Great write up, unfortunately, most of the response to all of this has been a classic case of unseen consequences. If you don't see the direct consequences of your actions, then it is essentially 'priced' at zero cost.
That said, it is also a problem with different costs on different people. The effects of a 2 week quarantine period doesn't hurt some people, but is a financial disaster for others. I wonder if it is c prudent to pay people to stay at home for the quarantine period... Sure, there will be people who game the system, but that might just have to be acceptable loss for the greater benefit?
We shouldn't even bother talking about the messed up response in other parts of the world...
As an Australian living overseas, I was so proud that Australia managed to get it under control... But then worried when it slipped out again. Luckily there had been no direct impact on my wife's or my family... But we are all too aware of the difficulties in returning our things went bad.
And turning Australia back into a series of prison colonies where citizens can't leave and state borders are closed undoes 120 years of Federation.
Agreed, but this isn't anywhere close to that. If these things are permanent then it would be a big problem.
The balance of state power and individual freedom needs to be constantly flexible as required. To have it set rigidly one way or another is not possible, and I would think a disaster.
So, at the moment, the state power is in very very slight ascendancy (the penalties are not very harsh at all in comparison to what they could be and are mostly requests for co-operation). There will be a time for push back... And these restrictions affect people in a more demonstrable way than encryption, media and digital restrictions and 'oversight', so they will be much more resented if they stay past their usefulness.
There's also the undocumented impact of these "co-operation requests", which rises the cost of living, and for people doing business - masks, additional sanitiser, those useless stickers on the ground... :P
Yep, agreed. With the disproportionate impact on different levels of income. This entire situation does bring into the question about how society and the economy works on a fundamental level.
Such as the idea of unpaid labour not being priced in the economy (carers, non working parents...) and the complete disconnect between incomes (economic pricing) and 'contribution' to society (teachers, nurses...).
It is all passingly interesting, it would be a pity to return to the earlier model of maximise personal profit, minimise personal expenses.
Socialise the losses, privatise the profits, classic neo-liberalism. :)
My photographic business endeavours were a complete write-off this year - and the investments I made in that equipment will likely not see a ROI for many more years to come. I'm not blaming the virus, I'm a shit marketer, but the virus has definitely seen a downturn in that industry.
My day job... that's never been busier.
I think we should go one step further money wise - I'm a big fan of UBI, but from the point of nutrition - because "ration packs" that are developed for a specific dietary or cultural requirement would be far more valuable than money. Throw in some sort of guaranteed accommodation of reasonable quality for people, and then we all focus on what we care about, and what we're passionate about, instead of doing (in the vast majority of cases) - things we hate, so we can do the things we love.
I don't talk about politics much, but my "ration packs" idea is a bit more than war-time rations :P
Ah, I'm in the other boat... Day job is a wipe for the moment... But the side jobs have gotten better. So, surviving... But it stings!
UBI would be a great thing. Subsistence support should be something that you don't need to 'run to stay still' for. If people want more, then jobs are possible... But endless consumption feeding endless growth is a touch like a Ponzi.
People would be free to pursue their interests and desires, and that would have more possible innovative effects than labouring at a job that has little meaningful contribution to society that doesn't engage the person.
We'll all continue to get-by so long as we keep breathing. :)