Bill Ackman, hedge fund manager and oft-times gambler betting on the downside, says he’s an optimist. While he exhorts the President and our national leaders to shut the country down for a month. If we don’t, he says, the America we love and know will be forever changed.
I think the 30 day shutdown is probably the right thing to do, mind you, because our country is way behind the curve in testing, isolating and treating capabilities. And I agree with Mr. Bill that our economy can probably weather a one month pause. Probably more.
But even if the powers that be don’t follow his advice (though counties and states will probably lead ahead of the federal government, like they have been for a while), this country is made of stronger fabric at its core.
The news shows the empty shelves and the long lines. The news informs us of the pending bankruptcies, the layoffs commencing, the canceled concerts. The news shows people buying more guns and ammo. The news accelerates the anxiety in the population, ensuring that fear is the primary emotional motivation.
The news doesn’t show the neighbor letting her neighbor know that she can rely on her to pick up groceries, because her neighbor is 82. The news doesn’t show the security guard at a supermarket gently chiding a shopper to buy for a week, so others can do the same, instead of buying everything they can. Our constant, pervasive “information” feed from many sources seems to vacuum up all the alarm, and none of the human charm of how we are responding in other ways.
Our company’s China operations were shut down for about six weeks. Commerce ground to a halt there, as were many other places across China. Our China Tribe (as we call ourselves) stayed connected, focused on projects that were needed and now they had the time to devote, working from home. They kept their spirits up by putting together an inspiring, funny video. The plot was simple: making good use of the time at home.
The video, edited cutely and with a lively sound track, showed our China Tribe doing tai chi in their living room, cooking dinner, studying courses online, doing yoga, making the house cat crazy chasing after a feather, playing games with their kids, dancing and playing music. Everybody helped each other out, even when they weren’t in the same physical location. Inspiring.
That’s what’s happening everywhere across this country, too. I’m seeing it wherever I go. You probably are, as well. Two child cellists performing a concert on the porch of an elderly neighbor in Ohio. Neighborhood networking website users advertising to donate supplies to anyone who can’t get to the store. Shoppers splitting up their purchase so another can take something home.
Sure, early behavior by panicked people buying more toilet paper than they can actually use in a year is cause for concern. And it’s cause for the rest of us to set the example of calm in the face of uncertainty and danger.
What’s the first thing they tell you in any first-responder training? “Don’t panic.” What was written on Arthur Dent’s towel in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”? “Don’t panic”.
Shutdown of the country for a month or two? Probably a good idea. If it doesn’t happen, is our country doomed? Far, far from it. We’re a lot stronger as citizens than most of our leaders.