In a conversation on what the world might look like after the end of the COVID crisis, Gladwell offered several insights and points of view. In answering the question what can we learn from this [crisis], he talked about what makes a system successful; why are some successful and others fail? Gladwell referred to research into different sports, which noted that in soccer, for example, the overall success of the team was dependent on the capabilities of its weakest player (i.e., the weakest link). However, in basketball, it was dependent on the strongest player. These he referred to as weak-link and strong-link games. To improve a team, you need to improve the weak link or the strong link respectively.
He used this framework to interpret the current crisis as a weak-link game. He observed that [in the US] most investment in the healthcare system has been directed towards the high-profile, big ticket items. Private hospitals receive a lot of investment; the public ones less so [I am not familiar with the US system of hospitals so I don’t really appreciate this distinction]. Yet, there was a failure to invest in the basic items, like face masks, face guards, protective clothing and without these, no matter how wonderful is the technology of medicine, it falls short. The weakest link (masks, face guards, etc.) is failing.
Extrapolating from this point (again in the US model), while the healthcare system offers some of the best services available anywhere in the world, for most people it is unaffordable without health insurance, and many have health insurance only if they have a job. Without a job, as so many now are, they are unprotected. Will this be seen as a gap that should be addressed? If so, will there be enough momentum to resolve it? For countries that have public heathcare systems (e.g., “medicare”), they may look to other weak links in the chain of success. Gladwell suggests a guaranteed minimum income might receive more attention.
Gladwell also noted that the burden of the economic failure has fallen on the poor / lower classes. They are the ones loosing their jobs and live mostly pay cheque to pay cheque; or they are the ones driving the trucks to carry the produce, etc., or work on the front-lines. The question that follows is whether this event will lead to a re-balancing of wealth going forward. I’ll just note that the Black Death of the 14th century had a re-balancing effect by bringing to an end the feudal system (in England).
Malcolm Gladwell has a podcast called Revisionist History. To find out more on the weak/strong link model, see his podcast, My Little Hundred Million starting at the 10 minute mark.
Leave a Reply