The Post-Pandemic World? More Like the Post-Apocalypse, Am I Right?
So, we're officially "post-pandemic," huh? Tell that to the million-plus workers still calling in sick every month. Tell that to the understaffed hospitals and the burnout healthcare workers. Tell that to anyone who's tried to book a doctor's appointment in the last year. Give me a break.
This whole "return to normal" narrative is a load of horseshit.
The JAMA Network Open study is clear: COVID ain't over just because some politician declared it so. Absences are still sky-high, especially for those of us who can't just "work from home" in our pajamas. You know, the essential workers, the ones we clapped for back in 2020 before promptly forgetting about them.
And what about reproductive health? Another study shows that while some things have stabilized, the system was already broken before COVID. The pandemic just cranked the fragility up to eleven. We're talking about essential services, people. Access to contraception, prenatal care, STI testing... these aren't "nice-to-haves." They're fundamental rights, and they're still being treated like afterthoughts.
The "New Normal" is Just the Same Old Crap, Intensified
I love how they talk about "resilience strategies" like telemedicine. Great, if you have reliable internet and aren't technologically illiterate. For everyone else, it's just another barrier to access. And task-sharing? Translation: overworked nurses doing the jobs of three people while getting paid the same crap wages.
Don't even get me started on the mental health of healthcare workers. "Psychosocial challenges," they call it. I call it PTSD from watching people die preventable deaths while being forced to ration resources. And what's the solution? "Informal coping mechanisms such as avoidance of testing and reliance on faith." Seriously? That's the best we can do? Where's the actual support? Where's the funding for mental health services? Oh right, that went to tax cuts for billionaires...
Is anyone else tired of hearing about "lessons learned" from the pandemic? Because I am. We "learned" that our healthcare system is a joke. We "learned" that corporations care more about profits than people. We "learned" that politicians are more interested in scoring points than solving problems. So what's changed? Absolutely nothing.
Office Space Shenanigans: A Sign of the Times?
Then there's the Highwoods Properties deal. $223 million for an office tower in Charlotte. Apparently, "demand for premium office space" is making a comeback. Because nothing says "post-pandemic recovery" like investing in a monument to corporate drudgery. Highwoods Properties tees up its largest post-pandemic office deal
Let's be real, the only reason anyone's going back to the office is because their bosses are control freaks who can't stand the thought of people being productive in their own homes. It's not about collaboration or innovation. It's about power and surveillance. Are people really going to ditch their peloton bikes and return to the daily grind?
And this whole "capital markets flywheel turning even more" talk makes me want to puke. It's like they're celebrating the commodification of human misery. "Oh, look, the rich are getting richer off our collective trauma! Isn't that great?"
The sales pitch here is that things are getting better, but who is it getting better for?
Maybe I'm just being cynical. Maybe I'm missing the big picture. But I see a world where the cracks in the system have become gaping chasms, and the people in charge are too busy patting themselves on the back to notice.
So, What's the Real Story?
It's not a recovery. It's a goddamn heist.
