We Must Not Return to This, Ever!
A little dramatic? Maybe, but probably not.
The truth is, Monday morning I walked into my office thinking about the best buys to make in this falling market. Hey, “when there’s blood in the streets,” right? And a big part of my job is to remain calm, navigate the chaos and make money in the long-term.
When I sat down, however, it hit me: the nation’s largest public-school system shut down; the number of homes in the city without internet access is ridiculously high [like whoa, internet is that expensive?]. These revelations fucked with my head. What truly struck a chord however, punching me hard in the gut was the operating restrictions placed on bars and restaurants and the closing of nightclubs. Not because it wasn’t the right thing to do, but because there appeared to be no plan for financial supplementation to a culturally vulnerable workforce.
I must wonder, if a once in a life-time opportunity, hasn’t finally arrived for the 1% — their complete and ultimate subjugation of the poor and disenfranchised. The fact is, the incredible financial impact that this particular shut down could have on the lives of people from primarily lower income communities would be devastating. The magnitude of this massive workforce being unable to work (and without a safety net) would appear to not even register as a concern for the government. Yet, it should. As the great prophet Tupac once said, “We might fight amongst each other, but I promise you this… we’ll burn this bitch down, get us pissed.”
But therein lies my concern. ‘We’ only tend to burn down our own shit — hence my opening statement and accompanying image. In America, “restaurants are the new factories” and the entire industry has been woven into the fabric of our economic system. I mean… this could be the first time the Bay area is confronted with real disruption. And when you’re talking about a city as physically dense as New York, the breaking point could ultimately result in an eruption of violence and self-destruction.
This is why it is so very important that we are all vigilant, practice social distancing and do everything we can to flatten the curve of this virus. Otherwise we’re only going to contribute to our own possible victimization. Let’s not allow this to be our fate. Let’s not allow the 1% to take advantage of a real pandemic at our expense and spin us further into a destitute ruin.
I personally don’t have the answer and don’t know what to do. I do know that while Covid-19 is a scary reality, what gives me nightmares is the fear that we’d possibly return to that! And best believe the 1% would be tickled pink to see it happen.
Please help. What should we do?
