Akada Hiroshi
The complex relationship between human health and economic well -being has never performed as significantly as during the 2019 coronary virus crisis.How can we implement the social distance regulations to save life without destroying our livelihood?Why do some groups suffer more clinically and economically than other groups?What are those who are willing to sacrifice for public interests?
Because there is no coronary virus vaccine or treatment method, safety social distance measures, coupled with masks and hand washing, quickly become the best way to prevent viruses.For some industries, the adjustment strategy is relatively simple: that is to close the office and ask employees to work remotely.
It turns out that there are more jobs that can be completed remote than before.For a long time, people have always believed that working together at the same place is a necessary condition for cooperation, and cooperation is vital to the operation of enterprises, let alone innovative activities.However, during the epidemic, I completed a joint papers without seeing the co -author in person; I participated in many results of online meetings; even in the home of New England, it provided a consultation for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, instead of inquiring, not in consultation, instead of not being instead.Flying to Tokyo like before.
It's not uncommon for me like me.In just a few months ago, no one could think of journalists or talk show hosts to broadcast from their homes.Moreover, although certain economic activities are likely to return to the shared office space or studio as soon as possible, other economic activities may keep all or partially remote.Many companies, including technology giants like Twitter, have announced their plans to stay at home indefinitely.
However, there are still many activities that cannot be completed remotely.Therefore, the implementation of security social distance measures means that many business from restaurants to factories must be temporarily closed and restricted travel at the same time.This seriously affects the economy, including interruption of supply chain, decline in demand and rising unemployment.The International Monetary Fund now predicts that this year's global GDP will shrink by 4.9%.
In order to flatten the infection curve, many people have suffered economic strikes.After all, unless and until the virus is curbed, the economy cannot be completely restarted.New Zealand has become a model of the above -mentioned strategy, although many other countries and some states in the United States have adopted the same countermeasures.At the same time, governments, especially governments of developed countries, have launched unprecedented currency and fiscal stimulus plans to save the economy.
However, not everyone is willing to accept public health priority to economic interests.Indeed, in some places such as India, the carpet blocking itself has caused serious public health consequences.However, in other places, after the cold calculation, the leader believes that the protection of the economy, especially the stock market, is more important than protecting the people from infected with coronary virus.In this regard, US President Trump popularized its background of the Republican Party. For example, Middot, the leader of the Senate Most Party, Mitch McConnell, the crime was the most serious.
Those who are eager to save Wall Street may move out of the logic of Jeremy Bentham, the father of modern utilitarianism, and Bian Qin believes that the goal of public policy must be the biggest majority measured by a country's total income.Human greatest happiness.Those who protect the public health in the first place in Harvard philosopher John Middot; John Rawls Social Justice.The theory requires public policies to benefit the most weak people to the maximum extent.
However, in the end, if you want to achieve any of these two goals, you will need to take social and government measures that are far more socially or irritating to solve the deep -rooted systemic inequality.Although the virus itself does not distinguish between wealth, race, social status or any other labels, it does not affect the poor, ethnic minorities and races proportional.In the United States, the population of black and Latin people face a significant higher coronary virus infection and mortality.
Some reasons are that a few group members are more likely to engage in the necessary services that are not controlled by the SHELTER-in-Place, such as grocery store workers, bus drivers, courier and home care service personnel.A study results show that black workers accounted for nearly 12%of all employees in the United States, but the proportion of frontline employees was as high as 17%.
These occupations may not only have low salary, but also rarely have paid benefits, such as paid sick leave or medical insurance.Social and economic factors, including higher poverty rates and more likely to live in communities with insufficient resources, have also exacerbated health risks; medical services acquisition and long -term inequality have played the same role.
This phenomenon is by no means unique to the United States.A recent study shows that similar race differences also exist in the UK.Moreover, in all parts of the world, we cannot stay at home and live in the poorest group in crowded environments that may lack tap water and medical facilities.Many people face increasingly serious food unsafe.
In addition to the public health crisis, the crown disease epidemic is also a social and humanitarian crisis, just like the racial discrimination protests in the United States and other places, this crisis exposes and expands our social faults.However, it is extremely difficult to solve the problem of systematic inequality, especially because of the members of the privilege, it is likely to firmly grasp the privileges in their hands.
Roses capture this dynamic by returning its justice theory to its original state: if people do not understand any personal attributes (such as wealth, race, values, or abilities), what will they choose to social contracts?Behind this layer of ignorant veil, they probably choose a system that can ensure the safety and dignity of everyone.
However, there is no such veil in the real world, and people often resist the challenges against their unfair privileges.Nevertheless, there are still some signs that people's commitments to social justice are increasing day by day.In addition to the one hundred million people voluntarily follow the social distance criterion, the US Supreme Court recently ruled that employers must not fire someone on the grounds of homosexuality and degeneration, and their awareness of national systemic racism seems to have become the mainstream.What people want is the development of the above situation, rather than the rebound caused by them, which can indicate the upcoming scene.
Author Koichi Hamada is an honorary professor at Yale University and a special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
English Title: a More Humane Post-PANDemic Social Contract
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2020
