There’s a saying that goes health is better than wealth. Unfortunately, the saying only applies when you’re at least middle class.
Some time ago, I wrote that the kids in the slums in India did seem happy and able to get by. It’s true, happiness isn’t determined by wealth, so they learn to make do with the little they have. Unfortunately when a global health crisis strikes, one major problem is exposed. Even if the under privileged have just enough to get by day do day, they are the most vulnerable when unfortunate things happen.
Social distancing is only for the privileged. Loss of income hurts those living day by day more than those who can accumulate savings. The poor will lack assess to treatment as poor public hospitals which are already unhygienic and overcrowded on a normal day will be of no help in the crisis.
I remember thinking a couple of years ago about haze. And how only those who can afford it can simply switch on air conditioning when the haze got really bad. Well, that’s one illustration of how privilege affects health, but it’s just a small example. It sucks, but it’s still Singapore, where the poor have some sort of safety net even if it’s not perfect.
I think we’re about to see some of the scariest things happen in these underprivileged groups in poor communities with no safety net.
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Privilege comes in many forms. Wealth is one form of it. Another form interestingly would be the how the government manages a crisis.
There are countries that manage to contain it really well, seems like Taiwan is a prime example. There are those who faced setbacks but managed to overcome them, seems like South Korea is one.
And then there are those that are just… what is going on.
Italy. Well I can’t tell you if Italy had a less effective government, I suspect they were just the first of many European nations who misjudged how rapidly the virus could spread. Could have been any of them. But to hear of triage being used, mass graves. I mean, when was the last time this sort of thing happened? I don’t think it’s entirely rhetorical to say we’re at war with the virus, it certainly does feel like it.
Then there’s Indonesia. Pisses me off. No cases, no need to test, it’s all okay? Now the epicentre of SEA. Ugh. I suppose you can’t pin it all on the government either though, clearly the entire society seems to have a mentality where it’s okay life goes on if I die I die. Sure, except most of the time it’s not you who dies, but the vulnerable groups that you spread to or are indirectly affected in other ways by a failing economy and healthcare system.
And then there’s the US.
Let me go on a side rant for a moment. Many people compare Boris Johnson and Trump. They seem to think that both are terrible leaders. I follow the politics of both countries closely, and I think there’s a world of a difference between the two. I don’t know how good Boris is, I don’t work with him. But he will listen to his experts, formulate strategies, and take action from there. You may criticise his policy, because you think Brexit is problematic, or herd immunity is a rubbish policy. But they’re policies that there are clear strong arguments for, even though they have many weaknesses too. You could legitimately have a debate on it, you could legitimately see why someone else sees it that way even if you don’t agree with it. Perhaps he isn’t the best leader, but the worst you could accuse him of is that he might be inadequate for the role, and that is something many people would even disagree with.
Trump though, is simply toxic. Sure he’s made some achievements. Short term gains that comes from aggressive US foreign policy. Countries give in not because they want to work with him or agree with him, but because of US’s bargaining power. The bully gets his way because the bully has a powerful force backing him. Now in this crisis though, we see the worst of Trump. His utter inability to manage the crisis is literally killing people. Vivian Balakrishnan said you can never count the Americans out, because they have enormous resources at their disposal. It’s true. And so it begs the question how the heck can you screw something up so badly when you have all these resources at your disposal, unlike many other countries out there? I’m actually confident that many of us despite our complete lack of experience can do a better job than he can now. I literally just need to sit down, let the experts tell me what to do, and it’ll turn out better than the shitfest going on there.
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When this crisis ends, the world will no longer be the same as it once was. Like how 9-11 forever shaped aviation and travel, I think Covid-19 will lead to even more fundamental changes to society. One interesting thing I’ve been reading about is the rise in power of governments. One of the reason why US is failing in this aside from Trump is because of their heavily decentralised government and the relative strength of the business community. In America, capitalism is their god and government is the entity that gets in the way of things. So beyond Trump, perhaps the US needs a fundamental relook at their political system.
What I’d like to see though, is a change in how the world perceives the underprivileged. I think in this crisis, we see clearly why they are called the vulnerable groups. Truthfully, there’s little we can do now. Emergency aid and all may be helpful, but with healthcare systems over all world being stressed, where is that aid coming from? Donations and all may help a little, but it’s unlikely to be enough, especially with disruption to supply chains and travel. People are going to die and there is little that can be done.
But perhaps when this is all over, we can keep our eyes peeled for the ongoing issues that happen even without a crisis. The problems faced by vulnerable groups in India aren’t new, they’re amplified by the crisis. Go read up on India’s begging syndicates if you aren’t depressed enough yet with how things are. There always have been problems.
Hopefully we’ll move to a world that values a more equitable society. Single donations help but are limited in impact, what is necessary is a fundamental shift in policy direction to support the vulnerable groups better. But that in turn is difficult because this will likely involve sacrifices from the privileged, sacrifices that will not be well received, unless the privileged themselves have a fundamental shift in mindset.
So where do we go moving forward? The world can be a depressing place eh.
Where do I go moving forward? I think a lot but don’t act on it much. I should figure something out.
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