The coronavirus pandemic has revealed the interconnected dependency of the human ecosystem, despite differences in social class.
At the event hosted by the Columbia School of International Affairs (SIPA), Van Jones argued that social distancing is only possible for the elite. The elites have a view that “I have the world at my fingertips. I can push a button on my app. I can have any service right now, and I never have to worry. But, when you’re poor, you can’t socially distance yourself. You’re all stacked on top of each other,” he explained.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has made people, especially the elite, realize that everybody is connected.
“This virus tells you, ‘we’re all one.’ If that person has that cough in the Amazon warehouse and can’t see a doctor, you might get sick if the package comes to your house. If you don’t care about whether somebody can take care of themselves, then guess what? The nanny that you’re relying on in your household can’t come. Your grandmother, who may be in a nursing home, being taken care of by a woman of color who was an immigrant. If she gets sick, now you can’t proceed. It turns out we’re all one,” Van concluded.