FOR some time, I have had the conviction that life as we knew it before the coronavirus pandemic was a thing of the past, and that our economic and social activities are henceforth going to be fundamentally different. Nonetheless, I did have some optimism that our remarkable ability to adapt to change would, within a reasonably short period of time, create a positive environment in which almost everyone could find a productive and rewarding existence if they were willing to put a little effort into it.
After the events of the past three weeks, I am no longer optimistic.