After 4 Weeks of sheltering-in-place, here are some topics on my mind. I’d love to hear yours, so please comment or reply. Wishing you all well!
Coronavirus Crazy
Last week a neighbor on my street went into labor. She decided to drive the short distance to Marin General Hospital but was blocked by a person walking down the middle of the street. The pedestrian refused to move, turned, and pummeled the car. Eventually the driver was able to pass. (Full disclosure – the baby’s now doing fine.) It was a combination of crisis, privilege, righteousness, anxiety, misunderstanding, and potential disaster. I felt it reflected the national Covid-19 scene.
Corporate Covid-19 Bailouts
I’m impressed and depressed, but not surprised, by the gall of corporations that for years have paid zero in taxes, perhaps even receiving massive tax rebates, that now ask for, and will receive, “bailouts.” I can imagine the political furor of an individual equivalent: proposing that Social Security be made universal, adequate, and not depend on whether or not you’d contributed.
As usual, there’s plenty of bailout money for corporations, but little for the average citizen, for social services and nonprofits, or for schools and front-line healthcare workers. Once again, the rich get richer at the expense of the less powerful.
Rethink Priorities?
Many people feel their experience of staying at home — slower, more thoughtful — may bring a reshaping of national priorities. Optimists see possibilities for a more equitable distribution of wealth, a truly encompassing universal health system, and the resurgence in the power of labor — ordinary people, the bottom 90%. I hope so too, but the existing power structure has firm control of the social and political levers. Revolutions are rare and messy.
A More Caring Culture?
Though maybe not revolution, another possible benefit is a more caring society. The virus has exposed the weakness of our business-oriented culture — it doesn’t care for its members, the people it should serve. A system that cares only for the rich and powerful needs rebuilding. I hope Covid-19 brings that silver lining — a society that loves us all.
Covid Love
Ironically, despite shelter-in-place orders, I’m in a new romantic relationship. After some careful quarantining, we are now a couple, each socially distanced from others but not from each other. Though we met in February, it feels as if we’ve known each other for ages. How wonderful is that? It’s our silver lining!
Thank you for reading along with me. As always, I’d appreciate and value your comments, thoughts and experiences — and suggestions.
me, Barry Phegan
