The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion How this moment could change us for the better

Columnist|
March 29, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EDT
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) during a coronavirus briefing in New York on March 24. (Mike Segar)

“You are living a moment in history," New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) said during his Friday news conference. "This is going to be one of those moments they’re going to write and they’re going to talk about for generations. This is a moment that forges character, forges people, changes people — make them stronger, make them weaker — but this is a moment that will change character.”

A pandemic disease reveals our social stratification — who can work from home and who cannot, who has financial reserves and who does not. As in any crisis, the most vulnerable will have worse outcomes because they begin with worse health and have fewer resources to keep them safe or protect them if they get hit.

Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

But if one thinks of the coronavirus outcome as a war that engages the entire citizenry, exacts casualties and upends daily life, then the coronavirus may act to bring us together and to serve as a great leveler. We are all cooped up, all uncertain and all dependent on a functioning health-care system and food-supply supply chain. More Americans, through no fault of their own, may experience unemployment than at any time in our history.

Here’s how the daily coronavirus briefings from New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) have become appointment viewing for New Yorkers and beyond. (Video: The Washington Post)

As in other times of societal stress and extreme challenge (e.g., the Great Depression), this crisis may strengthen and expand the role of the federal government. It may bridge the rural/urban divide and dampen the sense in red America that what happens in blue America does not concern them — and vice versa. The notion that one-half of the country (the so-called elites) is out to get the other might fade. A common appreciation for lifesaving science may ensue.

Much depends, however, on political leadership at both the federal and state levels. Do we adopt the attitude that vulnerable people are precious and deserving of sacrifice to keep them from infection, or do we take the Trumpian position that the “cure is worse than the disease” (i.e., profits above health)? There are three factors that are likely to determine in what way the country changes.

First, we will only halt the erosion of trust in government if the government acts competently. The public has been pummeled with the results of bad policy (e.g., financial deregulation, the “endless wars”); a brief recession and a bare minimum number of coronavirus casualties may convince millions of Americans that they really can rely on political leaders, and that democracy does not necessarily mean dysfunction. It is essential that Congress continue to pass urgent rescue and recovery measures; that governors such as Cuomo come up with innovative ideas to save lives (e.g., convert New York’s Javits Center into a temporary hospital); and, critically, that success is lauded and incompetency punished. If we elevate success stories, the message will be that government in competent hands can serve us well.

Second, we cannot give way to the totalitarian temptation. As Anne Applebaum wrote for the Atlantic, “At times when people fear death, they go along with measures that they believe, rightly or wrongly, will save them — even if that means a loss of freedom. Such measures have been popular in the past.” Relying on unilateral executive action and not duly passed legislation, impinging on free and fair elections (or refusing to take measures that protect them), seeking extraordinary police power (as the Justice Department apparent did in seeking the power to detain citizens indefinitely), or excessive surveillance and violations of privacy will lead us in a dangerous direction. It was reassuring to see that when Trump’s Justice Department did try to seek excessive powers, figures on the right (e.g., Texas Sen. Ted Cruz) and on the left (e.g., New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) both strongly rejected the idea.

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Finally, corruption, self-dealing and favoritism will erode trust in government and intensify the social, racial and political divisions. When a senator is alleged to have engaged in insider trading, it is incumbent on his own party to take swift and definitive action. If the $500 billion fund for businesses becomes a slush fund for Trump and his cronies, the wing of the Democratic Party led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will have a field day and push for more extreme measures such as nationalization of key industries. (For this reason, the push for tough oversight by Senate Democrats was essential.) When police powers increase to, for example, enforce curfews or quarantine restrictions, it is essential that the laws are enforced equitably regardless of ZIP code.

Democratic Party lawyer Marc Elias says states and Congress need to act now to ensure all votes count during the general election. These changes are overdue. (Video: The Washington Post)

In sum, the decency of our leaders will determine whether the pandemic is yet another blow to civil society and functional democracy. But as important as the tone of our leaders is how well they execute mitigation and recovery efforts; how strongly we push back against anti-democratic impulses; and how vigorously we clamp down on profiteering and unequal justice. If done right, this moment will change us for the better.

Read more:

David Platt: These days I preach to an empty room. But I see my church clearer than ever.

David Von Drehle: What the gift of this unpleasant infection has helped me understand

Ruth Marcus: Nurses and doctors are the heroes of this moment

The Post’s View: Risking millions of lives to save the economy is a terrible idea

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