A Naive Solution

Around the globe governments, companies, house owners, workers, and many more are struggling. On one side some rely on the income of others through rent, taxes and on the other side the dropping economy due to Corona leaves people without the jobs providing the income.

While some countries took massive steps in February and March, others reacted much later and tried to keep the economy running with devastating outcomes, when looking at the death tolls.

While one understands that a worldwide economic system that is based on growth can’t just be switched off, or let’s say reduced to the basics?

What if governments would just shut down the economy, and only provide the essentials, named food and shelter. Everyone else working in other industries would then do whatever they can to provide help to the essential jobs. Therefore we would have less increasing and decreasing wealth as we are seeing now. Sure the ones that are working in essential jobs would still make money — but ever thought about that usually they are the ones who earn lower wages in regular times?

So, in the end, the gap would be getting closer again together, as it started in the early years after the two world wars, but since the 90s started drifting apart again.

Let this sound naive, but what good arguments do we have against it, that would benefit the same amount of people, as if we would put the system on hold?