Episode 89: Is This the New Normal? On COVID-19 and Quarantine Life

Dialogika Podcast

In this episode, we’re [insert number of days] into the lockdown situation in most parts of the world right now and we wanted to have a lighthearted but also sincere conversation about what living in the world is like at the moment. We share bits and pieces about our lives in quarantine, with Swedian in Jakarta undergoing large-scale social distancing and Stephanie in the Bay Area living under stay-at-home orders. We reflect on how our respective local authorities are responding to the pandemic and the impact that has across all of society and various communities — especially those who are most vulnerable and are not privileged enough to protect themselves or work from home. We discuss about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the damaging effect of hoarding in terms of allocating resources for those who really need it. When we come out of this pandemic, we have a choice as a species — whether we will be completely Darwinian about ourselves and see who survives, or we will support one another and make choices that may be difficult and uncomfortable, but is better for your community, your society, and the human race.