Bernie Sanders says that many people in the US are beginning to rethink the basic assumptions underlying the American value system. Reuters
Bernie Sanders says that many people in the US are beginning to rethink the basic assumptions underlying the American value system. Reuters
Bernie Sanders says that many people in the US are beginning to rethink the basic assumptions underlying the American value system. Reuters
Bernie Sanders says that many people in the US are beginning to rethink the basic assumptions underlying the American value system. Reuters

Comment

Coronavirus: Why Bernie Sanders is spot on about renewing our social contracts

People will need extra help from government well beyond the pandemic to adjust to the new realities of life

Mustafa Alrawi
Mustafa Alrawi

April 22, 2020

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Writing in The New York Times this week, the former US presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders invoked the spirit of the late Nelson Mandela.

“I get very tired of the politicians and pundits who tell us how difficult it is to bring about fundamental changes in our society,” Mr Sanders wrote before quoting words attributed to South Africa’s first post-apartheid president: "It always seems impossible until it is done."

Mr Sanders made the point that there will always be those voices that push back against the future. But perhaps it is the spirit of his thesis that may well need to be more evident in the weeks and months ahead.

“If there is any silver lining in the horrible pandemic and economic collapse we’re experiencing, it is that many in our country are now beginning to rethink the basic assumptions underlying the American value system,” the senator from the state of Vermont added.

Former South African president Nelson Mandela had once famously said: "It always seems impossible until it is done." They ring true even today. Getty Images
Former South African president Nelson Mandela had once famously said: "It always seems impossible until it is done." They ring true even today. Getty Images
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So it is. So are many governments re-engineering what the social contract look likes, whether consciously or not, with their crisis responses. For example, the US government is sending its citizens stimulus payments of $1,200 each. It is also estimated that the British government’s furlough plan will eventually cover eight million people.

There is even talk of a "People’s QE", or quantitative easing – an equitable twist on the flood of liquidity injected to save the financial system during the last great crisis more than a decade ago – that is designed to pay people to stay at home while the outbreak is fought. But the question is, what happens when we have emerged from the pandemic? People will arguably need just as much help then, too.

After all, we are only at the beginning of the journey.

Mr Sanders had hoped that a successful bid as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee ahead of elections in November would help usher in a new era of social support – crisis or not – that is akin to what the then US president Franklin Roosevelt managed to bring in during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Bernie Sanders was hoping to help usher in an era of social support akin to what Franklin Roosevelt managed to bring in during the Great Depression. AP Photo
Bernie Sanders was hoping to help usher in an era of social support akin to what Franklin Roosevelt managed to bring in during the Great Depression. AP Photo

Whether we agree with this aim or not, it now seems it may happen in some form – even without Mr Sanders leading it – thanks to the economic shocks of the pandemic.

In all likelihood, we will need to keep helping people directly, such as with financial assistance, for longer as they adapt – perhaps for up to two years.

This is partly because – to borrow from Roosevelt – we have fear itself as a factor for people to contend with once they can attempt to return to what we now refer to as "normal" activities – like going into an office, eating at a restaurant or travelling for a holiday.

We will need time and support to get used to what life will be like post-restrictions. It will be stressful.

When we do fly again, we could be wearing a mask and gloves as part of a travellers’ equipment as well as the cabin crew’s uniform. AP Photo
When we do fly again, we could be wearing a mask and gloves as part of a travellers’ equipment as well as the cabin crew’s uniform. AP Photo
It will all be very challenging, overwhelming even, for each one of us as outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics become a fact of life – it will be yet another risk that will enter into our decision making

What if the risk of a spike in infections remains? A vaccine being available or not, public health will see a transformation – politically, socially and economically. We will be screened constantly in real-time thanks to new apps being developed. We will want to adhere to much stricter hygiene standards.

When we do fly again, we may not be taking any carry-on baggage with us, hot food may not be served on the flight and we will probably be tested for the virus before we board. As we stretch out (there might never be anyone in the middle seat) we could be wearing a mask and gloves as part of a travellers’ equipment as well as the cabin crew’s uniform.

Amid any coronavirus spike or danger of one, schools may have to temporarily shut physically as a precaution with remote learning days becoming as common as snow days in countries where winters are often harsh. We will likewise spend many more days working from home whether by choice or under stricter workplace guidelines for any kind of contagious illness we might have.

We may have to reserve a time to go shopping so that there is a never a rush of people and there will be no or minimal staff to help when we do. Chris Whiteoak / The National
We may have to reserve a time to go shopping so that there is a never a rush of people and there will be no or minimal staff to help when we do. Chris Whiteoak / The National

We may also have to reserve a time to go shopping so that there is a never a rush of people and there will be no or minimal staff to help when we do. As a result, shops will perhaps need to be open 24 hours to be able to accommodate everyone safely. Otherwise, queues outside supermarkets and malls will be a common site.

