“Three previous plagues could yield some clues about the way Covid-19 might bend the arc of history. As I teach in my course ‘Plagues, Pandemics and Politics,’ pandemics tend to shape human affairs in three ways.
“First, they can profoundly alter a society’s fundamental worldview. Second, they can upend core economic structures. And, finally, they can sway power struggles among nations.” by AP and Israel Hayom Staff
– The Antonine plague, and its twin, the Cyprian plague (A.D. 165 to 262): Within a century of the end of these plagues Christianity replaced Roman paganism.
– Plague of Justinian & The Fall of Rome (A.D. 542 to 755): Medieval Europe and the reduced slave supply and agrarianism forced the replacement of Roman Empire slavery with Feudalism.
– Black Death of the Middle Ages (A.D. 1347 to 1351): Massive Labor shortages, urbanization, international trade, and the first small businesses replaced feudalism with capitalism over the next few hundred years and birthed the Renaissance.
Now we are in a forth plague that could “bend the arch of history” and “upend core economy structures.” We can do better than capitalism.
– COVID19 (A.D. 2020 to ???): A new Renaissance led by Millennials and Zoomers could repair our failed systems.
Andy Hailey