Forget ‘Social Distancing’, Our Leaders Should Promote ‘Physical Distancing’ & ‘Social Solidarity’ by Holly Flickinger

This is being written on the 2nd of April 2020, as Coronavirus is ravaging many nations, and global headlines announce themes like, “US Viral Death Toll Tops 5000’ and “Which Countries have the Most Cases and Deaths’.  This has many people, including the writers of this blog asking, “What is our personal social responsibility in a crisis situation such as this and what is the responsibility of our leaders?”

A popular American podcast produced by Vox, The Ezra Klein Show, shared an episode today entitled, ‘What Social Solidarity Demands of Us in Pandemic’.  The episode questions why we started using the phrase ‘social distancing’ in the first place, as this can be misconstrued as an excuse to forget the most vulnerable in society and approach this crisis from an individualistic standpoint where people are most concerned about looking out for themselves and themselves alone.  Klein argues and I agree, that what we really need now is ‘physical distancing’ and ‘social solidarity’. Social solidarity emphasizes the interdependence between people in a society which allows individuals to feel like they can enhance the lives of fellow community members. This concept is founded on shared values.

This concept of social solidarity reminds us that in order to face the significant challenges that a devastating virus brings, including lack of resources, economic disparity and isolation and loneliness, our communities must adopt a shared values system that focuses not just on protecting ourselves, but also on looking out for the greater good.  

It’s in times like this we look at our leadership for guidance.  Many of us crave recommendations from authorities who culminate the hard work of experts within our societies, like scientists, doctors and public health officials, in this case, and hand them down as directives for the common good.  We need reassurance for those responsible for the health and safety of our nations. 

Several weeks ago Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel addressed her nation.  The major takeaway message was, “This is serious.” However, Merkel spoke to the importance of social solidarity when she said, ““Since German unification—no, since the Second World War—no challenge to our nation has ever demanded such a degree of common and united action.” 

Merkel emphasizes ‘common and united action’,  another way of summarizing the importance of social solidarity to carry a nation through the most challenging times.   Merkel gave clear examples of how people could act in solidarity, as she explained there was no need to hoard groceries and supplies, and applauded those cashiers, bus drivers, medical workers and other essential crisis workers who stepped up to work in solidarity.  She asked her public for the sacrifice of discipline and for ‘heroic acts of kindness’.  

Her speech was characterized as being direct, honest and empathetic, as she aimed to create the sense of trust that enables the people of a nation to follow their leader in a movement towards social solidarity.  

Trust is a key ingredient in the recipe for social solidarity.  

Where trust is broken, things start to go wrong. In my mind, the US is an example of a society wrought with distrust in leadership due to the fractured leadership style of President Donald Trump.  Trump is the spokesperson for many of the social vices of individualism, as much of his career has been built upon practicing disloyalty for individual gain and wealth accumulation. 

In the Corona crisis thus far, or as he likes to call it, ‘The China Virus’, Trump has regularly put his 2020 presidential campaign and fondness of handshakes ahead of the lives of Americans by emphasizing the importance of 'getting the economy up and running as soon as possible'. He's ignored the importance of social solidarity and physical distancing in exchange for rhetoric aimed at his personal gain.  He has wavered in his messaging to the American people and often provided misleading information about soon-to-be-released potential vaccines or cures. He’s fractured an already individualistically minded nation by suggesting we blame China for our circumstances, thus instead of building trust and solidarity, he’s continuing to build a nation built on fear, distrust and individualism that ignores about how much Americans need each other to survive this.  

If we can’t find the messages of social solidarity from our own leaders, the best we can do for now is find it from other global and societal leaders who believe that we all can meet these challenges and push through the difficulties in our midst.  We can look to each other for examples of social solidarity and celebrate the acts of heroic kindness we see in our communities. (It might be best to celebrate those successes with a virtual ‘quarantini’ on Zoom…) Lastly, we can all find creative ways to be the leaders we want to see within our own communities.