What is happening in the US, the markets, and how this may affect consumerist culture, does pose some questions about how this may affect political and cultural attitudes as well as environmental impact. Global threats of this magnitude bring us down the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to how we maintain our personal security and availability of choice.
Perhaps we will come out of this crisis with new values based around finding joy in small things, recentring around the importance of family, community and loved ones, instead of a focus on what we can get? Here are my thoughts, please share yours.
What it could mean for politics?
How this may affect politics is interesting. When personal safety is threatened more pressure is put on the government to build resilience. This could be by funding the health system, protect markets or ensure schools and business have funds to mitigate for crises like this.
It could mean that more tax to collectively build resilience will be attractive to the general public, it could mean that free-market political theory, based on business building the economy is challenged. This could be big for the upcoming US election as well as influencing council elections in the UK in 2021. It certainly has already stopped elections occurring in the UK, perhaps it will give us time to think?
Cultural impacts
I wonder how it may affect the culture though. Maybe people will find joy in being at home and not having so much stuff. Perhaps it will enable working from home culture, and help limit decision on travel, and the statistics on global environmental impacts may inspire.
Perhaps we will come out of this crisis thinking we can tackle the climate and ecological crisis without too much pain, and in fact it may build resilience in society if we’re able to shift our way of doing things.
What do you think? Do share your thoughts…
