More carrots, fewer sticks for this crisis
There can be no doubt that the first action had to be shut down, buy time, learn, understand, prepare. Whether hindsight proves that a laissez-faire attitude would have brought no different result, it would have been irresponsible for the government not to build a solid defence against this approaching danger, particularly when the precise nature, strength and weaponry of the enemy is unknown.
Rush the children (or, in this case, the elderly) inside, batten down the hatches, prepare for the worst. Get scared. Be nice.
Once everyone’s inside, we’d better find out what the danger really is. I’m still not sure. If you want to remain concerned and uncertain, then watch all the news and follow every theory espoused on social media — ranging from international conspiracy theories to medical diagnoses and prognoses.
Perhaps the worst part of Covid-19 is that the symptoms are not immediate, severe or obvious. If you had a bright blue circle in the middle of your forehead, that would be much more useful. As it is, Covid-19 can be confused with the common cold, though I’ll bet if your first cough is a dry one, you’ll persist until you produce some phlegm, just to make sure.
Our numbers so far, however imperfect or statistically insignificant, confirm that lockdown was absolutely the right thing to do, even if others did otherwise. We’re not Sweden. The virus onslaught thus deferred, other consequences, arguably as devastating (or more) to human health, wealth and happiness, have begun to manifest in the pressure cookers that were once our homes.
Like it or not, economic despair is a crippling, pervasive, contagious disease most urgently requiring redress in those ecosystems where onesize-fits-all rules just won’t cut it. If ever there was a case study of a diverse and divided society, we are it.
We have to get back out there, and there won’t be one set of simple rules, however rigorously enforced, that will take us safely back through the still present haze of danger from which we first fled.
Force and disciplinary action won’t get us there.
Laws and rules are meant to contain criminals, but an entire nation cannot be assumed guilty, particularly when so often at an individual level people remain unconvinced of whether what they’re doing is more dangerous than what others are allowed to do. Why is surfing in the sea criminal while jogging in the park is encouraged?
No. This time we need less hitting and more hugging (from a safe distance, of course). Less force, more trust. Less restriction, more empowerment. It requires consistent, common knowledge to drive common purpose.
Imagine if we took a leap of faith in our people? Fully inform them, and then simply trust them to do the right thing. Never mind herd immunity, what about herd self-interest? To continue with the words of the song: “You may say I’ ma dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Let’s try it.
Change from autocracy to guidance. Inform, don’t dictate. Enable, don’t contain. I have found without exception that people entrusted with responsibility embrace it, nurture it, guard it, protect it. It is as clear that suppressed people rebel against their suppression. If there’s anywhere in the world where we know that, then surely it’s here?
So, let’s move more rapidly down the levels towards freedom, deal with the outliers and protect the most vulnerable, rather than keep everyone in cages and assume the lowest common denominator of bad behaviour to be the yardstick of progress. Squashed together within confining sets of regulations won’t cure us, and the baddies will always find a way out.
For enough of the majority, though, given half a chance, our natural goodness will prevail.
Self-preservation (through self-regulation) will become the order of the day. We’ll deal with the exceptions, but for now let’s take some big steps towards the middle ground.