The Globe and Mail - 03.04.2020

A10 O THE GLOBE AND MAIL| FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020

EDITORIAL

PHILLIP CRAWLEY

PUBLISHER AND CEO

DAVID WALMSLEY

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

P

rime Minister Justin Trudeau spent much of his daily

press conference on Thursday urging Canadians to

continue to self-isolate and practise social distancing.

He empathized with the difficulties these efforts cause, and

suggested people call friends or family members who are hav-

ing a hard time of it.

He also said that Ottawa and the provinces intend to do a

better job of sharing data, including models suggesting the

various possible paths of Canada’s COVID-19 outbreak, how

severe it might or might not get, and how many people could

become infected and die.

“But the biggest variable in shaping these projections is

you and your behaviour,” he added. “It’s up to you to do the

right thing. ... What the experts are telling us is that we must

do everything we can today and tomorrow to set us on the

right path for next week and next month.”

Even if it’s true, telling Canadians that they are the nation’s

biggest exogenous data variable is not exactly Churchillian

oratory. Nor is urging them to “do the right thing.”

Winston Churchill did not go on the radio during the Sec-

ond World War to advise citizens that statistical modelling

suggested their personal behaviour would flatten the curve of

Nazi aggression and influence the outcome of the war in Eu-

rope.

Instead, Churchill put things in a way that inspired people

to embrace the challenges ahead, rather than endure them

sheepishly.

He did so by making it clear what was at stake, and what

people were fighting for. He appealed to their courage, their

pride and their history, and asked them to march alongside

him, not to simply do as they were told and await further in-

struction.

Where is Canada’s “we shall socially distance on the beach-

es, we shall socially distance in the parks, we shall self-isolate

in our living rooms and basements” moment?

Canadians have instead repeatedly been told that staying

home is necessary to reduce the number of new confirmed

cases of coronavirus infections, thereby preventing our

health care system and its workers from being overwhelmed

by a surge of patients.

As well, we are reminded daily that our personal behaviour

will influence how many people will fall sick and die, and how

long self-isolation and the shutdown of the economy will

need to continue.

In other words, don’t be selfish, people. That’s true, but not

the most inspiring appeal to our better natures. Instead, it’s a

hectoring message from a government keeping a two-metre

distance between itself and the people whose support it

needs.

It’s a wasted opportunity. Canadians are an educated and

proud people, willing to do what is right, and what is neces-

sary, when called upon.

We will overcome this trial because our country has tri-

umphed over adversity in the past. Canadians will show cour-

age, generosity and solidarity in a crisis. And we will willingly

and selflessly forego our usual freedoms and comforts if given

well-enunciated reasons. Such as:

To not give aid to an unseen enemy by becoming its agent

of transmission.

To save the lives of thousands of our fellow Canadians.

To save the lives of doctors, nurses and other health care

workers, and give hospitals breathing room to properly care

for the sick.

To give governments time to acquire needed medical

equipment.

To give researchers time to develop antibodies and, even-

tually, a vaccine.

To protect Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa.

To bring us closer to the day when children can go back to

school. To allow a restart of the economy, as soon as possible.

Perhaps we are being old-fashioned. Earnestness and patri-

otism are not very fashionable any more. But what will never

go out of date is the need for leaders to connect with ordinary

people during a crisis. Canadians need to know not just what

is asked of them, but why, and how, and for how long.

And a little poetry? It wouldn’t hurt. It’s not surprising that

some Canadians aren’t embracing a message that tells them

their highest duty is to help bend a curve plotted on a linear

scale.

We are, and always have been, capable of so much more.

Givethedata

alittlemore

input,please

INCOMING

Re Ottawa Steps Forward As CO-

VID-19 Crisis Puts Provinces In

Desperate Straits (April 2): Co-

lumnist John Ibbitson worries

that “a pandemic is a bad reason

for creating a guaranteed annual

income.” I believe that guaran-

teed income already has many

good reasons to be supported;

the pandemic merely illuminates

another one, and the opportuni-

ty to create something valuable

out of this crisis should not go to

waste.

The immediate postcrisis peri-

od will be a golden opportunity

to address the crucial design is-

sues raised by Mr. Ibbitson: fed-

eral-provincial jurisdictions and,

of course, funding. Funding

through increased public debt

seems to be our default solution,

but that feels inter-generational-

ly unethical and impractical for a

permanent program such as this.

It would require a much-avoided,

but long overdue, discussion of

income and wealth redistrib-

ution through tax reform.

Creating a sustainable guaran-

teed annual income would be

challenging, essential and well

within our capabilities.

John DorlandKingston

IDLE HANDS

Re Crops In Peril As Temporary

Foreign Workers Yet To Arrive

(April 2): I almost laughed when

I read this story. Can’t anyone ask

Canadians to do it? Like, really

ask? There are so many young

people out of work and school

now. They can physical distance

as they do it, as well as the mi-

grant workers could.

I would go and work on the

farms if I didn’t have elderly rela-

tives to take care of. Do people

have no imagination any more?

With all the people sitting here,

there is no one to mobilize

them?

Erin McMurtryToronto

I read broadcaster Gordon Sin-

clair’s autobiography years ago.

One of his many stories I remem-

ber took place during the First

World War. Mr. Sinclair was not

old enough as a young teen to

join comrades overseas. Instead,

he went to a farm north of To-

ronto, and rolled up his sleeves

to get the work done. Based on

Mr. Sinclair’s small physique, the

farmer wasn’t sure he’d last – but

he did.

Perhaps going “back to the

land” can become a new fixture

in the curriculum for young stu-

dents.

Michael SchultzActon, Ont.

Re How Did You Win The War? I

Stayed Home (Editorial, March

31): In addition to reinforcing the

message to stay home and high-

lighting what not to do, could we

also report on how to engage

Canadians in positive action?

A call for volunteers in Britain

resulted in 500,000 responses in

24 hours, a staggering number to

effectively organize, but it con-

veys the scope of effort required

and the breadth of public duty.

Perhaps it’s an unfair compari-

son, but a charitable volunteer-

response team in Toronto had

only thousands of responses as

of April 1.

Ideology and obsession with

tax reduction have reduced the

scale and roleof government,

and may also have eroded our

sense of public service in the

common good. Understandably,

government is prioritizing criti-

cal medical and financial aspects

of this crisis. However, I believe

there is a missed opportunity to

safely energize and organize the

resources of those who stay

home, and especially the mas-

sive number of recently unem-

ployed.

Could government help co-or-

dinate and communicate volun-

teer efforts?

Chester FedorukToronto

COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT

Re Over Two Weeks, 158 Interna-

tional Flights Landed In Canada

With At Least One Confirmed

Case Of Virus On Board (April 2):

I’m just back from an abbreviat-

ed vacation. I listened to Justin

Trudeau castigate returnees for

stopping on their way home for

food and admonish folks with

symptoms for boarding planes.

While social distancing and self-

isolation are necessary respon-

sibilities, I believe we have good

evidence that finger-wagging

and threats are not effective. The

problem, it seems, is compliance.

We should create contexts that

maximize compliance; give peo-

ple the means to behave appro-

priately. For instance, if we want

returnees to go straight home,

let’s offer small packages of food

and essentials on their arrivals so

they have some provisions in

hand. If we do not want sick trav-

ellers to board planes, they

should have more options while

abroad than the excruciating di-

lemma of choosing between

their own health and the good of

others.

These are the things that gov-

ernment should be doing to pro-

mote compliance with essential

behaviours that protect the com-

munity.

Adam HorvathProfessor

emeritus of education, Simon

Fraser University; Burnaby, B.C.

WITH GREAT POWER...

Re Save Grandma Or The Econo-

my? It Depends (April 1): The

U.S. debate about the COVID-

response seems larger than eco-

nomics versus public health. To

me, it is about whether experts

or political leaders should dictate

policy.

Public-health officials decided

that shelter in place is in the U.S.

best interest. But does expertise

justify power? On the other

hand, political leaders brave

enough to challenge experts re-

mind us that a more sophisticat-

ed accounting of society’s objec-

tives may be a better guide to ba-

lancing economic and social

losses with slowing the virus.

So who should lead us, the ex-

perts or the politicians? America

is asking.

Nicholas KandelBarrie, Ont.

So far, the COVID-19 pandemic in

the United States has flared most

virulently in flourishing cities

such as New York, San Francisco

and Seattle, centres of finance

and technology. But as the virus

moves into the coal towns and

smaller cities of America’s indus-

trial heartland, in states such as

West Virginia, Kentucky and

Ohio, it will find already weak-

ened individuals in already

weakened communities. There,

the life expectancy of middle-

aged white Americans without a

four-year college degree has been

falling, as analyzed by econo-

mists Anne Case and Angus Dea-

ton in their bookDeaths of De-

spair and the Future of Capitalism.

The causes? Suicide, opioid over-

doses and liver disease amid fall-

ing wages, unemployment and

declining participation in reli-

gious and community life.

I believe Donald Trump has

done little to help these Amer-

icans during his presidency. Peo-

ple are vulnerable in different

ways and are found in unexpect-

ed places. My heart and hopes go

out to them all.

George FallisProfessor emeritus

of economics and social science,

York University; Toronto

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?

Re Who’s Enjoying Self-isolation?

Our Pets (March 28): Could

someone please explain to me

why, if someone is over 70,

healthy and has a dog, they can

go gaily trotting out every day for

walkies? However, if one is over

70, healthy and has outlived all

their dogs, they have to stay

cooped up inside. This is surely

discriminating against non-dog

owners.

Perhaps our leaders would

consider, like stores, setting aside

an hour each day for non-dog-

owning seniors to get out and

stretch their legs. But please

don’t make it between 6 and 7 in

the morning.

Elizabeth ThompsonOakville,

Ont.

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