Healing ourselves, healing a broken world

The pandemic has shown us the importance of rebuilding social solidarity, which for decades has been weakened by neoliberal capitalism.

Mar 29, 2020

By Anil Netto
A cartoon circulating on social media caught my attention the other day: It showed a group of people, wearing face-masks, crammed and cowering in fear inside a cage. Outside the cage, animals and birds and fish roamed freely, basking in their unhindered movement and breathing in less polluted air.

Yes, roles have been reversed. We, who thought we were masters of the Earth instead of stewards of Creation, are now confined to our homes, afraid to venture out.

We thought we could plunder the Earth, raze down forests, cut down hills and destroy fishing grounds. But now, all that economic activity has come to a grinding halt. How ironic that a tiny virus, visible only under a microscope, has put fear in the human race, we who thought we were the masters of our own destiny.

It might be worth contrasting our fairly prompt response in the face of the coronavirus pandemic to our lethargic reaction to the climate crisis.

With the pandemic, our survival instinct has kicked in — because the threat seems immediate. People are already dying. Hospitals are stretched. The number of cases is rising.

With climate change, the threat is distant and vague. Some climate change-deniers add enough doubt to make more people question the science.

The reality is that climate change could affect just as many as, if not more than the pandemic.

Look outside. The roads are almost empty. Shopping centres are deserted except for those selling food. Fewer people are travelling by air. Factories are producing less, thus releasing less greenhouse gases. Demand for fossil fuels has dropped.

We needed to do some of these things to have a chance to fight climate change.

But not this way. Jesus said his Father wanted us to live life to the full. We were not meant to be hiding in our homes, cowering in fear, afraid to venture out.

While we hope that the pandemic will be controlled soon, there are lessons to be learned.

A lot of our air travel and moving around during normal times may be unnecessary and can be cut down.

The pandemic has shown us the importance of rebuilding social solidarity, which for decades has been weakened by neoliberal capitalism.

Neoliberalism taught us all about competition and the survival of the fittest. The pandemic, that invisible virus, is showing us the importance of social solidarity.

The world is now more interconnected than ever before. That interconnectedness has allowed the pandemic to spread like wildfire. But that same interconnectedness makes it possible for us to reach out online and to share resources with frontline hospital staff and the vulnerable like never before.

Neoliberalism promoted the slashing of taxes for the wealthy. And to compensate for the loss in tax revenue, governments then cut the budgets for essential services like public healthcare.

Public hospitals grew overcrowded and resources were stretched. Many had no choice but to turn to more expensive private hospitals for care.

But the pandemic has made more people realise the importance of a robust public healthcare system with enough spare capacity to deal with emergencies.

More people now appreciate the sacrifice and noble work of our public healthcare doctors, nurses and support staff. They now realise we cannot rely on profit-oriented private healthcare when the going gets tough, especially during emergencies and times of crisis.

So we have got to strengthen our public healthcare system, increasing budget allocations from a miserly two per cent of gross domestic product to about six per cent.

This crisis is also showing us the importance of one of the greatest commandments: loving our neighbour. The social dimension of love and charity for neighbour is social justice.

During this time of pandemic, groups have sprung up to assist the vulnerable in our midst: refugees, the elderly, daily workers, frontline workers in the civil service.

But we cannot rely on individuals alone, since they already may be struggling with their personal situations.

The government has to live up to its role and provide social security support for the  vulnerable, especially those who have lost their jobs and are no longer able to earn an income because their employers have drawn down their shutters.

The coronavirus knows no ethnic or religious barriers, so it was disturbing to see mass religious gatherings from all faiths being held around the region. God has given us the power of reason. And so we should not put the Father to the test by asking for unnecessary miracles in such mass gatherings, when staying at home would be the safest option.

The pandemic is teaching us that we have to rise above the artificial barriers of race and religion to overcome this crisis. Look at the response in the media. There is much less divisive talk of race and religion (though some bigots remain on social media). Hopefully, a truly new Malaysia will emerge from this crisis.

At times like this, when we stay at home, we realise the importance of a strong social support network, even among our neighbours. How ridiculous it was to build high walls to separate us from our neighbours when they should be the first ones we turn to when in need.

Yes, we lost more than a few things in our pursuit of economic prosperity at all costs. We grew more individualistic, even selfish. We hunkered down in our homes. We lost touch with our neighbours and even close friends.

Now that we are forced to sit at home and reflect, it is time to rediscover our souls and what really matters in life.

It is also a time to cherish one another, to realise the importance of protecting nature, a gift from God, and letting the Earth heal.

And in so doing, we heal ourselves in more ways than one.

Total Comments:0

Name
Email
Comments