Surviving COVID-19
Posted on 19. Mar, 2020, in Community, Economy, PoliticsComments Off on Surviving COVID-19
“When clusters of infection arise because of precarious, shoddy, or non-existent housing, it won’t be any defence to declare that you ‘get up early in the morning’ and that as a member of the ‘squeezed middle’ you should be spared.” So writes Dr Kevin Hargaden, Assistant Director of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, in a blog post where he claims that the coronavirus shows the catastrophic nature of society growing in interconnectivity without corresponding growth in solidarity.
Acknowledging that it is in poor taste to present the COVID-19 crisis in terms of opportunity he nonetheless suggests that we consider carefully the nature of the catastrophe and in doing so we can begin to see how it must serve as a window through which we reimagine our political culture.
“To endure and learn from the unfolding pandemic means that we must, like the leaders of the last political revolution, develop a coherent plan that addresses the problems we all face together,” he claims, adding, “But the clarity that it offers about our present vulnerability means there can be a positive political impact. It is high time to reject the politics of rampant individualism. The pressing need is for a politics that recognises common ground, draws on common sense, and builds for the common good.”
In this interview with Miriam Gormally he also talks about how his own family is self isolating because his wife who works in a prison and was starting to show early symptoms. But says that in many ways it’s not so bad for a theologian.