What Changes Remain?

This question is based on a false premise in my opinion and everything from here on is based upon that. It is based on the UK experience so will not be applicable across the globe. You are very welcome to disagree. Based on the above let’s go. What is the evidence of any changes that remain?

Working from home is just about hanging on despite the bosses and the rich owners desperately trying to find a way to stop it. At my last firm the self important higher management kept telling us working from home was a privilege not a right and could be withdrawn at any point. So in the end it became the basis of a threat where it survives at all and consigned to history in other firms.

Next we have the short lived feeling that we were all in it together and that we were responsible for each other. That stayed in place during lockdown amongst the public and in the Royal Family but the politicians, especially our Prime Minister ignored the rules and partied. It has fast tracked the cynicism of people with all areas of public life and the cynicism is probably all that is left, because we no longer see or care about our neighbours for the most part.

Finally, the idea that our environment matters reared it’s head during Covid. We learnt to value our walks in green spaces and those two half hour walks were the highlight of the day for many. With fewer cars around the air was clearer. The animals we seldom saw before became more numerous and the birds we saw had peaceful breeding seasons. We valued those glimpses of nature. Now, huge swathes of people vote for promises of pollution and an ever decreasing green belt as well as more and more oil instead of renewable energy.

Yesterday we saw a rocket being launched into space by a country who want to colonise the moon and exploit it for its mineral deposits. This wasn’t an event of wonder and hope for me, merely a display of power by the very rich who want to ensure that they get richer.

I have seen no lasting positive impact from Covid. It has simply shown up human nature in all its nastiness.