ABSTRACT
Many of the challenges posed by the virus arise less from the disease than the reactions of policymakers and the fragility of the globalized industrial, economic, and financial infrastructure that, like Atlas, supports the world on its shoulders. The death toll and the stagnation of the economy are plain enough, but the pandemic has generated a range of other harms that are often obscured by the flashing lights of vehicles carrying victims to their fate. The irrational, if understandable, fear of the virus engendered a blame game in which the principal target is China, which is accused of a number of transgressions, including covering up the outbreak and its extent, and the use of totalitarian policies to stem the epidemic. Apprehensive individuals are naturally more willing to tolerate limitations on their liberty if they believe such restrictions are likely to achieve their purpose. Digital technology has been vital in containing the virus and its social consequences.
