“Is it me? For a moment,” Quadrophenia (The Who)
Therin lies the paradox of our age. The Lockdown?
What I have come to discover is that although isolation is badly stressful and has mental health implications to many people. I have also discovered “normal” isn’t very healthy.
To go back to normal as we put it is to return to the stress of modern day living and the anxieties that brings. “Normal” is not normal — it has become more apparent that the stress of modern day life — we are not equipped for.
Okay, a lot of us by the Grace-of-god have the luxury of working from our homes; why should a large number of us lose out. What has also become apparent is that a modern day capitalist society is not equipped for lockdown and isolation.
Call this a freak of nature — this is obviously the fault of nobody. But, a key worker can survive where as someone who perhaps works in a shop, a factory or has a small business can lose everything including their home?
Capitalism and the working class majority do not co-exist in present society. We are not all in this together.
The underprivileged and the sick suffer in a “normal” modern day society then suffer again during and after a pandemic lockdown.
Survival of the fittest I hear you say! No chance!
The virus pandemic has exposed underlying conditions of capitalism. I expect a prolonged period of economic depression.
With the market system now in meltdown the laws of capitalism are now kicked aside — production is paralysed and supply has fallen. So those who previously preached “efficiency” for a free market are now demanding big measures from the state to save capitalism.
We now have a world crisis of capitalism. Let us hope we see the light.
If returning to normal is to be a slave to a broken capitalism then normal is not normal.
Holywell Street 