>>I'm struck by how brittle our economic model is. Business now operates on a very lean model .

I take your point. If the primary role of each generation is to leave things in better shape for those who follow, I think our lot has messed up badly. Everything from small business viability to NHS to law and order seems to be fragile and permanently at 110% capacity to scrape by. For whose benefit?! I'm not so bothered by the 1%, it's the dreadful predatory 0.01% prepared to sacrifice almost any public good if it brings more mammon for them. Meanwhile I think it was Victor who once referred to the "I'm OK, Jack" philosophy with those who ought to know better prepared to tolerate almost any slide as long as there's a big TV in the living room and we can just about get by ourselves.

Looking as always for the silver lining: COVID arrived before the songs of globalization had completely ended local first world production, revealing the inherent weakness in globalized supply chains that failed most western nations as soon as the manufacturers wanted production for themselves. Society needs to insist either on stockpiles or localized production of things we cannot do without, such as food, medication and medical equipment, fuel, a means to stay warm over winter, etc etc. That production needs to be considered an essential supply underwritten by state IMHO. Society may need to subsidize cost when the rules, regulations and salaries in first world economies cost more than sweatshop labor elsewhere, but that's only until the robotic production lines take over when home production now makes very good economic sense- as long as the entire capability hasn't been sacrificed for some extra profit for the 0.01% moguls.