Dystopia or Solidarity?

The Covid-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge to the planet. Well, the planet will survive but certain species might not. Humans in particular are at a historic cross-road. One way leads to dystopia and the other to solidarity.

One thing is certain though. That the social, economic, political fabric will be changed forever.

The dystopian vision looks something like this:

The world gets even more boundary defined. Border walls get even higher. If you are from any other race or nationality our first reaction would be that you are unwelcome.

We build protectionist barriers around our industry, intellectual property and innovation and our assets - skills, knowledge, agricultural output, technology, mineral resources, production and markets.

Global collaboration on healthcare, security, poverty eradication, education, racial discrimination, global trade, rule based engagement, environment to name a few falls apart. Now it's 'each to their own'.

Social structures change to nuclear families, virtual workers connected only for delivering your share of the production, neighbors who want to maintain social distance and community that starts and ends with hard coded social distancing (disconnection) even at places that are designed to be social like dining, vacationing, shopping and meet ups.

Art and culture retreat into domestic domains and the space for these important achievements of humanity retreats. No museums, art galleries, music or dance concerts are viable anymore.

Political order is more authoritative - aided by technological surveillance, harsher on penalties for those who step out of line, control oriented - with strict rules for example on assembly of people and the idea of public space disappears for good. The neighborhood park, beach, theatre, mall, lakes, jogging trails are all accessible for only 'vetted individuals' and for specific purpose and duration.

The 'solidarity' vision looks like this:

National boundaries are imaginary and defined only in the past 200 years of so. An astronaut from space doesn't see any of these other than the geographical features. Clearly, this is a man made device.

Resources of the world belong equally to everyone (including other species). In short, rules develop to ensure that wealth generated from aggregation of technology, mineral wealth exploitation are also directed to the weakest, poorest and disenfranchised people of the world.

Side note: Over time we have built monopolies and vested interests that keep the resource rich getting richer and resource poor remain where they are. Just think - if America alone cut its food waste by 50% and redistribute there would be no hungry humans on earth. If the world's top 5 per-capita polluters reduced their emissions and un-recyclable waste by 50% we can reverse the bio-degradation for good. If we moved even 25% of our diet (only 2-3 days of the week) to a plant based diet we would not have to cut trees to make way for farms forever.

Our fight against most problems of the world are through a 'global collective' effort. Be it pandemic, environment, poverty, education, healthcare or ending discrimination - all countries and people unite as one. No country or vested group has a right to monopolize or veto against the resources being used as a 'common good'.

As a society we start valuing stuff that is not measured by the stock market indices, possession of wealth or articles thereof. Stuff like clean environment, value of family and community, tolerance for others, mindfulness, meditation and the joy of creative endeavors and excellence in humans.

As individuals we respect that evolutionary forces cannot be tamed by mindless pursuit of technology. We respect ecology, a balance with nature and be happy to embrace a new normal which is not always about economic growth.

We all embrace the idea of being alive on the only planet we know.

My view, unfortunately, is not optimistic. Our collective memory is one of fear, greed, competition and control. Solidarity is laughable idealism.