It is not just the puritanism but the lack of empathy that alarms me. Many of these young clubbers are people who have spent the past 18 months almost completely on their own. They have studied alone, paid tuition fees to do online courses alone, graduated alone and are now heading into unemployment alone. All for a virus that will affect almost none of them. And it seems to me that in such a situation a certain amount of tolerance and understanding should be extended towards them by older people.
Last year, near the start of this pandemic, when everyone was talking about how it might change us, some optimistic types said it might bring us together. Michel Houellebecq is not an optimistic type. In fact he is the pessimist’s pessimist. But it seems to me that the French novelist’s reaction was among the more accurate. Asked what society might look like after the virus, he said he thought it was likely to be the same, but worse.
So far everything is bearing out his analysis. Legislation that was supposed to be temporary has rolled on and on. Restrictions meant to be limited look as if they are going to be with us for the duration. People who like government interference in their lives might be happy. People fond of mass surveillance and monitoring might be happy. People keen on a future in which government and private-sector busybodies use the virus as the ultimate excuse not to do anything they don’t want to do will be happy. And that’s before we get on to the debt, inflation and the growing inability to accrue capital that is again going to disproportionately affect the young. So if these Twenties can roar, then excellent. Good luck to them. But I don’t fancy their chances.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member