Pandemic I: The Game Has Changed

Published: 2020-03-22

Tagged: thoughts pandemic

We have been ambushed. A crafty device of Nature, a virus, humbles our global society. No corner of the Earth has escaped its insatiable appetite and everyone must face it on equal terms. When the shock and panic die down, hundreds of millions will discover that all their plans for the future have all been scrambled. Those who sought a life away from the world's frantic pace will find The World standing on their doorstep winding up a haymaker punch.

What have we had to endure since the fall of the Soviet Union? Three decades of relative peace and prosperity interrupted by some small wars and market turmoil: the aftermath of the Curtain lifting, war in the Balkans, the Tigers' recession, the rise of the Russian Oligarchy, Y2K, 9/11 and the War on Terror, the 2008 Subprime Mortgage Crisis, the Refugee Crisis, etc. Nature was kind and merciful, restricting herself to some earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods. Sadly, the long summer has ended.

This crisis exposed weaknesses in everything we've built from supply chains to core democratic institutions. When reality hit us, we began to shed all the little lies that have accumulated around us over the years. We got a glimpse at the the true side of our families, friends, neighbors, coworkers, managers, community leaders, and politicians. Some have turned out to be kinder or braver than we thought. Others, the assholes and sociopaths, got even worse. This is good. Now we know what needs our attention to fix.

We are the humans.. Our blessing and tragedy is that we are at once both pawns and players. Whatever happens next, we will adapt. That's what we do.