Corona as a moral change and a new direction for a change? Given the millions of Infected, hundreds of thousands dead, a brutal recession and mass unemployment like this is in the wrong place, Yes, cynical sound.
But more than half a year after the outbreak of the pandemic, the voices, the COVID-19 are on the increase also as a catalyst for reforms and changes to consider. And for a mental fall of the wall.
– health at any price
“The pandemic has shown that we are not in a position to put economic considerations first,” says the German philosopher Markus Gabriel. “We have done the morally Right and for the health decided, by almost any economic price,” he explains in an Interview with the German magazine “der Spiegel”.
Corona as a catalyst for the move away from the consumerism and the critique of globalization. For state interference and state management of the crisis. For deferred ethical and moral issues.
State Money
And for Innovation and reforms: Because the pandemic is not only digitization, but also the international cooperation in the search for a vaccine. And she has ensured that the government spends more money: for Europe, for culture, for education, for care.
at the end of April, for example, the Federal Cabinet decided to increase the minimum wage in the care sector. The payment of the maintenance bonus was restricted to the area of nursing, what nurses just under the ambulance, the COVID-19-patients in intensive care units care for a big disappointment caused.
Nevertheless, the theologian Johann Hinrich Claussen says: “for me It is a positive impact of this terrible pandemic that educators in the Kindergarten, caregivers and educators will learn a new appreciation.”
The cultural Commissioner of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) finds it “encouraging that the protection of life in our society is very much value”. The humanity of a society is shown by the fact, as in crisis situations with children and old people will be dealt with.
culture in the program instead of scrapping
Particularly impressed with Claussen of the program “reboot the culture showed” with a volume of one billion Euro: “There is no scrappage scheme for cars, but money for art and culture,” the EKD-culture festival supervisor. This is a sign that Germany is also in the Corona of a crisis as a nation of culture.
In the economy, the actions triggered against the spread of the pandemic, a digitization of thrust. According to a survey of nearly 800 German personnel managers by the renowned Ifo Institute for economic research at the beginning of August, most of the companies want to use more digital tools such as Online conferences or home office.
The Economist Thomas Straubhaar predicts a “massive Transformation”: “In the Post-Corona-the time will be the digitisation of the successor of globalization,” writes the Hamburg-based Economics Professor, in a guest contribution to the newspaper “The world”.
“the home office replaced the business office”
“global supply chains were vulnerable. National security of supply is important. Data flows are to replace trade flows. Video conferencing will make business travel unnecessary. The home office has replaced the business office,” writes Straubhaar.
Federal Minister of labour, Hubertus Heil is already working on a law draft to write, a right to the home office. The social Democrat is one of those practices during the pandemic, particularly energetic.
For example, in the meat industry. After the waves of Infection in several meat factories are now prohibited from 2021 on contracts for work, in which workers via subcontractors, to be employed in this sector. As well as the use of temporary workers.
Corona is also accelerating the change in the energy industry and climate protection. Neither the 130-billion-Euro aid package from the Federal government when the historic EU-aid package passed by the politicians to link the money to climate protection.
the EU was converted to common debt
The German aid package, climate protection experts praised, among other things, the waiver of a purchase premium for cars with internal combustion engine, as well as the assistance for the Expansion of E-mobility. At the EU level to be used in the common household and the Corona-Fund 30 percent of the funds for climate protection.
That the EU will for the first time in their history together, debt to the international financial markets – a Corona unthinkable Initiative – is seen by many sides is critical. Philosopher Markus Gabriel causes it to cautious optimism: “If I were a representative of Fridays for the Future’, I would say the Ruling now: you have proven in the pandemic that everything can go fast. It is therefore claim a political lie that we can’t solve the climate problem by democratic means.”
author: Astrid Prange De Oliveira
*The article “will to change behind the mask” published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
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