With all the silly and fun comments I've made around the covid vaccination I want to make a more serious comment.
Not even 2 years ago we had a new to human infection spreading around the world like wildfire. Where our only defense was to lock ourselves away from friends and family scattered around the world. Where we had to give up our freedom to move around our home for a short while. With no cure or effective treatment.
Within those two years we have not only developed one vaccine, but several, and have tested and distributed it around the world. This is faster than any infection every before dealt with by our species.
And yet the people that have been critical to this languish whilst the wealth is hoarded and hidden from use.
Who developed and distributed the vaccine, who was the essential worker keeping the core of our infrastructure and life running? The CEO? The professional sportsperson? The actor? The landowner? The stockbroker?
No, it was the scientist, doctor, nurse, civil servant, security guard, truck driver, farmer, supermarket worker, paramedic, firefighter, bus/train drivers, refuse collectors, even cops.
We claim these groups are essential and yet we let the wealth and hard work of these people, and workers, be hoarded by the already filthy rich. Those who add take far more from society than they ever add. And benefit most from the safety and stability of an industrialized nation.
As we begin to return to a sort of normality. We should think about how we can adjust our society and economy to show that we really do value essential workers. Even if that means we personally may not have as much wealth as we currently have. Or we should stop pretending and at least accept that we want an indentured servant class.
I think we should start looking at ways to measure ourselves better against our claimed goals. Metrics like class size, cost of living compared to income, differential between those that have the most wealth and the least, etc.