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What If Politicising A Pandemic Is A Bad Idea?
Sometimes you know you’re being unreasonable, but it’s too late.
It might start with an argument with a 3-year-old about the name of a cookie. Or a disagreement about what “being on a break" means. It might be a factual dispute about how big your, ahem, inauguration crowd is. Or it could be the kind of fight that changes everything that comes afterwards.
None of that matters anymore.
After a certain point, an argument isn’t about solving problems or considering new perspectives. It’s not about compromise or empathy or evidence. Heck, it’s not even about who’s right.
It’s about winning.
It’s fair to say that the conversation around COVID-19 has become unreasonable. And after 2 miserable years of death, loneliness and financial ruin, I don’t think anybody feels as if they’re “winning.”
Yet during these unprecedented times, we’ve showcased the depth of our compassion and the strength of our communities. We’ve sacrificed and volunteered and looked out for those less fortunate than ourselves. And of course, because it’s the way we do everything now, we’ve indulged our limitless capacity for turning complex, nuanced problems into highly politicised binaries.
