There is not doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all of us. Everyone in some way or another has been affected by the turmoil that this virus has caused. Too many people have died and so many families are struggling to cope. But for those that have been fortunate enough to not have to suffer loss they are still hurting.
The American economy is a fickle bitch. It was never built to survive any kind of shutdown. Since the last world war the production systems have this on demand style routine that is a make-as-you-go type of churn. There is no massive stock pile of toilet paper or sanitizer. The companies that make this are just like everyone else. They exist to minimize cost and try to maximize profit.
It’s kind of ironic in a way. A good financial advisor will always tell you to have an emergency fund somewhere. A savings that can cover at least six months of no income. But corporations don’t have this (except some are sitting on hoards of cash). For the most part a company loves quarter to quarter just like many of their employees.
So why is it like this? What massive social norm built this up like this? Those are the questions I’m sure someone can answer. I can’t. So what can we do? Where do we go from here? I don’t know, but I do know this: normal is never going to be what it was. We are going to have to figure out what it will be, but it won’t be the same.