I don’t want to get back to normal. I don’t want to return to business-as-usual. This global pandemic has put front and center some dark sides of our great nation: extreme inequality, tribalism, the excessive political power of corporations, and the adversarial public discussion process that blocks, truth, understanding and care.
Hopes Canceled. Start Over
Today I write, but I would have been traveling. This month to Australia visiting family and friends. In June I’d planned to be in England, tootling around with my grandson. Between and after these trips I’d expected to visit family locally every weekend and in Washington every 4 to 6 weeks.
Beyond travel, there were my other involvements. Weekly reading with primary school children, facilitating the bi-monthly Alzheimer’s support group, and other feel-good events. With my plans out the window, it’s time for a reset. This is also my metaphor for our nation.
I know I’m privileged to have the time and resources to indulge my whims while more than 70% of American families live paycheck to paycheck. Now many of those families don’t know how they’ll pay the rent. Why aren’t we a nation that cares enough for people to have solid backup plans in place? Well I didn’t either, so I understand. But I’m reconsidering this important aspect of society and so should our country.
Unequal Virus Opportunity
Our extreme inequality and discrimination are reflected in how people are variously affected by the virus. As the less-than-one-percent escape on private jets to secluded holiday homes, blacks die from the virus at three times the rate of whites, and essential workers in the most dangerous jobs scrape by on minimal wages.
Meanwhile, corporations have rewritten the public narrative in their favor — making it OK to cut low skill wages to the bone, wipe away unions, control the financial and legislative system, and externalize costs bringing pollution, ecological damage and climate change.
Now, to top that off, large corporations ran away with the biggest chunk of the Paycheck Protection Program pandemic bailout funds, supposedly intended for small and medium-sized businesses. They did it because they could, explaining, “To return [the PPP funds] would be breaching fiduciary duty.” Not only have these few seized the day, they make their egregious acts sound virtuous. Amazing! And that doesn’t even touch on the massive fees banks take processing these applications.
What’s the Rush All About?
As I’m slowing down, I’m smelling the roses, rethinking my complicated lifestyle, questioning my exotic travel plans and all that gratifying but perhaps unnecessary consumption. Can I find just as much satisfaction locally? Do I need that African safari when I can get similar pleasure, with less stress and pollution, by watching joyful birds play in the bushes in my own backyard? While this enforced simple life is low-stress and life-extending, it doesn’t sell consumption so it’s not promoted by corporations, politicians or the media.
There’s No Truth in War
Perhaps the biggest issue preventing us from reaching a better culture that’s truly FOR people is our tribalized, adversarial, public discussion and decision process. It leaves no room for honest open understanding or consensus on what we want from our culture. Instead, it’s all or nothing, us versus them, and whose team are you on?
We seem locked into a war game where all parties must engage and attack, deflect and disorient, lie and deny. If they don’t, their words will be used as ammunition against them. An honest politician is slaughtered in the media marketplace. We created this social dystopia ourselves. Can we escape?
We can’t know yet, but If there’s an upside to Covid-19, it might be how it’s exposed the distorted roots of our present issues. I’m hopeful that the Phoenix, our great nation, can rise again from the flames. We’ve done it before and we can do it now.
My Revised Plan
I’ll actively support opportunities I see for moving towards a more caring, loving nation.
Are you also reworking your disrupted plans and expectations? I would really like to hear from you and maybe include your experience in future blogs. Please let me know. Thank you.
me, Barry Phegan
