Coronavirus will change everything. Will it be for the better?

[Renew Deal]

I think we're all feeling it right now, whether it's lost loved ones, lost jobs, changes to routines, etc. There is a post on DU about churches hurting. I saw a story earlier today about school bus companies shutting down. And these are a tiny fraction of the changes.

How do you think things will change because of coronavirus? Will it be for the better or worse? Not just personally, but societally, and politically? Are we all going to be living in the slums from Elysium or a country that more resembles common sense?

[Turbineguy]

1. Not if the republicans have anything to do with it.

[Walleye]

2. It all depends on the election. We need to stress that in the campaign

[Initech]

3. I don't know, but I will be damned if I am living the rest of my life on Zoom.

I want to go see my friends and family in person. I do not want to see them through a tiny window on my computer screen for the rest of this crisis.

[proud patriot]

4. We sit on the crack of the earth

it could go either way IMO

[Chainfire]

5. I only see one possible silver lining

that only if we curtail Republican leadership in the country, and I certainly would not have sacrificed 100,000 American lives to attain that goal.

The economics of the pandemic will eventually result in a gain for the wealthy, no change for the poor, and a downward slide for the middle class.

The political division of the country will be even more pronounced coming out of this.

The America that us baby boomers loved has been in a decline since Ronald Ray Gun. With Trump we have fallen off a cliff. I don't see us regaining much of what has been lost for generations, if ever. It is the first time in the history of our country where we can not expect our children to be better off than we were.

[HarlanPepper]

6. I reject the "change everything" hyperbole

Some things will change, others will not.

[Renew Deal]

8. That's a good point.

It probably won't affect those living off the grid much.

[HarlanPepper]

10. I think it's also highly personal.

But to offer a better response to your post, things like the handshake are done I think. Toast. I know I’m done with them for good. That is a positive change IMO.

An example of something that might not change is...well I can’t think of anything off the top of my head so maybe you’re right!

[Renew Deal]

11. A lot of people will be happy to see handshakes go away.

Though I doubt it will be forever. Maybe we'll start bowing.

[Initech]

13. No, it won't be. COVID won't last forever.

Even the worst pandemics only have a shelf life of a year, year and a half at most. We can't live this way - online and afraid of everybody and making personal contact - forever. Humans need personal, family and social contacts. We need to be able to see our family members and friends.

This will pass. I seriously hope none of this is permanent. If anything, it's taught us that we need a cleaner society to live in.

[HarlanPepper]

15. The cleaner society is interesting to me

I’ve been thinking about the seasonal flu and how interesting it’ll be to look at how it unfolds next winter. Will it be down because people have become hyper aware of hand washing and other forms of sanitation? I have no idea, but we will know at some point.

[Initech]

18. Yeah it will certainly be interesting to see the short and long term effects of this pandemic.

If we're going to resume things like travel, hotels, cruise ships and airlines will all have to find cleaner ways to recirculate air and water.

I work in the solid waste industry, we're already trying to find new ways of proper waste disposal for near future. It will be interesting to see how this happens.

[Renew Deal]

16. It won't be forever.

People will forget. It will be ancient history in 10 years to 10 year olds.

[FirstLight]

7. I know what I would *like* to see...

Total shift of how we do things, environment over economy etc...
But the reality os that so much of our infrastructure and global everything is so fucking entrenched...the only way to rebuild it is to let it all break apart. Otherwise it will just resume as the way it has always been.

I wish humanity could use this as a chance to re-tool our way of life and maybe even fix the planet in the process.
But with overpopulation, economic disparity, and old white men who refuse to let go of power and greed... well, it doesn't look good

[Renew Deal]

9. Changes to healthcare are on the top of my list but,

I do have to wonder if improvements to air quality, reductions in transportation, etc. will stick. Will people demand changes that actually improved the environment?

[Wounded Bear]

12. Authoritarians always use crises and uncertainty to solidify power...

it will take a lot of effort for this to not make things worse.

[pwb]

14. I will do less and go without some wants.

We all need to stay put for awhile and hunker in at home after work. IMO.

[Calculating]

17. The middle class will get killed, the rich will get richer, and the poor will stay poor

The FED seem intent on bailing out the rich at any and ALL costs, which will drive up inflation killing everyone else.

[Bettie]

19. My husband said this morning that we're at the crossroads between

the worlds of Mad Max and Star Trek.

Hope we make the right choice.