AS the world braces for the next level of the Covid-19 crisis following the World Health Organisation’s pandemic declaration, the most obvious change on the ground for most people is the lack of crowds in commercial spaces. A bane to businesses, it is a boon to the intrepid window shopper, who can now browse with little interruption (and competition) from strangers and don’t have to deal with long checkout lines.

No, I am not making light of the situation. The lack of consumption is hurting economies globally, and this has a domino effect in the long term at all levels of society. What it shows is our helplessness as a civilisation caught in a system that has inherently turned onto itself, and one only needs to look back on history to see how the past has shaped the present.

The Industrial Revolution made workers out of the populace, wages out of labour, and cities into centres of commerce – that’s the basic that the average person needs to know. The system of relationships we have with each other as human beings has changed, and cities have become communities of strangers.

As cities grew, so, too, the needs of the market, and economic expansion came parallel with the advancement of transportation technologies and systems, from sea to land to sky. Borders became porous, time shortened and spaces compacted as people began traversing geographical boundaries in search of economic opportunities (and potential mates) in urban centres. In this burgeoning society of strangers, one may find solace in unexpected friends, companionship, or even love.

Those from rural or impoverished areas, especially the youthful, see images and stories of a better and exciting life in the city. Ironically, those in the cities, especially the non-youthful, experience stress. If one is disillusioned with the opportunity ceiling and underappreciation of their skills, they can try their luck abroad and move to other urban centres to ply their trade.

What is often forgotten in these narratives of movement is the in-between, the travel towards new horizons – the excitement and anxiety of going somewhere for the first time – and the unlimited exchange of cultures, habits, behaviours, currencies… and pathogens. This last point is a thorny one, and one which colonisers and colonies used to pit “us against them”, “them” being the natives, “the wretched of the Earth”, to quote political philosopher Frantz Fanon. Colonisers did not bring just their own desire for conquest to other lands, but also exposed the natives to diseases unknown to their regions.

Fast-forward to the present. Modern travel has evidently been the most effective vector for diseases across continents, something that history has foretold, and which health professionals have to mitigate in times of crises. What do most people travel for? Either work or holiday, and both belong to industries of their own, industries that thrive on insatiable desires.

But let’s take full advantage of this moment in history to reflect on our collective behaviour that has, at one point or another, coloured our ideological perspectives and everyday politics – nothing beats nature’s silent, unflinching, but smacking lessons. Human civilisation has been driven by the industrious spirit for a good 300 to 500 years (correct me if I’m wrong), and yes, life has improved for many as a result. But as of late (in the past 100 years or so), it has also bore its ugly head. The crisis we face now is one borne of insatiable, unrepentant capitalism and socio-economic inequality. Stocks may crash and industries may close up shop, but life in nature will go on, and our place in it isn’t as significant as we think it is.

Nature has spoken, and it’s telling us to slow down and reflect. The problem is, we don’t listen. – March 13, 2020.

* Azmyl Yunor is a touring underground recording artiste, and an academic in media and cultural studies. He has published articles on pop culture, subcultures and Malaysian cultural politics. He adheres to the three-chords-and-the-truth school of songwriting, and Woody Guthrie’s maxim “All you can write is what you see”. He is @azmyl on Twitter.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.