Ep. 294: The COVID-19 crisis and the rise of the Safety State
Guest: Mark Mullins, Veras Inc.
Amid one of the strongest financial rallies ever, suddenly everything changed when it became clear the coronavirus was spreading around the world, killing hundreds of thousands of people.
As of May 5, 2020, “Worldometer” reports that more than three million cases have been reported and 253,000 people have died.
The spread of the virus also spread fear. That fear may, in the short term and likely into the long term, be even more significant than the virus itself, according to Dr. Mark Mullins of Veras Inc., an expert on global markets, macro investing and public policy. “In the same way that 9/11 was a one-day event that triggered an endless global war on terrorism and the rise of the security state,” Mullins says, “the social and political response to the pandemic is ushering in the era of the safety state - a fundamental change and a response to today’s complete breakdown of social trust and stability.”
Mullins goes on to say, “The crisis moment will dissipate with time but the safety state will continue, bolstered by permanent policy actions and the barnacle-like development of new institutions, technologies, and social habits.”
We invited Dr. Mark Mullins to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the shape of our world during and after this once-in-a-century public health crisis and how the aftershocks will last much longer than the virus.
