The New Normal Revisited…Malaise

The New Normal Revisited…Malaise

October 14, 2021

We are more than a year and a half into the pandemic when I previously published my take on the New Normal. Unfortunately, our nation and the globe for that matter, seems to have slipped into a malaise, not unlike we’ve discovered with some of the Covid long-haulers. Hindsight they say is twenty-twenty, but I never would have guessed we would be in a state of stagnation as I have seen these last few months.

Lessons from the 1918 Spanish Flu

My earlier article delved into the lessons from the 1918 Spanish Flu, which of course despite the warnings and a life-saving vaccine, we applied little common sense, as we have far exceeded the estimated number of deaths thanks to politics, misinformation and lack of public trust. Two years into the Spanish Flu, it is believed the United States had about 650,000 to 675,000 deaths. Currently, the deaths associated with COVID-19 are hovering close to 720,000 lives lost.

Revisiting the New Normal Pandemic Landscape

As mentioned in the past, I have navigated organizations through global epidemics and crisis situations. But, honestly have never seen such a disjointed world-wide effort by many individuals to put their own self-interests ahead of the communities they serve. This again is nothing new.

In 1979, over forty years ago, another crisis loomed. President Jimmy Carter gave an address to the nation dubbed the malaise speech. ? Of course, at that time the crisis was not a pandemic crippling the country. The nation was impacted by the global energy crisis, loss of manufacturing to more competitive foreign entities and stagflation, a combination of high unemployment and lack of consumer demand. President Carter made a passionate plea to the American people to move from a path of fragmentation and self-interest, which was eroding confidence, leading to stagnation and paralysis of our nation. This road was a “mistaken idea of freedom”, leading to a “certain route to failure.” He went on to point to a different path, one we all could embrace, the “common purpose and the restoration of American values.”

Does anyone else think this message sounds familiar? Politics aside, our current state of malaise is not limited to the well-meaning fixes or misguided decisions one leader employs. It rests on a combination of events over time, layered by multiple crises’, sped on by opportunists, fostered by 24/7 controlled social platforms, with leaders often looking to short-term solutions that benefit the few versus the good of all, our community of fellow citizens. So where did we net out these last eighteen months?

Our pandemic go-forward plan for the most part disregarded a thoughtful risk stratification plan to protect the vulnerable and prevent creating new variants. Previously the less severely hit younger population numbers are continuing to grow and sadly die. Infection waves are a reality across the globe, continuing to impact supply chain and transportation world-wide. Labor shortages are the norm. The protracted pandemic or stagnation will be with us well into the foreseeable future. A smart risk based tiered Exit Plan strategy to shepherd our citizens, businesses, workers and the health of the economy were required. It is more of everyone for themselves approach, as we lack a shared-interest to solve for our future The current fragmentation under the guise of freedom in red states is debilitating to businesses, the economy and health of our people. Remember COVID is color blind and cares not for your politics. The Executive Actions President Biden has taken to date have helped to stymie a free-fall. However, we must come together as a nation to pass legislation to solidify needed measures for infrastructure, environmental impact, education, Medicare and future economic competitive growth.

We have seen spurts of positive signs in the pandemic with innovation and resiliency, but it has waned as our party lines led to a new form of autocratic Iron Curtain. Forty-plus years after President Carter’s plan, the new test this time is to set a course to unite the country, restore confidence and shake off the malaise of misinformation eroding our mobility to come together.

It is never too late to learn from past lessons, continue to push forward with positive steps, reshaping an inclusive plan for our common future. ?

? https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimmycartercrisisofconfidence.htm

Quality Assurance Strategies, LLC Author, Gina Reo [email protected]??