Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Merry Christmas.
The year is almost over. President Trump will soon be free to watch right-wing TV and overload Twitter without the burden of responsibility.
The best thing he will leave us with, however, is Operation Warp Speed, which just might make the COVID-19 pandemic manageable without economic shutdowns by the end of 2021.
The vaccines alone make 2021 worth looking forward to.
The end, or at least the weakening, of COVID-19 will bring an economic explosion that has seldom been matched, I think. When the planet-size river of pent-up demand is loosed, I expect a tsunami of new wealth and silliness that could dwarf the Roaring '20s, the Swinging '60s, or the Go-Go '80s.
The Roaring '20s, with bootleggers, flapper girls and jazz, were, in part, a reaction to the infamous Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 and 1919, according to cultural commentator Tim Adams, writing for the Guardian.
Live, large-group entertainment venues may overflow with a vengeance. Theme parks may overflow.
Or maybe not. Some prognosicators see the suspicion of crowds lasting well beyond the time when vaccines take effect. Public health officials agree the virus will become manageable long before it stops being worthy of precautions.
There are a few developments that the pandemic made necessary that could become permanent fixtures in the best of times.
Working from home is one. The pandemic has made it clear the benefits that could come from ending the need for exhausting daily commutes to the office.
That would be bad news for office buildings, though. Even Cushman and Wakefield, a major commercial real estate company, thinks the impact on the office building economy will be worse than the financial crisis of 2008.
It will also mean office workers can live farther from traditional workplaces, so it's good news for outlying communities.
Low-cost virtual meetings using Zoom and other virtual meeting programs could permanently reduce the need for long-distance business travel. Airlines will suffer. The International Air Transport Association projected a 38% cut to air travel in 2020, which likely will carry over into 2021.
Markets for streaming and oversize TVs brought on by the pandemic's forced couch-potato expansion will continue to threaten movie theaters. Even movie popcorn may not reverse this trend.
I hope also that the powers that be will develop a clear understanding of just how essential those essential workers are and start paying them accordingly. I would be willing to pay more to keep them at the risky jobs they do.
Will the shared misfortune of the pandemic bring the world closer together? Most likely not, according to most experts.
Global supply chains were hit hard by the virus, bringing new appreciation for local and regional suppliers. Globe-spanning relationships are likely to dwindle.
Well, most of the projections about turning down the pandemic are good news, anyway.
I'm still looking forward to 2021.
Steve Hansen writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:
