The Virus That Killed The Modern State

As time goes by, we are forced to accept the reality of a new normal. The global pandemic created by Covid-19 took with it not only millions of lives, but also deeply ingrained social structures.

Among them, the modern state.

As much as we still resist the obvious now, we will eventually come to terms with the fact that we’re not going back to what it was before. That is simply not possible anymore. We may still cling to the old ways, because they’re still fresh in our memories, but the every day reality contradicts those old ways at every step.

Here’s how this new reality unfolds now. We get up and prepare to work from home, because traveling to our workplace is not allowed anymore. Just for two weeks for now, but it might be longer. We don’t know yet. They’re going to tell us in two weeks. If we go out to the grocery store, we have to put on a mask. We have to wear it all the time, that’s how we interact now. Going out without a mask is not only punishable by law, but also a reason for public shaming, similar to stealing. If we meet in our own houses, we have to keep the number down. Maximum 6 people at a time. Or 4, maybe. Or 9, we don’t know yet, they will tell us next time they announce the “results of the previous measures”. We cannot travel without a medical test and even if we are allowed to travel, most of the time we will have to quarantine on arrival for three days up to two weeks, depending on the destination rules.

Please note that I wrote “the destination rules”, not “the country rules”. We may still think in those terms, but that’s only residual thinking, inertial vocabulary, which doesn’t accurately describe the reality. Countries, as we used to know them, are a thing of the past.

There is this new layer of management processes, which comprises a few entities: old government structures, corporate actors and media outlets. Power, as we used to define it, is expressed through this new mix. Which is still young, but very effective.

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