A crisis on this scale can reorder
society in dramatic ways, for better or worse. Here are 34 big thinkers’
predictions for what’s to come.
By POLITICO MAGAZINE 03/19/2020 07:30 PM
EDT
For many
Americans right now, the scale of the coronavirus crisis calls to mind 9/11 or
the 2008 financial crisis—events that reshaped society in lasting ways, from
how we travel and buy homes, to the level of security and surveillance we’re
accustomed to, and even to the language we use.
Politico Magazine surveyed more than 30 smart, macro
thinkers this week, and they have some news for you: Buckle in. This could be
bigger.
A global,
novel virus that keeps us contained in our homes—maybe for months—is already
reorienting our relationship to government, to the outside world, even to each
other. Some changes these experts expect to see in the coming months or years
might feel unfamiliar or unsettling: Will nations stay closed? Will touch
become taboo? What will become of restaurants?
But
crisis moments also present opportunity: more sophisticated and flexible use of
technology, less polarization, a revived appreciation for the outdoors and
life’s other simple pleasures. No one knows exactly what will come, but here is
our best stab at a guide to the unknown ways that society—government,
healthcare, the economy, our lifestyles and more—will change.
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