. As the supermarkets, the so called ‘cathedrals of capitalism’ are laid bare, the system’s vulnerability is exposed. As is our dependence on it.
Many Governments have been slow to move against the virus, unwilling to implement the measures needed to contain the spread in fear of the economic impact of doing so. You can understand their thought process, if your priority is the free market, dismantling public services and shrinking the state then having the state take control and cover wages for workers, it’s going against everything you believe in. Nevertheless it is what they have had to do.
The global economy has been hit hard, as many admit we are heading for a recession worse than the financial crisis of 2008. The empty shops beg the question, what would we do if we couldn’t get our food from the supermarkets? Whilst capitalism crumbles at the edges, communities have mobilised in a way many of us haven’t seen before.
In response to the crisis people around the world have been coming together to look out for one another. In Wuhan, China, when public transport was suspended, volunteer drivers created a community fleet to take medical workers between their homes and hospitals. In Norway, a group of survivors are providing services that would be dangerous for the non-immune. In the US, sewing groups have been making face masks to donate to hospitals. Here in the UK, 650,000 people have volunteered to help the NHS. Many streets have WhatsApp groups created specifically to look out for one another. Social media is awash with messages of solidarity. I myself have had long chats with neighbours, who I’ve never even spoken to before and notes through the letterbox from people offering up their help.
(Image Nadia Spetnitskaya via Unsplash)
After being forced into isolation, many of us are embracing a slower pace of life and turning to the basics. it seems as though everyone on instagram is baking! People are getting more sleep, they are chatting to their neighbours over the fence, they are finding time to do things their normal schedule wouldn’t allow. They are ordering fruit and veg boxes from local suppliers, or planting seeds to grow their own. I for one, have become increasingly aware of my reliance on the food industry. The pandemic has made me want to grow vegetables and become more self-sufficient. Community gardens and urban farms suddenly feel much more important.
(Image via Farm Urban Liverpool)
I don’t want to discount the seriousness of the illness, Corona Virus is heartbreaking for everyone affected, and the impacts spread far and wide. What it has done though, is highlight our dependence on a flawed system. Global debt is currently at $255 Trillion - $87 Trillion higher than at the onset of the 2008 financial crisis. This is hardly a reliable system. Deforestation, pollution and worker exploitation are the foundations of capitalism. Those concerned about the environment have been questioning the capitalist model for some time.
This bizarre situation we find ourselves in has provided an insight into how slowing down a little could reduce the pressure we are putting on the environment. There are stories from all around the world of how nature is healing as the firm grip of industrial capitalism loosens. Corona Virus has given us a rare opportunity, some time to stop and think. To consider our priorities and what sort of world we want to live in when all this is finally over.
When faced with a crisis we have realised what matters the most, our health and putting food on the table. It is clear that the true heroes, the ones we really rely on, are the people who look after us when we’re sick and the people who produce and sell our food. Ironically enough, it’s the workers who’s pay does not reflect the importance of the work they do.
We are more grateful than ever for our neighbours, our communities. I don’t know about you but I have found a lot of comfort in seeing the many ways people have come together. Community doesn’t necessarily have to be local. We live in the digital age, our life works on an international stage and there is nothing wrong with that. I have been unbelievably grateful for facetime, instagram stories and zoom pub quizzes. ‘Community’ is about looking out for one another, whether that is checking in on a person down the street or on a much larger scale.
(Image: NHS volunteer via BBC News)
With that in mind we must consider how we go forward from here. If we follow the standard economic playbook now, just as after 2008, when the crisis is over, political elites will call for austerity - wage cuts, nhs cuts, and tax rises for ordinary people. Capitalism’s solution.
If anything, the coronavirus pandemic has proven that lining the pockets of billionaires shouldn’t be our system’s top priority. Rather, we need an economy that has public health and well-being as its number one. Surely the economy should serve the people, not the other way around. It could be said the health of the planet could fall under public health. When we talk about ‘saving the planet’, the truth is Planet Earth will survive. But if we continue on our current trajectory, humans (along with many other species) may not. We need a healthy relationship with the planet to ensure a sustainable future.
This is an unprecedented and complicated time, the extent of coronavirus’ impact is as yet unknown. But there is a glimmer of hope for the future, the pandemic has brought out a sense of community the likes of which we haven’t seen for a long time. Can we simply go back to how we were after all this? I hope that our new found sense of looking out for one another, of community, lives on.
Maybe, just maybe, we don’t go back to a global system that prioritizes making the rich richer above all else. Perhaps we will realise there are more important things than oil and stock prices. Perhaps we invest in healthcare instead. Perhaps these acts of kindness, that have been a silver lining through all this, will become the new normal. Perhaps we can learn to be a little more self sufficient. I say we leave the chimneys and exploitation in the past. I say we imagine a brighter future, for both people and planet.
by Megan Harvey
@trace.lifestyle
tracelifestyle.co.uk
