Why was the United States, one of the richest and most technologically advanced countries in history, so ill-prepared to deal with the Covid-19 health crisis?

A recent article by George Packer in The Atlantic argues that America has “underlying conditions” — political corruption, partisan divisiveness, and social inequality — that deprived it of the unity of action needed to deal with the crisis. In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith and Elan Journo analyze some merits of and flaws in this argument.

Smith and Journo observe that while the argument acknowledges a real problem it fails to identify its deeper roots. To find that root, the issue must be examined philosophically. To learn more about the philosophical issues at stake watch the episode below.

Some of the resources discussed in the episode for thinking philosophically about the roots of the problem include Ayn Rand’s “A Nation’s Unity,” “Global Balkanization,” and “An Untitled Letter.”

To see future episodes of New Ideal Live, join the live Zoom broadcast on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Pacific to take part in the Q&A. Go to https://zoom.us/join and use Meeting ID: 812-506-718. Or catch the livestream or recordings on YouTube and Facebook.

Podcast audio: