The COVID-19 experience is about several things. One of them is rebalancing.
As it became clear that the distribution of the virus was not as democratic as everyone thought, that minorities and low-wage earners were disproportionately affected, there was a call for change. There was a call to rebalance society. But rebalance what?
Is it to balance the distribution of the virus among everyone; to make it more democratic like it was supposed to be? May be that’s not the real goal. May be it’s all the things that created that “undemocratic” state.
Answering the what quickly unravels into a seemingly endless list of imbalances. Is it better to find distancing methods that work for more groups of people? Is it balancing wealth so people can afford better housing? Is it balancing political power so all groups have agency, and none are ignored? Is it balancing social and business objectives to more evenly distribute benefits? Do we find ourselves faced with existential questions on the role of capitalism in a democratic society or the role of democracy in a capitalistic economy?
These are big and complex questions. They take time to understand, work through and resolve, let alone implement.
Are we sufficiently motivated to stick with it and see it through?
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