Tomorrow's world

This pandemic might be a major turning point in many aspects of today’s lifestyles, not to mention politics and international relations. We will see. Some people are already speculating about those changes. That’s a way for them to advance their own personal agendas and political views. They can write many words about the coronavirus and its links to consumerism, inequalities, environmental issues and so on, including the impact of individual liberties. I have already read several pieces that do that expedition into the future of the humanity. And I concluded that all those words end up by being vague and a repetition of current banners. Propaganda instead of prospective thinking.

They distract many of us of the real challenges of the moment: to slow down the spreading of the virus and support the required research to produce a vaccine as soon as possible. These should be the two top priorities at this stage.

If you are a social scientist, a philosopher or an opinion maker, you should concentrate your attention on the first challenge. That’s within your reach. Tell the people they can make a difference in terms of contagion if they behave responsibly. Tell above all the young people to be as prudent as everybody else. The younger ones have been told that the disease would only have a mild effect on them. That was a communication mistake. It can seriously affect them, first. And they can catch it and pass it on to older people, with disastrous consequences.  

The debate about the future will take place at the appropriate time, once things are again under control. It will certainly be a very interesting discussion. Tomorrow’s world will be a post-coronavirus new reality, I am sure.