Eating out will entail a menu of temperature checks, fewer tables and waiting staff, masks, gloves and digital payments. The food should taste better after so long away but it will not be as carefree an experience, as we worry about the other diners and what germs they may be harbouring.

We will continue to shield the elderly, the sick and those most vulnerable as a precaution should the virus return. This will be hard and at times lonely for many involved.

The really fun things we used to do like attending sporting and music events, trying on new fashions and taking a car for a test-drive will also be fundamentally different experiences.

It will all be very challenging, overwhelming even, for each one of us as outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics become a fact of life – it will be yet another risk that will enter into our decision making. Accepting this situation will be the most urgent task for us individually and as people, as we strive to recover from this crisis.

Employees of Electrocomponentes de Mexico are seen during a protest to halt work amid the spread of coronavirus, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Reuters
Employees of Electrocomponentes de Mexico are seen during a protest to halt work amid the spread of coronavirus, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Reuters
US President Donald Trump holds up a list of coronavirus testing locations that he says US states can use as he addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, US. Reuters
US President Donald Trump holds up a list of coronavirus testing locations that he says US states can use as he addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, US. Reuters
An Indian tribal couple ride on a bicycle through a deserted highway during the nationwide lockdown at Daranggiri village, west of Gauhati, India. AP Photo
An Indian tribal couple ride on a bicycle through a deserted highway during the nationwide lockdown at Daranggiri village, west of Gauhati, India. AP Photo
A man walks through a field hospital set up inside the Corferias convention center in Bogota, Colombia. AP Photo
A man walks through a field hospital set up inside the Corferias convention center in Bogota, Colombia. AP Photo
Gene Campbell, 89, who contracted coronavirus in early March, sits in his son's car after spending six weeks in the hospital, Washington, US. Reuters
Gene Campbell, 89, who contracted coronavirus in early March, sits in his son's car after spending six weeks in the hospital, Washington, US. Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a video conference meeting on the coronavirus situation, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow. AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a video conference meeting on the coronavirus situation, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow. AFP
A woman stands at an access point to a neighborhood closed off by barriers in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province. AFP
A woman stands at an access point to a neighborhood closed off by barriers in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province. AFP
People walk past shops on a pedestrian street in Dortmund, western Germany, during the coronavirus pandemic. Some small shops in Germany reopened on Monday as the country took a cautious step toward returning to normal. AFP
People walk past shops on a pedestrian street in Dortmund, western Germany, during the coronavirus pandemic. Some small shops in Germany reopened on Monday as the country took a cautious step toward returning to normal. AFP
Members of "Team Drone Masters" after spraying disinfectant d in Ahmedabad, India. AFP
Members of "Team Drone Masters" after spraying disinfectant d in Ahmedabad, India. AFP
A passenger wearing a face mask stands next to a poster of Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot Miraitowa on a train in Tokyo. AFP
A passenger wearing a face mask stands next to a poster of Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot Miraitowa on a train in Tokyo. AFP
Olav Kneppen delivers his 4-year-old son Oliver to the "Espira Grefsen Station Kindergarten" in Oslo. Norway, which says it has coronavirus under control, started opening up pre-schools after a month-long closure. AFP
Olav Kneppen delivers his 4-year-old son Oliver to the "Espira Grefsen Station Kindergarten" in Oslo. Norway, which says it has coronavirus under control, started opening up pre-schools after a month-long closure. AFP
A man rides his bike in a deserted street of central Athens on a lockdown. AFP
A man rides his bike in a deserted street of central Athens on a lockdown. AFP
City workers disinfect a bus stop to help prevent the spread of coronavirus outside a closed cinema featuring a mural of film directors, from left, Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Luis Buñuel and Lucrecia Martel in Montevideo, Uruguay. AP Photo
City workers disinfect a bus stop to help prevent the spread of coronavirus outside a closed cinema featuring a mural of film directors, from left, Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Luis Buñuel and Lucrecia Martel in Montevideo, Uruguay. AP Photo

We will all need extra help to adjust and we should get it – in every form possible – until we can begin to feel confident again. The heavy price we have paid socially, politically and economically in recent years from previous crises has been as much the result of not providing that help for long enough or in the right areas as anything else.

With so much change on the horizon, the examples of Mandela and Roosevelt are likely to be embraced far more frequently as we grapple with it.

Mustafa Alrawi is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National

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Teaching your child to save

Pre-school (three - five years)

You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.

Early childhood (six - eight years)

Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.

Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)

Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.

Young teens (12 - 14 years)

Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.

Teenage (15 - 18 years)

Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.

Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)

Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.

* JP Morgan Private Bank 

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Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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OIL PLEDGE

At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.

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Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')

Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Profile of Hala Insurance

Date Started: September 2018

Founders: Walid and Karim Dib

Based: Abu Dhabi

Employees: Nine

Amount raised: $1.2 million

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers

 

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Porsche Macan T: The Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo 

Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm 

Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm 

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto 

Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec 

Top speed: 232kph 

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km 

On sale: May or June 

Price: From Dh259,900  

The National's picks

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