Almost very author, researcher, pundit, analyst and podcaster I listen to who makes are argument about some social ill blames at least part of it on Covid.
- Teen Angst.
- Loneliness.
- Education.
- Homelessness.
- Political Polarization.
- Inflation.
- Job Market.
- Immigration Issues.
- Unemployment.
- Wealth Inequality.
- Housing Shortage.
- Birthrate Decline.
- Crime.
Enough – it’s time to move on.
The Covid pandemic and the world’s response was traumatic and severe. Regardless of whether millions died “from Covid” vs. “with Covid”, we know that millions of people died as a result the disease.
The lockdowns, restrictions and government controls caused problems, even if they also helped minimize the spread of the disease.
But…
That was 5 years ago.
5 YEARS AGO.
If you lost a loved one, I know the pain may never end. I can relate to that sorrow.
If you have long lasting symptoms, debilitation or disability, that too is understandable and awful.
For the rest of us, we need to move forward. Instead of pointing fingers and relitigating the past, it is time to step up, access our current state of affairs and work to solve today’s problems.
Here’s a an example of what I’m thinking:
I’m skeptical that the school closures have resulted in “an entire generation of children behind”. Their education suffered no doubt. But let’s not pretend that education hasn’t been a disaster in the US for decades. I went to public school in the 1970s and 1980s. It was hit and miss then and has steadily declined over the ensuing decades.
You can apply a similar logic to every societal issue listed above.
None began in 2019 when Covid hit. Nor will they end now that the pandemic is years past – because none of them were caused by Covid.
I’m ranting a bit because I’m weary of the victimhood mentality that has pervaded so many conversations and aspects of society.
I don’t have solutions for each of the issues but I am certain the only way we can effectively address them is by looking forward and taking action vs. looking backward.