story about that guy who said we should bolster the economy despite risk
The above is a link to a Washington Post story discussing the tweet that made everyone mad by saying we should reopen everything and risk letting elderly people die because they are already on their way out. Wow, how logical.
It doesn't make sense on a human level at all. Who gets to decide what people are "worth" saving? What about other people who are immuno-compromised, in ways that are less obvious than age? Don't they "deserve" protection?
Is this just what unchecked capitalism will do--put a population at risk because it's "good for the economy" which is good only because "the economy being good is good for the population"?
It made me think about how pragmatism could be abused, and probably will be, for something something greater good. We need to decide who and what are worth our resources.
Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick said older folks would gladly sacrifice themselves for the economy. Well... I'd sacrifice myself for my kids' and grandkids' LIVES, if it really came to that. But the "health" of the corporate growth-centered economy is not equivalent to life itself. As Nietzsche (and Hagglund) would say, it's past time for a serious revaluation of values.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, it was the progressive theologian Harvey Cox who asked, "What is the value of a human life in the theology of The Market?" (cited below), later exploring this and related matters in The Market as God (2016). In a world where the workings of economies are often as sacred as they are mysterious, it isn't much of a leap to justify...well...sacrifices.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1999/03/the-market-as-god/306397/
https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Market_as_God.html?id=e6nrDAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description
That is such a horrible thing for someone to even suggest. Yes, the economy is important, but I thought it was obvious that human lives are much much more important. Life is priceless. This brings up the question of morality again. Comments like these, unfortunately, make me question the idea that morality is innate. Like Dr. Oliver said above, we may need to reevaluate our values as a society if this is what we have come to! Hopefully, people who think like that are in the minority...
ReplyDeleteI myself feel that there is an influx of people in the government who pride monetary value over the well-being of others. Our current crisis unfortunately sheds light on who these people could be, but it also shows us who is in our corner.
ReplyDeleteI cant say whether the Mayor of the city is more for money than the her people, but I would like to highlight Omari who has clearly considered what is best for the society he served, even if he flew off the rails during their meeting.
This is a video made by Omari that shows the viral video of his argument with the mayor and his explanation of the events leading up to it as well as his explanation for his outburst.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKUCbmK4lHc